Wells Williams to Henry D. Bellonet, October 29, 1866

[Mem. from Mr. Williams.]

Subsequent rumors indicate that the French are pressing on towards the capital of Corea, and that it has been attacked and captured, and the king has fled. There is very little doubt about the death of all the company on board the General Sherman.” The Coreans decapitated them all” is the brief account which has just been received.

Mr. Williams to Mr. Bellonet.

Sir: It affords me very high gratification to be the medium of conveying to you the thanks of Captain McCaslin, as given in the enclosed narrative of the humane conduct of the Rev. Pere Gillie, who successfully assisted a company of ship wrecked American sailors belonging to the schooner Surprise, late under his command, in their journey across Manchuria to Niuchwang. The consciousness of having been the means of preserving the lives of these unfortunate mariners, as they state was the case, will; be of itself a great satisfaction to Père Gillie; and I wish to add my own sincere thanks to him for his kindness to my countrymen in their trouble. Will you, sir, oblige me and them by conveying to him this expression of our united thanks, either through Bishop Mouilly or otherwise, as you deem proper, and I shall make known his noble conduct, so congruous to his sacred calling, to the President.

I seize this occasion to renew the expression of the high consideration with which I am, sir, your obedient servant,

Mr. Williams to the Foreign Office.

To the Foreign Office:

A report has been received here from Chifu that an American schooner, the General Sherman, was wrecked last month on the coast of Corea, and burned by the natives; her officers and crew, 24 in all, being captured by them, but it is. not certainly known whether they are still alive or not. It is the usage of the Corean government to deliver all such persons at the frontier of China to her officers, to be handed over to their respective consuls at Niuchwang. In the month of June last a small American vessel was. lost on Corea, and her crew were very kindly treated by the people, and handed over to the officers in Manchuria, whose treatment was, on the other hand, in utter contrast with that of the Coreans, very harsh, the poor men not having enough to eat. However, owing to the exertions and expostulations of Père Giìlie, a French missionary at Mukten, they were sent to the consul at Niuchwang.

I have to request, therefore, that orders may be immediately sent to the officers in Manchuria that if the Coreans should deliver over these 24 men to them, to treat them with kindness and protect them, and not with the harshness shown to the former company. All expenses incurred by the authorities there on account of these men will be repaid by the government of the United States.

I have, &c.,

Notice of blockade of the river Seoul by the French naval squadron.

The undersigned, rear-admiral and commander-in-chief of the naval forces of his Majesty the Emperor of the French, in the China and Japan seas, in furtherance of the measures which have been deemed necessary in consequence of the murder of many French missionaries by the government of Corea, and by virtue of the powers belonging to me as commander-in-chief, hereby declares, that after the 15th day of this month the river Seoul, by all its entrances, will be held in a state of effective blockade by the naval forces under my command.

All vessels which shall attempt to violate this blockade will be treated according to international laws, and the treaties in force with neutral powers.