LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 1868

Sir:
　Referring to Mr. Burlingame’s despatch No. 124 , of December 15, 1866, and others, relating to the fate of the American schooner General Sherman in Corea, I have now the honor to inclose a correspondence (inclosures A, B, C) with the Chinese government, which was commence for the purpose of engaging its good offices in ascertaining, by direct application to the King of Corea what were the real circumstances connected with t he loss of that vessel.
　The reason why an earlier application was not made to Prince Kung, after receiving you dispatch, was that it was deemed best to await the arrival of the annual Corean embassy at Peking, when more direct intercourse with the officials from that country could perhaps be obtained. This embassy did not reach the capital till January, and at that time the rumor mentioned in my note to Prince Kung had assumed so much probability that I wished to learn what grounds there were for believing it. This, unfortunately, could not be done till after the Coreans had left for their country, but in any case I could not have asked them directly, as the Chinese officials in this city are particularly careful to keep these tributary nations confined to their own quarters, and they themselves are shy of all intercourse.
　I was, however, able to see one of the confidential members of the Corean mission, and ascertained from him privately some particulars relating to the attack on the schooner. He told me that he was not himself in that part of the country at the time she was in the river Pingjang, but he heard that, after the vessel had got ashore, she keeled over as the tide receded, and her crew landed to guard or float her. The natives gathered around the vessel, and ere long some altercation arose between the two parties, which soon led to blows and bloodshed, and a general attack on the foreigners, who were all killed on the spot by the mob of natives, of whom fully 20 were killed. He understood that the vessel was French, though he knew nothing of the flag which she bore, nor even of the signification or distinction of foreign flag; but he was sure that all her company were dead, and had moreover believed that the wreck still remained in the Pingjang river.
　Before the reply from the Corean authorities was received in Peking, the United States corvette Shenandoah had returned from her visit to that country, where Captain Febiger went in March to ascertain the truth of the same rumor that I refer to in my note A. From what he learned, combined with the reply given him, and apparently intended for the United States steamer Wachusett, when she was there in 1866, there can remain no reasonable doubt that the whole company on board the General Sherman were killed about September, 1866, and the evidence goes to uphold the presumption that they invoked their sad fate by some rash or violence acts towards the natives.
　I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant,

S. WELLS WILLIAMS
Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,
Secretary of State, Washington, D.C.