2007NavalHistorySymposium

8/14/2019 2007NavalHistorySymposium

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Exchanging FavorsEncounters between American Gunboat Patrols and Scientists

Studying the Natural History of China in the 1920s

by Vincent L. Morgan

The Granger Papers Project

2007 Naval History Symposium, 20-22 September, Annapolis, MD


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r. - two coolies in museum

uniform.

m. - Chow (No. 1), Kan aka.

Buckshot (collector), Chih

(taxidermist), Huei (cook).

f. - Walter Granger (leader),

James V. Wong (assistant &

interpreter).

Main party of the CAEs 1922-1923 Sichuan Expedition at front steps

of the Tan family ancestral temple.


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Pleistocene epoch: The period from about 2,000,000 years ago to about 11,500 years ago and

covers the worlds most recent period of repeated glaciations. It is associated with the Ice Age, a

period of lower temperatures,resulting in an expansion of ice sheets and glaciers.

Fauna: Both marine and continental faunas were essentially modern. Severe climatic changes

during the Ice Age had major impacts on the fauna and flora. The positions of the continents wasessentially as it is today. With each advance of ice, large areas of continents became totally

depopulated. Plants and animals retreating southward in front of advancing glaciers faced

tremendous stress from drastic climatic changes, reduced living space, and curtailed food supply.

A major extinction of large mammals (megafauna), which included the mammoth, mastodon,

saber-toothed cat, glyptodon, ground sloth, and short-faced bear, began in the Pleistocene.

Humans: Humans evolved into their present form during the Pleistocene. Neanderthals became

extinct during this period, as did early human ancestors.

Stegodonorientalis(Proboscidea)

Megataprius augustus

(Tapir)


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Late February-Early March, 1923: General Chang Chung and his army

control Wanhsien and the district. But General Yang Sheng, with support

from warlord Wu Pei Fu, is on the march to drive Chang Chung out. As

he perceives signs of battle looming about him, Granger sends Anna into

Wanhsien for safety. Shortly after, Chang Chung sends his wife out of the

city. Granger, who is carrying a huchao issued by Chang Chung, musesonly that this is not a good sign for the general. Granger begins closely

following events in the city via coolie-couriered notes from Anna and

British customs agent Mr. F.D. Arnott. All expedition coolies are wearing

museum uniforms to protect them from instant drafting by either army.


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March 8, 1923: General Yang Sheng

takes Wanhsien quickly and constructs a

bridge of boats across the Yangtze to bring

the remainder of his army over, but also to

retreat quickly, if necessary. This blocks all

river traffic. There is a brief standoffbetween Sheng and river users, such as the

FNS Doudart de la Gree.

March 19, 1923: With a new huchao in

hand and a promise that the bridge will be

opened for a few hours each day, Grangerbreaks camp and heads for Wanhsien.


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HMS Widgeon

USS Palos (II)

HMS Teal

Palos and Teal are the

two western gunboats

Granger notes in

Wanhsien harbor when he

arrives. Arnott is now

staying aboard the Teal.

The Widgeon was another

gunboat that had assistedGranger.


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March 20, 1923

Grangers junk is brought through the bridge of boats into Wanhsienharbor and moored near theMeifoo at the Standard Oil Company

facility, (TheMeifoo was a company vessel that had been seized by Chinese troops in1922 and then re-taken by U.S. sailors and marines (see Patrick H. Roth (Captain, U.S.

Navy, Ret.)).

Granger and Palos Commander George W. Sampson then join fortiffin aboard theMeifoo. Grangers plan is to re-pack his specimens

and equipment aboard the junk and depart downriver for Ichang asap.

Simpson [o]ffers Palos as escort to Pan Tou, Granger writes that

night.


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March 22, 1923

The Palos swings by the SOC facility at 8 A.M. and the two parties setoff downriver for Pan Tou. Anna is now aboard the Palos. The

vessels moor at Pan Tou for an afternoon of R&R and an overnight.

Tiffin and dinner are aboard the Palos.

The Grangers have coffee aboard the Palos early the next morning.Grangers junk then departs downriver at 7 A.M. with two sailors from

the Palos aboard.

They are P.N. McRoberts, Seaman 2nd Class, and Burt Crabtree,

Fireman 3rd Class. Automatic pistols from the Palos are provided for

the sailors use, if needed. Granger and his men are also well-armed

with a variety of weapons.

The Palos returns to Wanhsien.


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l. - One Palos sailor, with James V.

Wong.

b. - The other Palos sailor on

Grangers junk, in white shirt.


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March 24, 1923

In the course of the trip, an anxious Chinese soldier in uniform andwishing to go to Ichang is allowed to come aboard the junk.

It is one oclock P.M. Grangers junk is passing through Wushan

gorge and is near the village of Pei Shih. All aboard have just finished

tiffin when a shot rings out from the bank. It is intended for the junks

steersman, but misses. Forty to fifty rounds are immediately returnedfrom the junk while perhaps two more shots are fired from the bank.

The Chinese soldier takes off his uniform and hides in the cabin with

Anna and Chow.

The shooting stops and the junk continues downriver.


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Quiros was a 350-ton gunboat built for the Spanish Navy at Hong Kong in 1895. Captured at

Manila in 1898 by the U.S. Navy, she was re-commissioned in March 1900. Her next decade was

spent in the Philippines. In 1911, Quiros was sent to Chinese waters and spent the remainder of

service there. She was decommissioned at Shanghai in August 1923 and sunk as a target thefollowing October. (1900-1923, later PG-40) Source:http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-q/pg40.htm

USS Quiros

March 27, 1923Ichang: [A]t about 11:30 A.M., Walter boarded the

Quiros with the two sailors to substantiate their

reasons for the loss of some of their cartridges. Thecaptain, Mr. McLaren, invited us to [stay for lunch].


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End of Story?

What were the bad conduct charges?

Did either sailor provide an account of this incident?

Did Captain Sampson have a potential or actual morale issue while the two sailors

remained on board?

Were they required or entitled to be removed from combat immediately upon

discharge?

Was their consent required before they were put aboard Grangers junk?

What was their status while in transit with Granger and his party?

What was Grangers viz the sailors?

What were among Grangers options in case serious trouble with the sailors arose? And, speaking of Uniforms & Science/Flags & Formations, was the CAE quasi-

military?

Material for interdisciplinary inquiry?


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CAE, 1928 (Mongolia Division) - British

military topographer, Captain W.P.T. Hill.


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Lieutenant Wyman (l.) with RoyAndrews

(r.), Inner Mongolia, 1930.

(WG and the camel series.)


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Central Asiatic Expeditions, 1921-1930

China Division, 1921-1927 - Walter Granger (Anna),Clifford H. Pope and Nels C. Nelson (Ethelyn). Also anumber of Chinese assistants.

Mongolia Division, 1922-1930 - Roy C. Andrews, WalterGranger, a variety of parties, and a number of Chinese andMongol assistants. Only Granger and Buckshot served

both divisions throughout. Working premise: the work of the China division

presented far greater danger, but fewer and far lessspectacular fossils. The work in Mongolia, on the otherhand, presented very little danger. On both, the men

carried a variety of arms. Awkward juxtaposition: a) how does someone like

Andrews, who owns the rights but not the experiences, tellthat story; and b) what becomes of Walter Grangersexpedition diaries, the only firsthand account of the CAE?(a la Fayum, 1907, and history of.)

3 1/2 l


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Annas entry regarding news of the Wanhsien incident as reported

in a Hongkong newspaper; "It seems that Gen. Yang Sheng

thought he could commandeer a couple of British steamers to carry

come of his troops in. The British boarded the seized steamers and

later bombarded the town. It also states that three China Inland

Mission people are being held as hostages of Yang Sheng." AG-d-

9/30/26.

3 1/2 years later

End

Documents

2007NavalHistorySymposium