and her sister warships of the Asiatic Squadron frequently spent the winter locked in by the frozen waters of a northern port. Her next assignment was scheduled to be participation in the expedition to Korea headed by Rear Admiral John Rodgers seeking redress for the murder of the crew of the General Sherman. That American merchant schooner had run aground on a sandbar in the Taedong River during a trading mission and had been burned. However, a board of survey found that Ashuelots hull had suffered significant damage during her icebound months and that both her engine and her boilers required major repairs before she could resume active duty. Thus, she was compelled to relinquish her role in operations during the spring of 1871 to open Korea. Her yard work at Shanghai had been completed by autumn when word of serious unrest in southeastern China sent her to the province of Fukien. She arrived at Foochow on 21 October and remained there until 29 December 1871 when she headed back toward Shanghai. 1872–1874 But for a run to Formosa early in March to carry the American consul at Amoy and his staff to that island, Ashuelot operated along the China coast between Shanghai and Hong Kong until sailing for Japan late in May 1872. She reached Nagasaki on 1 June and remained in Japanese waters for two months before moving to northern China. The ship arrived at Chefoo on 3 September, reached Tianjin a fortnight later, and began another mission protecting American interests in that vicinity into the summer of 1873. After being relieved by the screw gunboat , the ship sailed for Nagasaki on 5 July and operated in Japanese waters until the spring of 1874 when—commanded by Comdr. Edmund Matthews—she sailed for China and reached Shanghai on 20 April. On 3 May, the side-wheeler sent a force ashore to join a landing party from the gunboat and contingents from other foreign warships in putting down a riot and in protecting the international settlement at that city. Exploring the Yangtze, 1874 Five days later, Ashuelot got underway to survey the Li-Sye-Chan Channel and—after completing that task—arrived at Chinkiang on 16 May. Following a call on the taotai of that region, Matthews headed upstream and reached Nanking on the 21st. There he learned that the viceroy was deeply troubled by reports of a Japanese expedition to Formosa and assured him