Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/728

604 British, and his lands were laid waste. Hi- for- tune wa.- greatly diminished by these depredations and 1 lie depreciation of the Continental currency. and lie was compelled to have temporary recourse to the ajd of friends. Mr. Stockton, though of a

hastv temper and somewhat haughty to those that manifested want of personal respect to him, was a man of great generosity and courtesy. He pos- sessed much courage and agility as a horseman and swordsman. His funeral sermon was delivered in the college hall at Princeton by Rev. Samuel S. Smith, D. I). His statue was placed by the state of New Jersey in the capitol at Washington in lyyy. The accompanying vignette is a represen- tation of his residence at Princeton. His wife. AXMS, sister of Dr. Elias Boudinot. was well known for her literary attainments, and con- tributed to periodicals. One of her poems, ad- dressed to Washington after the surrender at Yorktown, drew from him a courtly acknowledg- ment. She also wrote the, stanzas beginning "Welcome, mighty chief, once more ! " which were sung by j y oung ladies of Trenton while strew- ing flowers i>ef i itv ( Jen. Washington on his passage through that city just before his first inauguration as president. They are given in full in Chief- Just itr Marshall's "Life of Washington." Their son, Richard, senator, b. near Princeton, N. J., 17 April, 1704; d. there, 7 March, 1828, was graduated at Princeton in 1779, studied law in Newark with Elias Boudinot, was admitted to the bar in 1784, and began to practise in his native place. He was a presidential elector in 1792, and in 1796 was chosen to the U. S. senate as a Feder- alist for the unexpired term of Frederick Freling'- huysen, resigned, serving from 6 Dec. of that year till 3 March. 17'Jil, when he declined to be a candi- date for re-election. He served in the lower house of congress in 1813-15, and again declined further candidacy. During his service in the house of repre- si i natives he had a debate with Charles J. Ingersoll, iif Philadelphia, on free-trade and sailors' rights. In 1825 he was appointed one of the commissioners on the part of New Jersey to settle a territorial dispute with New York, and he was the author of the able argument that is appended to the report of the New Jersey commissioners. Mr. Stockton possessed profound legal knowledge and much eloquence as an advocate, and for more than a quarter of a century held the highest rank at the bar of his native state. He received the degree of LL. D. from Queen's (now Rutgers) college in 1815, and from Union in IKlfi. He was often called " The Duke." The secmid Richard's son, Robert Field, naval officer, b. in Princeton, N. J., 20 Aug., I ;>.<:> : d. there, 7 Oct., 1866, studied at Princeton college, but before completing his course he enter*, I the U. S. navy as a midshipman, 1 Sept.. isn. He joined the frigate "President" at Newport. II Feb., 1812, and made several cruise* in that ship with Com. Rodgers, with whom he went as aide to the " Guerriere " at Philadelphia : but, as the ship was unable to go to sea. Rodgers took his crew to assist in defending Baltimore. Before the arrival of the British, Stockton went to Washington and became the aide of the secretary of the navy, after which he resumed his post with Com. Rodgers and took part in the operations at Alexandria. He then went with Rodgers to Baltimore and had command of 300 sailors in the defence of that city against the British army. He was highly com- mended, and promoted to lieutenant, 9 Sept.. 1S14. On 18 May, 1815, he sailed in the "Guerriere." Decatur's flag-ship, for the Mediterranean after the declaration of war with Algiers, but he was transferred soon afterward to the schooner " Spitfire" as 1st lieutenant, in which vessel he participated in the capture of the Algerine frigate " Mahouda." and led the boarders at the capture of the Algerine brig " Esledio " in June, 1815. In February, 1K1S. he joined the ship-of-the-line " Washington " and made another cruise in the Mediterranean, in the course of which he was transferred to the ship " Erie," of which he soon became executive officer. The American officers very often had disputes with British officers, and frequent duels took place. At one time in Gibraltar. Stockton had accepted challenges to fight all the captains of the British regiment in the garrison, and several meetings took place. In one case after wounding his adversary he escaped arrest by knocking one of the guard from his horse, which lie seized and rode to his boat. Stockton came home in command of the " Erie " in 1821. Shortly after his return the American colonization society obtained his services to command the schooner " Alligator " for the purpose of founding a colony on the west coast of Africa. He sailed in the autumn of 1821. and after skilful diplomatic conferences obtained a concession of a tract of territory near Cape Mesurado, which has since become the republic of Liberia. In November. 1821, the Portuguese letter-of-marque " Mariana Flora " fired on the " Alligator," which she mistook for a pirate. After an engagement of twenty minutes the Portuguese vessel was taken and the capture was declared legal, though the prize wa- returned by courtesy to Portugal. On a subsequent cruise in' the "Alligator" he captured the French slaver " Jeune Eugenie," by which action the right to seize slavers under a foreign flag was :ir-t established as legal. He also captured several piratical vessels in the West Indies. From ISii; until December, 1838, he was on leave, and resided at Princeton, N. J. He organized the New Jersey colonization society, became interested in the turf, and imported froin England some of the finest stock of blooded horses. He also took an active part in politics, and became interested in the Delaware and Raritan canal, for which he obtained the charter that had originally been given to a New York company, and vigorously prosecuted the work. His whole fortune and that of his family were invested in the enterprise, which was completed, notwithstanding the opposition of railroads and a financial crisis, by which he was obliged to go to Europe to negotiate a loan. He retained his interest in this canal during his life, and the work stands as an enduring monument to his en- ergy and enterprise. In December, 1838, he -ailed with Com. Isaac Hull in the flag-ship " Ohio " as fleet-captain of the Mediterranean squadron, being promoted to captain on 8 Dec. He returned in the latter part of 1839, and took part in the pre>idential canvass of 1840 in favor of Gen. William Henry Harrison. After John Tyler became presi-