View source for Robert F. Stockton

{{short description|United States Navy officer (1795-1866)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Robert F. Stockton
|image        = RFStockton.jpg
|order1       = 2nd
|office1      = Military Governor of California
|term_start1  = July 29, 1846
|term_end1    = January 16, 1847
|lieutenant1  =
|predecessor1 = [[Andrés Pico]] {{small|(as acting Governor of [[Alta California]])}}<br />[[John D. Sloat]]
|successor1   = [[Stephen W. Kearny]]
|office       = [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] <br /> from [[New Jersey]]
|term_start   = March 4, 1851
|term_end     = January 10, 1853
|predecessor  = [[William L. Dayton]]
|successor    = [[John Renshaw Thomson]]
<!--Military service-->
|nickname     =
|allegiance   = [[United States of America]]
|branch       = {{flag|United States Navy|1861}}
|serviceyears = 1811–1850
|rank         = [[File:USN commodore rank insignia.jpg|35px]] [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]]
|unit         =
|commands     = {{USS|Princeton|1843|2}}<br />{{USS|Congress|1841|2}}<br />[[Pacific Squadron]]<br />[[Militia (United States)|New Jersey militia]]
|battles      = [[War of 1812]]<br />[[Mexican–American War]]
|awards       = [[Fort Stockton, Texas]], [[Stockton, Missouri]]
<br />[[Stockton, California]], named after him
|birth_name=Robert Field Stockton
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1795|8|20}}
|birth_place  = [[Princeton, New Jersey]], U.S.
|death_date   = {{death date and age|1866|10|7|1795|8|20}}
|death_place  = Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
|party        = [[History of the United States Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|spouse       =
|profession   =
}}

'''Robert Field Stockton''' (August 20, 1795 – October 7, 1866) was a [[United States Navy]] [[Commodore (rank)|commodore]], notable in the capture of [[History of California|California]] during the [[Mexican–American War]]. He was a naval innovator and an early advocate for a propeller-driven, steam-powered navy.  Stockton was from a notable political family and also served as a [[U.S. senator]] from [[New Jersey]].

==Biography==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Robert F. Stockton.svg|175px|thumb|left|Coat of Arms of Robert F. Stockton]]
Robert F. Stockton was born at [[Morven (Princeton, New Jersey)|Morven]], Stockton Street, [[Princeton, New Jersey]], into a political family; his father [[Richard Stockton (U.S. senator)|Richard Stockton]] was a U.S. senator and representative, and his grandfather, [[Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman)|Judge Richard Stockton]], was attorney general for New Jersey and a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]].  Robert F. Stockton was of [[English American|English descent]], and his family had been in what is now the United States since the early colonial period. On March 4, 1823, he married Harriet Maria Potter in Charleston, South Carolina. Ten children were born to this marriage.<ref>''A Sketch of the Life of Com. Robert F. Stockton'' By John Bayard Samuel John Bayard, Samuel Bayard page 9</ref>

===Early naval service===
Stockton was appointed a [[midshipman]] in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] in September 1811, shortly after his 16th birthday, and served at sea and ashore during the [[War of 1812]]. After that conflict, Lieutenant Stockton was assigned to ships operating in the Mediterranean, in the Caribbean and off the coast of West Africa.  He was the first [[naval officer]] to act against the [[History of slavery|slave trade]] and captured several slave ships. In December 1821, while commanding {{USS|Alligator|1820|6}} along the African Windward Coast, Lt. Stockton, along with Dr. [[Eli Ayers]] of the [[American Colonization Society]],<ref>Crawford, Amy; [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/liberias-founding-document-located-180980339/ "How One Historian Located Liberia's Elusive Founding Document"], ''Smithsonian Magazine'' July/August 2022 (retrieved September 21, 2024)</ref> negotiated a treaty that led to the founding of the state of [[Liberia]]. One source said that Stockton "leveled a pistol at [[Zolu Duma|King Peter]]'s head and thereby convinced the latter to sell some of his territory".<ref>Burin, Eric; ''Slavery and the Peculiar Solution'', University Press of Florida, Gainesville, 2005, p.141.</ref> Another source states that, before Stockton leveled his pistol at King Peter, he handed another pistol to Ayers, directing him to shoot a [[Mulatto|mixed race]] slave trader who was warning King Peter that the Americans sought to end the slave trade from which King Peter's tribe profited.<ref>''A Sketch of the Life of Com. Robert F. Stockton'', [https://archive.org/details/asketchlifecomr00stocgoog/page/n46/mode/1up?view=theater pp.44-47] (New York: Derby & Jackson, 1856).</ref>

===Business affairs===
During the later 1820s and into the 1830s, Stockton primarily devoted his attention to business affairs in [[New Jersey]]. In addition, Stockton owned and operated the Tellurium gold mine in [[Goochland County, Virginia|Goochland]] and [[Fluvanna County, Virginia|Fluvanna]] counties in Virginia. He had purchased it in 1848, after its discovery in 1832.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Green|first1=Fletcher|title=Gold Mining in Ante-Bellum Virginia|journal=The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography|date=Jul 1937|volume=45|issue=3|page=357}}</ref> His son [[John P. Stockton]] was born during this period. He later followed his father into politics and was elected as a U.S. senator representing New Jersey.

In 1835, Stockton purchased a property in [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], called "Sea Girt".<ref>[http://www.monmouthhistory.org/Sections-read-45.html Library & Archives Manuscript Collections - Collection 31 Morris Family Papers, 1875-1968], The Monmouth County Historical Association. Accessed October 1, 2015. "In the early part of the nineteenth century the 800 acres which comprised Sea Girt were divided into two farms owned by men named Bell and Sherman. In 1835 Commodore Robert Stockton bought the farm from John Sherman and in 1847 Dr. Charles Montrose Graham of New York City bought the Bell farm."</ref> The property was purchased in 1875 by a group of land developers, with the name of Stockton's estate ultimately leading to the choice of the name [[Sea Girt, New Jersey]], when the borough was established in 1918.<ref>[http://seagirtboro.com/history/ History], Borough of Sea Girt. Accessed October 1, 2015. "In 1853, Commodore Robert F. Stockton acquired the large tract of land and built a lavish summer estate in the area between Stockton Lake and Wreck Pond. Yet it was not until 1875, after a group of Philadelphia land developers purchased the land that Sea Girt's growth as a community was spurred."</ref>

[[Image:Robert F. Stockton.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Commodore Robert F. Stockton]]

===Resumes active naval service===
In 1838, Stockton resumed active naval service as a [[Captain (naval)|captain]]. He served in the European area but took leave in 1840 to undertake political work. Offered the post of [[U.S. Secretary of the Navy]] by President [[John Tyler]] in 1841, he declined the offer but worked successfully to gain support for the construction of an advanced steam warship with a battery of very heavy guns.

This ship became {{USS|Princeton|1843|6}}, the Navy's first screw-propelled [[Steamboat|steamer]]. The ship was designed by [[John Ericsson]]. Stockton commanded her when she was completed in 1843. The ship was armed with two long 225-pounder wrought iron guns, called the "''Peacemaker''" and the "''Oregon''". Although he was the deviser of the defective gun, Captain Stockton's political influence allowed him to be absolved of all responsibility for the February 1844 explosion of the gun, the ''Peacemaker'', on board the ship. The explosion killed two [[United States Cabinet|cabinet secretaries]] and several others.<ref>[http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,NH_0905_Cruise-P1,00.html Fatal Cruise of the Princeton – Page 1<!-- Bot-generated title-->]</ref>

Cleared by the court of any wrongdoing in the explosion incident, Stockton was sent by President [[James K. Polk]] to [[Texas]].  Stockton carried with him Polk's offer to annex Texas, sailing on the ''Princeton'' and arriving in [[Galveston]]. Stockton's observations while in Texas made him aware of the looming [[Mexican–American War|war with Mexico]], a fact he communicated directly to Polk once he arrived back in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A Sketch of the Life of Com. Robert F. Stockton|publisher=Derby & Jackson|year=1856|url=https://archive.org/details/asketchlifecomr00stocgoog}}</ref> No vessel during the Mexican war was more useful than the ''Princeton'' in the Gulf of Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://monitor.noaa.gov/150th/ericsson.html|title=Monitor 150th Anniversary - Inventor John Ericsson|website=monitor.noaa.gov|access-date=2017-03-22}}</ref><ref name="Tucker2013">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TO2mx314ST0C&pg=PA659|title=Almanac of American Military History|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2013|isbn=978-1-59884-530-3|page=659|author=Spencer Tucker}}</ref> The records of the Navy Department showed she performed more service than all the rest of the Gulf squadron put together. {{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}

===Mexican–American War===
'''Conquest of California'''

On July 23, 1846, [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] Stockton arrived in [[Monterey, California]], and took over command from the ailing Commodore [[John D. Sloat]] of the [[Pacific Squadron]] of U.S. naval forces in the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hubert Howe Bancroft|author-link=Hubert Howe Bancroft|title=History of California: 1846-1848|url=https://archive.org/details/historycaliforn02victgoog|year=1886|publisher=History Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/historycaliforn02victgoog/page/n275 255]}}</ref> Commodore Sloat had previously raised the US flag, without resistance, at Monterey, but had no plan to conduct any further military operations on shore and once relieved, sailed home to the United States, leaving Commodore Stockton in command of all US forces. Stockton's command ship was {{USS|Congress|1841|6}} and his combined fleet of three [[frigate]]s with about 480 men each, one [[ship of the line]] with about 780 men and up to four [[Sloop-of-war|sloops]] with about 200 men each as well as three storeships made him the strongest force in California as well as the senior military commander and [[California interim government, 1846–1850#Interim governors|military governor]].  He was the main driving force in continuing to take possession of [[Alta California]].

On August 11, 1846, Commodore Stockton marched on [[Pueblo de Los Angeles]] to meet in battle with [[José Castro|General Castro]]'s army. Upon learning of the imminent arrival of Commodore Stockton, Castro retired, leaving behind all his artillery and made off in the direction of Sonora. Immediately after these events Stockton dispatched a courier, [[Kit Carson]], to inform Washington of the proceedings and details of his conquest of California.

On December 6, 1846, Stockton learned that [[Stephen W. Kearny|General Stephen Kearny]] had arrived in California with a small force and that he was besieged by vastly superior enemy forces at the [[Battle of San Pasqual]]. Kearny was among the wounded and in command of only 60 weary dragoons mounted on tired mules who were in a perilous position and under attack from a [[Californio]]-Mexican cavalry force under [[Andrés Pico]]. However, for Commodore Stockton's immediate decision to take personal command of a relief column, the outcome could have been disastrous for Kearny.

Later, the combined forces consolidated control over San Diego, and in January 1847 won the minor skirmishes at the [[Battle of Rio San Gabriel]] and [[Battle of La Mesa]] taking back control of Los Angeles. Faced with the approximate 200 men under [[John C. Fremont]]'s [[California Battalion]] as well as Stockton and Kearny's troops, the Californios sued for peace and signed the [[Treaty of Cahuenga]], which ending fighting in Alta California. Stockton, as senior military authority and military governor of the occupied territory, authorized John C. Fremont's appointment to succeed him as military governor and commander of the California Battalion militia force. When General Kearny finally arrived with orders to assume control of the temporary government Stockton turned over control to Kearny.

===Political pursuits===
Stockton resigned from the Navy in May 1850 and returned to business and political pursuits. In 1851, he was elected as a Democrat from New Jersey to the United States Senate, where he sponsored a bill to abolish [[flogging]] as a Navy punishment. He resigned on January 10, 1853, to serve as president of the [[Delaware and Raritan Canal Company]], a position he held until 1866.

He was a delegate to the unsuccessful [[Peace Conference of 1861]]  that attempted to settle the secession crisis; instead the [[American Civil War]] began later that year. In 1863, he was appointed to command the [[New Jersey]] [[Militia (United States)|militia]] when the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate Army]] invaded [[Pennsylvania]]. Stockton died at [[Princeton, New Jersey]], in October 1866, and is buried in the [[Princeton Cemetery]].

==Legacy==
Four U.S. Navy ships have been named {{USS|Stockton}} in his honor. The cities of [[Stockton, California]] and [[Stockton, Missouri]] are named in his honor, as is the borough of [[Stockton, New Jersey]], [[Stockton Street]] in [[San Francisco]], and [[Fort Stockton (San Diego, California)|Fort Stockton]], [[San Diego, California]], which is now a ruin, but was occupied during the [[Mexican–American War]]. In [[Mariposa County, California]] [[Stockton Creek]] is named after him due to a mine he owned in the [[California Gold Rush]]. In Liberia, Stockton Creek, a [[tidal channel]] that connects the [[Mesurado River]] and the [[Saint Paul River]], and that separates [[Bushrod Island]] from the mainland in [[Monrovia, Liberia|Monrovia]], is also named for him.

Formerly Commodore Stockton Elementary School in San Francisco between Clay and Pacific Streets was named after him.
Stockton Street in San Jose was named after him and his Garden Alameda San Jose neighborhood.  In Sacramento, Stockton Boulevard is the historic thoroughfare linking Sacramento and Stockton, now superseded by [[California State Route 99|Highway 99]] and [[Interstate 5 in California|Interstate&nbsp;5]].

*[[Fort Stockton (San Diego, California)|Fort Stockton]] [[California Historical Landmark]] No. 54.<ref>{{cite ohp |54|Fort Stockton #54|2012-10-07}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|50em}}

==Bibliography==
{{CongBio|S000942|accessdate=2009-05-03}}
* Brockmann, R. John, (2009)  ''Commodore Robert F. Stockton, 1795-1866: Protean Man for a Protean Nation'' Cambria Press, Amherst, Massachusetts, p.&nbsp;622. The only scholarly biography. {{ISBN|978-1-60497-630-4}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=jFxOa9KMRhIC Url]
* Beach, Edward Latimer. ''The United States Navy: A 200-year History''. Houghton Mifflin Company. C 1986. pp.&nbsp;196–221.

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | last=Jordan | first=Jonathan W. | year=2006 | title=Lone Star Navy: Texas, the Fight for the Gulf of Mexico, and the Shaping of the American West | publisher=Potomac Books | location=Dulles, Virginia | page=293 | isbn=978-1-57488-512-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m4l5AAAAMAAJ}}
* {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ogQ2AAAACAAJ | title=Call to Freedom: Beginnings to 1914 | first1=Sterling | last1=Stuckey | author-link=Sterling Stuckey | first2=Linda Kerrigan | last2=Salvucci | year=2000 | publisher=Holt, Rinehart & Winston | isbn=978-0030657771 | page=520 | chapter=Conquering California}}

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{{U.S. Senator box | state=New Jersey | class=1 | before=[[William L. Dayton]]|after=[[John R. Thomson]] | years=1851–1853 | alongside=[[Jacob W. Miller]]}}
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{{Governors of California}}
{{United States senators from New Jersey}}
{{United States presidential election, 1856}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stockton, Robert F.}}
[[Category:1795 births]]
[[Category:1866 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Princeton, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Stockton family (New Jersey)|Robert F.]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from New Jersey]]
[[Category:New Jersey Democrats]]
[[Category:United States military governors of California]]
[[Category:1820s in Liberia]]
[[Category:People from Sea Girt, New Jersey]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War]]
[[Category:People of the Conquest of California]]
[[Category:American people of the Bear Flag Revolt]]
[[Category:People of New Jersey in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Burials at Princeton Cemetery]]
[[Category:1821 in Africa]]
[[Category:19th-century United States senators]]