The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-24
OUR WAR WITH
KOREA
Continued from page II
DIPLOMACY IS ATTEMPTED.

1
In 1871, however, the United States
| government determined to effect dip
! Iomatic relations with the Korean
| court. and, to that end, a squadron I'M
| der 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. During
the landing a paper, written in Chinese
characters, was handed to one of the
officers and the context, when trans
lated, made inquiries as to our nation
and the purpose of our visit. The pa
per was without signature or other in
dication of official character. An in
formal answer was sent back by our
minister, giving only the information
that we were Americans; that our pur-
pose was friendly, and that we had
come to seek an interview with the
government authorities.
On Monday, the 18th of May, the fleet
got under way, and reached Boissee
anchorage the next day, when imme-
diately a junk approached, having on
board people who professed to be mes
sengers sent to announce the coming of
superior officials. With that oriental
lONe 1OI the VI
ficials proved to be of inferior rank and
without authority to initiate negotia-
tiations. Mr.. Low very properly de-
clined to receive them, and they were
advised that We should treat only with
officials of the first rank. They were
also advised that we wished to take
soundings of the waters and to make
surveys of the shores. To this they
gave no show of dissent.
The vessels detailed for this work
were the Monocaoy and Palos, under
the general command of Commander
H. G. Blake.
ATTACKED BY BATTERIES.
The vessels got off at noon on the I'd
of June and proceeded up the Salee
river, four steam launches leading in
line abreast. followed Immediately by
the Palos, with the Monocacy bring
ing-up the rear. There was no show of
hostilities until the lower end of Kang
Hoa Island was reached, where COM
menced a line of forts connected by a
wall and facing the river.
AS our vessels came abreast the for
tifications, forts and batteries opened
a heavy fire upon our ships and
launches. This was promptly return
ed and the enemy was soon driven from
his guns and forced to seek cover
among the ravines.
The story of the retaliatory measures
taken by Rear Admiral John Rodgers
is told in his report of the affair, which
sheds a great deal of light upon the
oriental aspect of the Koreans con-
duct. In part. he says:
"All preparations for our movements
being completed, at 10 o'clock a. m. on
the 10th of June. the expedition started.
In pursuance of a humane policy it was
decided that the punishment to be in
ficted upon the Koreans should be
confined to the forts from which the
offense had been given.
THE expedition moved with the Mo-
nocacy, preceded by two steam launch
es, surveying the channel in advance,
while the Palos. having in tow twenty
two boats with the landing force. fol-
lowed.
MONOCACY OPENS FIRE.
''As soon as the Monocacy came with
in good range she opened upon the
enemys work with shell The enemy
returned the fire for time, but was
| soon driven out, and when our landing
/ was made abandoned the position ana
fed. The Palos coming up, the boats
pulled in for the shore and effected a
landing below the fort
The landing was covered by the
guns of the Palos and the steam
! launches, and the destruction of the
fort at once began. The guns We're
cast into the river, with the exception
I of the thirty-two- Founders, which were
spiked. The walls of the fort were
thrown down and the stores of powder
provisions and clothing burned
"On the morning of the 18th the de-
struction of the first fort was made
more complete and the advances began
J toward the enemys forts about three
miles above. The next defense of the
enemy was stone fort. built upon a
bluff, about a mile distant from that
already occupied. This place was also
dismantled without delay and the force
again moved on. The march was a
most difficult one. The guns were drag
ged up steep activities by whole COM
panies detailed to help the artiIerists
or lowered down from the heights with
ropes. AT about II o'clock on the fore
noon of the 18th of June. the hill near
est the enemy's stronghold was gained.
The citadel about to be assaulted, the
key to the defenses upon the point be-