Formosan Expedition
Encyclopedia
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 warrior
s in March 1867. A United States Navy
and marine company
landed in southern Formosa and skirmished with the Paiwan aboriginals until the Americans withdrew without completing their objective of decisively defeating the natives in battle. The event is regarded as a failure in United States Naval history.
On 12 March 1867, the United States merchantman
Rover was sailing off Oluanpi, Formosa
when she wrecked on uncharted reef and began drifting out to sea. Her crew of over two dozen safely made it ashore but were attacked and killed by the Paiwanans. The Royal Navy
ship discovered the fate of the Rover and informed the American East India Station
. Squadron commander Rear Admiral
Henry H. Bell
ordered Commander
John C. Febiger
in the newly commissioned gunboat
to proceed from Foochow to the island for an investigation of the incident.
Upon arrival Qing
authorities assured Commander Febiger that the attack was carried out by warriors of a village that did not practice respect of the nation's laws. With this information, the Ashuelot returned and notified Rear Admiral Bell. At this point diplomatic pressure proved a failure so as was typical of the time; a punitive expedition was decided on. Bell, with the screw
sloop-of-war
and his flagship
left Shanghai
in June for southern Formosa.
of Hartford and secondly by Lieutenant Commander
Alexander Slidell MacKenzie
. When on land the company was broken up into two forces, Belknap commanded one of the forces and Mackenzie the other. The marines were directed by Captain James Forney
, twenty of whom were deployed as skirmishers in the front of the columns. Their objective was to defeat the aboriginals decisively and to capture their village. Formosa is a tropical island, very hot and humid in the summer, with mountainous jungle on the east and plains in the west. This made the march through the jungle difficult for the Americans who wore heavy uniforms designed for keeping men warm at sea.
After marching for nearly an hour, the Formosans attacked with musket
s from concealed positions on top of a hill directly in front of the American columns. Though difficult to see, the United States expedition later reported that the Formosan warriors wore colorful face paint and were armed with spears and some firearms. Lieutenant MacKenzie's force engaged first by immediately charging the Formosan ambush but the natives fled before the Americans had time to climb the hill. The expedition continued further and was ambushed again so once more the Americans charged and captured the position but without inflicting losses on the enemy. As the expedition continued on to the village, the Formosans ambushed the Americans several times but did not actually hit them.
It was not until the last action that the first and only American casualty was sustained, the warriors fired a volley and a musket ball hit Lieutenant Mackenzie, mortally wounding him. After the volley the Formosans retreated again but the Americans chose not to pursue. By this time, after six hours of marching, several men had either grown delirious or passed out from the heat so the expedition returned to the ship.
Charles William Le Gendre
persuaded Governor General Liu of Foochow to send his own expedition to Formosa. He also requested that Rear Admiral Bell send a gunboat in support of the operation but this was denied. Le Gendre took command of the Chinese troops and left Foochow for southern Formosa on July 25, 1867. The expedition was peaceful and after landing and marching to the tribal capital, Le Gendre negotiated a treaty with Chief
Tauketok. The treaty was meant to assure the safe conduct of shipwrecked sailors throughout the Paiwanan chiefdom.
Attacks on wrecked merchant ships by Formosan natives did however continue. One incident
resulted in the Taiwan Expedition of 1874
in which the Japan
ese military campaigned against the Paiwanans. This after fifty-four Ryūkyūan and Japanese sailors were captured and beheaded at the southeastern tip of Formosa. The Japanese succeeded in engaging the Paiwanan warriors in battle and received compensation from the Qing government for the massacre. From late 1867 to early 1868, Bell was appointed commander of the new Asiatic Squadron
and while supporting the Opening of Japan, he anchored off Osaka
to increase pressure on the Japanese government to open Hyogo on January 1, 1868 as previously scheduled. Ten days later on January 11, 1868, while paddling to shore, Bell's boat capsized and all but three of the occupants were killed, including the Rear Admiral.
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...
launched by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
against Formosa
Formosa
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 expedition was undertaken in retaliation for the destruction of the Rover, an American bark
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
which had been wrecked and massacred by native warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s in March 1867. A United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and marine company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
landed in southern Formosa and skirmished with the Paiwan aboriginals until the Americans withdrew without completing their objective of decisively defeating the natives in battle. The event is regarded as a failure in United States Naval history.
Background
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
Rover was sailing off Oluanpi, Formosa
Formosa
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...
when she wrecked on uncharted reef and began drifting out to sea. Her crew of over two dozen safely made it ashore but were attacked and killed by the Paiwanans. 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...
ship discovered the fate of the Rover and informed the American East India Station
East India Squadron
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...
. Squadron commander Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
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...
ordered Commander
Commander
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...
John C. Febiger
John Carson Febiger
John Carson Febiger was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who served with distinction in the Union Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
in the newly commissioned gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
to proceed from Foochow to the island for an investigation of the incident.
Upon arrival Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
authorities assured Commander Febiger that the attack was carried out by warriors of a village that did not practice respect of the nation's laws. With this information, the Ashuelot returned and notified Rear Admiral Bell. At this point diplomatic pressure proved a failure so as was typical of the time; a punitive expedition was decided on. Bell, with the screw
Screw sloop
A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. In the 19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine, ships driven by propellers were differentiated from those driven by paddle-wheels by referring to the ship's screws...
sloop-of-war
Sloop-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...
and his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
left Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in June for southern Formosa.
Expedition
The passing from Shanghai to Formosa was uneventful, the two Americans warships arrived off the southeastern coast on June 13, 1867. The sloops anchored a half-mile off the shore and made preparations for landing. A total of 181 officers, sailors and marines were landed by boat, they were commanded by Commander George E. BelknapGeorge Belknap
Rear Admiral George Eugene Belknap was an officer in the United States Navy. USS Belknap was named for him....
of Hartford and secondly by Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Alexander Slidell MacKenzie
Alexander Slidell Mackenzie
Alexander Slidell Mackenzie Born in New York City, Mackenzie was a U.S. Navy officer who served during the first half of the 19th century. He was an accomplished author and writer who wrote several contemporary essays and biographies of notable US naval figures of the early 19th century. He was...
. When on land the company was broken up into two forces, Belknap commanded one of the forces and Mackenzie the other. The marines were directed by Captain James Forney
James Forney
James Forney was an American officer serving in the United States Marine Corps during the American Civil War. He was approved to receive the Marine Corps Brevet Medal for bravery but died before it could be presented.-Biography:...
, twenty of whom were deployed as skirmishers in the front of the columns. Their objective was to defeat the aboriginals decisively and to capture their village. Formosa is a tropical island, very hot and humid in the summer, with mountainous jungle on the east and plains in the west. This made the march through the jungle difficult for the Americans who wore heavy uniforms designed for keeping men warm at sea.
After marching for nearly an hour, the Formosans attacked with musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s from concealed positions on top of a hill directly in front of the American columns. Though difficult to see, the United States expedition later reported that the Formosan warriors wore colorful face paint and were armed with spears and some firearms. Lieutenant MacKenzie's force engaged first by immediately charging the Formosan ambush but the natives fled before the Americans had time to climb the hill. The expedition continued further and was ambushed again so once more the Americans charged and captured the position but without inflicting losses on the enemy. As the expedition continued on to the village, the Formosans ambushed the Americans several times but did not actually hit them.
It was not until the last action that the first and only American casualty was sustained, the warriors fired a volley and a musket ball hit Lieutenant Mackenzie, mortally wounding him. After the volley the Formosans retreated again but the Americans chose not to pursue. By this time, after six hours of marching, several men had either grown delirious or passed out from the heat so the expedition returned to the ship.
Aftermath
When they arrived back at shore the sailors and marines boarded their ships and then sailed back to China having failed to complete their objectives. Formosan casualties were minimal if any, no bodies were found by the Americans. After the first expedition returned to the China mainland, American diplomatDiplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
Charles William Le Gendre
Charles Le Gendre
Charles William Joseph Émile Le Gendre was a French-born American general and diplomat, who served as advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan from 1872 to 1875 and as advisor to Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire from 1890 to 1899.-Early life:Le Gendre was born in...
persuaded Governor General Liu of Foochow to send his own expedition to Formosa. He also requested that Rear Admiral Bell send a gunboat in support of the operation but this was denied. Le Gendre took command of the Chinese troops and left Foochow for southern Formosa on July 25, 1867. The expedition was peaceful and after landing and marching to the tribal capital, Le Gendre negotiated a treaty with Chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
Tauketok. The treaty was meant to assure the safe conduct of shipwrecked sailors throughout the Paiwanan chiefdom.
Attacks on wrecked merchant ships by Formosan natives did however continue. One incident
Mudan Incident of 1871
Mudan Incident of 1871 was the massacre of fifty-four Ryukyuan sailors in Taiwan who wandered into the central part of Taiwan after their ship was shipwrecked. 12 men were rescued by Han Chinese and were transferred to Miyako...
resulted in the Taiwan Expedition of 1874
Taiwan Expedition of 1874
The , usually referred to in Taiwan and mainland China as the Mudan incident , was a punitive expedition launched by the Japanese in retaliation for the murder of 54 Ryukyuan sailors by Paiwan aborigines near the southwestern tip of Taiwan in December 1871...
in which the 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...
ese military campaigned against the Paiwanans. This after fifty-four Ryūkyūan and Japanese sailors were captured and beheaded at the southeastern tip of Formosa. The Japanese succeeded in engaging the Paiwanan warriors in battle and received compensation from the Qing government for the massacre. From late 1867 to early 1868, Bell was appointed commander of the new 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...
and while supporting the Opening of Japan, he anchored off Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
to increase pressure on the Japanese government to open Hyogo on January 1, 1868 as previously scheduled. Ten days later on January 11, 1868, while paddling to shore, Bell's boat capsized and all but three of the occupants were killed, including the Rear Admiral.