East India Squadron
Encyclopedia
The East India Squadron, or East Indies Squadron, was a squadron of American ships which existed in the nineteenth century, it focused on protecting American interests in the Far East
while the Pacific Squadron
concentrated on the western coasts of the Americas
and in the South Pacific Ocean. Part of the duties assigned to this squadron was serving with the Yangtze River Patrol in China
. The East India Squadron was established in 1835 and existed until it became part of the Asiatic Squadron
in 1868.
USS Peacock
and a schooner
USS Enterprise
under command of Commodore Edmund P. Kennedy
, thus established the East India Squadron.
and the sloop Boston
. Kearny arrived in China in March 1842 and the Opium War soon ended. Kearny first learned of the Treaty of Nanking
when he arrived in Hong Kong
. Kearny observed the treaty's provisions opening five Chinese ports to British trade, and sought equal trading opportunity for Americans. Viceroy
of Guangzhou
offered Kearny a treaty giving Americans fair treatment. Kearny did not have authority to sign such a treaty, but tactfully informed Ke agreement would be forthcoming as soon as authorized negotiators arrived. Caleb Cushing
reached China in 1844, and the Treaty of Wanghia
was signed on 2 July.
exchanged ratifications of the Treaty of Wanghia
at Poon Tong (泮塘), a village outside Guangzhou
. The treaty was the first treaty between China
and the United States.
On July 20, 1846, he anchored with the two warships USS Columbus
and USS Vincennes
in Uraga Channel
at the mouth to Edo Bay in an attempt to open up Japan
to trade with the United States, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Biddle delivered his request that Japan agree to a similar treaty to that which he had just negotiated with China. Biddle eventually received the shogunate's response and was told that Japan forbade all commerce and communication with foreign nations besides that of the Dutch; also, he was informed that all foreign affairs were conducted through Nagasaki and that his ships should leave Uraga immediately.
In 1852, Commodore Matthew C. Perry embarked from Norfolk, Virginia
for Japan
, in command of a squadron in search of a Japanese trade treaty. Aboard a black-hulled steam frigate, he ported
Mississippi
,
Plymouth
,
Saratoga
,
and
USS Susquehanna
at Uraga Harbor near Edo
(modern Tokyo
) on July 8, 1853. His actions at this crucial juncture were informed by a careful study of Japan's previous contacts with Western ships and what could be known about the Japanese hierarchical culture. He was met by representatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate
who told him to proceed to Nagasaki, where there was limited trade with the Netherlands
and which was the only Japanese port open to foreigners at that time (see Sakoku
).
Perry returned in February 1854 with twice as many ships, finding that the delegates had prepared a treaty embodying virtually all the demands in Fillmore's letter. Perry signed the Convention of Kanagawa
on March 31, 1854 and departed, mistakenly believing the agreement had been made with imperial
representatives. The agreement was made with the Shogun, the de facto ruler of Japan.
was a naval operation that occurred in August 1851 during the American anti-slavery patrols in the Indian Ocean
. It began in response the seizure of the merchant ship Maria and her captain
, a man named Moores, in the small Sultanate of Johanna. The United States Navy sent the sloop-of-war USSDale, under Captain William Pearson
, to free Moores and to demand compensation for the incident. When the sultan
refused, the Americans briefly bombarded a fort and blockhouse
protecting the harbor of Matsamudu.
In July 1855, Chinese pirates in the Hong Kong
area captured four merchant ships, apparently of British subject. In response on 4 August 1855, armed boats from the East India Squadron frigate USS Powhatan and the Royal Navy
sloop-of-war HMS Rattler
attacked the pirates at the Battle of Ty-ho Bay. HMS Eaglet
towed the boats into position which then proceeded to destroy twenty of thirty-six junk
s. Seven merchant ships were also rescued. An estimated 500 pirates were killed or wounded and over 1,000 taken prisoner compared the an allied loss of nine dead and about a dozen wounded.
from 1856 to 1860. Four of the squadron's ships were involved in at least two battles. At the beginning of the war, the United States Navy frigate, USS San Jacinto
and two sloops-of-war, USS Portsmouth and USS Levant
, launched an attack against a series of Chinese
forts along Pearl River
. The engagement became known as the Battle of the Pearl River Forts
and was fought in 1856. The second involvement of a East India Squadron ship was during the Second Battle of Taku Forts
in 1859. The American warship, USS Powhatan
, assisted an Anglo
and French
attack by bombarding the Taku Forts
. No further engagements between Chinese and American forces during the war are known to have happened though American citizens living in Canton
fought as militia
at the 1856 battle at Canton.
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, under James F. Schenck
, silenced a fort at the entrance to Qui Nhon Bay, Cochinchina
. This was after a Vietnam
ese artillery battery had fired upon her while she was searching for the missing boat and crew of an American merchant bark named Myrtle. After an engagement lasting just under an hour, the Chinese fort was destroyed and a large explosion was observed by the Americans. It became the only battle of the Cochinchina Campaign
involving the United States which deployed the East India Squadron to protect American interests in the region.
; the East India Squadron under Rear Admiral Henry H. Bell
launched a punitive
expedition
in retaliation. On June 18, 1867, 181 officers, sailors and marines from two screw sloops-of-war landed with the intention of destroying the hostile threat. After six hours of marching through the hot tropical Formosan mountains and after several skirmishes, the Americans turned back to their ships. The expedition failed after the death of an American commander and the loss of several men due to the humid climate. They boarded USS Wyoming
and USS Hartford
and then set sail for Shanghai. A year later the squadron was merged into the new Asiatic Squadron.
William J. McCluney, was assigned to the East India Squadron and arrived on station via Cape of Good Hope 15 June 1853. Her arrival in Chinese waters coincided with an important phase of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s
negotiations for commercial relations with the Japanese and the opening of two ports. She was Perry’s flagship during his November visit to Whampoa. On 14 February 1854 she entered Yedo Bay
with the rest of the squadron and the Treaty of Kanagawa
was signed on her deck on 31 March 1854.
Assigned to the East India Squadron under Commodore Matthew Perry, the USS Macedonian
with Capt. Joel Abbot
in command, was one of the six American ships arrayed off Uraga, Japan, 13 February 1854 during Perry's second visit to negotiate the opening of Japan to foreign trade.
After completing her trials, which she began in January 1851, the side-wheel steamer USS Susquehanna
sailed on 8 June for the Far East to become flagship of the East India Squadron.
The USS Dolphin
got underway 6 May 1848 to join the East India Squadron, protecting American citizens in Asiatic waters.
Recommissioned on 12 August 1850, USS Saratoga
got underway on 15 September and proceeded to the western Pacific for service in the East India Squadron.
USS Levant
sailed 13 November for Rio de Janeiro, the Cape of Good Hope, and Hong Kong, where she arrived to join the East India Squadron 12 May 1856. On 1 July she embarked the U.S. Commissioner to China for transportation to Shanghai, arriving 1 August.
Departing Norfolk 4 August, the USS Germantown
sailed via the Cape of Good Hope to Ceylon, where on 22 December she joined Flag Officer Josiah Tattnall's East India Squadron off Point de Gala. For 2 years she cruised Far Eastern waters and visited the principal ports of China and Japan, where she found "uniform friendly reception" as the squadron guarded American interests in the Orient. Sailing via the Cape of Good Hope, she returned to Norfolk in April 1860
After a four-day stop at Singapore, where Commodore Armstrong relieved Commodore Joel Abbot in command of the East India Squadron, the frigate USS San Jacinto
reached the bar off the mouth of the Me Nam (later the Chao Phraya) River.
The new side-wheel steamer USS Saginaw
sailed from San Francisco Bay on 8 March 1860, headed for the western Pacific, and reached Shanghai, China, on 12 May. She then served in the East India Squadron, for the most part cruising along the Chinese coast to protect American citizens and to suppress pirates. She visited Japan in November but soon returned to Chinese waters. On 30 June 1861, she silenced a battery at the entrance to Qui Nhon Bay, Cochin China, which had fired upon her while she was searching for the missing boat and crew of American bark, Myrtle. On 3 January 1862, Saginaw was decommissioned at Hong Kong
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
while the Pacific Squadron
Pacific Squadron
The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval supplies and purchased food and obtained water from local...
concentrated on the western coasts of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and in the South Pacific Ocean. Part of the duties assigned to this squadron was serving with the Yangtze River Patrol in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The East India Squadron was established in 1835 and existed until it became part of the Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
in 1868.
Formation
US trade with the Far East was limited, but for those who risked long voyage to trade fur, sandalwood, and cotton goods for Chinese silks and tea, the results were very profitable. Indeed, stories about the riches of Far East created the national myth about the vast potential of the China market. In an effort of turn the myth into reality, the US sent the diplomatic envoy to China in 1835, with an escort of two warships; a sloop-of-warSloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
USS Peacock
USS Peacock (1813)
The first USS Peacock was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.Peacock was authorized by Act of Congress 3 March 1813, laid down 9 July 1813 by Adam & Noah Brown at the New York Navy Yard, and launched 19 September 1813. She served in the War of 1812, capturing twenty ships...
and a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (1831)
The fourth USS Enterprise was a United States Navy schooner.She was launched by the New York Navy Yard on 26 October 1831, and commissioned on 15 December 1831, Lieutenant S. W. Downing in command. Enterprise sailed on 12 January 1832 for South America where she patrolled the Brazil Station...
under command of Commodore Edmund P. Kennedy
Edmund P. Kennedy
Edmund P. Kennedy was an officer in the United States Navy and became the first commander-in-chief of the East India Squadron.-Early life:...
, thus established the East India Squadron.
First Opium War
Some Americans in China suffered during the first Opium War of 1839 as Chinese indignant about British opium traders failed to distinguish between English-speaking people of European ancestry. Commodore Kearny was given command of a squadron consisting of the 42-year old frigate ConstellationUSS Constellation (1797)
USS Constellation was a 38-gun frigate, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. She was distinguished as the first U.S. Navy vessel to put to sea and the first U.S. Navy vessel to engage and defeat an enemy vessel...
and the sloop Boston
USS Boston (1825)
The fourth USS Boston was an 18-gun sloop of war, launched on 15 October 1825 by the Boston Navy Yard and commissioned the following year, Master Commandant Beekman V. Hoffman in command....
. Kearny arrived in China in March 1842 and the Opium War soon ended. Kearny first learned of the Treaty of Nanking
Treaty of Nanking
The Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
when he arrived in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Kearny observed the treaty's provisions opening five Chinese ports to British trade, and sought equal trading opportunity for Americans. Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
offered Kearny a treaty giving Americans fair treatment. Kearny did not have authority to sign such a treaty, but tactfully informed Ke agreement would be forthcoming as soon as authorized negotiators arrived. Caleb Cushing
Caleb Cushing
Caleb Cushing was an American diplomat who served as a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts and Attorney General under President Franklin Pierce.-Early life:...
reached China in 1844, and the Treaty of Wanghia
Treaty of Wanghia
The Treaty of Wanghia , is a diplomatic agreement between the Qing Dynasty of China and the United States, signed on 3 July 1844 in the Kun Iam Temple...
was signed on 2 July.
Opening of Japan
In December 1845, Commodore James BiddleJames Biddle
James Biddle , of the Biddle family, brother of financier Nicholas Biddle and nephew of Captain Nicholas Biddle, was an American commodore. His flagship was USS Columbus.-Education and early career:...
exchanged ratifications of the Treaty of Wanghia
Treaty of Wanghia
The Treaty of Wanghia , is a diplomatic agreement between the Qing Dynasty of China and the United States, signed on 3 July 1844 in the Kun Iam Temple...
at Poon Tong (泮塘), a village outside Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. The treaty was the first treaty between China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and the United States.
On July 20, 1846, he anchored with the two warships USS Columbus
USS Columbus (1819)
The second USS Columbus was a 74-gun ship of the line in the United States Navy.-History:She was launched on 1 March 1819 by Washington Navy Yard and commissioned on 7 September 1819, Master Commandant J. H...
and USS Vincennes
USS Vincennes (1826)
USS Vincennes was a 703-ton Boston-class sloop of war in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1865. During her service, Vincennes patrolled the Pacific, explored the Antarctic, and blockaded the Confederate Gulf coast in the Civil War. Named for the Revolutionary War Battle of Vincennes, she was...
in Uraga Channel
Uraga Channel
The is a waterway connecting Tokyo Bay to the Sagami Gulf. It is an important channel for ships headed from Tokyo, Yokohama, and Chiba to the Pacific Ocean and beyond.-Geography:...
at the mouth to Edo Bay in an attempt to open up Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to trade with the United States, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Biddle delivered his request that Japan agree to a similar treaty to that which he had just negotiated with China. Biddle eventually received the shogunate's response and was told that Japan forbade all commerce and communication with foreign nations besides that of the Dutch; also, he was informed that all foreign affairs were conducted through Nagasaki and that his ships should leave Uraga immediately.
In 1852, Commodore Matthew C. Perry embarked from Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in command of a squadron in search of a Japanese trade treaty. Aboard a black-hulled steam frigate, he ported
Mississippi
USS Mississippi (1841)
USS Mississippi, a paddle frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to bear that name. She was named for the Mississippi River. Her sister ship was . Her keel was laid down by the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1839; built under the personal supervision of Commodore Matthew Perry. She was...
,
Plymouth
USS Plymouth (1844)
USS Plymouth was a sloop-of-war constructed and commissioned just prior to the Mexican-American War. She was heavily gunned, and traveled to Japan as part of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s effort to force Japan to open her ports to international trade...
,
Saratoga
USS Saratoga (1842)
USS Saratoga, a sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of Saratoga of the American Revolutionary War. Her keel was laid down in the summer of 1841 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard...
,
and
USS Susquehanna
USS Susquehanna (1847)
USS Susquehanna, a sidewheel steam frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for a river which rises in Lake Otsego in central New York and flows across Pennsylvania and the northeast corner of Maryland to empty into the Chesapeake Bay.Her keel was laid down by the New York...
at Uraga Harbor near Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(modern Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
) on July 8, 1853. His actions at this crucial juncture were informed by a careful study of Japan's previous contacts with Western ships and what could be known about the Japanese hierarchical culture. He was met by representatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
who told him to proceed to Nagasaki, where there was limited trade with the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and which was the only Japanese port open to foreigners at that time (see Sakoku
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
).
Perry returned in February 1854 with twice as many ships, finding that the delegates had prepared a treaty embodying virtually all the demands in Fillmore's letter. Perry signed the Convention of Kanagawa
Convention of Kanagawa
On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy and the Tokugawa shogunate.-Treaty of Peace and Amity :...
on March 31, 1854 and departed, mistakenly believing the agreement had been made with imperial
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
representatives. The agreement was made with the Shogun, the de facto ruler of Japan.
Johanna Expedition
The Johanna ExpeditionJohanna Expedition
The Johanna Expedition, or Anjouan Expedition, was a naval operation that occurred in August 1851 during the American anti-slavery patrols off Africa. The event was unrelated to slavery and began after the seizure of the merchant ship Maria and her captain at Johanna Island...
was a naval operation that occurred in August 1851 during the American anti-slavery patrols in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. It began in response the seizure of the merchant ship Maria and her captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
, a man named Moores, in the small Sultanate of Johanna. The United States Navy sent the sloop-of-war USSDale, under Captain William Pearson
William Pearson
William Pearson may refer to:* William Pearson , English astronomer who helped found the Royal Astronomical Society* Charles William Pearson , pioneer Anglican missionary in Uganda...
, to free Moores and to demand compensation for the incident. When the sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
refused, the Americans briefly bombarded a fort and blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
protecting the harbor of Matsamudu.
Anti-piracy operations
In July 1855, Chinese pirates in the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
area captured four merchant ships, apparently of British subject. In response on 4 August 1855, armed boats from the East India Squadron frigate USS Powhatan and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
sloop-of-war HMS Rattler
HMS Rattler
Eight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Rattler:*HMS Rattler was a 16-gun sloop launched in 1783 and sold in 1792.*HMS Rattler was a 16-gun sloop launched in 1795 and sold in 1815....
attacked the pirates at the Battle of Ty-ho Bay. HMS Eaglet
HMS Eaglet
Five ships and a training establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Eaglet:*HMS Eaglet was an 8-gun ketch built in 1655 and sold in 1674....
towed the boats into position which then proceeded to destroy twenty of thirty-six junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
s. Seven merchant ships were also rescued. An estimated 500 pirates were killed or wounded and over 1,000 taken prisoner compared the an allied loss of nine dead and about a dozen wounded.
Second Opium War
The United States would see action again during the Second Opium WarSecond Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
from 1856 to 1860. Four of the squadron's ships were involved in at least two battles. At the beginning of the war, the United States Navy frigate, USS San Jacinto
USS San Jacinto (1850)
The first USS San Jacinto was an early screw frigate in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century. She was named for the San Jacinto River, site of the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. She is perhaps best known for her role in the Trent Affair of 1861.San Jacinto was laid...
and two sloops-of-war, USS Portsmouth and USS Levant
USS Levant (1837)
The first USS Levant was a second-class sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.Levant was launched on 28 December 1837 by New York Navy Yard; and commissioned on 17 March 1838, with Commander Hiram Paulding in command....
, launched an attack against a series of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
forts along Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
. The engagement became known as the Battle of the Pearl River Forts
Battle of the Pearl River Forts
The Battle of the Pearl River Forts, or the Battle of the Barrier Forts, in late 1856, was an amphibious assault and short occupation conducted by the United States Navy against a series of forts along China's Pearl River...
and was fought in 1856. The second involvement of a East India Squadron ship was during the Second Battle of Taku Forts
Battle of Taku Forts (1859)
The Second Battle of Taku Forts, in June 1859, was an Anglo-French attack on a series of Chinese forts protecting Taku, China during the Second Opium War...
in 1859. The American warship, USS Powhatan
USS Powhatan
Six ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Powhatan or USNS Powhatan, named in honor of Powhatan , an Indian chief in tidewater Virginia; the father of Pocahontas....
, assisted an Anglo
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
attack by bombarding the Taku Forts
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
. No further engagements between Chinese and American forces during the war are known to have happened though American citizens living in Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
fought as militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
at the 1856 battle at Canton.
Bombardment of Qui Nhon
On June 30, 1861, USS SaginawUSS Saginaw (1859)
The first USS Saginaw was a sidewheel sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-History:The first vessel built by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Saginaw was laid down on 16 September 1858; launched as Toucey on 3 March 1859; sponsored by Miss Cunningham, daughter of the...
, under James F. Schenck
James F. Schenck
James Findlay Schenck was a rear admiral in the United States Navy who served in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, silenced a fort at the entrance to Qui Nhon Bay, Cochinchina
Cochinchina
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
. This was after a Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese artillery battery had fired upon her while she was searching for the missing boat and crew of an American merchant bark named Myrtle. After an engagement lasting just under an hour, the Chinese fort was destroyed and a large explosion was observed by the Americans. It became the only battle of the Cochinchina Campaign
Cochinchina Campaign
The Cochinchina campaign , fought between the French and the Spanish on the one side and the Vietnamese on the other, began as a limited punitive campaign and ended as a French war of conquest...
involving the United States which deployed the East India Squadron to protect American interests in the region.
Formosan Expedition
Following the Rover Incident of March 1867 in which the American bark Rover was wrecked and massacred by the Paiwan people of southern FormosaFormosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
; the East India Squadron under Rear Admiral Henry H. Bell
Henry H. Bell
Henry Haywood Bell was an admiral in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:Bell was born in Orange County, North Carolina. Appointed a Midshipman on 4 August 1823, during the next two decades he served afloat in U.S...
launched a punitive
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
expedition
Formosan Expedition
The Formosa Expedition, or the Taiwan Expedition of 1867 was a punitive expedition launched by the United States against Formosa. The expedition was undertaken in retaliation for the destruction of the Rover, an American bark which had been wrecked and massacred by native warriors in March 1867...
in retaliation. On June 18, 1867, 181 officers, sailors and marines from two screw sloops-of-war landed with the intention of destroying the hostile threat. After six hours of marching through the hot tropical Formosan mountains and after several skirmishes, the Americans turned back to their ships. The expedition failed after the death of an American commander and the loss of several men due to the humid climate. They boarded USS Wyoming
USS Wyoming (1859)
The first USS Wyoming of the United States Navy was a wooden-hulled screw sloop that fought on the Union side during the American Civil War. Sent to the Pacific Ocean to search for the CSS Alabama, Wyoming eventually came upon the shores of Japan and engaged Japanese land and sea forces...
and USS Hartford
USS Hartford (1858)
USS Hartford, a sloop-of-war, was the first ship of the United States Navy named for Hartford, the capital of Connecticut.Hartford was launched 22 November 1858 at the Boston Navy Yard; sponsored by Miss Carrie Downes, Miss Lizzie Stringham, and Lieutenant G. J. H...
and then set sail for Shanghai. A year later the squadron was merged into the new Asiatic Squadron.
Ships
USS Powhatan, under CommanderCommander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
William J. McCluney, was assigned to the East India Squadron and arrived on station via Cape of Good Hope 15 June 1853. Her arrival in Chinese waters coincided with an important phase of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s
Matthew Perry (naval officer)
Matthew Calbraith Perry was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy and served commanding a number of US naval ships. He served several wars, most notably in the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854...
negotiations for commercial relations with the Japanese and the opening of two ports. She was Perry’s flagship during his November visit to Whampoa. On 14 February 1854 she entered Yedo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
with the rest of the squadron and the Treaty of Kanagawa
Convention of Kanagawa
On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy and the Tokugawa shogunate.-Treaty of Peace and Amity :...
was signed on her deck on 31 March 1854.
Assigned to the East India Squadron under Commodore Matthew Perry, the USS Macedonian
USS Macedonian (1836)
The second USS Macedonian, was a three-masted, wooden-hulled sailing frigate bearing 36-guns of the US Navy and was rebuilt from the keel of the first at Gosport Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, beginning in 1832; and was launched and placed in service in 1836, Capt...
with Capt. Joel Abbot
Joel Abbot
Joel Abbot was a U.S. naval officer who served notably in the War of 1812, and commanded a squadron during Commodore Perry's 1852 visit to Japan.-Biography:...
in command, was one of the six American ships arrayed off Uraga, Japan, 13 February 1854 during Perry's second visit to negotiate the opening of Japan to foreign trade.
After completing her trials, which she began in January 1851, the side-wheel steamer USS Susquehanna
USS Susquehanna (1847)
USS Susquehanna, a sidewheel steam frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for a river which rises in Lake Otsego in central New York and flows across Pennsylvania and the northeast corner of Maryland to empty into the Chesapeake Bay.Her keel was laid down by the New York...
sailed on 8 June for the Far East to become flagship of the East India Squadron.
The USS Dolphin
USS Dolphin (1836)
The third USS Dolphin was a brig in the United States Navy. Her plans were the basis of other brigs of that time. She was named for the aquatic mammal....
got underway 6 May 1848 to join the East India Squadron, protecting American citizens in Asiatic waters.
Recommissioned on 12 August 1850, USS Saratoga
USS Saratoga (1842)
USS Saratoga, a sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of Saratoga of the American Revolutionary War. Her keel was laid down in the summer of 1841 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard...
got underway on 15 September and proceeded to the western Pacific for service in the East India Squadron.
USS Levant
USS Levant (1837)
The first USS Levant was a second-class sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.Levant was launched on 28 December 1837 by New York Navy Yard; and commissioned on 17 March 1838, with Commander Hiram Paulding in command....
sailed 13 November for Rio de Janeiro, the Cape of Good Hope, and Hong Kong, where she arrived to join the East India Squadron 12 May 1856. On 1 July she embarked the U.S. Commissioner to China for transportation to Shanghai, arriving 1 August.
Departing Norfolk 4 August, the USS Germantown
USS Germantown (1846)
USS Germantown was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy.Germantown was launched at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 22 August 1846; sponsored by Miss Lavinia Fanning Watson; because of damaging ice, transferred 18 December to Norfolk Navy Yard for fitting out; and commissioned 9 March 1847,...
sailed via the Cape of Good Hope to Ceylon, where on 22 December she joined Flag Officer Josiah Tattnall's East India Squadron off Point de Gala. For 2 years she cruised Far Eastern waters and visited the principal ports of China and Japan, where she found "uniform friendly reception" as the squadron guarded American interests in the Orient. Sailing via the Cape of Good Hope, she returned to Norfolk in April 1860
After a four-day stop at Singapore, where Commodore Armstrong relieved Commodore Joel Abbot in command of the East India Squadron, the frigate USS San Jacinto
USS San Jacinto (1850)
The first USS San Jacinto was an early screw frigate in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century. She was named for the San Jacinto River, site of the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. She is perhaps best known for her role in the Trent Affair of 1861.San Jacinto was laid...
reached the bar off the mouth of the Me Nam (later the Chao Phraya) River.
The new side-wheel steamer USS Saginaw
USS Saginaw (1859)
The first USS Saginaw was a sidewheel sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-History:The first vessel built by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Saginaw was laid down on 16 September 1858; launched as Toucey on 3 March 1859; sponsored by Miss Cunningham, daughter of the...
sailed from San Francisco Bay on 8 March 1860, headed for the western Pacific, and reached Shanghai, China, on 12 May. She then served in the East India Squadron, for the most part cruising along the Chinese coast to protect American citizens and to suppress pirates. She visited Japan in November but soon returned to Chinese waters. On 30 June 1861, she silenced a battery at the entrance to Qui Nhon Bay, Cochin China, which had fired upon her while she was searching for the missing boat and crew of American bark, Myrtle. On 3 January 1862, Saginaw was decommissioned at Hong Kong
Commanders
Successive Commanders-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet were as follows.- Edmund P. KennedyEdmund P. KennedyEdmund P. Kennedy was an officer in the United States Navy and became the first commander-in-chief of the East India Squadron.-Early life:...
, 3 March 1835 - 10 October 1837 - George C. ReadGeorge C. ReadGeorge Campbell Read was a United States Naval Officer who served on Old Ironsides during the War of 1812 and commanded vessels in actions off the Barbary Coast and India. Read eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral....
, 14 December 1837 - 13 June 1840 - Lawrence KearnyLawrence KearnyCommodore Lawrence Kearny was an officer in the United States Navy during the early nineteenth century. In the early 1840s he began negotiations with China which opened that country to U.S. trade and pointed the way toward the American Open Door Policy a half century later...
, 4 February 1841 - 27 February 1843 - Foxhall A. Parker, Sr.Foxhall A. Parker, Sr.Foxhall Alexander Parker, Sr. was an officer in the United States Navy.- Biography :Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Parker joined the Navy as a midshipman on January 1, 1808. During the War of 1812 he was captured at sea...
, 27 February 1843 - 21 April 1845 - James BiddleJames BiddleJames Biddle , of the Biddle family, brother of financier Nicholas Biddle and nephew of Captain Nicholas Biddle, was an American commodore. His flagship was USS Columbus.-Education and early career:...
, 21 April 1845 - 6 March 1848 - William ShubrickWilliam ShubrickWilliam Branford Shubrick was an officer in the United States Navy. His active-duty career extended from 1806 to 1861, including service in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War; he retired in the early months of the Civil War.-Biography:Born at "Belvedere," Bull's Island, South Carolina,...
, 6 March 1848 - 13 May 1848 - David GeisingerDavid GeisingerDavid Geisinger was an officer of the United States Navy, who served during the War of 1812, and was later Commodore of the East India Squadron.-Biography:...
, 13 May 1848 - 1 February 1850 - Philip VoorheesPhilip VoorheesPhilip Falkerson Voorhees was an officer in the United States Navy, who served during the War of 1812, and later commanded the East India Squadron.-Biography:...
, 1 February 1850 - 30 January 1851 - John H. AulickJohn H. AulickJohn H. Aulick was an officer in the United States Navy whose service extended from the War of 1812 to the end of the antebellum era....
, 31 May 1851 - 20 November 1852 - Matthew C. Perry, 20 November 1852 - 6 September 1854
- Joel AbbotJoel AbbotJoel Abbot was a U.S. naval officer who served notably in the War of 1812, and commanded a squadron during Commodore Perry's 1852 visit to Japan.-Biography:...
, 6 September 1854 - 15 October 1855 - James ArmstrongJames Armstrong (Commodore)Commodore James Armstrong was an officer in the United States Navy.Armstrong joined the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1809 and served on the sloop-of-war Frolic when it was seized by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812...
, 15 October 1855 - 29 January 1858 - Josiah TattnallJosiah TattnallCommodore Josiah Tattnall, Jr. was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War, and the Mexican-American War. He later served in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War....
, 29 January 1858 - 20 November 1859 - Cornelius StriblingCornelius StriblingCornelius Kinchiloe Stribling was an rear admiral in the United States Navy who served during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War, the Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, 20 November 1859 - 23 July 1861 - Frederick K. EngleFrederick K. EngleFrederick K. Engle was a rear admiral of the United States Navy.-Early life and career:Engle was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He entered the navy as a midshipman on November 30, 1814, and became lieutenant on January 13, 1825...
, 23 July 1861 - 23 September 1862 - Cicero Price, 23 September 1862 - 11 August 1865
- Henry H. BellHenry H. BellHenry Haywood Bell was an admiral in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:Bell was born in Orange County, North Carolina. Appointed a Midshipman on 4 August 1823, during the next two decades he served afloat in U.S...
, 11 August 1865 - 11 January 1868
Served in squadron
Also serving in the squadron at one time were:- Thomas O. SelfridgeThomas O. SelfridgeRear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge was an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War and was the father of Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr....
- John PopeJohn Pope (naval officer)John Pope was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:Born in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Pope was appointed midshipman from Maine 30 May 1816...
- Edward TerryEdward TerryEdward A. Terry was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Following the war, he served several tours of duty at the United States Naval Academy, including a tour in the 1870s as Commandant of Cadets.-Early life and career:Born at Hartford, Connecticut, Terry was...
served in the sloop Germantown, attached to the East India Squadron, from 1857 to 1859. - William M. Wood served as fleet surgeon with the East India Squadron from 1856 to 1858
- Montgomery SicardMontgomery SicardRear Admiral Montgomery Sicard was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
- James GlynnJames GlynnJames Glynn was a U.S. Navy officer who in 1848 distinguished himself by being the first American to negotiate successfully with the Japanese during the "Closed Country" period....
- Andrew Hull FooteAndrew Hull FooteAndrew Hull Foote was an American naval officer who was noted for his service in the American Civil War and also for his contributions to several naval reforms in the years prior to the war. When the war came, he was appointed to command of the Western Gunboat Flotilla, predecessor of the...
commanded USS Portsmouth on November 20–21, 1856. Foote led a landing party that seized the barrier forts at Canton, China, in reprisal for attacks on American ships.