Outrages at Jaffa

On January 11, 1858, the Jaffa Colonists - part of the American Agricultural Mission to assist local residents in agricultural endeavors in Ottoman Palestine - were brutally attacked, creating an international incident at the beginnings of U.S. presence in the Levant. The event, known as the Outrages at Jaffa, tested American colonial resolve in the region, as well as the ability of the U.S. Government to protect its citizens in the region.

The beginnings of U.S. presence in the Levant started in the 1800s with the appointment of Warder Cresson as Consul at Jerusalem, though by the time he reached the Holy Land, his appointment had been rescinded. In 1855, American Clorinda Minor established the Mount Hope Colony near Jaffa. These colonists were motivated by the belief that a prerequisite for the Second Coming of the Messiah was the establishment of Jewish rule in the Holy Land. The American Christians were joined by German colonists as well. Two of the families - the American Dicksons and the Prussian Steinbecks - were related by marriage. After Clorinda Minor's death, some of the community abandoned the colony. The colonists were continually harassed by the Bedouin and Arab population and suffered from outbreaks of malaria.

On January 11, 1858, at about 10:00pm, the Dickson homestead was approached by three men, searching for a stray cow. Walter Dickson and his son-in-law, Frederick Steinbeck, informed the men that the cow was not on their property. Within an hour, the men had returned demanding to be let onto the premises, bringing with them an additional 2 men. Walter Dickson fired a warning shot, and retired to bed. Within minutes, the Dickson's dogs were barking in alarm. The gate to the homestead had been broken down. Frederick and Walter approached the men, Frederick addressing them in Arabic. One of the men shot Frederick, and Walter and Frederick retreated into the home, barricading the entrance. The men pried the door up from the bottom, breaking in, beat Walter Dickson into submission, and began to plunder the home. Frederick Steinbeck, suffering of his gunshot wounds, remained immobile, and shortly died from his wounds. Mrs. Mary Steinbeck - Walter Dickson's daughter - caught hold of her father as the men tried to drag her away. They beat her into submission with their guns and four men took her out into the yard, raping her in turn. Mrs. Sarah Dickson was taken into another room and raped. It was near daylight before the men departed. Also present in the home were Mary Steinbeck's two children and 11-year-old Caroline Dickson, daughter of Walter and Sarah Dickson.

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Wikipedia