Van Valkenburgh to William H. Seward, February 15, 1868

Mr. Van Valkenburgh to Mr. Seward.

Sir: Immediately after the attack by the troops of Bezen on the foreigners in this place on the 4th instant, as I have communicated to you in my No. 8, I took measures to procure statements in writing from such of the American citizens as were present and saw the occurrence. The same course was pursued by some of my colleagues, and I have now the honor to transmit to you copies of the same.

Inclosure No. 1 is made by W. H. Morse, esq., our consular agent at Osaka, who was residing here, and being upon the tocaido, or main street, had a good opportunity to observe all that took place. As I crossed the sand-flats, or concession grounds, with the marines in pursuit of the Japanese, I met him and Mr. Blake bringing in the wounded man.

Inclosed No. 2 is by Mr. F. Blake, an intelligent American merchant, who also had excellent opportunities for knowing what actually took place.

Inclosure No. 3 is made by three American gentlemen by the name of Marks, brothers, and merchants also on the main street.

Enclosure No. 4 is the statement of Walter G. Clark, apprentice boy on the Oneida, who was wounded; and No. 5 is the report of Surgeon Suddard, of the Oneida, forwarded to me at my request by Commander Creighton.

No. 6 is the statement made by F. Rougement, senior lieutenant of her Majesty’s ship Ocean, and only shows the ugly disposition of the troops before entering the concession, where the outrage was committed. He saw them some two miles before they reached the sand-flats, at that time estimating their number at seven hundred or eight hundred. If there were so many they could not have all passed through the settlement at the time of the firing, as I saw them, and I estimated them at one hundred and fifty or two hundred. This statement is corroborated by two American naval officers, and one other English officer, who were with him.

Inclosure No. 7 is that of Joseph Colins, an English gentleman, who seems to have been rudely treated by them before they fired.

Inclosures No. 8 are statements of five Prussian subjects, kindly furnished me by the Prussian chargé d’affaires.

No. 9 is made by the three French non-commissioned officers, and upon whom the attack was first made with lances.

No. 10 is a rough plain of the settlement, showing the custom-house occupied as legations, the sand-flat or open space, prepared to be sold in lots to the foreigners, the tocaido, or main street, leading from Hiogo to Osaka, and the Japanese residences and places of business of the several persons making the statements.

I have the honor to be, sir, your very obedient servant,

Statement of Walter G. Clark, Second-class apprentice belonging to the United States steamer Oneida.

I was in company with two or three of the gig’s crew going across the concession towards the main street, and I saw these Japanese marching along, but took no particular notice of them, as I had been among similar ones before, and took them to be only a procession. When I was within about twenty-five yards of the main street, and opposite the Oneida house, the leader dismounted, and they commenced firing. I then turned and ran towards the legation, but had not got more than four or five yards when I was shot. I saw nothing that caused them to fire. They seemed to fire only at the Europeans on the concessions.

Affidavit of Joseph J. Colins.

In her Britannic Majesty’s court at Hiogo, the 10th day of February, 1868.

Personally appeared before me, her Britannic Majesty’s acting consul for Hiogo and Osaka, Joseph J. Colins, who made depositions as follows:

At about half-past 1 o’clock in the afternoon of Tuesday last, the 4th day of February, I was in my house, which is situated in the main street of Kobé, near to the temple called Gokurakugi, when I was informed by the plasterers who were at work on my house that some Japanese troops were coming along the street. I left my house and crossed over to the other side of the street in order to see them pass. As they approached the spot where I was standing, I heard the man who preceded the troops in the front rank call upon the people in the street to go down on their knees. The Japanese at once prostrated themselves, but I remained standing some three feet from the houses on the street. Upon coming up to where I was standing, the man who had before called upon every one to kneel down shouted to me personally to prostrate myself. I did not reply to him, but remained where I was. whereupon he brought down his rifle and charged at me therewith, catching me in the pit of the stomach, and knocking me up against the houses.

He then returned to his place in front of the ranks, and passed. I at once made up my mind to report this occurrence, and for that purpose ran along the main street, past the line of troops, and arrived at the corner of the settlement near to Marks & Co.’s store, where I saw her Majesty’s minister and other gentlemen standing. I at once reported what had occurred to Sir Harry Parkes, and he, with others who were with him, and myself, all crossed the street into the settlement. We had not been there long when the troops came up, preceded, however, by a rush of common people. We turned round and were walking away in the direction of the custom-house, when I happened to look round and perceived that the troops had halted, and were kneeling down, apparently by direction of an officer, who had been hitherto on horseback, but had now dismounted, when they rose to their feet again, presented their rifles in the direction in which we were going and fired a volley at us, and then kept up an irregular fire at us until we reached the custom-house.

JOSEPH J. COLINS.

This deposed on oath before me.

No. 8.

Statements of Prussian subjects and protégés made before A. Evers, esq., his Prussian Majesty’s consular agent at Hiogo, on the 7th February, 1868.

Frederick von Fisher.

On the 4th February, between 2 and 3 o’clock, I was standing with three French-non-commissioned officers before my house (Mr. Legeune’s) in the main street at Klobé, quite near the foreign concession. One of the non-commissioned officers of the name of Callier crossed over to the other side of the street to buy some tobacco. During this a troop of Japanese soldiers approached and passed along the street. One part of the soldiers passed; then followed a richly ornamented kago, surrounded by six men with lances. Behind the kago came a large number of baggage carriers, and then an open space. Behind this space came other soldiers. Through this open space Callier tried to pass. I saw a soldier carrying a lance take his arm and turn him off. Near the entrance of my house he received a thrust in his side, at which all the spearmen took off the covers from their lances and pikes. I did not hear an order given for the attack. I retreated into my house, as did also the non-commissioned officers. Callier was the last one in the door. Another lance thrust was, however, warded off by one of the other gentlemen, with his hand. I ran into the upper story and saw from the window the Japanese halted before the house. While I descended again to the lower floor, to save myself through a back gate, I saw six or eight Japanese, with lances, standing in the entrance hall. At the same moment I heard the report of rifle shots. I then broke through a bamboo hedge, and saved myself by running across the rice fields to the Dutch consulate.

Of the French non-commissioned officers, only Callier was armed with a sword.

FREDERICK VON FISHER.

Michael Elman.

On the 4th February, in the afternoon, I saw arrive near my house, situated in the continuation of the main street, a troop of Japanese soldiers. One part of them, escorting a kago, passed, when, at a noise from behind, an officer on horseback turned round, called something, drew his sword, and jumped from his horse. Immediately afterwards the Japanese commenced to fire in the direction of the open place of the foreign concession. I ran to join Messrs. Richter and Naehtigal, and while we were standing at the door of the house, a Japanese made a lance thrust at us. Mr. Nachtigal called out something in Japanese, at which the Japanese turned round and went off.

M. ELMAN.

Richard Richter.

On the 4th February, at about 2 p. m., I was passing over the open place in the foreign concession to go to the entrance of the main street, when I saw arrive a troop of Japanese soldiers. They cried out “Staniero,” and ordered all the Japanese coolies to kneel down. Suddenly all the Japanese looked behind them, in which direction a loud noise was heard, and I profited by this moment to pass the street, immediately before the Japanese troops. After I had passed them the Japanese troops advanced again, and an officer on horseback, apparently the commanding officer, dismounted and turned round. In the same moment all the Japanese called out “Teppo, teppo,” and commenced to fire. All the guns were directed towards the open place, none towards me. I did not hear a distinct order given. Some of the Japanese turned round towards me and Mr. Nachtigal, before whose house I was standing, and one pointed his spear against us, but when I had put aside a gun Mr. Nachtigal had in his hand, the Japanese retired. I then passed through the house into the open fields to go to my own house, in the corner house of the street. I found three French officers sitting on the roof and not able to get down. Having helped them down, I crossed the street and saw that the Japanese had disappeared.

R. RICHTER.

August Ferdinand Hermann Friebe.

On the afternoon of the 4th I passed through the street behind the foreign concession, when a troop of Japanese arrived. At their head was a Kago with escort, and then an officer on horseback surrounded by several Yokumins. In consequence of a calling out from behind, the officer turned round and said something to his men, and jumped from the horse and drew his sword. At the same moment the Japanese commenced to fire I ran into my house to get my gun, and ran then in the direction of the open place. The bullets passed over my head and some of them dropped in my immediate neighborhood. I saw an American sailor, lying immediately behind me, and turned round to raise him, the Japanese advanced and I fired my gun at them. I do not know if I wounded any one. I then helped to carry the sailor to the custom-house.

HERM. FRIEBE.

George Nachtigal.

On the afternoon of the 4th I was standing before my house in the main street, when a troop of Japanese arrived. There were about twenty men with swords before a Kago, and a similar number followed it. Then came on horseback a man about thirty-five years old, simply dressed, but looking very proud, surrounded on both sides by about twelve men with lances. “When this officer was about eight or ten paces distant from me, the men called out something, at which the officer turned round, jumped off his horse, drew his sword, and said something to those behind him. I supposed this to have been an order, because at the same moment the Japanese commenced to fire. I believe that they fired at a Frenchman who tried apparently to run towards the French consulate. Some turned round towards my house, at which I turned round and put my hand out to take my revolver; one of the troop then made a thrust with his lance at me and at Mr. Richter, standing on my side. I called out to him, my revolver in my hand, at which he retired and did not further molest us. I tried then to run over the open place, when an American sailor fell about twenty yards behind me, struck by a bullet. I turned round to raise him, but at the same moment the Japanese came running towards me; seeing this I ordered Mr. Friebe, who carried my gun, to fire at them, which he did. The Japanese thereupon stopped. I do not know that any one was wounded, as the gun was only loaded with shot.

Other American sailors then came, and we carried the sailor off. I accompanied them for some distance, and afterwards went with the soldiers during the pursuit of the Japanese.