The first effort to introduce Christianity into Korea was in 1783, and had its origin with the French Jesuits then established at Peking. Although the new religion was strictly forbidden, and its propagators and adherents were visited with bitter persecution, for three quarters of a century the Catholic missionaries, with a heroic devotion undaunted by expulsion and death, persisted in their efforts and were rewarded by some degree of success. During this period measures were adopted at various times for the extermination of the hated foreign sect, but the work of the missions was prosecuted in secret, and the native Christians by thousands continued true to their faith.

In 1866 a fresh outbreak of persecution occurred, and the government resolved to utterly extirpate the foreign religion. Three bishops and seventeen priests were cruelly put to death by the express order of the authorities, and only three escaped and fled to China. The martyrdom of the foreign clergy was also attended with the slaughter of several thousand native converts. The missionaries executed by the government were, with few exceptions, French subjects, and the diplomatic representative of Napoleon III. at Peking immediately took steps to inflict exemplary punishment upon the Koreans.

In October, 1866, the French admiral, with six vessels and 600 men, reached Korean waters in the vicinity of Chemulpo, destined for the capital to dethrone the king and punish his officials for the murder of the French clergy. He captured and burned Kang-wa, a city of 20,000 inhabitants, situated on an island in the

bay, but found the Korean army gathered in large force to dispute his progress. A portion of his command fell into an ambush, suffered heavy loss, and were forced to retreat. Minister Burlingame, in his report of the expedition, wrote: "Admiral Roze, probably finding that nothing could be done with his limited force, left Corea to recruit it, with which he cannot return until next spring or summer." But when the news of the failure reached Napoleon, he had other and more pressing need for his army and navy, and after the war with Germany the new French government was content to drop the Korean affair.1

It was least to be expected that the United States would be the next nation to engage in a conflict with this far-off country, but an event occurred in the same year the French priests were executed which was to bring about such a result. On the 8th of August, 1866, an American schooner, the General Sherman, chartered by a British firm in Tientsin and laden by it with a cargo of merchandise, left Chefoo, China, for Korea on a trading venture. It had on board three Americans, the captain, mate, and overseer, two British subjects, the supercargo and interpreter, and a crew of fifteen or twenty Chinese. The vessel entered the Ta Tong River and ascended it to the vicinity of Ping An, where a few days afterwards the entire crew were killed and the vessel burned.

The accounts differ as to the circumstances attending

1 Histoire de l'Eglise de Corée, par Ch. Dallet, Paris, 1874; Griffis's Corea, The Hermit Kingdom, pp. 373, 577; Gundry's China, 228; U. S. Dip. Cor. 1866, p. 536; 1867, pp. 416, 419–426.

this event. The Korean government reported that the crew provoked an altercation with the people of the vicinity which resulted in the death of the crew and destruction of the vessel. Another account was that the crew were taken prisoners by the governor of the province and decapitated by order of the king. Two American naval vessels, dispatched in 1866 and 1867 to the vicinity, brought back the same conflicting reports. The vessel was engaged in an illicit trade, as all intercourse with foreigners was forbidden by Korean law. A most unfavorable time was selected for the age, following the massacre of the foreign missionaries and the Christians, and when the French government was in active preparation for its warlike expedition. It was currently reported that one object of the voyage was to plunder the tombs of the kings at Ping An, and the fact that the schooner was heavily armed lent color to this report. This latter fact, in the opinion of Mr. Burlingame, may have led the Koreans to confound them with the French.

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Two months before the destruction of the General Sherman, another American ship, the Surprise, was wrecked on the Korean coast. The crew were kindly treated by the authorities, transported on horseback and with all necessary comforts to the northern frontier, and delivered to the Chinese officials. By the latter they were harshly received and they secured their release only through the intervention of a Catholic priest, who was presented by Congress with a gold watch for his kindness, accompanied by the thanks of the President.

Minister Burlingame reported the case of the General

Sherman to the American admiral on the Asiatic station, with a suggestion that he inquire into the facts and report the same to the government at Washington for instructions. The case was likewise reported by the British minister to the British naval commander. In view of these events Mr. Burlingame anticipated that a large fleet of French, American, and British vessels would be in Korean waters the next year, and he wrote the Secretary of State: "If my advice can have any weight, it will be that our presence there should rather restrain than promote aggression, and serve to limit action to such satisfaction only as great and civilized nations should, under the circumstances, have from the ignorant and weak." Unfortunately Mr. Burlingame did not remain in the legation, and other counsels prevailed at Washington.

The investigations made by the American vessels sent by the admiral to Korea did not seem to justify any action and none was taken. The same course was adopted by the British government. But a year later the United States consul-general at Shanghai, Mr. George F. Seward, reported to the Secretary of State that he had learned of the arrival at Shanghai of a Catholic priest and a party of Koreans, who had been sent by the Korean government to ascertain if an embassy would be kindly received if sent to America and France to explain and make reparation for the destruction of the General Sherman and the murder of the French missionaries. His informant, also, told Mr. Seward that Korea was ready to make commercial treaties and open up the country to foreign trade.

Upon this information the consul-general proposed that he be sent to Korea, with a naval force consisting of two or more of the men-of-war on the Asiatic station, "to ask for an official explanation of the Sherman affair, and to negotiate, if possible, a treaty of amity and of commerce." Secretary Fish communicated this information to the American minister at Peking, Mr. Low, and stated to him that "it has been decided to authorize negotiations to be had with the authorities of Corea, for the purpose of securing a treaty for the protection of shipwrecked mariners, and to intrust the conduct of the negotiations to you. Should the opportunity seem favorable for obtaining commercial advantages in Corea, the proposed treaty should include provisions to that effect." Reference has been made to the resolution introduced in Congress in 1845, looking to the opening of trade with Korea (page 142) and the subject had been from that date in the mind of the government. Mr. Low was instructed" to exercise prudence and discretion, to maintain firmly the right of the United States to have their seamen protected, and to avoid a conflict by force unless it cannot be avoided without dishonor." He was also informed that the admiral in command of the Asiatic squadron had been directed to accompany him, "with a display of force adequate to support the dignity of the United States."

From the outset Mr. Low manifested a want of confidence in the expedition, but he entered resolutely upon the execution of the instructions of his government. Admiral Rodgers and Consul-General Seward were invited to Peking for conference, and the Chinese gov