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Murder of the
Officers, Crew and Passengers of
the American Schooner General Sherman at the Ping Yang River, Corea Government Printing Office, Washington, 1867 Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, 1867 Source: http://americahurrah.com/GenShermanSchooner/Title.htm Background In the autumn of 1866 intelligence reached the Asiatic Squadron that the American Schooner General Sherman had been wrecked in the Ping Yang river, one of the streams of Corea, and that all of her officers, crew, and passengers were murdered. Rear-Admiral Bell dispatched the Wachusett, Commander R. W. Shufeldt, to Chifu to investigate the circumstances attending the loss of the General Sherman, with instructions to demand of the chief authorities that, if there were any survivors of the schooner, they should be delivered on the deck of the Wachusett, whatever might be their nationality, and to make such further investigation as was practicable. USS Wachusett at Shanghai, 1867, U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Courtesy of Charles H. Bogart, 1973. The Wachusett anchored near the mouth of the Ta Tong River, on the west coast of Corea, on the 23d of January. The pilot secured for these waters did not consider it safe, at that season, to take the vessel to the Ping Yang, which was some fifty miles to the northward. Commander Shufeldt had, therefore, to communicate with the King of Corea by a messenger, secured through the instrumentality of the chief of a fishing village. The object of his visit and his demands were thus made known; but no reply to his communication was received. On the 29th of January, however, an officer, who claimed to be from the capital, was presented on board the Wachusett, and had an interview with her commander. The result was most unsatisfactory. Commander Shufeldt, was unable to find any peaceable solution of the difficulty, or that there were any survivors of the ill-fated vessel. Secretary of the Navy Report, 1867 The Murders onboard the Schooner General Sherman Report by Commander Shufeldt to Rear-Admiral H. H. Bell Commanding Asiatic Squadron United States Steamer Wachusett At sea, January 30,1867 Sir: I have the honor to report that this ship anchored on the west coast of Corea, latitude 38O 04' north, longitude 124O 50' west, near the mouth of the Ta-tong river on the 23d instant. The Ping-Yang river is the one up which the schooner General Sherman went and was destroyed. The river enters the sea fifty miles to northward of the above position, a fact which I could not positively ascertain until our arrival somewhere on the Corean coast; but as we found, on survey, the Ta-tong river to be frozen... our Chinese pilot, a man of unusual intelligence expressed decided reluctance to take the ship to the mouth of the Ping-Yang at this season of the year. There are no official cities on the seaboard of the west coast; we found, however, quite a number of fishing villages, and after some unsuccessful efforts, the chief of one of these on Nien-Fo, or Cow Island, was induced to send a letter to the official of Chang-Yuen. In the meantime we endeavored to cultivate friendly feelings with the natives. They seem to be kindly disposed, but in great dread of their government, and came as little in contact with us as possible. Apparently they are a rude and barbarous people, unarmed, and the seaboard entirely defenseless. We saw no iron in use; the boats are fastened with wooden pegs, or lashed with coarse seaweed cordage. They spoke with great reserve when questioned in reference to the General Sherman, but every one of them told the same story, which they said was known all over the country, that the vessel was burned last September up the Ping-Yang river, and all of her people, amounting to twenty seven persons, were killed in a melee on shore by the natives, and not by order of the mandarins. There remains no reasonable doubt of these facts, and no doubt whatever of the locality of the disaster. On the morning of the 29th an officer who said he came from Hae-Chow Poo, the capital city of the province, was brought on board. The interview with him carried on in writing in Chinese resulted in an unsatisfactory manner. I have no doubt the man lied systematically from the beginning to the end. Secretary of the Navy Report, 1867 The Murders onboard the Schooner General Sherman (The official I believe to be the governor of Hae-Chow-Poo or some high officer. His presence seemed to inspire the greatest dread, and I fear the old chief and his son have by this time paid for their friendship towards us by the loss of their heads.) The Interview at Neu-To Island Commander Shufeldt: Where are you from and on what business have you come? Corean official: My name is Le-Ke-Yung; I reside at Kee-Chen Village where I am the ruler. I have come to see your ship. Commander Shufeldt: This vessel came here January 24th. and sent a letter by the people of Neu-to island to the officer of Chang-Yueng-Heen, accompanied with a communication to the King, from which no answer has yet been received. Do you know anything about this? Corean official: I know nothing about it whatever. On what business have you come? Commander Shufeldt: An American vessel was wrecked in the Ping-Yang river in the month of September, and it was reported that this vessel was burned and all on board put to death by the Coreans. I have come to investigate his matter, and have sent a dispatch to the King to inquire whether the report his true or false, and whether any of the people are still living. Corean official: How many li is it to your country? As it does not become your excellency to remain long at this place, I earnestly hope you will depart speedily and return to your own country. Commander Shufeldt: The ship is merely awaiting an answer to the dispatch. Corean official: You ought not to delay, but leave at once. Commander Shufeldt: Have you heard or do you know anything about the ship that was wrecked? Corean official: I know nothing about it whatever. I only hope you will immediately leave and return to your native land. Commander Shufeldt: What objection can there be to our waiting? If I am obliged to leave without an answer to my dispatch, many more armed vessels will return to your country. Corean official: To return with many armed vessels would be exceedingly unjust. To return to your country would be praiseworthy. Commander Shufeldt: To allow your country to murder our men without cause or provocation cannot be passed over uninvestigated. Corean official: I do not know anything about this business. Commander Shufeldt: If you know nothing, I have nothing more to say to you. ---------------------------------- The Korean account: ?? 3? 12? 25?(??) ?? ???? ??? (Wachth)?? ?? 3? 12? 25?(??) ?? ???? ??? (Wachth)?? ???? ??? ·??? (Robert Shufeldt)? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ? ? ???? ??? ·?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ? ?? ???. ? ?????? 22??? ???? ??? ?? ????. ??? , ??? ???? ?? ???. On Lunar December 12 of Kojong 3, an American warship Wachth (sic) commanded by Captain Robert Shudeldt arrived at Wonsung-do, Jangsung County, Hwanghae Province. He inquired the residents about the General Sherman and her crew and asked for the return of any survivor. Han Ju Yong, the county chief, promised him an answer by the 22nd (of January) but they departed without waiting for the answer. (from Kojing Silrok - King Kojong Royal Archives). ---------------------------------- Notes added by ysk: - The USS Pueblo is moored near the spot the General Sherman was sunk. - Capt. Shudeldt -> English -> Chinese -> Korean and back - apparently this caused some gaps in communication. The Korean official told the American that he had no authority and that he had to wait for the King's court (about a month). Shudeldt thought this Corean official was stone-walling. The poor Corean, in fact, had no authority to deal with the Americans. - True to the captain's threat, an American fleet did come back and occupied an island off Inchon in 1871. The Korean garrison of 350 was virtually wiped out by the US Marines. The garrison commander's battle flag is on display in the basement of the US Naval Academy. Years later in 1950, another American fleet occupied the very same island - Kwangwha-do. ysk |