The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-03
OUR OLD ORIENTAL ORDEAL
Anne ricaR Ship Burned and Crew Killed
Nineteen Years Ago.
Fate of the Sherman and Her Sailors
In the yellow Sea.
The Barbarian Acts OF the Heathen aud
Fanatlcal Koreans.
First Authentic 0illcIal Report Com.
mOdOre Schley's Statement.
The Severe Punishment That Was In
dlcted on a Later Occasion--Pagan
Prejudice suppIanted by a
Hot Shot Treaty.
The Barbarian Acts Of the Heathen aud
Fanatical Koreans.
First Authentic OnlCIal Report Com.
mOdOre Schley's Statement.
GENERAL WASHINGTON REPORTS,


The Story of the Burning of tho Sherman.
WASHINGTON, June 2.-Lieut. George
@. Faulk, of the navy, under date of
Zalkorea, March 18th, has sent to the
navy department an account of the de-
struction of the American schooner
Sherman aud the beheading of a portion
of her crew ON the Yellow sea coast of
Korea, in 1866. The narrative was pre-
pared from aocouEts obtained from a
Korean Christian, of good standing, aud
is published for the first time. Lieut..
Faulk says the Sherman arrived in the
Felong river in August and anchored a
short distance below Phyong Yang city.
The schooner Sherman was seen from
the walls of Phyong Yang and was the
cause Of much excitement, but on ac-
count of the dangerous condition OF the
river, which was then very high, no
boats ventured near her for sometime,
and when the water began to subside
the provisional governor sent officers to
enquire her mission. The common peO-
pie took advantage of the departure of
these officers for the Sherman TO crafty
their own curiosity AID went with them,
the whole party being in large fleet of
small boats, which put out from the
shore together. The Sherman people
not understanding the object of the
approaching expedition, considered the
movement as hostile demonstration
and fired several shots in the air The
officers, accompanied by all the other
people, ut once turned back and re-
turned TO the city. The river fell rap
idly after this and in a few days the
Sherman went aground. This was seen
from the city walls, and another fleet OF
boats came towards the schooner; this
time with hostile intentions, the people
being armed. Shots we're again fred
from tho Sherman and the
Koreans turned back as be-
fore. Both the officers and the
people OF this city wore now enragsd.
Boats were loaded with combustible
material and taken TO points above the
schooner's anchorage. Here they were
fired and allowed to drift down upon
her. The Sherman was soon in tSnea.
Her people jumped overheard to save
themselves, but most OF them we're
drowned, A few were picked up by
Korean boats. The prisoners were
brought before Kamsa and examined.
They told the object of the
Sherman. All efforts TO save
themselves were useless, however, and
in a few days they were led out OF prison
and beheaded. Up TO 1870 the United
States government could learn nothing
of the Sherman's destruction. In that
year Rear Admiral John Rogers, In
command Of the Asiatic squadron, was
ordered TO investigate her loss.
COMMODORE sCHLEY's STATEMENT.
Commodore Schley, of Greedy fame,
at fh A tipnn nnnnnntnA Nuiyh N
station as lieutenant commander. Re-
ferring to the expedition to-day he said:
"The Asiatic squadron went
TO the Yellow sea and TO
the mouth Of the Sallivar.
Our object was 10 learn, If possible,
something OF the Sherman's loss. In
order TO ascend the river, we obtained
permission from the Korean officials TO
make survey of II. The squadron
Rscended the river Tor some distance.
The Palo and Monocacy continued
further. The two vessels were fired
upon from the Korean Notifications and
returned to the other vessels of the
squadron, Admiral Rodgers sent a
message TO the Korean officials, giving
them 10 days in which they might make
American vessel. No attention
was given to the communication
and at the expiration of
10 days the admiral determined to So
cure an explanation by force. We
landed 1000 men and attacked the for
tifications. The result was that nearly
200 Koreans were killed and 1000 taken
prisoners, We lost only 25 or 80 men.
The explanation afterward given for
firing on our vessels was that tho KO-
reans never allowed foreign vessel TO
go up the river without firing on IL.
Our investigation of the Sherman's dc.
struction was terminated because OF the
fight with tho Koreans"
Commodore Schley attributes 10 thls
light the making of the Korean treaty
with the United States about two year $
ago.