CARTER, Commander to R. B. Van Vankenburgh, April 2, 1868
Commander Carter to Mr. Van Valkenburgh.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose for your information a copy of the arrangements made this day by the naval and military commanders of the treaty powers for the protection and defense of the foreign settlement of Yokohama.
I shall be obliged if you will send me a copy of the second letter, written and signed conjointly by the ministers, on the subject of restricting the Japanese entering Yokohama to those provided with a pass from one of the consulates.
Some of the commanders who were at the conference had been furnished with a copy of the above letter, but I have not yet received one.
I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. R. B. Van Vankenburgh, Minister Resident of the United States in Japan.
[Untitled]
1. The naval and military commanders of the foreign nations having assembled and read over the requisitions of the foreign representative ministers, as communicated in two letters dated 2d instant, have decided to place guards at the posts as marked in the inclosed plan, as follows:
No. 1. French, two sentries.
No. 2. English, two sentries.
No. 3. English, four sentries, two bridges to defend. There should be a strong guard here, say one officer and twenty men.
No. 4. Main bridge leading to the Tocaido, an important point, furnishes by the English two officers and thirty men. Two guns to be placed at the gates to send out patrols.
No. 5. Prussian, twenty-live men; also to guard Prussian legation and patrol.
No. 6. French, sixteen men, to guard French legation and patrol; also to guard the wharf.
No. 7. American, (custom-house,) twenty-five men, as a central force and patrol. To place here two English guns, two carts with intrenching tools, and seven fire-engines, (Ocean’s.)
No. 8. French, (French hospital,) seven men. These positions to be occupied immediately after the approval of the ministers.
2. In case of an attack in force the naval and military commanders have made every arrangement to re-enforce these posts and defend the settlement.
3. Alarm signals, as follows:
By day, two guns to be fired in quick succession from French quarters, and a signal from French flag-staff, answered by a flag at fore from each man-of-war.
By night, two guns as above, followed by a rocket, answered by a rocket from each man-of-war.