Jere Krischel at 00:37, 15 January 2006

2006-01-15T00:37:14Z

Jere Krischel at 04:45, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T04:45:19Z

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780 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
American Minister, by which the men were to be landed if they were
wanted.
The CHAIRMAN. Lnnalilo, the former King, was King by inheritance?
Mr. JEWELL. So; he was elected King.
The CHAIRMAN. Was it not this way; that he was a King by inheritance,
and he ordered a plebiscite to see if the people favored his going
to the throne ?
Mr. JEWELL. I am not prepared to say that; but I am quite certain
that he was not King by inheritance.
The CHAIRMAN. You understand that at the time of his election
riots had occurred!
Mr. JEWELL. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Was it your understanding also on that occasion
that American troops had been landed ?
Mr. JEWELL. I think not, but I am not prepared to say positively.
The CHAIRMAN. It was in the time of the interregnum, as you term
it, properly between the death of Lunalilo and the election of Kalakaua,
that the American Minister requested the commander of these
ships to land troops?
Mr. JEWELL. To be prepared to land troops in case of necessity.
The CHAIRMAN. Had the election of Kalakaua taken place before
you landed?
Mr. JEWELL. It had; yes.
The CHAIRMAN. But you were in a state of preparation?
Mr. JEWELL. We were standing by. The captain of the Tusearora
went on shore on the morning of the election, about 9 o'clock, and left
me in charge of the ship, with instructions to keep a look out on the
American bark where one of our officers was stationed with a signal
which was to be given to land the men if needed, and we were in a
state of preparation all day. We got the signal about 3 or 4 o'clock in
the afternoon.
The CHAIRMAN. Who was the ranking officer in order at that time?
Mr. JEWELL. Capt. Belknap.
The CHAIRMAN. He had command of the forces on both ships?
Mr. JEWELL. Yes. The senior naval officer, the ranking naval officer,
is always assumed by virtue of his rank to be in command of the forces.
The CHAIRMAN. HOW many men did you land !
Mr. JEWELL. We landed about 80 men. I do not know exactly as
to the Portsmouth, but 80 men Iroin the Tusearora.
The CHAIRMAN. HOW many from the other ship, the Portsmouth?
Mr. JEWELL. 75 or 80. I think the whole force numbered 150 men.
The CHAIRMAN. Hid you spend the night on shore?
Mr. JEWELL. Oh, we stayed a week; I myself was on shore four
days; and at the end of that time one-half of the force was withdrawn
and the remainder stayed three or four days longer.
The CHAIRMAN. What was the disposition of the people there when
you landed as to their being peaceful or turbulent?
Mr. JEWELL. There were several hundred people around the courthouse,
the legislative building, when we got there. The courthouse
was pretty well wrecked by the mob, was in possession of a mob of
natives. They cleared out of the court-house the instant we arrived
on the ground. We sent a small force into the building and the rioters
jumped out of the windows and cleared out, although they hung around
the grounds. They were making demonstrations and were talking
loudly in their own language, which we did not understand, of course.
The CHAIRMAN. Did the mob make any fight ?
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 781
Mr. JEWELL. They did not offer any resistance at all; no. There
was one man who waved a club in front of a petty officer, but he took
the man by the back of the neck and gave him a shake, and he was
quieted.
The CHAIRMAN. Did you bivouack around the court-house that
night?
Mr. JEWELL. The men from the Portsmouth occupied the courthouse,
slept in the court-house.
The CHAIRMAN. Where did your men go?
Mr. JEWELL. TO the armory. This was a building in which there
were several public offices, among them the captain's of the port; in
one story there were some arms belonging to the Government, perhaps
100 stands of rifles.
The CHAIRMAN. Did you find the arms there when you got there?
Mr. JEWELL. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Was there any organized force of the Government?
Mr. JEWELL. I think nothing but the police. I have an impression
that there was a militia company, volunteers or militia, but not in the
service of the Government ?
The CHAIRMAN. At that time did you ascertain that the Government
had any regular troops?
Mr. JEWELL. It has been so long ago that I can not remember. But
my impression is that there was nothing organized in the Government
service except the police force.
The CHAIRMAN. Did you take command of both forces?
Mr. JEWELL. ~NO ; the executive officer of the Portsmouth was the
ranking officer on shore. But Captain Belknap was in communication
with us, and he was supposed to be in command. Although Capt.
Belknap stayed on board ship every night, he was on shore every day,
and our reports were made to him. The force from the Portsmouth had
charge of the fort house and some other public buildings including the
mint, the treasury, perhaps. 1 had charge of the prison and the
armory. There was another significant fact connected Avith that landing.
There was an English man-of-war in the harbor at the time.
There had not been any prearrangement about the lauding of her men;
nevertheless, shortly after we got on shore, 75 or 80 men from the
English vessel, under arms and organized, put in an appearance.
The CHAIRMAN. HOW long did they remain on shore?
Mr. JEWELL. They remained some days; just how long I do not
know. The men were not allowed to circulate very much about the
town, and I kept myself pretty well confined to the barracks. But after
the mob was broken up down at the court-house, the most of them went
up to Queen Emma's residence, which was some distance away, and
the troops from the English man-of-war, on the suggestion of Mr.
Bishop, I believe, went up there to clear out the mob, and remained
there. They went there to drive off the mob assembled around Queen
Emma,
Mr. JEWELL. Yes. I understand there were some incendiary speeches
made at that time in the neighborhood of Queen Emma's residence, and
perhaps Queen Emma made some remarks herself.
The CHAIRMAN. Were there any incendiary fires during the time
you were on shore?
Mr. JEWELL. NO. The first night there were some stones thrown
at the men from the Portsmouth, and a pistol shot; but in the part of
the town where we were it was pretty quiet. We patrolled the streets
the first night, and I do not know but that we did it after that. That

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Jere Krischel at 00:37, 15 January 2006

Jere Krischel at 04:45, 12 December 2005