1893 Expedition to Gather Individuals with Hansen’s Disease
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The new government was attempting to gather together all the lepers of the various islands and isolate them on the Island of Molokai, where they would be given better treatment. This met with considerable opposition from the lepers, who objected to being removed from their homes. The majority was transferred, but a group of lepers living in the Kalalau Valley on Kauai refused to move. The civil authorities attempted to force them and a fight ensued. During the course of the struggle a Deputy Sheriff was killed and several men injured. The police on Kauai felt unable to cope with the situation and requested aid from the government at Honolulu.
On June 30th President Dole declared Martial Law to be in effect throughout the Districts of Hanalei and Waimea on the Island of Kauai and directed Colonel Soper to send an expedition to Kalalau, Kauai, “to assist the civil authorities in suppressing armed resistance to the laws.'” Colonel Soper directed twenty-five men from Company A Auxiliary. under the command of Lieutenant G. W. R. King, and Acting Sergeant Major J. W. Pratt in charge of one 7 cm. Howitzer, to proceed to Kauai as soon as possible and place themselves at the disposal of the police.
The expedition arrived at Kalalau, Kauai, on the morning of July 1st, joined with the civil authorities, and proclaimed Martial Law. That same day five lepers were captured in their homes and placed in a quarantine camp that had been established near by. That night the military forces made camp along the shore and prepared for a lengthy siege.’ They had been completely equipped for a field expedition with tents, blankets, field ranges and two weeks’ provisions. The next day eleven more lepers came in and gave themselves up voluntarily. They were placed aboard the steamer “Waialeale” and sent to Honolulu.
The ringleader of the uprising, Koalau, and ten other lepers were still at large. They had fled up the valley and hidden themselves in. the mountains. A systematic search of the area was started and the following afternoon five more of the lepers were captured by the police. On the morning of the 5th the detachment from Company A Auxiliary was proceeding fanlike up the valley when several of the men ran onto Koalau and the other lepers hiding on a narrow ledge. The lepers opened fire and threw the soldiers into confusion. Private John Anderson was instantly killed and several of the others were injured in falling off the ledge. Lieutenant King, was informed of the tragedy and immediately proceeded to the scene of the action with reinforcements. The lepers, however. had retreated farther up the valley to an almost impregnable position.
The next day in an attempt to drive the lepers out of their hiding place two more soldiers, Private J. McCabe and Private J. Husberg, were killed. As it was almost impossible to dislodge the lepers, Lieutenant King decided to take no further risks with his men and retreated down the valley, from where he was content to send up frequent Howitzer shots at the lepers while waiting further orders from Honolulu.
Upon being informed of the gravity of the situation, Attorney General Smith himself proceeded to Kauai, accompanied by an additional squad of ten men from Company A Auxiliary. After examining the situation carefully, the Attorney General decided to withdraw the National Guard troops and leave the affair in the hands of the Kauai Police, who would have a better chance of apprehending the lepers after they had come down out of the mountains. The expedition finally returned to Honolulu on July 13th, bringing with it the bodies of the three men who had been killed. The casualties were buried with full military honors on the 16th.
–History of the Hawaii National Guard pp.40-42
