Following the overthrow of the constitutional monarchy of Queen Liliʻuokalani, the National Guard was established on January 23, 1893 by resolution of the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Provisional
Government of the Hawaiian Islands. The resolution authorized Colonel John Harris Soper to organize military companies of volunteers and regular troops. Act 7 passed by the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Provisional Government and signed by Sanford Ballard Dole on January 27, 1893 designated the National Guard as the organized militia of the Hawaiian Islands. The National Guard consisted of four companies: one company to serve as the paid permanent military force and three volunteer companies. The act authorized the Executive Council with the approval of the Advisory Council to organize other volunteer companies as necessary. The Executive Council was empowered to disband the National Guard. The arms and equipment of the National Guard companies were modeled after the United States Army.
The President of the Provisional Government was designated the Commander in Chief of the National Guard and with the approval of the Executive Council, was authorized to issue rules and regulations for the
militia. The Commander in Chief was empowered to appoint and commission all field, staff and line officers and to appoint officers to his personal staff. The Adjutant General was authorized to assemble and preside over meetings to organize new National Guard companies. He reviewed membership applications, administered the elections of commissioned officers, certified the election results and submitted the list of
elected officers to the Commander in Chief. The Adjutant General's duties were to record, authenticate, and communicate to all troops and individuals in the military service all orders, instructions and regulations issued by the Commander in Chief; to have custody of all official records, to conduct correspondence relating to the records and to the military service in general; to prepare and distribute commissions and military decorations; to compile and issue personnel registers and directories; to manage the recruiting service; to publish and distribute regulations, manuals and documents pertaining to military service. Act 7 stipulated that the National Guard field officers consist of a Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel; the staff officers were a Major, Quartermaster, Ordnance Officer and Surgeon; the line officers were captains and lieutenants of each company. The companies were comprised of approximately 100 men. Company officers included one captain, one first lieutenant, one second lieutenant, one first sergeant, one quartermaster sergeant, four sergeants, eight corporals and two musicians. Membership in the National Guard required that an individual sign the company roll and take the oath of allegiance to the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands. All members of the National Guard were exempted from paying poll tax and road tax and exempted from jury service. On June 30 1893, President Dole declared martial law in the Districts of Waimea and Hanalei on the island of Kauai. The National Guard was ordered to active duty and directed to assist the authorities in suppressing armed resistance on Kauai and to apprehend lepers living at Kalalau Valley. Company A under the command of Lieutenant King was detailed to Kalalau on July 1. Three National Guardsmen were killed in skirmishes with the Kalalau lepers led by Koʻolau and Piʻilani Kaluaikoolau. The National Guard was ordered to retreat and returned to Honolulu on July 13, 1893. President Dole ordered the National Guard to detail Company A to Ewa on September 15, 1893 to apprehend another leper who refused to be removed from his home. Act 46 passed by the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands on August 18, 1893 revised Act 7. The legislation allowed regimental, battalion and company by laws and rules to be adopted by the majority of the elected
officers and approved by the Commander in Chief. National Guard rules and regulations were patterned after the rules and regulations of the United States Army. The Commander in Chief was authorized to organize independent Sharpshooter units. The Sharpshooters were subject to National Guard regulations and entitled to tax and uryj duty exemptions, were not subject to drill duties, not required to wear National Guard uniforms and were not organized into battalions or regiments. The act authorized the creation of the staff of the commander in chief which consisted of the adjutant of the general staff, with rank of
lieutenant colonel; one quartermaster; one ordnance officer with rank of major; and two aides de camp with rank of captain. The commander in chief was authorized to appoint his staff members. The adjutant of the general staff was responsible for compiling a roll of the military forces and submitting the roll to the tax assessors annually. The National Guard force was organized into regiments and battalions. A regiment consisted of approximately 12 companies and a battalion consisted of six or less companies. The field officers of the National Guard were elected by the commissioned officers of the regiment or battalion to two year terms and consisted of one colonel, one lieutenant colonel and one major. The staff officers of the regiment or battalion consisted on one colonel, lieutenant colonel or major, one adjutant, one quartermaster, one ordnance officer and surgeon, each with rank of captain. The regimental staff officers were appointed by the commanding officer. The non-commissioned staff consisted of one sergeant-major, one quartermaster sergeant, one ordnance sergeant, one hospital steward, two color sergeants and one drum major with rank of sergeant major. National Guard companies consisted of one captain, one first
lieutenant, one second lieutenant, one first sergeant, five sergeants, eight corporals, two musicians, one marker and approximately 35 privates. Applications for membership to National Guard companies were
made at regular weekly meetings of the company. Names of applicants were posted in the company headquarters or armory prior to the weekly meeting and all applicants were voted on by the company. The officers and soldiers of the National Guard were exempted from paying poll, road and school taxes and were also exempted from jury duty. Company captains were required to compile muster rolls of the members under his command , The rolls listed the officers in order of their rank and privates in alphabetical order. An inventory of government firearms, ordnance, clothing and property was compiled by the captain and attached to the muster roll. Copies were submitted to the adjutant of the general staff and regimental or battalion headquarters. The company captains were also required to keep a recordbook containing rosters and drill attendance records of members under his command. The recordbook was submitted to the Adjutant by the company captain. Each company of the National Guard was required to assemble weekly to drill and receive military instruction. The President of the Provisional Government was authorized to call the National Guard into active service in times of war, insurrection, rebellion, or civil
unrest. The uniforms, arms, rules, regulations, and equipment of the National Guard of the Provisional Government of the Hawaiian Islands were patterned after the United States Army. Officers authorized to conduct courts martial were the commander in chief, and the regimental or battalion commander. The commander in chief appointed courts martial of officers and the regimental commander for the trial of enlisted men. The United States Army Rules and regulations of courts martial were followed by the National Guard. Article 33 of the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii adopted by the Constitutional Convention of July 3, 1894 designated the President of the Republic as the commander in chief of all military forces of the Republic. Article 13 of the 1894 Constitution declared that the military was subject to the laws of the Republic and that peacetime soldiers were not to be quartered in private homes without the consent of the owner. Legislation enacted by the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Republic of Hawaii in January 1895 amended sections of the 1893 Act 46. The Commander in Chief appointed officers to fill vacancies of National Guard units called to active service during martial law. On January 6, 1895 an armed insurrection against the government by Hawaiian citizens loyal to the Queen began. National Guard companies, the Citizens Guard and Sharpshooters were called to active duty to put down the rebellion. On February 8, 1895 legislation was passed empowering the commander in chief to designate the marshal to carry out sentences prescribed by the Military Commission. Act 19 also passed in February 1895 appropriated $25,000 to pay the general expenses for the suppression of the January 1895 rebellion. Act 21 passed in March 1895 appropriated $15,000 and Act 30 passed in May 1895 appropriated an additional $10,000 to pay for expenses to suppress the rebellion. National Guard forces were reorganized by Act 20 passed by the Legislative Assembly Special Session August 13, 1895. Act 20 repealed sections of Act 46 passed in 1893. The act empowered the commander in chief to organize independent Sharpshooter units and sanctioned that he appoint his staff which consisted of one adjutant with rank of lieutenant colonel, two majors, as many aides with rank of captain as necessary. The commander in chief was authorized to establish and
prescribe rules and regulations, forms and precedents to govern the National Guard forces and Sharpshooter units. All commissioned officers of the National Guard were appointed and commissioned by the Commander in Chief. With the consent of his cabinet, the Commander in Chief was empowered to disband any portion of the National Guard and Sharpshooters. The National Guard consisted of four companies organized by order of the Commander in Chief. The commander in chief was empowered to
organize Sharpshooter units. Although entitled to similar benefits as the National Guard, the Sharpshooter units were not part of the National Guard forces. The National Guard was organized into companies, battalions and regiments. Battalions consisted of two or more companies; regiments consisted of two or more battalions. Companies were organized with one captain, one first lieutenant and one second lieutenant and consisted of approximately 37 to 100 enlisted men. Field officers of a regiment were one colonel, one lieutenant colonel and one major for each battalion. The regimental staff was appointed by the commanding officer and consisted of adjutant, one quartermaster, one ordnance officer, one surgeon and one chaplain, each with the rank of captain. An adjutant with the rank of first lieutenant was appointed for each battalion. The noncommissioned staff consisted of one regimental sergeant-major, one sergeant major for each battalion, one quartermaster sergeant, one ordnance sergeant, one commissary sergeant, two color sergeants and one chief musician with rank of sergeant major. The Legislature of the Republic of Hawaiʻi passed Act 8 in 1896 to define the military related duties and powers of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs. The act designated the Minister of Foreign Affairs as the chief administrative officer of the military forces of the Republic. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was authorized, with the approval of the commander in chief to establish and prescribe rules and regulations for the National Guard, to appoint and convene general courts martial, to review the findings of general and regimental courts martial, and to
countersign all military commissions signed by the President. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was responsible for all military expenditures. Act 49 approved by the president on May 27, 1896 amended Act 20 passed in 1895. The field and staff officers and noncommissioned staff of a National Guard regiment were revised. The field officers of a regiment were one colonel, one lieutenant colonel, with one major for
each battalion. The staff of the commanding officer of the regiment was appointed by him and consisted of one surgeon with rank of major, one adjutant, one quartermaster, one ordnance officer and one chaplain, each with rank of captain. The noncommissioned staff of the regiment consisted of one regimental sergeant major, one battalion sergeant major, one quartermaster sergeant, one ordnance sergeant, one commissary sergeant, two color sergeants and one chief musician with rank of sergeant major. Act 30 of the 1898 Laws of the Republic of Hawaii amended previous legislation relating to the National Guard and Sharpshooters enlistment and discharges from service. Commissioned officers were empowered to
administer the oaths of loyalty all members were required to take. From 1898 to 1900, the legal status of the National Guard was in doubt with the annexation of Hawaii into the United States on August 12, 1898. The United States military viewed the National Guard of Hawaii as a local military organization without legal sanction. The commander of the National Guard of Hawaii, Colonel Fisher assumed that the organization was sanctioned as a state national guard unit. On September 1, 1898 the National Guard of Hawaii was reorganized. Colonel Fisher ordered the disbandment of all National Guard companies and reenlisted them as new volunteer companies pledging allegiance to the United States. All regular troops of the National Guard were mustered out of service in September 1898. A New York volunteer company resumed the duties of the regular troops of the National Guard of Hawaiʻi. The reorganized volunteer companies of the National Guard of Hawaiʻi maintained drill routines and participated in parades. On December 12, 1899 the government called the National Guard of Hawaiʻi to active duty during a bubonic plague epidemic. The Public Health authorities ordered a quarantine and declared martial law in the Chinatown. Shortly after the fire in Chinatown on January 20, 1900 a detention camp was established at Kalihi and placed under the control of the National Guard. National Guardsmen remained on active duty until February 1900. On June 14, 1900 the Republic of Hawaii officially ended and the Hawaiian Islands became a Territory of the United States. The National Guard of Hawaiʻi then became an official part of the military system of the United States .
