The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-21

In order to trace the history OF
Americas relations with Korea and
the general opening mp OF the coun-
try to the influences Of Western
civilization. it is necessary to go back
TO the wear 1866. At that time Korea
was the Hermit Kingdom" In more
than name The present king had
assembled the throne a couple of
wears before, but being mere boy
the government was wholly In the
hands of his regent father, who was
a bitter hater both of foreigners and
of change. Some French missionar
les, who had braved the law of the
country and boldly advanced into
the native cities, were horribly
massacred In 1866, and French ex-
petition sent TO chastise the Koreans
assembled the Seoul River and attack
ed several forts, but lost SO heavily
that the expedition sailed away with
out having accomplished the end
aimed at, and having left the Korean
soldiers with the impression that the
foreigner could not fight, and that
the Korean was invincibIe.
THE GENERAL SIBERIAN MASSACRE
In the same year an American
schooner, the General Sherman,
chartered by a British trader, sailed
for China on an experimental voyage
of trade and discovery. The vessel
entered the Ta-tong river and never
returned. l. was burned by natives,
and those on board were slaughtered
to the last man. On the news of this
massacre being received, Command
er-now Rear Admiral-R. W. Schu-
feldt. visited the peninsula with the
American war steamer Wachusett on
a mission of inquiry. No satisfaction,
however, was obtained, and similar
mission. under Commander Febiger,
of the Shenandoah, despatched few
months later, proved equally barren.
Finally, In 1871, the Asiatic squad
ron, consisting of the flagship
Colorado, the corvettes Alaska and
Benicia, with the gunboats Mono
cacy-now at Chemulpo-and Palos,
was despatched, under Admiral
Rodgers, to Korean waters.
1t was intended to secure treaty
for the protection of Americans ship
wrecked on the coast of Korea, to in
ouire into the General Sherman
affair and to obtain if possible
treaty of commerce. Peaceful nego-
tiations, however, proved to be i'm
possible. The natives garrisoned
the forts along the river and prepar-
ed to make things hot for the foreign
ers should they attempt to ascend
the river toward the capital. A sur
vey expedition, under Captain
Horner Blake, consisting of the
Monocacy and Palos, with four
steam launches, was sent up the
river. When they were close TO
Kang-wa Island the Korean batter
les, containing some eighty guns,
suddenly opened fire upon them.
The redoubt was instantly wrapped
in a sheet of flames, discharglDg IN
few seconds about three hundred
shots One account says that these
rasped the water like a hallstorm.
The veterans of the civil war had
never known such rapid firing. Yet
only one American was wounded.
INSULT AND PUNISHMENT.
Fortunately the order to fire had
been given few seconds late; the
American vessels were already out Of
the line of fire and as the guns of the
natives were fastened on logs, they
could not be manipulated and were
Of no further use. The answering
fire from the gunboats and launches
soon cleared the fort Of its defenders
and a week later punitive expedi-
ton was landed IN order to teach the
Koreans a necessary lesson. The
force, composed of six hundred and
fifty men, was led 10y Commander l..
A. Kimberley, the adjutant general
being Lieutenant Commander W.
Scott Schley, who was afterwards TO
win fame as the rescuer Of Lieuten-
ant Greedy.
The first battery, which was at
tackled Unexpectedly III the rear. was
taken without difficulty; the works
were completely demolished and the
cannon rolled into the river. On the
following day the next fort-'Fort
MOnOcacy." as ii was christened-
was cleared by shells from the Mono
cacy's guns and was then dismantled
by the landed troops. An advance
was next made upon the citadel or
principle fort, which was perched on
the crest of a rocky hill. The
Koreans were lowering beyond the
reach Of our guns IL vastly superior
numbers, and were evidently waiting
for an opportunity to crush the little
American army Is soon as IL had en-
tered the ravine lying below the fort
IOdefeat these tactics five howitZers
and two companies Of infantry were
posted a. a rear guard on rising
ground, while the main body moved
forward 10 storm the citadel. The
Koreans attacked the howitzers IN
large numbers, but the excellent
practice made by the American gnn-
ners under Master A V. Wadhams
scattered them effectually and pre-
vented any large body Of them from