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could not under any circumstances protect life and property, and that he felt that he would have to land the troops. He asked me how long I would be before I could land two Gatling guns and two 37 revolving cannon. I told him, a half hour. He said, very well, and told me to look around and see that everything was all right, "I think I will have to land the troops." I remarked to him, "I think they should have landed the evening before from what I heard," and he said he did not want to do it until it was necessary. I got one Gatling gun and one 37 R. C. and a caisson of ammunition all ready to land.
Shortly afterward I was sent for by Capt. Wiltse, and Capt. Wiltse always took me in his confidence in pretty nearly everything he did. He closed his door and read me his confidential letter of instructions from the Department and also from Admiral Brown. We discussed the matter, and he stated under the circumstances—he wanted to discuss the matter with me—I made the remark that in case we landed we would have to be very careful or we would be accused of taking part with one side or the other.
The Chairman. The letter from the Department of which you speak was from the Navy Department?
Mr. Young. Yes.
The Chairman. Where was Admiral Brown1?
Mr. Young. Admiral Brown was on the San Francisco and in command of that station at the time of delivering his instructions.
The Chairman. Where was Admiral Brown at the time?
Mr. Brown. I think Norfolk, Va., at the time. When he left Honolulu he left instructions with Captain Wiltse, as the admiral in command of the station, to be followed out in his absence.
The Chairman. These papers were read to you?
Mr. Young. Yes.
The Chairman. Have you any copies of them?
Mr. Young. No.
The Chairman. Would the ship's papers show copies of them?
Mr. Young. No, they were not in Capt. Wiltse's letter book. They are of a confidential nature and were kept locked up in a separate drawer. They could be found in the Department, I suppose, with the official papers of the ship.
The Chairman. Can you remember the instructions of the Navy Department to Capt. Wiltse?
Mr. Young. They are extracts from the confidential instructions that were sent to Minister Stevens.
The Chairman. By whom?
Mr. Young. By the State Department. I do not remember the gist of them. We discussed the landing more than we did the paper. My recollection is that the paper stated that you will use every means and endeavor to act in concert with the minister to preserve and protect our treaty rights with the Sandwith Islands, even if necessary to use force. My recollection is that is about the gist of it.
The Chairman. Now, the instructions given by Admiral Brown?
Mr. Young. Simply a memorandum of the instructions of a similar nature, and also to land the forces once a week for drill and exercise; that they had permission from the Government to land the men under arms for that purpose?
The Chairman. At Honolulu?
Mr. Young. Yes.
The Chairman. Had there been drills of that kind?
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Mr. Young. Every week. We landed once a week on the permission of the Government and used the baseball grounds. They drilled there often, and a great many people came down to see them, it seemed to be a kind of pleasure to the inhabitants of the city when things were favorable. We had one of the best battalions I have ever seen.
The Chairman. What is the strength?
Mr. Young. Three companies of blue jackets, one of artillery, and one of marines, making 154 all told, and about 10 officers.
Senator Butler. How many marines?
Mr. Young. Thirty-two marines, I think.
The Chairman. What time did you leave ship?
Mr. Young. About 5 o'clock—I suppose about a quarter of 5. We were ordered to land at 4, and our battalion was gotten together immediately after dinner, which was between 12 and 1. That was Monday, the 16th. On Saturday the Legislature was prorogued; on Sunday the agitation was kept up, and on Sunday night the volunteer forces around town began to arm.
Senator Butler. Were you on shore then?
Mr. Young. Yes, sir; on Saturday and Saturday night. They met at two rendezvous, 1 was informed, one on Emma street and the other on Nuuana avenue.
Senator Frye. They were the Provisional Government's volunteers?
Mr. Young. I never heard of any Provisional Government or intimation of it until Monday morning.
Senator Frye. They were the whites?
Mr. Young. They were the whites armed, as I understood, to protect themselves against the promulgation of the new constitution, which constitution, I was told, deprived them of all rights and franchises.
Senator Gray. Were you present at those rendezvous?
Mr. Young. No; I was told about it by informants, and after by participants.
The Chairman. I want to know if any troops left the ship before the detachment which you commanded.
Mr. Young. No; we landed in a body.
The Chairman. You went first?
Mr. Young. Yes.
The Chairman. That was 5 o'clock in the evening?
Mr. Young. Five o'clock in the evening. We got the men armed and equipped for heavy marching order—knapsacks and double belts of cartridges holding from 60 to 80 rounds. And I had the caisson filled, taking in all about 14,000 rounds of caliber .45 for the rifle and gatling, 1,200 rounds of caliber .38 for the revolvers, and 174 common explosive shells for the revolving cannon. Each one of these belts carried from 60 to 80 rounds. About 3 o'clock Minister Stevens came on board and was in consultation with Capt. Wiltse. The captain sent for the officers going with the battalion, and had a conference in his cabin.
The Chairman. Did you hear it?
Mr. Young. Yes. Minister Stevens told the captain that there was a very large massmeeting that afternoon in the old armory on Beretania street, and they had agreed to support the report made by the committee of safety to abrogate the monarchy; and that there was a counter mass-meeting held by low whites and Kanakas in Palace Square, whose action indicated an opposition to them, and that these things indicated that trouble was to take place; that the committee of safety through him had asked Capt. Wiltse if he would land the troops to
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