Department of Defense

1860-1873

Some three years later, in 1860, the lst Hawaiian Cavalry was revived and became known as the Leleiohoku Guard: It was composed almost entirely of Hawaiians, with several business men as officers. The troop had almost one hundred members, well mounted and equipped. They wore the “Garibaldi” type uniform, consisting of blue trousers, red shirt, black necktie and a “Kossuth” hat. Charles W. Vincent was Captain in command of the troop; Charles H. Judd, Senior Lieutenant; M. R. Harvey, 1st Lieutenant; William Duncan, 2nd Lieutenant; and William H. Dimond, 3rd Lieutenant. I Considerable time and effort were expended to train the Leleiohoku Guard at first, but as time went on and the novelty of the organization wore off, less attention was paid to drill and the troop was allowed to run down.

– History of the Hawaii National Guard pp. 16

In the early part of September, 1873, a riot occurred at the Barracks and the soldiers got out of hand. Fearing for his own safety, Lunalilo disbanded the entire regular force, with the exception of the Band, on September 12, 1873, and made no attempt to organize a new guard. Several days later he also disbanded the Honolulu Rifles and the Leleiohoku Guard.

– History of the Hawaii National Guard pp. 17

1874-1889

The Leleiohoku Guard was also called back into existence but had difficulty in procuring mounts and never amounted to a great deal. All of the companies were severely handicapped by the lack of uniforms and equipment and could hardly be called military organizations. Few men had guns that would fire, and rare indeed was the soldier who had a complete outfit and knew how to drill. An English army officer who lived in Hawaii from 1874 to 1880 gives the following description of the Hawaiian military forces:

“The present army, or more properly speaking, the Palace Guard, is more numerous in the commissioned ranks than that forming the file, which latter consists of some fifty men and as they cannot for an instance be relied upon, except to flaunt their bravery in support of the enormous National emblem that is trotted out at the opening and prorogation of Parliament, volunteer military companies have been formed to keep them in check in case of inadvertence with their rusty rifles. The volunteer companies are five in number, whose clothing evinces fertility in imaginative tailoring. These are the Prince’s Own-artillery without guns!, The Leleiohoku Guard-cavalry without horses, two companies of Hawaiian Guard, and the Mamalahoas.”

– History of the Hawaii National Guard pp. 19

The following year an attempt was made to reorganize and improve the army. The king was actively interested in the situation and instructed Major Robert Hoapili Baker, Commander of the Military Forces of the Kingdom of Hawaii, to submit a report to the legislature with recommendations for the improvement of the armed forces. The Major blamed the legislature for failure to appropriate sufficient funds. He said in his report:

“In reality we have none (militia). We have no head and no system . . . This state of things has been allowed to run on until the force is reduced to a mere skeleton. In Legislature after Legislature, certain sums have been voted, barely enough to eke out an existence for an institution representing only in name the military force of the Kingdom . . . . Something more has to be done beyond the appropriation of public funds to provide for the King’s Guard . . . The military force, as it now stands, is composed of one regularly paid company, the King’s Guard, consisting of 58 men, rank and file, and four volunteer companies exhibited on paper.”

The four volunteer companies referred to were the following:

• The Leleiohoku Guard (cavalry) with an enlistment f….. 84
• The Prince’s Own (artrilery) with an enlistment of………….105
• The Mamalahoas (infantry) with an enlistment of……………….. 75
• The Honolulu Rifles (infantry) with an enlistment of……….. 52

Major Baker recommended that a law be passed reorganizing the military forces of the kingdom, in view of the growing importance of Hawaii. He wished to enlarge the King’s Guard and to muster the Prince’s Own and the Mamalahoas into the regular service. The Honolulu Rifles and the Leleiohoku Guard were to remain as volunteer companies but were to be subsidized by the government. All organizations were to be paid and equipped by the government.

– History of the Hawaii National Guard pp. 19-20

Kalakaua retained the King’s Guard but the other native military organizations, which had refused to come to his aid at this time, were allowed to die a natural death and went out of existence.

– History of the Hawaii National Guard pp. 21