The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-11-15
A DARING OUELIST
Fighting Bob" Stockton Both a
Quaker and a Fire Eater.
WAS THE PRIDE OF OUR NAVY.
Ne Could GIVE D'Artasnan P;sints on
Getting In and Out Of Rows and
Once Challenged Ten Captains Of
British Reyir1eut to Mortal Combat.

tritish Reyir~ut to Mortal Combat.
FIJI of adventure and of remarkable
exploits. lie was Quaker. and yet
he vas one of the greatest hghtiuy
men n the Americana navy.
Wr'I@ the young AEDfrican naval or-
iicer WIS still in the eagly twentes he
found himself with NO less than ten,
duclS "a his hands. Stockton had
served with distinction i'm the war of
1872. and when the rulers of the Bar
barry states became troublesome a
short time thereafter he ACCOMPANIED
the squadcon 70 the Mediterranean and
was one ct the most active Of the Of
Hcers in Riding the sea OF 5le pirates.
In those days the American navy
/ was practically 4 stranger la European
ports. and fhe British. smgrting under
the defeats Of he war of LSi2. were
very unfriendly toward Americans. On
one occasiOD the Erie, upon Thich YES.
sci Stockton was an Oilices. dropped
anchor in the bay of Naples, An Ital.
ian came aboard Tor job aIi showed
q recommendation given him by al
American naval officer beneath which
British officer had written con.
temptuous epithet.
Stockton was furious whc1 he read
what the British officer had written
Learning the officer was aboard enc OF
the British men-of-war In the bay.
Stockton sent him challenge. The
Engllshmun seemed disinclin4d to fight
except at long range with pistols. but
duel was finally arranged.
Stockton shot the English officer in
the leg. The Dritisher dropped. yell
ing: I'm hit! I'm hit, Are you sat
istied" Stockton said he was not.
but finally agreed to let the matter
drop If the Britishcr showed proper
courtesy to all Americans thereafter.
/ From Naples the Erie sailed for Glib
/ raltar. The officers of the EGitish reg
/ ment stationed there were still angry
at the memory of the war Of 1872 and
made life unpleasant for the young
American. Stockton was not the sort
/ of man to take their insults calmly
! The upshot was that he rashly agreed
to fight duel with each of the regi.
ment's ten captains. The chances of
his returning home looked very small.
Yet he fought several of the duels.
wounding his adversaries, and escaped
practically unhurt. The series of
fights came to an end in a sensation
al fashion before all ten of the cap.
tains had met him. IN one encounter
Stockton had just wounded his oppo-
nent severely when Il guard of British
cavalrymen swooped down upon him
and placed him under arrest. Stock.
ton wrenched himself free. sprang at
one of his mounted captors, tore the
man from the saddle, vaultcd on TO the
riderless horses back and galloped
away TO his ship. Outstripping his pur
suers and gaining the Erie in safety.
Stockton. feeling that he had been
deceived by the British officers and
that their conduct in arranging for
his arrest was contemplate, branded
them as a lot Of knaves. Meanwhile
Stockton was the idol of the squadron
and when he returned to New York
in 1871 he was Fighting Bob TO the
whole country.
StOckton's next mission was to take
charge of the American Colonization
society's expedition TO found negro
colony on the west coast OF Africa
BY rare diplomacy he secured and set
tied the African territory that later
became the Republic of Liberia. Once.
whi,o IN Liberia, he held a whale hos
tile tribe at bay single handed by level
' Ing pistol at their Elns. Ur0n his
fetun, there being no work for him
in the navy, he retired and for twelve
Years he was a successful tinancier and
promoter.
In 1888 Stockton went back to the sea
lie devoted himself TO introducing into
our fleet the use Of steam vessels in
place OF the old fashioned sailing ships
and was thus in Il way the father OF
the present mighty battleship ana
cruiser. Later he was made COM
mander In chief OF the squadron in the
proposed attack on California. and IN
short time he won for himself the
title OF "Conqueror OF California" In
honor of his achievements Stockton.
Cal. and Stockton street i'm San Fran
cisco bear the conquerors name
Stockton died in 1866, having com
bined during his career of soldier Of
fortune the vocation of duelist. sea
tighter, coloniZer, territorial conqueror,
financier and statesman Philadelphia
Press.