MEADOWS, United States Vice-Consul to Frederick F. Low, June 24, 1870

Mr. John A. T. Meadows to Mr. Fred. F. Low.

Sir: At 2 a. m., on the 22d instant, I had the honor to address your excellency regarding serious matters which had occurred here during the 21st instant. My dispatch I handed to Mr. Arendt, vice-consul of the North German Confederation, who was sending a dispatch by special courier to Pekin at that time. This morning I was astonished to receive back my dispatch from Mr. Arendt. It appears, from Mr. Arendt’s note, that the messenger had been unable to proceed on to Pekin. As I am desirous of at once sending you all information up to this moment, I once again address you. My first dispatch, which I inclose, will convey to you the first accounts we received of the terrible events of the day previous. I am now able to correct some of my report, having since received more correct information. After the Jin-tse-tang people were killed, it appears there were nine Sisters of Charity and a number of Chinese. There were over thirty female children found in the place, who were sent to the mandarins. At the Tien-chu-tang there was one foreigner (French) killed and one native priest; also Mr. Tomassen and wife of the French legation, who arrived per Manchu from Shanghai, and a number of Chinese servants. At the French consulate, situated within the Tien-chu-tang premises, there were killed Mr. Fontanier, the consul: Mr. Simon, the vice-consul, and a number of Chinese. Mr. Chalmaison and his wife, store-keepers, were killed in their store near the south gate. They were Roman Catholics. Two Russian-Siberians, and the wife of one of them, were killed as they were coming down in sedans from town, at the time the people were burning the Jin-tsz-tang, being evidently mistaken for French Roman Catholics, as none of the Swiss, German, and English people, all Protestants, were molested, although living separately in town. There appear to have been altogether nineteen foreigners, French and Russians, killed on the 21st instant. The people in the settlement have naturally been in considerable alarm, but the moment I learned, at 5 p. m. on the 21st, that the Chinese people had dispersed after destroying the Tien-chu-tang and Jin-tsz-tang, Roman Catholics, without molesting the Protestant residents in town, I felt sure we would not be disturbed in the “settlement,” and such has been the case up to this moment. At 10 a. m., on the 22d instant, Chunghow met all the consuls at the residence of the commissioner of customs. He detailed how Count Fontanier had acted like a madman, and that he attributed the destruction of all the people to his firing his revolver at himself (Chunghow) and the magistrate. He expressed great regret at what had occurred, and owned that owing to the unexpectedness of the outbreak, the people were masters of the position for that day. Mrs. Stanley and family are living on board the Manchu, where other missionary ladies are living, as well as Mrs. Forbes and Mrs. Stamman, merchants’ wives. There are now no foreigners living in town. Chunghow saved the life of one Frenchman named Contris, who was able to reach his yamun, where he was cared for till he could be sent down to the British settlement. I write this dispatch in great haste, as I am anxious to dispatch it without delay. I am very much grieved that my first letter has been returned.

Beside the Manchu, we have the British steamer Appin in port. The Dragon had left, but some letters would reach her at Takoo, and we will early see a gunboat here. There are no vessels of war here at present.

The bodies of the consul, vice-consul, Tomassen and wife, the priest Chevrier, and those of the Russians have all been got possession of, and the latter buried.