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Charles Cowley. Autograph Letter Signed ("Chas."). 3pp. Kailua, Kona, Hawaii, Jan. 19, 1895. 3pp. To his mother and father, Manchester, Iowa, ten days after suppression of the last Hawaiian monarchist rebellion.

Apparently newly-arrived in Hawaii from the Midwest to open a drug store, Cowley was still playing the tourist (“up to see the Volcano” on horseback), hunting wild hogs,  sampling local cuisine (“a nice fat dog is quite a delicacy among the natives…cooks so tender and moist…”), and shrugging off political turmoil: “An attempt was about to be made to overthrow the government last week, but it was frustrated by the government forces. Only a few shots fired, a few dead and all the conspirators arrested. I expect they will hang some of the leaders. The trouble was all at Honolulu, no trouble in the other islands. This is the last outbreak and if they hang a few of the leaders it will end all the trouble for all time in my opinion. All business was stopped in Honolulu.”

The three-day 1895 rebellion on Oahu was indeed the last hurrah of the royalists, two years after Queen Liliuokalani’s monarchy was overthrown by the pro-American Republic of President Sanford Dole. Only three mini-battles were fought by a few hundred men, leaving a handful of dead and injured. The rebellion ring-leaders were tried and found guilty of treason, but none were executed, all being pardoned by President Dole.