Red City - the Mutinies of Semarang

Semarang in Indonesia is now known locally as the Red City, after it´s Communist links. It was where Dutch immigrants started the local Communist party in 1920, and promptly started fighting with the Socialists. The city has had a troubled history.

The African mutiny, 1840

Local (left) and African soldiers in the KNIL

The Dutch in the 1830s faced a problem. They had a burgeoning empire in the East Indies, but it had to be policed. There were good local soldiers available, for instance the Amboinese, but there had already been one Javanese revolt in 1829 and arming more locals did not seem a good idea. Equally there were few Dutch willing to volunteer, and it was illegal to send Dutch conscripts to the East. The solution was to recruit African soldiers, who it was presumed would cope better with the climate, and have little reason to align themselves with the local population. To further ensure their loyalty, they were promised "European" status in terms of pay and conditions.
The original idea was to recruit Ashanti warriors, who had a superb reputation. Unfortunately, the Ashanti saw little point in volunteering for 15 years service in a distant land when they had a good thing going at home. But they were amenable to selling some of their slaves to the Dutch. These slaves were then technically "freed" (important to prevent interference from Royal Navy anti-slavery patrols on the West African coast) and the fee regarded as an advance on their pay. Over 2,000 were shipped to join the Dutch East Indies Army, the KLIN.

Now, the "European" status might have been seen as a bureaucratic slight of hand in the Hague, but it was taken very seriously by the Africans. On the other hand, to the Dutch officers in Batavia, they were unaccustomed to any European ways let alone military training, and of course hardly any spoke Dutch, or even the same African languages. By 1838 there were reports of disturbances throughout the army, Dutch officers reported that the Africans were "'choleric, quick-tempered and extremely insolent" and recommended only one African company per battalion, although "during military expeditions they demonstrated bravery and fearlessness, even more so than the Europeans. In combat their ardour needed to be tempered, otherwise they ignored the orders of their officers". Importantly, "it was repeatedly emphasised that the Africans looked down on the native population."

In December 1840 the military tribunal in Semarang tried a case of mutiny. This wasn´t the first incidence of trouble, but it was the first to go to court. In the garrison town of Kedong Kebo in central Java the 4th Infantry battalion had mutinied, or rather the 3rd, 4th and 5th African companies did. The cause was not a general sense of "anti-colonialism", but a feeling that they were losing their status as "Europeans" and being treated like "natives". Actually, a justified grievance as their bedding had been removed and their pay down graded. On 16th April the 3rd and 5th companies disobeyed their officers and stormed into the kitchens, from where they returned armed with wooden sticks. With the 4th company they then went for the arsenal "shouting rebellious slogans", but the commander had had prior warning, and filled it with European troops. The mutineers were dispersed and fled into the bush, followed by armed patrols. With little local support they were soon captured, and the ring leaders sentenced to 25 lashes and 2 years in prison, the rest to 14 days in prison. In 1841 there was another revolt on Sumatra that left 2 Africans dead, and in December 1841 recruitment in West Africa was stopped altogether

The use of African soldiers in the KNIL is discussed in more detail in "African mutinies in the Netherlands East Indies" (2003) by Ineke van Kessel, available by open access on the web

The Swiss mutiny, 1860

Lt Romswinckel

By 1860 Semarang was a major commercial centre, with about 30,000 people employed in import and export businesses, and a trade of 30 million guilders per year. The European population was 2nd only to Batavia. Nonetheless the KLIN still had the same manpower problem, and now they turned to the Swiss. The most famous mercenaries in Europe, surely this couldn´t go wrong? In Semarang it did. The "numerous" Swiss garrison revolted and terrified the merchants of the city with the prospect of "murder and looting". Fortunately for them a Dutch officer, Lt Joost Hendrik Romswinckel was on hand. He had already seen service in Boni, where he won the Military Order of William, and he had a reputation for calmness under fire. In one case he had hidden a leg wound from his native troops and only attended to it later in secret. This calmness served him well again, with a "handful" of loyal troops he faced down the mutineers and reestablished order. The city awarded him a jewelled sword in gratitude.

The Japanese mutiny, 1945

Japanese troops in Semarang, 1942

Like the rest of Java, Semarang was occupied by the Japanese in WW2. When they surrendered this left a vacuum which Indonesian nationalists immediately filled, declaring Independence on 17th August 1945. Unfortunately, in effect, this meant a complete breakdown in law and order, with murder and looting rife. Although the 5,000 Dutch in Semarang were worried, the 40,000 Chinese were terrified - they had suffered particularly under the Japanese and now were targeted by the Indonesians.

By this time British and Dutch troops had reestablished control in Batavia, but the Indian troops in Semarang were struggling. They had successfully evacuated many POWs, but power and water had been cut off and thousands of British, Dutch and Eurasians were forced into internment camps. There was another source of troops however. The Japanese battalion in Semerang under Major Kido had been confined to barracks since the surrender, though they had occasionally been used under strict Indian control to maintain order. Now Kido took matters into his own hands. In the early hours of October 15th the Japanese left their barracks, without permission, and moved into the city. They cleared the immediate area and then secured the internment camps. Next day, under heavy machine gun and sniper fire, they stormed the town jail, finding the bodies of 85 murdered Japanese, but rescuing another 50, and over 300 Europeans due to be executed the next day.

More Indian and British troops arrived, especially the 10th Gurkha Rifles and 5th Parachute brigade and the city came back under control. Electricity and water were reestablished, and in 1946 the city was handed back to Dutch troops. Kido's "mutiny" was soon over, but it saved a lot of lives, as Captain D.B. Friend, of the Gurkhas reported - 'There is little doubt that the internees at Semarang owed their lives to Kido and his men, for it was they who prevented the Indonesians from capturing the camps and massacring the inmates before the arrival of British troops'

The most famous mutiny of all

The mutiny

Ok, the Mutiny on the Bounty didn't start in Semarang, but Bligh and his companions did pass through on their way home, on Thursday September 24th 1789. As well as remarking that "the Custom among the dutch is to go to Sleep immediately after Dinner their time of Dining being precisely at Noon", he left this description...

"In the Morning Mr. de Bose did me the favour to show me the environs of this place . Its situation is pleasant, with fine Roads like Bowling Greens, for the Country except far back is level without any rising Grounds and is well Watered. The generality of the Houses are not well calculated for the Country but none of the superior ones particularly this of Mr. de Bose are Airy and built with Taste. The Chinese Town is apart from the Europeans, and so are the industrious people. The Markets are Large and supplied with great abundance of Legumes and Fruit and every article of Food is to be got at a very cheap rate.

But what does great honor to the Europeans here is a publick Hospital under the direction of Mr. Johannes Jacobus Abegg who is first Surgeon. Perhaps a more Airy, or a Situation more desirable for a Sick Man cannot be found, or is it possible for more cleanliness to be observed in any place whatever.

Here's also a public School supported by contributions and some other Helps from such Scholars as are able to pay for their education.The Mathematical Sciences are regularly and well taught and every young person may be properly educated to form a Complete Sea Officer. The Head Master Mr. Stainmitz is possessed of a few necessary Instruments but he wants a little practical knowledge of the use of them and of the manner of making Observations.

The Town is fortified and surrounded by a Wall & Ditch, on the whole perhaps they can mount 80 peices of Cannon. The Troupes are Commanded by a Colonel and their number may amount to 300 effective Europeans. Among those Officers who have honord me with a Visit was a Mr. C. C. Van Arnschild an Hanovarian Officer now in the Company Service whose Father is a General in Hanover".

The Dutch East Indies

In the mid 19th century the islands that we now know as Indonesia were the Dutch East Indies. Well, most of it. Some parts such as Batavia (modern Jakata) had been Dutch since the 1600s, other Sultanates and kingdoms were only acquired during the late 19th century, such as the Sultanate of Aceh, whose conquest took from 1873 to 1913, and the Balinese kingdoms in 1906 and 1908.

The Cities

Batavia (modern Jakarta)

Batavia Bay

Bataivia had been Dutch for centuries and was the administrative capital. Situated on the island of Java, it was where most technological developments tended to be introduced, such as horse trams and railways.

Buitenzorg (Bogor)
About 60kn from Batavia, and Dutch since 1694, it was the summer residence of the Governor General. The city was famous for it's botanical garden, which rather like an eastern Kew, was designed to both to increase knowledge of plants and to encourage agricultural development in the colony.

A Dutch sugar factory 1851

Soerabaia (Surabaya)
On the north coast of Java, and site of the main naval base due to a safe deep water harbour. In 1868*** the population was about 100,000 and the port included shipyards, docks, construction and retail warehouses. Soerabaia was defended by Fort Erfprins,on the seaward side and Fort Prins Hendrik on the landward side, with a substantial garrison. The Resident lived outside the city in the more congenial Simpang.

Bandung
Located 2,500 ft above sea level and surrounded by mountains, Bandung has a cooler climate than most of Java and was the centre of the tea industry, as well as the growth of cinchona plants, introduced for quinine production.

Makassar
Main port on the island of Celebes (Sulawesi) . Much of the island was under local rulers at this time, but Makassar was Dutch, protected by Fort Rotterdam and the Dutch enclave was named Vlaardingen. It was, and is, a major trading port, including the hair oil named after it (hence anti-makassars are cloths placed on the head rests of chairs to protect the upholstery from oil).

Banjamasin
The capital of Dutch Borneo and a Dutch protectorate from 1794 until 1860 when it was formerly annexed after the Banjarmasin war.

The Celebes in action against Dayack tribesmen in Borneo in 1859

The Army

The Dutch East Indies Army (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; KNIL) was technically separate from the Dutch army as such, and it was actually illegal to send Dutch conscripts from Europe to the Dutch East Indies. Of course Dutch volunteers were welcome, and also many from Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, but at this time only about 40% of troops were of European descent, the rest a mixture of local Javanese, Timorese and other groups including Africans from Ghana. The officers and artillery gunners were always Dutch, but the sergeants often of the same race as the troops. In fact the various ethnic groups were usually quartered in separate buildings. In 1868 the army was approximately 20,000 strong*** divided amongst numerous garrisons and forts.

KNIL Malay soldiers in Sumatra 1873

There was no real external threat to the Dutch possessions at this time, but numerous operations expanding Dutch possessions, putting down revolts, or against pirates

1859-63 Bandjermasin War (Borneo)
1860 Riots on Ceram (Moluccan Islands)
1860 Revolt of Swiss army mercenaries at Semarang
1861 Defeat of pirates on the island of Saljusu
1862 Destruction of a pirates’ fleet near the Sangir Islands
1862 Expedition to Manipi, Tutungan and Mandar on Celebes / Sulawesi
1863 Expedition to Nias
1863 Expedition to the Toradja area on Celebes / Sulawesi
1864 Expeditions to Sintang and Marahunu
1865 Expedition to pirates near Menado / Manado, North-Celebes / Sulawesi
1865 Riots on Ceram (Moluccan Islands)
1865 Riots at Amunthai on Borneo
1866 Expedition to Pasumah, near Palembang on Sumatra
1866 Expedition to Ceram (Moluccan Islands)
1867 Expedition to Mandar on Celebes / Sulawesi
1868 Riots on Bali

The Navy

The Medusa in Japan 1864

Dutch naval forces in contrast remained part of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The Dutch navy was relatively strong and had a good reputation, but with Europe becoming an increasingly dangerous place the strongest vessels were kept in home waters. In 1859 it was composed as follows*

2 ships of the line of 84 guns each
3 ships of the line of 74 guns
7 first-class frigates (3 of them screws), 54 to 45 guns
8 second-class frigates, 38 to 36 guns
1 second-class rasee, 28 guns
10 corvettes (5 of them screws), 19 to 12 guns
7 brigs, 18 to 12 guns
10 screw schooners of 8 guns
27 smaller craft, mounting together 98 guns.
57 gunboats, (2 of them screw) mounting together 178 guns

In Asian waters, HNLMS Celebes was involved in operations in Borneo in 1859, and the squadron under de Man involved in the bombardment of Shimonoseki in 1864 was as follows;**

Medusa; Steam corvette. 18 guns, Captain Casembroot

Metalen Kruis.Screw corvette, 16 guns, Captain de Man, arrived from the Netherlands

Djambi. Screw corvette 1st class, 16 guns, Captain Van Rees

Amsterdam. Paddle steamer, 8 guns, Captain Muller

On separate occasions a party from the Medusa under Capt Casembroot and 200 Dutch sailors and marines under Lt Binkis were involved in landing operations against onshore fortifications.

*The navies of the world; their present state and future capabilities By Hans Busk 1859
**De Medusa in de wateren van Japan in 1863 en 1864 By F. de Casembroot 1865
*** Nederland, zijne Provincien en Kolonien: Land en Volk beschreven door By J. Kuijper 1868

Steamships and Samurai 2 - The bombardment of Kagoshima

It wasn´t supposed to be this way.

Following the murder in September 1862 of Charles Richardson, by the samurai retinue of Shimazu Hisamitsu, the British had demanded compensation from the Japanese government, and had received it. Japan though wasn't just the central government, which was in many ways just a cipher. In reality, Japan was made up of provinces, each ruled by a clan with it's own armed forces. Shimazu Hisamitsu ruled the province of Satsuma, and demands he give up the murderers and pay reparations were dismissed out of hand.

The Satsuma capital was Kagoshima, but their main source of wealth was the port of Yokohama which had a large, and nervous, colony of foreign traders. Masters of merchant ships there had organised means of communication with the shore by signals, so that the foreign residents could get speedy on board ship, in case of danger. To reassure them, and make a point to Satsuma, a substantial British fleet was dispatched. The commander was Vice Admiral Kuper, although his position as Vice Admiral was only "acting", given to ensure parity with the local French equivalent. Kuper had a lot of experience of active service in the east, and had just been appointed head of the East Indies and China station, but his experience so far had been in China, not Japan. That was about to change.

By February 1863 the South Australia Register was reporting a substantial fleet in Yokohama harbour consisting of;
HMS Euryalus, Kuper´s flagship. HMS Pearl, HMS Argus, , HMS Centaur, HMS Rattler, HMS Racehorse, HMS Havoc & HMS Kestrel. These would shortly be joined by H.M.S. Ringdove, Encounter, Scout, and Coromandel, and the gunboat Hesper, with coals and stores.

HMS Euryalus

The British were by no means the only foreign power with grievances.The Chosu clan had attacked French, Dutch and United States shipping, resulting in a running battle between the USS Wyoming and Chosu warships and forts at Shimonoseki. The Dutch Medusa and French Tancrède and Dupleix had also fired on Chosu positions. But the Satsuma clan were supposed to be more reasonable. Nonetheless, after a year of fruitless discussions, the British decided enough was enough, and Kuper was ordered to threaten the use of force. Alarmed, the central government sent a last minute plea for delay to Lieutenant Colonel Neale, the British Chargé dáffaires in Japan.

"On receipt of your despatch of the 3rd of August, we fully understood that you intend to go within three days to the territory of the Prince of Satsuma with the men-of-war now lying in the Bay of Yokohama, to demand satsifaction for the murder of a British merchant on the Tokaido last year. But owing to the present unsettled state of affairs in our empire, which you witness and hear of, we are in great trouble, and intend to carry out several plans. Supposing, now, something untoward were to happen, than all the trouble both you and we have taken would have been in vain and fruitless; therefore we request that the said departure may be delayed for the present".

The Fleet at Kagashima

Pleas for patience fell on deaf ears and Kuper and Neale left Yokohama on August 6th 1863, arriving off Kagashima on August 11th with the following fleet....

HMS Euryalus, the flagshuip with Admiral Kuper and Colonel Neale onboard. The Euryalus was a wooden screw frigate with a crew of 515, 51 guns (incl 16 carronades and, most effectively, 17 breech loading Armstrong guns) and over 70 tons of shot and shell. She had seen action in the bombardment of Bomarsund and Sveaborg in the Baltic during the Crimean war, and in China during the Taiping rebellion. Possibly not the luckiest of ships, she had already lost 20 men to cholera in China, and in April 64 had 40 cases of smallpox. Her luck was not to improve at Kagashima

HMS Pearl, a screw corvette and the 2nd most powerful ship in the squadron, with 20x 8 inch muzzle loading smooth bores mounted as broadsides and a 10 inch smooth bore on a pivot at the front.
HMS Perseus, a 17 gun wooden screw corvette.
HMS Argus, a 6 gun paddle steamer, she had already served in North America, and would later be seen in Africa
HMS Coquette, a wooden screw gunboat
HMS Racehorse, a wooden screw gunboat with one 110 pdr and 2x 20pdr guns.
HMS Havock, a wooden screw gunboat with 4 guns, built by Hills of Bristol in 1856. The smallest of the squadron at only 232 tons. She had been in the East since 1860 and was destined, slightly bizarrely, to be sold in Yokohama in 1871.

Kagoshima

The squadron anchored in the deep waters of Kinko bay and a 24 hour ultimatum was delivered. The theory was that the fleet would work just be being there, surely the Satsuma regime would see sense? That wasn´t the view in Kagoshima however, they evacuated the town, and primed the guns in forts around the bay. Impatient with yet more diplomatic prevarication Kuper decided to seize three Satsuma steam merchant ships in the bay, with a combined value of about 200,000 pounds, to use as bargaining counters. This delighted the sailors in his fleet who now stood a fair chance of getting prize money. What they did not expect was opposition, but the Satsuma forts, some equipped with huge 150 pound cannon opened fire,...

"The Spit battery fired a signal gun, and immediately all the batteries opened fire with shot and shell on the squadron, the shot flying very close over our heads"

Shocked, the British pillaged and burnt the captured steamers and retired to organise themselves. It took 2 hours to ready the ships for war, but then they formed line of battle and opened fire with shell and round shot.

On the Euryalus
"Opened fire with pivot gun on No. 8 battery the shells bursting well. 2 20 p.m. - Opened fire on battery with starboard broadside, the shot and shell telling well particularly the quarter-deck Armstrongs. The enemy's shot and shell began to fly very thick about the ship, cutting a great many of the ropes. Men in top observed men leave battery, our fire having dismounted four guns. We now began to approach the large batteries owing to the wind blowing, so fresh and directly on shore all the smoke covered completely these forts, so that we could not tell how far off we were, but we supposed about 700 or 800 yards.

2 55 p.m. - Captain Josling and Commander Wilmot both killed on the bridge by one and the same shot. The Admiral and Mr. Parker, the master, were on the bridge along with the captain and the commander when the latter were killed, and narrowly escaped the fatal ball. The Admiral's coolness and collectedness on this trying occasion was very remarkable; but when all was over he paid a worthy tribute of feeling to the memory of the brave officers and men who had fallen around him on the spot. A 10-inch shell exploded at the muzzle of the No. 3 gun on main deck, killing seven men on the spot, and wounding Lieutenant Jephson and five men. A shell came through the starboard waist bulwark, and burst under the starboard launch, completely blowing her bottom in, but without hurting any one. A shot carried away starboard speaking tube on the bridge, and lodged in the brake of the poop, breaking all the cabin windows. The firing very hot; at this time we were under the fire of 37 guns from 10-inch to 18 pounders.

HMS Euryalus leading the line of battle. Note the stormy conditions

3 10 p.m.- Racehorse got on shore under No. 8 battery, she firing at it and keeping them away from the guns; the Argus and Coquette sent to her assistance.
3 30 p.m. -Ceased firing.
3 45 p.m. - Came to under Josling Point in 25 fathoms.
4 20 p.m. - Forts discontinued firing on the Argus. Racehorse and Coquette observed the town to be on fire.
7 p.m. - The Havoc set fire to five large Loochoo junks.
8 p.m. - Observed Satsuma's foundries to be on fire; blowing very hard, with rain; ship with two anchors down and steaming slowly against it.
Midnight. - Town foundry and junks burning fiercely.

"Sunday, 16th, 4 a.m. - Town and foundry still burning; junks burnt to the water's edge and drifted on shore; saw that several had been dismounted in batteries Nos. 7 and 8.

11 a.m. - Committed to the deep the bodies of Captain Josling, Commander Wilmot, and the following men:- Wm. Yardley, A.B.; Jas. Smith, ordinary; Wm. Hagarty, A.B.; R. Lindsay, A.B.; John Warren, ordinary; John Hawkins, ordinary; Patrick Fleming, Royal Marines, all killed yesterday during the attack on Kagosima. Noon. Town and foundry still burning.

330p.m. - Weighed and proceeded in company with squadron; cleared for action. Engaged batteries on both sides, firing shell at Satsuma's house and town.

3 45 p.m. - Magazine in No. 11 battery and also that in Spit Battery blew up Batteries on Tori Island, and Spit Battery firing on squadron.

5 p.m. - Ceased firing; observed the town to be on fire to the south of Satsuma's house.

5 20 p.m. - Came to off the Seven Islands in 8 fathoms, about 68 miles to the south of the town.

9 30 p.m. - Departed this life Thomas Harding, B.I.C., from the effect of wounds received yesterday.

Leading the line the Euryalus was, according to the Times, " hulled ten times, and her masts and rigging cut to pieces." besides "30 of the crew put hors de combat".

The following Foreign Office telegrams were later printed in The Times

"SATURDAY, AUG. 15.

"All hope of negotiations being at an end, the fleet took up its position opposite Kagosima, and prepared for action. "Two shore batteries opened fire on the fleet, which returned it. "By dusk the town was in flames in several places. "Three forts were silenced. "Our loss consisted of 11 killed and 39 wounded. "Captains Josling (of the Euryalus) and Wilmot were killed by the same shot. "9 p.m.- The whole town is in flames.

"SUNDAY, AUG. 16.

"The fleet stood out, engaging the whole of the batteries. The city ia one mass of ruins - palace, factories, arsenal, &c. "Three steamers of Satsuma are destroyed completely. "The shore batteries are reported to have been well served."

With no land forces, Kuper had done all he could and retired to Yokohama.

Aftermath

Strangely, relations between the Satsuma regime and Britain became quite close. Tortuous negotiatians via the central governoment hgradually improving matters. The Satsumas had saved face, after all they caused more casualties, but they had been very impressed by the Royal Navy. Significantly, they didn´t give up Richardsons murderers, but they did pay the 25,000 pound compensation demanded (about 16 million in today's money) and even bought new ships from the British. Samurai were trained as naval officers and the Satsuma navy became, in time, the basis for the future Imperial Japanese fleet. Heihachiro Togo, the hero of the Russo-Japanese war was manning one of the Satsuma cannon in the battle.

Satsuma negotiators

Kuper was heavily criticised in some quarters initially, but exonerated, and in fact promoted to Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 1864 "for his services at Kagoshima".

Further Reading

The Times quotes come from the Mid Victorian Naval site, which has more about Anglo-Japanese hostilities at the time
http://home.wxs.nl/~pdavis/index.htm

The Richardson affair is fictionalised in James Clavells novel Gai Jon

Steamships & Samurai - Part 1

Japan in the 1860s was undergoing massive changes, mainly due to growing foreign influence. Holland in the 1840s was the first, but this was only a tiny crack in the wall - once in a year two Dutch ships steamed to a rendezvous, where they were met by two ships of the Empire. The cargoes of the vessels were then exchanged, and the squadrons returned to their respective ports.The United States, and Commodore Perry, forced the crack open in the 1850s and there were now foreigners such as Britons, Russians and French in many ports, trading and introducing strange ways. Japan at this time was hyper fragmented, both between classes and geographically, ancestral clans dividing the country into more or less autonomous domains, each controlled by a clan with their own armed forces. It was natural that some of these groups would see advantage in changing the status quo, and some would bitterly resent it.

The Richardson incident

Namamugi village 1862

Our story takes place in the domain of the Satsuma clan, whose capital was Kagoshima, but whose wealth came from the port of Yokohama, the main port in Japan for trading with the outside world. There were many foreign traders there, living in an area called the "Kannai", which was protected, an quarantined, by a moat. Foreign trade had made Satsuma the 2nd richest clan in Japan, but it also caused tensions.

On September 14th 1862, four British subjects were on an afternoon jaunt to visit the Kawasaki temple in present day Kawasaki. Two Yokohama based merchants, Woodthorpe Charles Clark and William Marshall, a Mrs. Margaret Watson Borradaile, and a Shanghai merchant, Charles Lennox Richardson. They had set out from Yokohama by boat that afternoon, picked up horses on the far shore, and were now riding through the vallage of Namamugi. Coming in the opposite direction was the large retinue of Shimazu Hisamitsu, taking up most of the road. Shimazu was the father of the Daimyo, or Lord, of Satsuma, but in reality he was the ruler as Regent, and he was travelling with his samurai escort. Now it was the custom for riders to dismount in the presence of important figures, and in fact samurai had the legal right to strike anyone they considered showing "disrespect". That these were hated foreigners only inflamed the situation more.

As the party squeezed past some of the samurai lashed out with their swords - the Britons fled, but were blooded and Richardson fell from his horse, mortally wounded. Hisamitsu gave the order for todome, the coup de grace.

A Japanese depiction of the event. Richardson is in the middle, in black with a top hat

There had already been several attacks on foreigners, but this was the last straw. The Satsuma authorities claimed they had only acted perfectly legally, but actually this was untrue as British nationals were exempt from the "disrespect" rules under the Anglo Japanese Friendship Treaty. What is possible is that Richardson, after 9 years in Shanghai, regarded himself as an Eastern expert, and maybe didn't realise that what would pass in China would not in Japan. Anyway, there were repercussions.

Shimazu Hisamitsu, effectively the ruler of Satsuma province

The foreign trader community in Yokohama clamoured for some sort of protection from their governments. The British Chargé d'Affaires, Lieutenant-Colonel Neale, demanded from the central government an apology for this and other incidents, such as the murder of 2 sailors from HMS Renard in June. Neale also demanded a huge indemnity of £100,000, rather bizarrely in Mexican silver dollars, about 1/3 of the total revenues for one year. He got it too, but demands to the Satsuma government for reparations, the surrender of those responsible, and guarantees for the future, were ignored. Losing patience a British squadron was sent to Kagoshima, the Satsuma capital, in a show of force.