Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-26


The Navy Department sc Wnehinolen
received 3 very interesting letter from
Cotsas containing information for
which the Government has been seeking
nearly nine YEAR,. Lieut. George o.
Foulk sends the letter and SAYS lie cot
the facts from reliable Coreari, d Chris.
tian. They related 10 the destruction
Of the American schooner Sherman. lost
on the Yellow Sea coast IN 1866. The
Lieutenant Is one Of the very few Ameri-
cans Rwho speak the Corean language.
He accompanied the rainbow. hued
Embassy 70 this country two years ago
and returned to Corea with Ii In bis
letter he says:
'SIhe Sherman arrived In the Felong
River In August, and anchored short dis
lance below PhyOng Yang city, the capital
Of Phyong an Do, the northwestern prov
vince OF Corea. IE was then the time oE
the midsummer heavy rain, when the
rain falls necessarily for ten or fifteen
days, the lowlands are flooded, and the
river rises many feet The Sherman
was seen from the walls Of PhyoEg
Yang, but on account Of the dangerous
condition OF the river no boat ventured
near her for some time. When the
water began to subside the provincial
Governor sent officers to inquire her
mission.
"The common people took advantage
OF the departure Of these officers 10
crafty there own curiosity, and went
with them, the whole party being large
feet Of small boats. The Sherman'e
people considered the movement as q
hostile demonstration and fired several
shots in the air. The officers accom-
panied by all the other people, &c once
returned 10 the city. The river fell
rapidly after this, and in q few days the
Sherman went aground and careened
over. This was eeen from the city walls,
and again the people became greatly
excited. Another feet OF boats came
toward the schooner, this time with hos
tile intent, the people being armed.
Shots were again fred from the Sher-
man, and the Coreans turned back as
before.
"Both officers and people Of the city
were now enraged. Boats were loaded
with combustible material and taken to
Here they were fred and allowed TO
drift down upon her. The Sherman
was soon in flames. Her people
jumped overheard to save themselves,
but most of them were drowned. A few
were picked up by Corean boats.
Among these was European who was
able to communicate with the officials.
The prisoners were brought before
Kamsa and examined. All efforts to save
themselves were useless, however, and
In few days they we're let out Of prison
and beheaded.
Up to 1870 the United States Gov
erument could learn nothing of the
Sherman'B destruction. In that year
Rear Admiral John Rodgers, IN command
of the Asiatic Station was ordered to in-
vestigate her loss. Commodore Schley,
Of Greedy. relief fame, was at the time
connected with the station as Lieu
tenant Commander. Referring 10 the
expedition be said:
''The Asiatic squadron went TO the
Yellow Sea and to the mouth Of the
Sale River, our object being to learn. il
loss. In order to ascend the river we
obtained permission from the Corean
officials to make q survey Of It. This
squadron assembled the river for some
distance. The Palos and Monocacy
continued further. They were fred upon
from the Corean Notifications. Admiral
Rodgers gave the Corean officials ten
days in which they might make an ex.
PLANTATION for firing on the vessels. No
attention was paid to the communion
ton, and the Admiral determined to
secure an explanation by force. We
landed !, 900 men and attacked the for
tifications. The result was that nearly
700 Ooreans were killed, and about $50
taken prisoners. We lost twenty-five or
thirty. Our investigation Of the Sher-
mans destruction was. terminated be-
cause Of the fight with the Coreans.
Commodore Schley attributed to this
fight the making OF the Corean treaty
with the United States about two years
ago.