The trouble between the
United States and
Korea began in 1866.
A vessel named the
General Sherman, bearing American papers, in that year made her last trip from Chee-Foo to Ping-Yang City in
Korea, near which the ship was captured and destroyed, and her passengers and crew massacred.
Official notice of this outrage was given to the
United States by
Admiral Bell, United States navy, then in command of the Asiatic squadron, whose force, however, was insufficient to secure redress from the hostile
Koreans.
Two years previous (1864) the Koreans had become involved with a Christian nation because of their having put to death several French missionaries.
The
French had sent out an armed expedition, but it was poorly prepared and badly conducted, and was compelled to retire.
These circumstances greatly emboldened the Koreans, so that in 1867, when
Commander Shufeldt, with the
United States steamer
Wachusett, visited
Korea to save, if any remained, the passengers or crew of the
General Sherman, he was able to accomplish nothing and had to return.
It was learned later that two survivors of the crew of the
General Sherman were in prison in
Korea, and in 1868
Commander Fabiger, in the
United States steamship
Shenandoah, sailed for
Korea.
In the course of this trip a boat from the
Shenandoah was fired on by the natives.
This visit was also fruitless of results, and
Commander Fabiger sailed away.
On April 10, 1870,
Admiral Rodgers sailed from New York in the
Colorado to take command of the Asiatic squadron, which consisted of the flag-ship
Colorado, forty-five guns; the steamship
Monocacy, six guns, and the steamer
Palos, two guns.
Among the incidental results of the expedition was the careful survey of an extensive part of the coast of
Korea.
The
King of
Korea was informed of the approach of the expedition, and sent three officials with a letter to the
Americans.
The burden of this epistle was that the Koreans wanted to be let alone, and that the crew of the
General Sherman had been killed for committing piracy and murder.
Up to that time the Korean authorities had practically denied all official knowledge of the fate of the
General Sherman and her crew.
Other Korean delegations visited the squadron, all expressing themselves as thoroughly satisfied with the peaceable character of the expedition, and willing that a survey of their coast and rivers should be made.
The ships proceeded up the
Fleuve de Sel (
Salt River), and on passing some of the forts were fired on by the Korean forces, which numbered about 2,000.
The fire was returned, and in about ten minutes the forts were silenced and the enemy driven from them.
The fire from the forts was severe, but owing to the ignorance of the native gunners, only one man in the squadron was wounded, and the only damage was a leak in the
Monocacy, which was soon repaired.
In this encounter the
Palos and the
Monocacy were engaged, together with several steam-launches of the surveying party.
These craft rejoined
Admiral Rodgers, with the
Benicia and the
Colorado, and an expedition was formed to return and destroy the forts.
This force consisted of 945 men, with the
Palos and the
Monocacy. June 11 the
Americans destroyed the forts near the mouth of the river, burned the neighboring houses, and continued to advance until they reached the forts which had opened fire on the expedition June 1.
The
Americans stormed these forts, and in the first onset took them, with a loss of three
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killed and seven wounded.
Lieutenant McKee was killed as he entered the intrenchments.
The Korean commander-inchief was killed in the combat, and the second officer in command was taken prisoner, besides many other natives.
Admiral Rodgers a few days later released the prisoners, whom the Korean authorities did not appear willing to receive.
A formal protest against the war-like actions of the Koreans was made by
Mr. Low, the
American minister.
Documents found by the
Americans showed that the Korean government had planned the surprise of the
United States ships, and that the native rulers were astonished at the failure of their forts to annihilate the vessels at the first fire.
