The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-06-03
A TALE OF COREA.
The Massacre Of tl:e Crew Of nm Amer
lean Bark By the Residents
Of that Island,
And the RctribntiOn Meeted Out to
Them By q Body Of Our
Marines.

WASHINGTON, June 2.-Lieutenant George
G. Foulk, OF the navy, under date OF Seoul
Korea. March 29th, has sent to the Navy
Department an account of the destruction
OF the American schooner Sherman and
the beheading of a portion OF her crew ON
the Yellow Sea coast OF COrea in 1856. The
narrative was prepared from accounts OBJ
tanned from a Corean Christian of good
standing and is published for the first time.
Lieutenant Foulk says: The sherman"
arrived in the Felong river in August and
anchored a short distance below Phyong
Yang1ity. The Sherman" was seen from
the wallis of Phyong Yang and was the
cause Of much excitement, but on account
of the dangerous condition of the river,
which was then very high, no boat entured
near her for some time. When the water
began to subside the provincial Government
sent officers to inquire her mission, The
common people took advantage OF the
departure OF these officers for the "Sher-
man. to gratify their own curiosity and
went with them, the whole party being in Il
large fleet of small boats, which put out
from the shore together. The "Sherman's"
people not understanding the object OF the
approaching expedition, considered the
movement as IL hostile demonstration and
FIRED SEVERAL SHOTS IN THE All
The officers, accompanied by all the other
people, at once turned back and entered
the city. The river fell rapidly after this
and in Il few days the Sherman went
aground. This was seen from tie city
walls and another fleet Of boats came to-
wards the schooner, this time with hostile
intent. the people heing armed. Shots were
again fired from the sherman and the
Core,l,s turned back as before. Both Of
ficers and people say they were now en-
ragged. The boats were loaded with COM
bustible material and taken to points
above the schOoner's anchorage. 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. 4 few were picked up by Corean
boats. The prisoners were brought before
kamsa and examined. They told the OBJ
ject of the ''Sherman's' coming, but all
efforts to save themselves were useless, and
in ii few days they were
LET OUT OF PRISON y B~EHEADED.'
Up to 1870 the United States Govern
ment could learn nothing OF the Sherman's
destruction. In that year Rear Admiral
John Rodgers in command OF the Asiatic
station was ordered to investigate her loss.
Commodore Schley, Of Greeley relief fame,
WeS tu l1ldt Llult cQLltCp6l WIFI ulIc SUdUlOu
as lieutenant commander. Referring to the
expedition to-day he said: 1.-THE Asiatic
squadron went to the Yellow sea and to the
north OF Sale river. our object being to learn
if possible something OF the "Shcrman's'
loss, in order to ascend the river. We OBJ
tanned permission from the Corean officials
to make IL survey OF it. The squadron as
cended the river for some distance. The
"Polos'' and "Monocay" continued further.
The two vessels were fired upon from the
Corean Notifications and returned to the
! other vessels OF the squadron, Admiral
Rodgers sent q message to the Corean
officials, giving them endays in which they
might make an explanation for
FIRING ON AMERICAN VESSELS.
No attention was given to the commune
| cation, and at the expiration OF the teu
days the Admiral determined to secure an
explanation by force. We landed 1000
| men and attacked the Qualifications. the
result was that nearly 700 Coreans were
| killed, and about 40 taken prisoners. We
lost only twenty-five OF thirty men. The
explanation afterwards given for firing on
| our vessel was that the t'oreans never al
lowed Il foreign vessel to go up the river
WITHOUT nrIIg OH1u. our nveSTIglIfUnc TT the
''Sherman's' destruction was terminated
because of the fight with the Coreans: Com
modore Schley attributes this fight to the
making of a Corean treaty with the United
States about two years ago.