Commodore Robert F. Stockton, 1795–1866: Protean Man for a Protean Nation
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List of Figures

Figure 1. Benjamin West's The Death of Nelson (1808).

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Figure 2. Benjamin West's The Immortality of Nelson (1808).

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Figure 3. The Reverend Andrew Hunter.

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Figure 4. Possibly the earliest portrait of Stockton, done about the time he joined the navy. It is unsigned, and ominously de-acquisitioned by a museum, but it has been attributed to Thomas Sully, who later painted both the commodore and his wife.

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Figure 5. Map of “Rodgers’ Bastion” on Chinkapin Hill and Stockton's route outside the American lines to and from the Lazaretto.

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Figure 6. Commodore Rodgers offered Stockton his first rudiments of naval skill in the War of 1812.

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Figure 7. Sketch done by USS Spitfire's captain's clerk, Peter M. Potter. The Mashouda (1) is followed by USS Guerriere (2) with Stockton and USS Spitfire (5), far to port of the Mashouda.

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Figure 8. Sketch done by USS Spitfire's captain's clerk, Peter M. Potter. The Estedio (5) is followed by USS Spitfire (3) with Stockton, USS Epervier (2), USS Spark (4), and USS Torch (1).

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Figure 9. Stockton's dueling pistols. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.

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Figure 10. 1920s newspaper cartoon version of Stockton's Gibraltar duel.

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Figure 11. Model of the USS Alligator.

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Figure 12. The palaver.

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Figure 13. Stockton holding the gun at King Peter's head.

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Figure 14. 1920s newspaper cartoon version of Stockton's confrontation with King Peter.

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Figure 15. Stockton's plantation on the Turtle River with possible canal route.

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Figure 16. Picture of Delaware and Raritan Canal, from a stock certificate issued by the Joint Companies.

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Figure 17. Camden and Amboy Railroad Company stock certificate issued to Thomas Biddle.

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Figure 18. Naval Lyceum.

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Figure 19. Portrait of Stockton by Thomas Sully.

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Figure 20. John Ericsson at the time he designed the Princeton.

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Figure 21. The Robert F. Stockton crossing the Atlantic.

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Figure 22. The Robert F. Stockton with the original position of the rudder forward of the propellers.

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Figure 23. Stern of the Robert F. Stockton, renamed the New Jersey, with the rudder behind the propeller.

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Figure 24. USS Princeton—the first steam-powered, propeller-driven naval warship.

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Figure 25. Figure 3 from Stockton's 1842 report, showing effects produced by a twelve-inch shot from a wrought iron gun from experiments at Sandy Hook, NJ.

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Figure 26. Figure 6 from Stockton's 1842 report, showing the trajectory of a cannonball from experiments at Sandy Hook, NJ.

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Figure 27. Fulton II.

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Figure 28. Great Western pictured on the cover of sheet music, Farewell Awhile.

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Figure 29. Positions of victims in relation to cannon and in relative positions on deck.

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Figure 30. “On testing new gun ‘The Peacemaker’ on USS Princeton on the Potomac River near Washington, it burst about three feet from the breech, 1844. Commodore R. F. Stockton was knocked down.”

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Figure 31. Captain James H. Ward, first instructor of gunnery at Annapolis.

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Figure 32. The legacy Stockton had hoped for from USS Princeton and the Peacemaker (from a 1950s magazine ad).

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Figure 33. The real legacy nightmare from USS Princeton and the Peacemaker (from a 1920s newspaper cartoon).

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Figure 34. The Reverend Walter Colton, 1851.

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Figure 35. Detachment of volunteers and the boarders attached to USS Princeton.

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Figure 36. “The below is a faithful portrait of one of the steamer Princeton's rough and ready for battle jack-tars, armed and equipped as a ‘Boarder,’ who, among some two hundred others similarly arrayed for active service, promptly obeyed the orders of their commander, Captain R. F. Stockton, to render efficient aid, in quelling the late riots.”

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Figure 37. Texas and the territory in dispute.

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Figure 38. General Sidney Sherman, Texas militia major general who desired war with Mexico.

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Figure 39. Anson Jones, fourth and final president of Texas when it existed as an independent republic.

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Figure 40. Portrait of Stockton as captain, probably upon his promotion in 1838—the most reprised picture of Stockton.

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Figure 41. The Congress.

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Figure 42. The theatre of action.

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Figure 43. Frémont and his Bear Flag volunteers riding under the American flag.

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Figure 44. Stockton's and Frémont's entry into Los Angeles “like a parade of home guards.”

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Figure 45. California Extra with Stockton's address.

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Figure 46. The exercises celebrating His Excellency Robert F. Stockton (San Francisco, 1846)—premature celebration of Stockton's triumph.

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Figure 47. Map of the Battle of San Pasqual.

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Figure 48. Gunner William Meyers’ picture of the Battle of San Pasqual.

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Figure 49. Californios Lancers—their primary fighting unit.

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Figure 50. Map of the Battle of San Gabriel.

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Figure 51. Gunner William Meyers’ Passage of the River San Gabriel. (It is interesting to observe how Stockton, with his naval officer's cocked hat, always seems to be shown in the center of the action in this and the following figures—and this was true of the pictures done by two different artists.)

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Figure 52. Battle of San Gabriel from Mission of America.

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Figure 53. The Battle of San Gabriel—Passage of the River.

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Figure 54. Map of the Battle of Mesa.

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Figure 55. Gunner William Meyers’ Battle of Mesa.

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Figure 56. Battle of Mesa from Mission of America.

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Figure 57. Stockton's general order after retaking Los Angeles.

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Figure 58. Commodore William Shubrick.

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Figure 59. Commodore James Biddle.

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Figure 60. A less-than-accurate portrait of Stockton in the 1852 naval collection.

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Figure 61. Stockton's registered plat of the Ranchero el Potrero de Santa Clara.

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Figure 62. Robert Keller, Stockton's arborist.

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Figure 63. The Washington Arsenal.

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Figure 64. Trains laid on the backs of the people. Stockton is atop the train, shouting, “Fire up Men! Fire! I say that devilish Whig brigand Stratton is almost there—Stir up!—Put on the Steam or our man is lost—O my Country! O!! For thee I wave my Sword on high/For thee I die! Go ahead! Burst! I’d sooner smash than not be first.”

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Figure 65. Henry C. Carey.

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Figure 66. Undated daguerreotype of Stockton.

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Figure 67. Stockton's portrait as a new senator, from Gleason's Pictorial Journal.

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Figure 68. Kossuth's arrival in New York Harbor.

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Figure 69. Captain Levy demonstrating the “cat” to senators.

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Figure 70. Cover of The Mission of America (1852)—Stockton's first campaign biography.

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Figure 71.John R. Thomson in the 1850s.

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Figure 72. Harper's Weekly, “Life Insurance—A Dream.”

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Figure 73. Picture of the accident scene.

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Figure 74. The Rev. Dr. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer.

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Figure 75. Stereopticon of a Camden and Amboy ferry depot.

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Figure 76. Burning of the New Jersey.

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Figure 77. Nathaniel Banks.

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Figure 78. The Great Presidential Race of 1856.

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Figure 79. Outcome of the 1856 election.

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Figure 80. Stockton's 1860 passport.

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Figure 81. Edwin A. Stevens.

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Figure 82. New Jersey railroad lines: Camden and Amboy with NJRTC.

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Figure 83. “The Mosquito.” A figure from an illustrated work suppressed by the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company, entitled The Insects of New Jersey.

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Figure 84. Stockton's “beach house” in Sea Girt.

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Figure 85. Senator John Potter Stockton, lawyer and state attorney general.

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Figure 86. Brig. General/Adjutant General of New Jersey Robert F. Stockton Jr., lawyer, president of the United Railway and Canal Companies of New Jersey, and state comptroller of New Jersey.

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