Robert Field Stockton (1795-1866), American naval officer, politician, and promoter of internal improvements in the nation, was very important in the conquest of California and served briefly in the U.S. Senate.

Born on Aug. 20, 1795, at Princeton, N. J., Robert F. Stockton was the son of a prominent lawyer and U.S. senator. Robert entered the College of New Jersey at the age of 13, studying mathematics and languages, but withdrew to accept an appointment as a midshipman in 1811 aboard the President, flagship of Commodore John Rodgers. During the War of 1812 Stockton was aide-de-camp to Rodgers and was cited for his conduct.

Following the War of 1812, Stockton fought against the Algerian pirates and from 1816 to 1820 cruised the Mediterranean aboard the Washington and the Erie, rising to command the latter. He fought two duels during this time. Active in the American Colonization Society, in 1821 he commanded the Alligator, which took...