Meadows & Co to Anson Burlingame, October 27, 1866
Messrs. Meadows &c., Co. to Mr. Burlingame.
Sir: We, the undersigned British firm, beg leave to bring to your excellency’s notice the following circumstances, in order to obtain your excellency’s assistance in getting redress
During the latter half of July last the American schooner General Sherman arrived at this port, and was consigned to our care by Mr. Preston, the owner, who had come passenger on the vessel for the sake of his health. After we had taken delivery of the inward cargo, Mr. Preston and we came to an arrangement that we should load her with a cargo of foreign merchandise, and despatch her to Corea with a supercargo to sell the goods there. We accordingly loaded her with foreign merchandise, and on the 29th of July last she left Tientsin. Mr. Hogarth, one of our clerks, who went as supercargo, left previously in the steamer Shaftesbury for Cheefoo, in order to have a pilot and shroff ready on the General Sherman arriving there, and thus save delay. On the schooner reaching Cheefeo, Mr. Hogarth, accompanied by a Chinese pilot and a Cantonese shroff belonging to our firm, went on board; also Mr. Thomas, who having expressed a wish to visit Corea again, in order to extend his knowledge of the Corean language, went as passenger. From the day the vessel left Cheefoo till now we have received no written advices from Mr. Hogarth or Mr. Preston, or, in fact, from any one on board when she left Cheefoo.
On the 8th of October current we received letters from the partners of our firm in Cheefoo acquainting us that the French admiral’s vessel had come to Cheefoo, from Corea, with the news that the King of Corea had caused the General Sherman to be burnt with all on board, while proceeding up the Ping Yang river.
We immediately addressed Dr. Williams on the subject copy of our letter herewith enclosed.
On the 20th of October current we received further advices from our partner in Cheefoo, informing us that he had seen a junk captain who had piloted the schooner for four tides up the Ping Yang river, when he left her and returned to the mouth of the river to his junk, and finally to Cheefoo. This man stated that the Coreans had told him their king was opposed to foreign intercourse with his country. We imagine that this man, who understands something of the Corean language, knows something more about the vessel than he is inclined to divulge, fearing, Chinese-like, to mix himself up in the matter with the authorities to question him later on the points.
As the act of visiting Corea for the purposes of trade was not an act which could, in the eyes of civilized western nations, justify the Corean government in destroying those who committed it, we, the undersigned, have taken the liberty of addressing you for the purpose of bringing the above matters to your excellency’s notice, with the request that you will be pleased to beg his excellency Admiral Bell to make inquiries regarding the destruction of the vessel and her people, and take steps to cause the Corean government to make redress as far as such in the nature of things is practicable.
We have the honor to be, sir, your excellency’s most obedient servants.