Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-27
FURIOUS FIGHTING
NATIVES DEFENDED FORTS WITH
DESPERATE COURAGE.
Difficulties Conquered by American
Sailors and Marines in Their Re
taliation for Indignities.

| It is not commonly known that Korea has
| a particular niche in the naval annals of
| this country-a niche that came of the
misguided oriental notion of the prophecies
OF civilized nations; an error that cost US
| the lives of three OF our men, and for
| which, in turn, the Koreans paid a hun
| dredfold in killed and wounded and loss of
face"
For great many years the hermit ma
| ton looked upon all foreign efforts to eff
| feet intercourse as impudent and intrusive,
| and it's attitude toward such endeavors was
| distinctly hostile. This was due to a num-
| Der of circumstances, but principally to the
predatory character of the Chinese free
hooters, who made pretty nearly annual In
| cursions upon their seaboard villages. The
| result was that the Koreans came to look
| upon all foreigners as of one and the same
| persuasion; and in 1866, when the American
trading schooner Gen. Sherman went ashore
on their coast. the craft was burned and
the entire complement of twenty-seven per-
sons put to death by the natives The fol-
lowing year the United States steamship
Wachusett, under Commander r. W.
Shufeldt, was dispatched to Korea to look
into the outrage and to recover the sur
vivors, should there be any. His mission
| was fruitless one and the high-handed
attitude of the only native official with
whom he could deal made a friendly under
standing impossible. Because of the dam
Gerous nature of the coast, which was gen.
orally uncharted, occasion was then taken
to make some preliminary surveys and
soundings
Diplomacy Attempted.
In 1871, however, the United States gov
eminent determined to effect diplomatic re-
lations with the Korean court and to that
end, a squadron under Rear Admiral John
Rodgers, with our minister to China. Mr.
Low, was dispatched from Nagasaki,
Japan, in May. On the 23d of that month
the force arrived at Roze roads On the
Following day the Palos and four steam
launches were sent ahead up the Salee river
TO make soundings preparatory to carving
the fleet up to Boissee anchorage some
miles above. This was necessary owing to
the rocky coast and the very swift cur
rents, the tides making from twenty to
thlrty-flVe feet The expedition reached its
destination without difficulty or molestation
from the natives, and four days later re-
joined the main force at Roze roads In the
meantime parties from the ships in the
roads were busy surveying the nearby
waters and landing parties had been in
communication with the natives who an
peared to be of friendly disposition. Dur
ing the landing of one of these parties a
paper, written in Chinese characters was
handed to one of the officers and the con-
text, when translated, made inquiries as to
our nation and the purpose of our visit
i ne paper was without signature or other
lnd1cation OF official character. An Informal
answer was sent back by our minister. Civ
Ing only the information that we were
Americans; that our purpose was friendly
and that we had come to seek an interview
with the governing authorities
On Monday, the 10Th of May the fleet po+
under way, and reached Bossee anchorage
the next day, when immediately junk ap-
nrn n bod hat rft,<r
fessed to be messengers sent to announce
the coming of superior officials With that
oriental love for subterfuge and the desire
always to foist the diplomatic office boy
upon the unsuspecting foreigner, the forth
coming officials proved to be of, inferior
rank and without authority to initiate neeo-
tiations. Mr.. Low very properly declined
TO receive them, and they were advised that
we should treat only with officials of the
first rank. Nevertheless they were assured
of our friendly intent and told that only to
resent assault should we resort to arms
Ihey were also advised that we wished to
take sound1ngs of the waters and to make
surveys of the shores. To this they gave no
show of dissent. Hope was expressed that
no moleStation would be offered our parties
In landing or passing up the river. and these
ofnclaiS were requested to send word tn
their people that they might preserve the
friendly relations which We're desired
TWenty-four hours was given in which
to promulgate this announcement among
moved forward in their work of surveying
Nothing in the way of dissent or objection
was offered by the officials. So in the faith
that no obstacle existed. expedition was
sent to examine and to survey the Salee
river and thence to the River Seoul which
passes up near the capital of the country
The vessels detailed for this work were the
Monocacy and Palos, under the general
command OF Commander Fl. c. Blake
Masked Batteries.
The vessels got off at noon on the % of
June and proceeded up the river. four steam
launches leading in line abreast. followed
Immediately by the Palos, with the Monoc
acy bringing up the rear. A very swift cur-
rent was making up the river. which
sweeping the launches along made 1t diff
cult to secure accurate soundings or to take
reliable angles. There was no show of hos
tilities until the lower end of Kang-Hoa
Island was reached, where commenced q
line OF forts connected by wall and facing
the river. Here was observed a big yellow
flag which bore the Chinese symbol mea Ming
commanding general AS the batteries came
IN view ii was seen that they were manned
ana the lace OF the hill was lined with men.
perhaps thousand strong. On the pojnt
opposite the parapet upon which flew tbe
yellow flag was line of small fortifications
also manned and armed with artillery about
the size of ginGallS. In the main fort xuara
two or three large pieces of ordnance while
the remaining embrasures were occunied
by five or six small pieces. AS our vessels
came abreast the Notifications, forts and
batteries opened heavy fire upon our shins
and launches. This was promptly returned
and the enemy was soon driven from his
guns and forced to seek cover among the
raVines The swift tide made the vessels
nearly unmanageable, and prevented the
ships from coming to halt abreast of the
fort that first opened fire. The Palos and
Monocacy were carried around the bend in
the river and brought to anchor close under
Fort photographers, where they continued
10 nre upon the forts as long as there was
any evidence of occupation
Inc story of the retaliatory measures
taken by Rear Admiral John Rodgers is
told IN his report of the affair which sheds
great deal of light upon the oriental as
pect of the Koreans conduct. In part, he
says:
From the time of the attack of June /