Letter from U.S. Minister Anson Burlingame to Chinese Foreign Minister Prince Kung

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Description

In this letter dated March 8, 1864, U.S. ambassador Anson Burlingame informed Chinese Foreign Minister Prince Kung that the Confederate ship Alabama had been attacking U.S. merchant ships. He asked Kung to consider China’s treaty obligations and the interest of international commerce and to deny the Alabama or any other Confederate ship entrance to Chinese waters. Kung agreed. Burlingame maintained this Chinese-language copy of the letter in his files.

Citation

This primary source comes from the General Records of the Department of State.

Full Citation: Letter from U.S. Minister Anson Burlingame to Chinese Foreign Minister Prince Kung; 3/8/1864; Despatches from Diplomatic Officers, China; Despatches from Diplomatic Officers, 1789 – 1906; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/letter-from-us-minister-burlingame-to-chinese-foreign-minister/, April 4, 2026]