1895 Counter-Revolution in Hawaii
Encyclopedia
The 1895 Counter-revolution in Hawaii (Hawaiian
: Kaua Kuloko 1895) was a brief war from January 6 to January 9, 1895, that consisted of three battles on the island of Oahu
, Hawaii
. It was the last major military operation by royalists who opposed the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii
.
Because of its brevity and lack of casualties, this war is largely forgotten; in some cases those who rediscover it coin a new name for the conflict, but it is frequently referred to as the “Counter-revolution”.
The war has also been called the Second Wilcox Rebellion of 1895, the Revolution of 1895, the Hawaiian Counter-revolution of 1895, the 1895 Uprising in Hawaii, the Hawaiian Civil War, the 1895 Uprising Against the Provisional Government, or the Uprising of 1895.
established the Provisional Government of Hawaii
as a temporary government until an assumed annexation by the United States
. The annexation was delayed by two petitions with over 38,000 signatures representing ninety-five percent of the Native Hawaiian population. The Queen herself took up residence in Washington, D.C. to lobby for her cause. President Cleveland
, who opposed expansionism
, launched an investigation which produced a finding known as the Blount Report
. Meanwhile, petition
s against annexation were collected by the population. The Provisional Government convened a constitutional convention
and established the Republic of Hawaii
on July 4, 1894. The Republic continued to govern the country but its unpopularity and corresponding anti-annexation sentiment continued. Voting rights were limited to only 4,000, most of them politicians in power.
In 1895 Robert Wilcox
was brought into a plot to overthrow the Republic of Hawaii and return Queen Liliuokalani to the throne. Among the plotters was Sam Nowlein, former Head of the Royal Guard (which had been disbanded in 1893); Joseph Nawahi
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Charles T. Gulick
, an advisor to both Kalākaua and Liliuokalani; and William H. Rickard, a sugar planter of British parentage. These national patriots planned to attack government buildings in downtown Honolulu at night. They had recruited a number of poor Hawaiians, most of them day labor
ers from the outskirts of Honolulu, but failed to fill their quota of 700 recruits. In addition the recruits lacked weapons, training and discipline. They had smuggled arms to Liliuokalani to resupply the conspirators once the palace was secured. A shipment of guns and ammunition from California had been smuggled on board the Schooner Wahlber to be put aboard the Steamer Waimanalo near Rabbit Island
and shipped to a secret Honolulu location.
Rumors were circulating on January 6, 1895, that armaments were being landed on Waikīkī beach
, Oahu
. A squad of six policemen led by Captain Parker, a veteran of the 1889 rebellion who commanded the 30 Royal Guards in the Palace, had been sent to Harry Bertleman’s house near Diamond Head
to search for the weapons. They did not know Bertleman was a Lieutenant
in the insurgency
. As Deputy Marshal Brown read the warrant to Bertleman, the squad was fired upon by three Royalists returning from the beach, that took shelter in Bertleman’s canoe house. The police advanced toward the canoe house until the Royalists were driven off, but not before Charles L. Carter, an armed civilian accompanying the police, was shot three times in the chest. Bertleman shot and wounded police lieutenant Holi as the policemen returned to the house. The policemen subdued Bertleman and another rebel, John Lane
, in the first clash and took shelter in Bertleman’s house. 70 royalists in the surrounding area joined the battle attacking the house. They were commanded by Colonel
Robert Wilcox and Lieutenant Lot Lane
, an intimidating six foot Irish
-Hawaiian
. The Royalists surrounded the house but three men escaped: Captain Parker, Deputy Marshal Brown, and Alfred Wellington Carter
(Charles Carter's cousin). The police officers mounted their horses and sent word of the uprising, while Alfred Carter searched for a doctor. A detachment of the National Guard of Hawaii, Company E commanded by Lt. King, drove back the Royalists towards Diamond Head by 9:00, allowing Alfred Carter to bring doctors Walter, Murry, and Doyle to his cousin. The battle continued into the night. The Royalists managed to repel the soldiers from their fallback position. By dawn of January 7, the government forces withdrew to Sans Souci Beach in Waikiki
near Sans Souci Hotel run by Royalist George Lycurgus
at Kapiolani Park
west of Diamond Head and awaited reinforcements, ending the battle.
C. L. Carter, nephew of supreme court justice Albert Francis Judd
and son of former Kingdom diplomat Henry A. P. Carter
, died from his wounds later that day. Two other police officers were also wounded and sent to a hospital. Bertleman and Lane were sent to the police station, where they were imprisoned. Although the royalists had triumphed in the first battle of the war, they had lost the element of surprise. Consequently, this victory would be short-lived.
On January 7, 1895 martial law
was declared in Hawaii by Sanford B. Dole
. The men led by Nowlein rendezvoused with Wilcox at Diamond Head
. Following the government’s humiliating defeat, Marshal Hitchcock deployed men and three artillery cannons to stop the Royalists’ march on Honolulu. An additional detachment of 25 men led by Lt. Coyne was sent, and met Lt. King near Sans Souci Beach at Kapiolani Park
on the east end of Waikiki
. King had sent a group of men to the rim of Diamond Head to attack the Royalists from above, while Coyne had received a field piece and zeroed in on a group of 100 Royalists on the slopes of the volcano. The artillery was at first too inaccurate to be effective, and it took several barrages to dislodge Wilcox’s men. It is noted that one round was so inaccurate that it missed Diamond Head completely, sailing over the crater and landing in the sea. The final bombardment inflicted several casualties and scattered the group. Wilcox saw no tactical importance in remaining on Diamond Head and ordered his men to retreated to Waialae
to rest. The new strategy was to move north into Koʻolau mountains then west, avoiding the Government forces in south.
Nowlein's men opened fire near Diamond Head at Mauumae at a group of police along Waialae Road commanded by T. B. Murray and, though they caused no casualties, the police withdrew anyway. The Republic’s army moved toward the Royalists with two of the government's cannons. The third cannon was put aboard a commandeered tugboat named Eleu to form a makeshift Patrol Boat
. The Eleu attacked Wilcox’s men with grapeshot
at Waialae
, on the northeast side of Diamond Head. The Royalists were centered around Anton Rosa’s residence, the former headquarters for the Royalists with an arms cache
, which was captured.
Nowlein's men were to capture Punchbowl
, but had been waiting in hiding at Mauumae as government troops were moving toward Diamond Head. T. B. Murray's group of police on reconnaissance along Waialae Road were sent toward their position. As they approached, Nowlein's men fired at them and the policemen retreated. Murray's men returned with Company F commanded by Captain C. W. Zeiler from Palolo
, sent to engage Nowlein at Kaimuki as they moved toward Moiliili
. Nowlein's men were driven back to Mauumae, where there were ammo caches and boulders for cover. The fighting led to a deadlock. Due to the distance between the opposing forces, and protective cover on both sides, neither combatant could inflict casualties on the other. Finally the government forces broke the stronghold when a howitzer was brought to bear to end the stalemate and 33 of Nowlein's men surrendered, though Nowlein himself escaped with officers and a few men although he dislike the idea of abandoning his men, his officers convinced him that it was strategic to prevent him from being captured or killed if he remanded in the stronghold.
As the Eleu began to attack Waialae
, Wilcox moved his men through the mountains, advancing toward Honolulu. His men moved to the settlement of Moiliili
, at the mouth of Mānoa Valley, where they encountered a line of Captain Zeiler’s Company, and also met with artillery fire. Captain Camara supported Zeiler in securing his flank, positioning his Company C in Nuuanu and Punchbowl
, cutting off the western advance by the Royalists. The Royalists retreated and entrenched themselves among the stone walls and lantana
foliage of the area. Zeiler advanced on them. Wilcox awaited Nowlein's attack on Punchbowl to relieve his men of the government forces, but this never came. The Royalists could not hold their ground against Zeiler's men and retreated into the valley. At the end of the battle 40 Royalists surrendered and were taken prisoner, while one of Zeiler's men was wounded. The battle had lasted a day, and several Royalists had been killed.
The final battle took place on January 9. The Royalists had withdrawn following their defeat at Moiliili. Wilcox was down to 100 men and retreated into Mānoa Valley. Most of Wilcox's men had not eaten since the start of the rebellion and spirits were low. The Republican Government forces did not immediately pursue the Royalists because a riot had broken out among Japanese plantation workers in Ewa, and the government, in reaction, drew forces away from the nearly crushed rebellion to deal with this new threat. Reconnaissance patrols were sent into and around the Koolaus and concluded that the Royalist force was still in Mānoa Valley. They employed the Eleu to patrol the coast and destroyed suspicious unattended boats. The government forces that remained were ordered to guard the entrance to the valley in order to keep the Royalist force contained.
A Royalist force of 50 men was spotted on the evening of the 9th attempting to scale Tantalus
and move through Punchbowl
to enter the city. A gun battle ensued between Company A commanded by Capt. P. Smith, backed by Company D. commanded by Lt. Jones with a field piece against the Royalists, leaving one Royalist dead. The Royalists were pushed to the back of the valley where they were surrounded by mountains on three sides. Until nightfall, the doomed company withstood the ensuing siege
and artillery barrage in the pocket known as “the Pen”, at the base of Puʻu Konahuanui. The Royalists then climbed the steep slopes to escape under the cover of darkness. The battle had lasted three hours with two rebels captured, three confirmed dead, and most managing to escape.
After the climb up the ridge the royalists’ fates varied. Many felt the revolution was a failure and deserted
. Others wished to continue the fight but were separated from Wilcox’s leadership and would eventually be captured or killed by government forces routing out the remaining Royalists. Wilcox moved over ancient footpaths to Nuuanu Valley
and Kalihi
, where the group of 10 eventually disbanded.
All the Royalist leaders were arrested. A barracks was converted into a prison to hold the captured patriots. On January 8, 1895, the captain of the Steamer Waimanalo, William Davis, and several crewmembers were arrested for distributing arms.
Nowlein was caught with three lieutenants on January 14 in Moiliili
. They had been fed by native Hawaiian sympathizers while in hiding.
Wilcox hid for several days in the mountains and made his way to Nuuanu Valley and Kalihi with 10 loyal conspirators, but the group was disbanded. He surrendered on January 16, 1895, in a fishing hut near Kalihi.
Lane hid in the Koʻolaus above Mānoa
for ten days after the final battle. He came out of hiding after fighting subsided believing a foreign intervention had come
, after asking a passerby he discovered the revolution was crushed. Contrary to the fears of Lane and the warning to government forces to use caution when encountering him, he surrendered peacefully to police becoming the last insurgent to be captured. After being brought to police headquarters he was escorted by six guards in fear he may overpower the regular amount for a normal prisoner. He was locked in with over a hundred under-nourished prisoners of war
, he protested that night using the guards’ fears about him to provide food for his fellow inmates. It was believed that most of the Royalists had evaded capture, and with their identities not known had slipped back into the community to return to their lives before the revolution.
A weapons cache was found and attributed to Liliuokalani. She was arrested on January 16. Wilcox was tried for treason (as he had after the Wilcox Rebellion of 1889
) by a military tribunal with the other military leaders. This time he was found guilty and sentenced to death, but the sentence reduced to 35 years.
Liliuokalani and other political leaders were tried for misprision of treason
by the people who had illegally overthrown the Kingdom, and convicted. Former attorney general
of the Kingdom Paul Neumann served as legal defense, and prosecutor was William Ansel Kinney
.
Liliuokalani formally abdicated her throne to prevent further bloodshed over the controversial government in a five page letter on January 24, 1895. The president of the republic, Sanford B. Dole
, pardoned the royalists after serving part of their prison sentence.
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
: Kaua Kuloko 1895) was a brief war from January 6 to January 9, 1895, that consisted of three battles on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It was the last major military operation by royalists who opposed the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
.
Because of its brevity and lack of casualties, this war is largely forgotten; in some cases those who rediscover it coin a new name for the conflict, but it is frequently referred to as the “Counter-revolution”.
The war has also been called the Second Wilcox Rebellion of 1895, the Revolution of 1895, the Hawaiian Counter-revolution of 1895, the 1895 Uprising in Hawaii, the Hawaiian Civil War, the 1895 Uprising Against the Provisional Government, or the Uprising of 1895.
Republic of Hawaii
Following the illegal overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani in 1893, the so-called Committee of SafetyCommittee of Safety (Hawaii)
The Committee of Safety, formally the Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, was a 13-member group of the Hawaiian League also known as the Annexation Club...
established the Provisional Government of Hawaii
Provisional Government of Hawaii
The Provisional Government of Hawaii abbreviated "P.G." was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole...
as a temporary government until an assumed annexation by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The annexation was delayed by two petitions with over 38,000 signatures representing ninety-five percent of the Native Hawaiian population. The Queen herself took up residence in Washington, D.C. to lobby for her cause. President Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, who opposed expansionism
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. It was used by Democrat-Republicans in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.Advocates of...
, launched an investigation which produced a finding known as the Blount Report
Blount Report
The Blount Report is the popular name given to the part of the 1893 United States House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee Report regarding the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The report was conducted by U.S. Commissioner James H. Blount, appointed by U.S...
. Meanwhile, petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
s against annexation were collected by the population. The Provisional Government convened a constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
and established the Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
on July 4, 1894. The Republic continued to govern the country but its unpopularity and corresponding anti-annexation sentiment continued. Voting rights were limited to only 4,000, most of them politicians in power.
Royalist Plans
Robert William Wilcox
Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox , nicknamed the Iron Duke of Hawaii, was a native Hawaiian revolutionary soldier and politician. He led uprisings against both the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii under King Kalākaua and the Republic of Hawaii under Sanford Dole, what are now known as the...
was brought into a plot to overthrow the Republic of Hawaii and return Queen Liliuokalani to the throne. Among the plotters was Sam Nowlein, former Head of the Royal Guard (which had been disbanded in 1893); Joseph Nawahi
Joseph Nawahi
Joseph Nāwahī also known as Joseph Kahooluhi Nāwahī and as Joseph Kahooluhi Nāwahīokalaniōpuu was a native Hawaiian legislator, lawyer, newspaper publisher, and painter.-Life:...
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Charles T. Gulick
Charles T. Gulick
Charles Thomas Gulick was a politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was one of the few members of missionary families to side with the monarchy in the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:...
, an advisor to both Kalākaua and Liliuokalani; and William H. Rickard, a sugar planter of British parentage. These national patriots planned to attack government buildings in downtown Honolulu at night. They had recruited a number of poor Hawaiians, most of them day labor
Day labor
Day labor is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future. It is a form of contingent work.-Types:Day laborers find work through three common routes....
ers from the outskirts of Honolulu, but failed to fill their quota of 700 recruits. In addition the recruits lacked weapons, training and discipline. They had smuggled arms to Liliuokalani to resupply the conspirators once the palace was secured. A shipment of guns and ammunition from California had been smuggled on board the Schooner Wahlber to be put aboard the Steamer Waimanalo near Rabbit Island
Manana
Mānana Island is an uninhabited islet located off Kaupō Beach, near Makapuu at the eastern end of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. In the Hawaiian language, mānana means "buoyant"...
and shipped to a secret Honolulu location.
Battle of Diamond Head
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
, Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. A squad of six policemen led by Captain Parker, a veteran of the 1889 rebellion who commanded the 30 Royal Guards in the Palace, had been sent to Harry Bertleman’s house near Diamond Head
Diamond Head, Hawaii
Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin...
to search for the weapons. They did not know Bertleman was a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
. As Deputy Marshal Brown read the warrant to Bertleman, the squad was fired upon by three Royalists returning from the beach, that took shelter in Bertleman’s canoe house. The police advanced toward the canoe house until the Royalists were driven off, but not before Charles L. Carter, an armed civilian accompanying the police, was shot three times in the chest. Bertleman shot and wounded police lieutenant Holi as the policemen returned to the house. The policemen subdued Bertleman and another rebel, John Lane
John Carey Lane
-Early years:Born at Makao, Oahu, Lane was educated at Hauula School and St. Louis College. He held various jobs as a clerk, and from 1893 to 1900 farmed near Honolulu...
, in the first clash and took shelter in Bertleman’s house. 70 royalists in the surrounding area joined the battle attacking the house. They were commanded by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Robert Wilcox and Lieutenant Lot Lane
Lot Lane
Lot Lonoikaua Kamehameha Carey Lane was the last insurgent to be captured by government forces after the Uprising of 1895 in Hawaii. He advocated better treatment for prisoners of war by the Republic of Hawaii, while being incarcerated himself.-Early life:...
, an intimidating six foot Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
-Hawaiian
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
. The Royalists surrounded the house but three men escaped: Captain Parker, Deputy Marshal Brown, and Alfred Wellington Carter
Alfred Wellington Carter
Alfred Wellington Carter was a lawyer and judge in the Republic of Hawaii and the Territory of Hawaii who managed the Parker Ranch.-Life:...
(Charles Carter's cousin). The police officers mounted their horses and sent word of the uprising, while Alfred Carter searched for a doctor. A detachment of the National Guard of Hawaii, Company E commanded by Lt. King, drove back the Royalists towards Diamond Head by 9:00, allowing Alfred Carter to bring doctors Walter, Murry, and Doyle to his cousin. The battle continued into the night. The Royalists managed to repel the soldiers from their fallback position. By dawn of January 7, the government forces withdrew to Sans Souci Beach in Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
near Sans Souci Hotel run by Royalist George Lycurgus
George Lycurgus
George Lycurgus was a Greek American businessman who played an influential role in the early tourist industry of Hawaii. He ran afoul of the government of the Republic of Hawaii and was accused of treason...
at Kapiolani Park
Kapiolani Park
Kapiolani Regional Park is the largest and oldest public park in Hawaii, located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the east end of Waikīkī just beyond Kuhio Beach Park and the Waikiki residential neighborhood...
west of Diamond Head and awaited reinforcements, ending the battle.
C. L. Carter, nephew of supreme court justice Albert Francis Judd
Albert Francis Judd
Albert Francis Judd was a judge of the Kingdom of Hawaii who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court through its transition into part of the United States.-Life:...
and son of former Kingdom diplomat Henry A. P. Carter
Henry A. P. Carter
Henry Alpheus Peirce Carter also known as Henry Augustus Peirce Carter was an American businessman, politician, and diplomat in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Family life:...
, died from his wounds later that day. Two other police officers were also wounded and sent to a hospital. Bertleman and Lane were sent to the police station, where they were imprisoned. Although the royalists had triumphed in the first battle of the war, they had lost the element of surprise. Consequently, this victory would be short-lived.
Battle of Moiliili
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
was declared in Hawaii by Sanford B. Dole
Sanford B. Dole
Sanford Ballard Dole was a lawyer and jurist in the Hawaiian Islands as a kingdom, protectorate, republic and territory...
. The men led by Nowlein rendezvoused with Wilcox at Diamond Head
Diamond Head, Hawaii
Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēahi, most likely from lae 'browridge, promontory' plus ahi 'tuna' because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin...
. Following the government’s humiliating defeat, Marshal Hitchcock deployed men and three artillery cannons to stop the Royalists’ march on Honolulu. An additional detachment of 25 men led by Lt. Coyne was sent, and met Lt. King near Sans Souci Beach at Kapiolani Park
Kapiolani Park
Kapiolani Regional Park is the largest and oldest public park in Hawaii, located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the east end of Waikīkī just beyond Kuhio Beach Park and the Waikiki residential neighborhood...
on the east end of Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
. King had sent a group of men to the rim of Diamond Head to attack the Royalists from above, while Coyne had received a field piece and zeroed in on a group of 100 Royalists on the slopes of the volcano. The artillery was at first too inaccurate to be effective, and it took several barrages to dislodge Wilcox’s men. It is noted that one round was so inaccurate that it missed Diamond Head completely, sailing over the crater and landing in the sea. The final bombardment inflicted several casualties and scattered the group. Wilcox saw no tactical importance in remaining on Diamond Head and ordered his men to retreated to Waialae
Waialae
Waialae or Waialae may refer to:*Waialae Country Club, a private country club in Honolulu, Hawaii*Waialae, Hawaii, a section of Honolulu, Hawaii alongside Kāhala*Waialae Stream, a small river on Hawaiʻi...
to rest. The new strategy was to move north into Koʻolau mountains then west, avoiding the Government forces in south.
Nowlein's men opened fire near Diamond Head at Mauumae at a group of police along Waialae Road commanded by T. B. Murray and, though they caused no casualties, the police withdrew anyway. The Republic’s army moved toward the Royalists with two of the government's cannons. The third cannon was put aboard a commandeered tugboat named Eleu to form a makeshift Patrol Boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
. The Eleu attacked Wilcox’s men with grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
at Waialae
Waialae
Waialae or Waialae may refer to:*Waialae Country Club, a private country club in Honolulu, Hawaii*Waialae, Hawaii, a section of Honolulu, Hawaii alongside Kāhala*Waialae Stream, a small river on Hawaiʻi...
, on the northeast side of Diamond Head. The Royalists were centered around Anton Rosa’s residence, the former headquarters for the Royalists with an arms cache
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, which was captured.
Nowlein's men were to capture Punchbowl
Punchbowl Crater
Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic tuff cone located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific....
, but had been waiting in hiding at Mauumae as government troops were moving toward Diamond Head. T. B. Murray's group of police on reconnaissance along Waialae Road were sent toward their position. As they approached, Nowlein's men fired at them and the policemen retreated. Murray's men returned with Company F commanded by Captain C. W. Zeiler from Palolo
Palolo, Hawaii
Pālolo is a valley, stream, and residential neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It lies approximately four miles east and inland from downtown Honolulu, and less than a mile from Diamond Head. Like many of Hawaii's neighborhoods, Pālolo consists of an entire valley. The mauka of...
, sent to engage Nowlein at Kaimuki as they moved toward Moiliili
Moiliili, Hawaii
Mōʻiliʻili, Hawaii is a neighborhood of Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.The commercial district at South King Street and University Avenue in Moiliili is the closest such district to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa...
. Nowlein's men were driven back to Mauumae, where there were ammo caches and boulders for cover. The fighting led to a deadlock. Due to the distance between the opposing forces, and protective cover on both sides, neither combatant could inflict casualties on the other. Finally the government forces broke the stronghold when a howitzer was brought to bear to end the stalemate and 33 of Nowlein's men surrendered, though Nowlein himself escaped with officers and a few men although he dislike the idea of abandoning his men, his officers convinced him that it was strategic to prevent him from being captured or killed if he remanded in the stronghold.
As the Eleu began to attack Waialae
Waialae
Waialae or Waialae may refer to:*Waialae Country Club, a private country club in Honolulu, Hawaii*Waialae, Hawaii, a section of Honolulu, Hawaii alongside Kāhala*Waialae Stream, a small river on Hawaiʻi...
, Wilcox moved his men through the mountains, advancing toward Honolulu. His men moved to the settlement of Moiliili
Moiliili, Hawaii
Mōʻiliʻili, Hawaii is a neighborhood of Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.The commercial district at South King Street and University Avenue in Moiliili is the closest such district to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa...
, at the mouth of Mānoa Valley, where they encountered a line of Captain Zeiler’s Company, and also met with artillery fire. Captain Camara supported Zeiler in securing his flank, positioning his Company C in Nuuanu and Punchbowl
Punchbowl Crater
Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic tuff cone located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific....
, cutting off the western advance by the Royalists. The Royalists retreated and entrenched themselves among the stone walls and lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
foliage of the area. Zeiler advanced on them. Wilcox awaited Nowlein's attack on Punchbowl to relieve his men of the government forces, but this never came. The Royalists could not hold their ground against Zeiler's men and retreated into the valley. At the end of the battle 40 Royalists surrendered and were taken prisoner, while one of Zeiler's men was wounded. The battle had lasted a day, and several Royalists had been killed.
Battle of Mānoa
A Royalist force of 50 men was spotted on the evening of the 9th attempting to scale Tantalus
Tantalus (Oahu)
Tantalus is an extinct cinder cone in the southern Koolau Range on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. It also has a summit crater, Tantalus Crater. The cinder cone formed after the demise of Koolau Volcano, during a time of rejuvenated stage volcanism in southeastern Oahu that also formed Punchbowl...
and move through Punchbowl
Punchbowl Crater
Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic tuff cone located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific....
to enter the city. A gun battle ensued between Company A commanded by Capt. P. Smith, backed by Company D. commanded by Lt. Jones with a field piece against the Royalists, leaving one Royalist dead. The Royalists were pushed to the back of the valley where they were surrounded by mountains on three sides. Until nightfall, the doomed company withstood the ensuing siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
and artillery barrage in the pocket known as “the Pen”, at the base of Puʻu Konahuanui. The Royalists then climbed the steep slopes to escape under the cover of darkness. The battle had lasted three hours with two rebels captured, three confirmed dead, and most managing to escape.
After the climb up the ridge the royalists’ fates varied. Many felt the revolution was a failure and deserted
Deserted
Deserted may refer to:*Desertion, the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from an entity to which one has given*"Deserted", a song by Blind Melon from their 1992 album Blind Melon...
. Others wished to continue the fight but were separated from Wilcox’s leadership and would eventually be captured or killed by government forces routing out the remaining Royalists. Wilcox moved over ancient footpaths to Nuuanu Valley
Nuuanu Pali
Nuuanu Pali is a section of the windward cliff of the Koolau mountain located at the head of Nuuanu Valley on the island of Oahu. It has a panoramic view of the windward coast of Oahu...
and Kalihi
Kalihi
thumb|300px|Historically, Kalihi was an [[ahupua'a|ahupuaʻa]], or area of land ruled by chief or king and managed by the members of the [[alii|alii]]Kalihi is a neighborhood community of Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, United States...
, where the group of 10 eventually disbanded.
Aftermath
Skirmishes continued for a week after the victory in Mānoa as the military eradicated the areas of resistance in the Koʻolaus. Contrary to popular belief of the tropical forests of Hawaii having excesses of edibles they are actually scarce. The early native Hawaiians brought crops of their own when they settled the islands, although vegetation is bountiful, few plants are fit for eating. As a consequence most insurgents were driven out by starvation.All the Royalist leaders were arrested. A barracks was converted into a prison to hold the captured patriots. On January 8, 1895, the captain of the Steamer Waimanalo, William Davis, and several crewmembers were arrested for distributing arms.
Nowlein was caught with three lieutenants on January 14 in Moiliili
Moiliili, Hawaii
Mōʻiliʻili, Hawaii is a neighborhood of Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.The commercial district at South King Street and University Avenue in Moiliili is the closest such district to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa...
. They had been fed by native Hawaiian sympathizers while in hiding.
Wilcox hid for several days in the mountains and made his way to Nuuanu Valley and Kalihi with 10 loyal conspirators, but the group was disbanded. He surrendered on January 16, 1895, in a fishing hut near Kalihi.
Lane hid in the Koʻolaus above Mānoa
Manoa
thumb|240px|right|Vintage shot of University of Hawaii, Manoa240px|thumb|right|Vintage photo of Manoa ValleyMānoa is a valley and a residential neighborhood of Honolulu CDP of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; the community is approximately three miles east and inland from...
for ten days after the final battle. He came out of hiding after fighting subsided believing a foreign intervention had come
United States Invasion of Hawaii
Opposition to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom took several forms. Following the overthrow of the monarchy on January 17, 1893, Hawaii's provisional government—under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole—attempted to annex the land to the United States under Republican Benjamin Harrison's...
, after asking a passerby he discovered the revolution was crushed. Contrary to the fears of Lane and the warning to government forces to use caution when encountering him, he surrendered peacefully to police becoming the last insurgent to be captured. After being brought to police headquarters he was escorted by six guards in fear he may overpower the regular amount for a normal prisoner. He was locked in with over a hundred under-nourished prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, he protested that night using the guards’ fears about him to provide food for his fellow inmates. It was believed that most of the Royalists had evaded capture, and with their identities not known had slipped back into the community to return to their lives before the revolution.
A weapons cache was found and attributed to Liliuokalani. She was arrested on January 16. Wilcox was tried for treason (as he had after the Wilcox Rebellion of 1889
Wilcox Rebellion of 1889
The Wilcox Rebellion of 1889 was a revolt led by Robert Wilcox to force King Kalākaua of Hawaii to reenact the Hawaiian Constitution of 1864 from the Constitution of 1887.-Liberal Patriotic Association:...
) by a military tribunal with the other military leaders. This time he was found guilty and sentenced to death, but the sentence reduced to 35 years.
Liliuokalani and other political leaders were tried for misprision of treason
Misprision of treason
Misprision of treason is an offence found in many common law jurisdictions around the world, having been inherited from English law. It is committed by someone who knows a treason is being or is about to be committed but does not report it to a proper authority...
by the people who had illegally overthrown the Kingdom, and convicted. Former attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of the Kingdom Paul Neumann served as legal defense, and prosecutor was William Ansel Kinney
William Ansel Kinney
William Ansel Kinney was a lawyer and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, through the Republic of Hawaii and into the Territory of Hawaii.-Family:William Ansel Kinney was born October 16, 1860 in Honolulu, Hawaii....
.
Liliuokalani formally abdicated her throne to prevent further bloodshed over the controversial government in a five page letter on January 24, 1895. The president of the republic, Sanford B. Dole
Sanford B. Dole
Sanford Ballard Dole was a lawyer and jurist in the Hawaiian Islands as a kingdom, protectorate, republic and territory...
, pardoned the royalists after serving part of their prison sentence.