Today in New Jersey history:
February 28, 1844: Princeton-born navy captain Robert Stockton took his ship USS Princeton for a pleasure cruise on the Potomac River, with President John Tyler, his cabinet and 200 guests aboard. A cannon designed by Stockton was fired several times to entertain the guests, but then exploded and killed six people, including Secretary of State Abel Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer and the president’s soon to be father-in-law as well as his personal valet. A quickly held court of inquiry absolved the captain, a personal friend of the president, from all blame.
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