This article about Corea (now known as Korea) was published in 1867 as part of a collection of articles that related to news events of 1866. Sometimes it seems like people will do anything to put missionaries in foriegn countries, while fighting like heck to keep missionaries out of their own. It really is kind of ironic in a way . —fadedpages.com

COREA, a dependency of China, which, in 1866, became noted for a French expedition against it. It is an extensive peninsula, bounded east by the Sea of Japan, south by the Strait of Corea, and west by the Whanghai or Yellow Sea and the Gulf of Leaotong. It is governed by a king, who, though tributary to China, exercises virtually an absolute power. The prevailing religion is Boodhism. Confucius also has many followers. Area, about 87,550 English square miles; the population, according to a census of 1793, was 7,342,36l, and is now estimated at 9,000,000. In February, 1866, two Roman Catholic bishops and seven priests, all natives of France, were put to death by order of the king, for preaching a forbidden religion. Three others succeeded in concealing themselves, and one of them arrived at Chefoo in a Corean junk, having been sent by the other two to communicate the sad intelligence. The escaped missionary asserted that there were fifty thousand Christian converts in the Corea, and that great consternation was produced among them by the compulsory renunciation of their faith, of the destruction of books and dictionaries, and of the sacred vessels of the priests, He proceeded to Pekin, to invoke the aid of the French ambassador. A preparatory expedition was dispatched to explore the river, on which is situated the capital, Sayool, about sixty miles above its embouchure. The river was found to have a current of five miles an hour, and to be navigable without much difficulty as far as Konghoa, forty miles from its mouth; gunboats were able to ascend twenty-six miles higher up—to within sight of the wall of the royal city, Sayool—but with difficulty, owing to shoals, rocks, abrupt curves, and the rapidity of the current by which the explorers were several times brought to a stand. Stone forts of rude construction were met with, on which useless guns were mounted. Military officers there first presented themselves, who were on the eve of obstructing the progress of the French by sinking a fleet of junks, but relinquished their object as soon as the gunboat sent a shot among them. Mandarins then came on board and presented the French with presents of provisions—a fat ox among other things—and requested the French to withdraw, which they did, after taking drawings, soundings, and plans. On their return down the river they were fired upon from several points, but in each instance a few shots seemed to disperse the timid Coreans, access to whose strongholds thus for the first time became known to the outer world. The squadron then returned to the Chinese port of Chefoo, from whence it had sailed. On the 11th of October Admiral Roze again set sail for Corea, this time prepared to inflict punishment. His fleet consisted of seven vessels, having on board four hundred riflemen. Three days' easy steaming brought him to the coast of the peninsula. The gunboats of the expedition proceeded up the river, taking posi tion before eleven forts, which proved to be without defenders. There was no movement of any kind in the forts, and not a soul in the way of garrison was visible, although the muzzles of guns could be seen in the embrasures. On the following day the fleet ascended higher, and landed the riflemen without encountering resistance, although they were ready to fire. They entered a village which was wholly deserted; the inhabitants in their flight had taken with them their portable valuables, leaving in their houses furniture, clothing, and a quantity of provisions. A number of muskets, gingals, some bows and cannon, and a powder magazine, were the useless trophies, together with poultry, pigs, and vegetables, which were useful. Next morning, October 15th, the riflemen advanced three miles higher, which brought them to the city of Konghoa, which is situated on an island, and regarded by the natives as one of their strongest places, but which the French found wholly indefensible. Captain D'Orzery went into the city to dislodge a firing party which was posted on the ramparts at a distance of over 1,800 yards, but who fired too high for effect. The fire was returned by the French riflemen, when the garrison fled, and sought refuge in an archway of one of the city gates, from which they were driven, when the gate was forced with axes. The captain did not care to retain possession of the city, although eighty men would have proved a sufficient garrison for its defence. After surveying the place and burning the defences of the gates, he retired to the river banks, carrying with him a flag which was seized on the walls. No Frenchman was wounded, and only three Coreans were killed. On the 16th the admiral entered Konghoa, and found that the inhabitants had all fled to the hills during the previous night, taking with them all that they could carry. A few persons were taken prisoners, who stated that the mandarins, on quitting, had directed the inhabitants to leave also. The French soldiers scattered over the city, and took some bed-covers, pigs, fowls, and like curiosities. The officers penetrated the public offices, and swords, arrows, and other weapons, and at last the government chest, were discovered, containing 190,000 francs in silver ingots, carefully wrapped up in paper. One company garrisoned the city, the remainder returning to the headquarters on the banks of the river. Konghoa is described as a small, poor, and filthy city, of about 10,000 inhabitants. The fortifications were utterly insignificant. The success of the French brought out the Christians of the neighborhood. Before the capture of that city a mandarin waited on Admiral Roze and boldly vindicated the course of the Corean Government in killing missionaries; he was abruptly dismissed, and not well pleased with the reception accorded to him. On the second day after the capture a dispatch was received, written in Chinese, from the viceroy and military commandant of Corea, who wrote in behalf of the king. The contents were vague and diffuse, and treated at great length of the punishment which had befallen the late missionaries, concluding by a request to the admiral to come up to the capital and enter into negotiations. The admiral in reply extolled the missionaries and laid clown his claims, which were, the punishment of the three principal ministers who instigated the execution of the missionaries, and that an officer invested with full powers be sent to treat with him. A few days later a convert brought intelligence that a Corean army, 15,000 strong, was advancing from the capital to attack the French, and that stone-laden junks had been sunk in the river to obstruct the passage of the men-of-war. Dates from Hong-Kong, December 1st, stated that the French expedition had been beaten off at Konghoa, with the loss of forty-five men, and that the fleet had returned to Shanghai. It was also reported that, in October, the American schooner, General Sherman, had been seized by pirates in the river leading to the capital. They set fire to the vessel after tying to the masts the crew and two English passengers, all of whom perished.

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