| Chapter 1: | Educating Stockton |
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President Adams had only just reconstituted the U.S. Navy, and Robert's uncle by marriage, the Reverend Andrew Hunter, had accepted a post as the primary instructor of midshipmen in Washington City (see figure 3).53 In 1810 Robert left the family home in Princeton and began classes in mathematics and navigation in his uncle's “naval academy.” On September 1, 1811, Robert received his commission as a midshipman and reported to Commodore John Rodgers aboard the USS President in February of 1812.54
Robert Stockton was seventeen.
Afloat and Ashore
Afloat
Within a week of the declaration of war with England (June 21, 1812), Stockton had his first taste of action. When Commodore Rodgers’ squadron sighted the lone British frigate HMS Belvidera, she promptly fled. Then, when the squadron gave chase, the fastest vessel in the squadron, Rodgers’ USS President, drew away from the other ships and came within range of HMS Belvidera with the USS President’s bow-chasers. As the crew of USS President were beat to quarters, Stockton led his party to their appointed battle station in the maintop, a battle station of high honor, and one that Lord Nelson himself had once held as a midshipman.55 However, within ten minutes of USS President opening fire, one of its bow-chasers burst, killing a lieutenant and a midshipman, wounding fourteen crew members, and throwing Rodgers to the deck with a fractured leg. (One of these wounded crewmembers was a midshipman two years younger than Stockton, Matthew C. Perry [later Commodore Perry].)56 At the same time that USS President’s bow-chaser burst, hits from HMS Belvidera’s stern-chasers damaged USS President’s spars, sails, and rigging, making it impossible for USS President to maneuver. Thus Rodgers was forced to give up the pursuit, ending Stockton's first action.57
On another cruise, USS President came across a much larger British ship of the line, HMS Plantagenet, and for five hours, Rodgers chased