William Henry Seward to William H. Seward, July 3, 1868

Mr. George F. Seward to Mr. William H. Seward.

Sir: On the 24th April I had the honor to advise you, in my dispatch No. 281, that I had received information from Mr. F. Jenkins which indicated that some of the crew of the schooner General Sherman were still living and held in custody in Corea, and that the Corean government was anxious to enter into negotiations for treaties of amity and commerce with the several western powers: and on the 25th May I had again the honor to inform you, in my dispatch No. 262, of the visit of the Shenandoah to Corea, and of the return of Mr. Jenkins and that their further information indicated that there was no reason to believe that any of the crew of the Sherman were still surviving, or that the Coreans were desirous of entering into relations with western states as alleged.

At the date of writing the latter dispatch I had become aware that the party with which Mr. Jenkins proceeded to Corea had been engaged in an attempt to take from their tombs the remains of one or more sovereigns of that country for the purpose, it would seem, of holding them for ransom. I therefore entered upon an investigation of the facts with a view to determine the nature of Mr. Jenkins’s connection with the expedition, and whether I ought to prosecute him. I regret to inform you that the information gathered by me has convinced me that it is my duty to do so. The indictment which I have caused to be prepared I inclose herewith. The trial will proceed in a few days, and I shall transmit to you a full copy of the minutes. The consuls of other powers concerned await the result of my action before determining whether to proceed against their nationals.