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'''Robert Field Stockton''' ([[20 August]] [[1795]]–[[7 October]] [[1866]]) was a [[United States]] [[navy|naval]] [[officer (armed forces)|officer]], notable in the capture of [[California]] during the [[Mexican-American War]]. Stockton was from a notable political family and also served as a [[U.S. Senator]] from [[New Jersey]].

[[Image:Robert F. Stockton.jpg|250px|thumb|Commodore Stockton]]

He was born at [[Princeton, New Jersey]] into a political family; his father [[Richard Stockton (1764-1828)|Richard Stockton]] was a U.S. Senator and Representative, and his grandfather, another [[Richard Stockton (1730-1781)|Richard Stockton]] signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]].

Robert was appointed a [[midshipman]] in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] at the age of 16, serving at sea and ashore during the [[War of 1812]]. After that conflict, Lieutenant Stockton was assigned to ships operating in the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], in the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]] and off the coast of [[West Africa]]. While on the latter station, he helped negotiate a treaty that led to the founding of the state of [[Liberia]]. During the later [[1820s]] and into the [[1830s]], he primarily devoted his attention to business affairs in [[New Jersey]]. The birth of his son [[John P. Stockton]], later also a U.S. Senator representing New Jersey, also occurred during this time.

In [[1838]], Stockton resumed active naval service as a 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)|USS ''Princeton'']], the Navy's first screw-propelled [[Steamboat|steamer]]. The ship was designed by [[John Ericsson]]. Stockton commanded her when she was completed in [[1843]]. Although he was the inventor of the defective cannon, Captain Stockton was absolved of responsibility for the February [[1844]] explosion of his gun, the ''Peacemaker'', on board the ship that killed two cabinet officers and several others. In the disaster, he shamelessly pointed the blame towards Ericsson, who had nothing to do with Stockton's design. [Stockton, with a wholly inadequate understanding of the basic principals of heavy weapons design, had attempted to copy an Ericsson design, with these fatal results.] Stockton was so successful in deflecting blame that he prevented any payments to Ericsson for his work on the project.

With the temporary title of [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]], Stockton commanded naval forces in the eastern [[Pacific Ocean]], and was instrumental in taking [[California]] from [[Mexico]] at the [[Battle of Rio San Gabriel]] and [[Battle of La Mesa]], and he served as the first military governor of California.

Stockton resigned from the Navy in May [[1850]] and returned to business and political pursuits. He was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[United States Senate]] from New Jersey in [[1851]], 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]].

In [[1861]] he was a delegate to the unsuccessful conference that attempted to settle the secession crisis. In [[1863]], he was appointed to command the New Jersey [[militia]] when the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate Army]] invaded Pennsylvania. Captain Robert F. Stockton died at Princeton.

Four U.S. Navy ships have been named [[USS Stockton|USS ''Stockton'']] in honor of Robert F. Stockton. The cities of [[Stockton, California]] and [[Fort Stockton, Texas]], and Fort Stockton, San Diego, California (now a ruin, but occupied during the [[Mexican-American War]]) in are named in his honor, as is Stockton Street in [[San Francisco, California]].

==References==

''The United States Navy: A 200-year History''. pp 196-221. Houghton Mifflin Company. C 1986

==External links ==

*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000942 Biographical Dictionary of the U.S. Congress]

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{{succession box|title=[[U.S. Congressional Delegations from New Jersey|US. Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey]] |before=[[William L. Dayton]]|after=[[John R. Thomson]]|years=[[1851]]–[[1853]]}}

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[[Category:1795 births|Stockton, Robert F.]]

[[Category:1866 deaths|Stockton, Robert F.]]

[[Category:Governors of California|Stockton, Robert F.]]

[[Category:History of Liberia|Stockton, Robert F.]]

[[Category:Mexican-American War people|Stockton, Robert F.]]

[[Category:United States Navy officers|Stockton, Robert F.]]

[[Category:United States Senators from New Jersey|Stockton, Robert F.]]