Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-09
AMERICANS OPENED CoReA
How an Undclivered Letter Delayed Dear
mos with the Hermit Kingdom"

How an TndcIivered Letter Delayed Deai'
ines with the Hermit Kingdom"
(New York Heraid)
In order to trace the history or Amer
cas- relations with Corea and the gene
raj opening up OF the country to the IN
nuences Of western civilization, 1t is
necessary TO go back 80 the year 1900.
Al that time COrea was the Hermit
Kingdom" in more than name. Inc
present King had ascended the throne
couple of years before. but being a mere
how the government was wholly In the
hands OF his regent father, who was
hitter hater both of foreigners ana OF
change. Some French missionaries, VINO
had bravad the law Of the country ana
boldly advanced into the native cities,
yer. horribly massscred In 1866. and
French expedition sent to chastise the
Coreans assembled the SEOUL river ana at
tackled several forts but lost so heavily
that the expedition sailed away without
having accomplished the end aimed at,
and having lett the CoFsan soldiers with
the impression that the foreigner could
not neht and that the Corean was IN
yiecible.
In the same year an American schooner,
the General sherman. chartered by
British trader, sailed from China on an
governmental voyage Of trade and dis
coverv. The vessel entered the Ta-tong
river and never returned. IL was burheu
by the natives. and those on board wsre
slaughtered to the last man. ON the news
- ms MASSACRE beng received. Com
A.Is,.fra1-D u stnTI-
f.ltt. visited the peninsula with the war
NOR Wachusett on mission of in
ouir,.. No satisfaction. however. was OBJ
famed. and a similar mission. under COM
rr,ulol Feb.g,r. Of the Shenandoah, dls-
-.+.,.i q few months later, proved
ro..ly barren. Finally, In ISL, the As%
All, squadron, consisting u the hagshlp
C,Ioraio. the corvcttes Alaska ana b"H',
cs, with the sunboats Monocacy anu
p.,os WAS dispatched. under Rear-Auh''-
raj Rodgers. TO Corean waters.
II w,s intended TO secure treaty TOT
the protection Of Americans shlpWIecin -,
nn ~. coast Of COrea, 10 INQUIRE H'tp
the General Sherman affair, ana To oulaiH
II poseIbie A treaty OF commerce Ia
fnl NEGOTIATIONS. however. proved 10 Dc
in"nnssible The natives earrisOned 'hc
forts along the river, ana pfepatti ~
,n-ke thiuqs hot for the foreigners shoult
nv attempt to ascend the river towatu
M capital. \ survey eNpedluOn' u"sri
Cautain HOrncr Blake, consist ing Oh Vl e
Nnnocacv and Palos. with Tour s,Su'i
launches. was sent up the rNGr ~ ~
G'rean batteries, containing some elsh1S
a.,ys suddenly opened hre upon licHi'
nh, redoubt was instantly WrapPeu ~ :.
sheet OF flames, discndisihs III Nv
seconds about 30 shots. olr m" .
savs that these rasp-I The water iihs
. b.iI-stor1u. The "a rams OF me 'Nl
| Var had never known such rapii niiha'
| Yct only one American was wouhueu 80,
Tortunately. the order To IRE hdd uecn
! oiv..n 4 Jew seconds late the AElefi'd
| S'ts re already ont Of the line 81
! hrr and as the guns Of the natives W
| Fastened on logs. they couid not pe h''
| inundated. and were 81 no iuI nv -, ~
| Tbo answering fire from the s"'p"' :
! and launches soon cleared the loIt % ~
/ Snforders and a week later aepuHluN ~
/ a,.r.dtfiou was landed IN ofdeI 70 80
/ mo Coreans necessary lesson. lht ~
! composed OF 60 men, was Ecu w tart.
| nauier l.. A. Kimberley, the au iu."i ~,
! '.rer,l being Licutcnant-CoW "
! 81 schlcv. who was afterward 10 VI
! f,rna as the rescuer OF Lieutenant 49,
| The first battery, which was attacn,
! urrXpectedlY ia the rear Wa 90 o.,
Nvith6ut difficulty: the works were com
! ,tateiy demolished, and The cannon tOliS
! int, me river ON the following Jay IN
| urxt fort-"Fort Monocacy. as IL WI
| christened-Was cleared by sheiis iron
| tn Monocacy's guns, ana was u'e., ad
wantled by the landed troops. An au
| ,anre was next made upon the citaue
! or princlpal fort, which was perchru u
! tbe rrest Of rocky hill. The Cofeah
we're hovekng beyond the reaen oil Gu
| we're evidently waiting for an opportuhlt
10 crush the little American army as 500
| AT il had entered the Tavine lying peio'
the fort. ., s,,o ho,,.i,ze-
| AMI TWO companies OF infantry W'r
! nnsted as a rear-guard on rising srouht
| trhile the main body moved forward |
Storm the citadel. The COreans attacke
| IN hoWitZers in large numbers, but IN
| cycellent practice made by the America
,,'nrrrs hinder Master A. V. Madhan
Scattered them effectively. and prevente
any large body OF them from getting INT
close quarters with our men.
| Presently at signal previously agree
mon. the firing from the Monocac
ceased. and. amid a hail OF bullets froi
the enemy, our men sprang up the stee
incline TO attack the citadel. The
swarmed over the ramparts or throus
the breaches, and In a twlnkiihg Were
close quarters with the defending garrison
The Coreans fought stubbornly TO the las
without asking for quarter, and We're a
| of them slain. After that the remalnih
subsidiary forts were soon captured. an
fftv nags and ash pieces Of artillery f.
! into the hands of the conuuerOrs. II
citadel was named Fort Mckee, in hone
of the gallant young officer VINO wa
first over the parapet. ,o..o
| The defeat of 1871 probably rendere
the Coreans more ready to treat peac'
ably with foreigners than they were D'
| fore In any case the hour for openli
up the country was at hand. The proce'
. began in 1916, when "A treaty was mac
with Japan. party OF japanese sailor
while landing for water on Kang-w
Island were mistaken for Americans
Frenchmen. and were fired upon by
neighboring fort. Japan saw her oppo
tunity, and her fleet demanded as an II
demnity that certain privileges In ira!
should be granted her THIS was u
first step toward the opening of the coui
try TO foreign intercourse. The Coreal
Jaranese treaty OF iSIG-the first enter,
into by the Coreans-was concluded on u
basis OF free trade. only a small amqul
Of tonnage dues on shipping being payHol
IA a subsequent convention in 1871 Japs
was granted the privilege OF openiI
. three coaling-stations on the coast;
1879 the harbOr Of Gensan. and later Oh
mulpo, were thrown open To Japane
commerce. all other nations being e
cluded from the benefits granted to Japa
ways regarded Corea as a dependency
her empire, began to grow jealous OF Il
Increasing influence OF Japan. and.
, counterfeit this hold Of her invetefa
enemy, encouraged. II not actually |
stigated, foreign powers to follow In .
; footsteps OF Japan In concluding treat
with this Hermit Kingdom" and IL w
: with her help that ADMIRAL Shufeldt
! the wsy and successfully carried throul
treaty between the United States a.
Corea In iSS2. Later on commerce
Britain, Germany. France. Russia. Al
4 Italy.