Today, the Hawaii Sesquicentennial Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin remembers the attempt of the Royalists to overthrow the non-monarchy government on January 6, 121 years ago.
The 1895 Department of State Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States included the contents of the letter from the Minister to Hawaii, Albert S. Willis, to the Secretary of State, Walter Q. Gresham.
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Legation of the United States, Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, January 11, 1895.
Sir: I have this day forwarded, through United States Dispatch Agent Cooper, the following telegram addressed to you:
At Waikiki Beach, 5 miles from executive building, night of January 6, uprising of Hawaiians, reported several hundred well supplied with arms and ammunition, commanded by Captain Nowlein and R. W. Wilcox. Hon. C. L. Carter, late commissioner, killed first night. Desultory fighting every day since, without further loss of life or property to Government. Three Royalists killed and fifty taken prisoners. Over 50 noncombatants, mostly white, arrested, including 3 ex-attorneys-general and many prominent citizens. Martial law declared January 7. No vessels allowed to leave. Other islands reported quiet. Crisis thought to be over, but excitement still intense. President Dole expressed to me his gratification that no national ship has been in port during this disturbance. Arms reported to have been brought from Vancouver by Norma.
As reported to you in my No. 79 of January 5, there have been for several weeks rumors of revolt, many of which, as therein stated. I considered well founded. On the 6th instant the first actual encounter took place.
A squad of Government police (Hawaiian), accompanied by Deputy Marshal Brown, Hon. C. L. Carter, and several others, undertook a search for arms on the premises of a half white, named Bartelmann, who resides on Waikiki Beach, about 5 miles from the center of this city.
The searching party was fired on by Royalists secreted in a boat house nearby, resulting in the wounding of several policemen and the death of Hon. Charles L. Carter.
Mr. Carter was a prominent lawyer, a member of the commission which visited Washington in the spring of 1893, and has held many other responsible positions. His death seems to be universally regretted.
After more firing, the Royalists retreated to the crater of an extinct volcano (Diamond Head), from which they were the following day dislodged by the Government forces. They are today reported to be surrounded in the adjoining mountains, without supplies and reduced to 30 men.
On the morning of the 7th instant martial law was declared, since which probably 60 citizens have been arrested. Among them are 3 ex- attorneys-general and other prominent persons, representing various nationalities.
Many of these arrests have been, as the Government officers state, “precautionary.” I have the assurance of the attorney- general that the cases of United States citizens under arrest will be promptly investigated and justly dealt with.
In the telegram supra I have quoted the remark of President Dole that he was gratified at the absence from port at this time of any national ship. It gave his Government, he said, an opportunity to prove its ability to take care of itself, which if once done would probably insure permanent peace.
Similar views, as I have heretofore reported, were expressed by Minister Hatch when the Philadelphia was about to depart.
The number of royalists under arms was not probably half as large as first reported; of foreigners (white) there are not half a dozen. Their leaders are well known here.
Nowlein is a half white, who at the time of the revolution of 1893 was commander in chief of the Queen’s forces.
Since then, he has been captain of a volunteer body guard to her. Wilcox is a half caste Hawaiian, was educated at the Royal Artillery School in Turin, and there married a cousin of Prince Colonna. He was the leader of the revolution of 1889.
The feeling, indicated by the newspaper slips inclosed, is for extreme measures against all involved, but thus far nothing has been done.
With sentiments of high esteem, I am, sir, very respectfully.
Albert S. Willis.
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The Hawaii Sesquicentennial Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin shows below an image of the provisional government cabinet, circa 1893, L-R: James A. King, Sanford B. Dole, W. O. Smith and P. C. Jones.
