Young America

Young America was an American ship captained by a Captain Babcock which came to Shimoda in 1855. Though asked by Tokugawa shogunate officials to provide transport for American sailors then residing in Shimoda to leave the port city, Capt. Babcock refused and instead sought to take up the request of Yevfimy Vasilyevich Putyatin to escort a number of Russian sailors from Shimoda and Heda back home to Russia. Ultimately, however, negotiations between Babcock and Putyatin broke down; furthermore, a number of members of Babcock's crew, fearing British or French attacks upon their vessel for transporting Russian sailors, jumped ship. Babcock tore up contracts with Putyatin on two occasions, and ultimately left without escorting any sailors.

References

• Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 2 (1937), 22-24, 27.