Ensign John R Monaghan

The Facts of American Involvement in Samoa

The historical record clearly shows that Ensign John Monaghan performed heroically during a battle on April 1, 1899, between Samoan rebels that wanted regime change and Samoans loyal to the King. Both sides received aid from foreign powers, including repeating rifles, during the struggle called the Second Samoan Civil War. 

A review of American involvement in Samoa starting in 1872 will allow you to see the big picture and review the facts.

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The Brave and Tragic Death of Ensign Monaghan

The actual story behind battle that Ensign John Monaghan is fairly straight-forward

and not the reign of terror portrayed by the activists. On April 1, 1899, an allied force of British and American Sailors and Marines, along with about 100 of their Samoan allies landed on the Samoan island of xxxx to attack a stronghold of rebel force trying to overthrow the rightful king. The rebels were backed by Imperial Germany, and the king was backed by the United Kingdome and United States. 

While moving toward their main objective, the Allied force did burn two villages that were the home to Rebel sympathizers. However, everyone was ordered out of the area beforehand and there were no civilian casualties. This is a common thing to happen during civil wars, with the American Civil War being no exception. The burning of Atlanta by General Sherman is a very well-known example. 

What the Allied force did not know is that the Samoan rebels were lying in wait to ambush them. As the combined force of Samoans, British and Americans entered a large clearing, the trap was sprung. Rebel sharpshooters began cutting down the Allied troops with withering gunfire. The casualties quickly rose as the Allies were outnumbered about 10 to 1. The British officer leading the detachment was killed almost immediately. This set the stage for the fateful actions that would end in the truly heroic death of U.S. Navy Ensign John Monaghan. 

In response to the ambush, U.S. Marines set-up a machine gun and tried to return fire. However, the machine gun, a Colt M1895, jammed. The Marines manning it were then wounded, so the American officer, Lieutenant Lansbury, who was now in charge, tried to clear the jam. He too was shot. He had a serious swound to his left thigh and could not be moved under the conditions. Seeing it was a hopeless situation, he ordered Ensign Monaghan to take the surviving troops and retreat back to their ship, the USS Philadelphia. 

Now, Ensign Monaghan could have just followed orders and retreated, but he did not. Instead, feeling overwhelming compassion for a wounded fellow officer, he decided to stay by Lansbury’s side and ordered everyone else back to ship. They obeyed and left Monaghan to his sad fate. 

When a shore party returned the next day to recover the bodies of those who fell, they found all three of the Allied officers ruthlessly beheaded. This was seen as a barbaric act by the Americans and British, and reinforced the stereotypes held by Western countries of native cultures, which considered them “savages.” At the time, beheading worthy foes and presenting the head to their chieftain to show bravery was a long-standing custom of Samoan warriors. Today, it would be a war crime. 

Ensign Monaghan’s head was soon retrieved by a missionary priest and he was buried with full military honors. In 1906, the Spanish American War Veterans in Spokane proposed a monument be erected to honor the noble sacrifice and bravery of Ensign Monaghan. A statue was soon erected in downtown Spokane, where it remains to this day. 

Though three Marines and one Sailor received the Medal of Honor for their actions in that battle, Ensign Monaghan did not. The only reason that he did not receive such an honor was because in that era the Navy did not award the Medal of Honor to officers. Gallantry was just part of the job. 

The Navy did recognize his unselfish act by naming two destroyers after him. The first was DD-32, which was launched in 1911 and served during WWI. The second was DD-354, launched in 1935. Like her namesake it also met a tragic end when she sank during “Halsey’s Typhoon” on December 18, 1944. Only 6 crew members out of a compliment of 100 survived.

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Event timeline – Samoa 1878 to 1900

1878 - The United States signed a treaty with the Samoan rulers that allowed the naval supply station to be expanded in Pago Pago Harbor. This agreement included the sale of 112 acres of land to be used by the U.S. Navy. Samoa remained an independent country. 

1889 – First Samoan Civil War 

1. The Civil War begins when Mata’afa Iosefo attempts to overthrow the King of Samoa, Malietoa Laupepa. 

2. The Germans land troops to support the king. They fight the supporters of Mata’afa Iosefo and are driven back by the rebels with the loss of 40 men. 

3. The navies of the United States and United Kingdom arrive on the scene. They attempt to mediate a settlement as a way to protect their interests. 

4. A very strong typhoon hits Samoa. The Germans and Americans had six ships in the harbor and they were all were sunk by the storm. Only the sole British warship survives in relatively good condition. The Samoan villages are heavily damaged as well. Two ships, one German and one American, are later refloated. 

5. The typhoon takes the wind out of everyone’s sails. An agreement is reached among the parties to keep the King on the throne. Some sources state that Mata’afa Iosefo went into voluntary exile. Samoa retains its sovereignty. 

1898 to 1899 - Second Samoan Civil War 

1. 1898 - King of Samoa, Malietoa Laupepa, dies. Per earlier agreements among the parties, including the Samoans, his son, Tanumafili I was declared as heir apparent. This was immediately challenged by Mata’afa Iosefo, who had returned from exile, and other chieftains. However, Tanumafili, the crown prince was backed by Great Britain and the United States and was coronated as King of Samoa on December 31, 1898. U.S. and British troops take part in the ceremony to honor the new King. 

2. The coronation sets off the Second Samoan Civil War. 

3. This time, Germany offers aid to the rebels, led by Mata’afa Iosefo, which is accepted. 

4. Great Britain and the United States come to the assistance of the new King and provide aid with his approval. In fact, Tanumafili takes refuge aboard the British warships to avoid assassination attempts. 

5. At this point, none of the Great Powers is seeking to take over Samoa as a colony. Their primary purpose is to protect their commercial interests and use of Samoa as a navy supply depot. 

6. In March and April there are two major battles between the opposing groups. Samoan forces on both sides have been armed with rifles provided by their Western allies. Both armies are comprised of Samoans, but include armed parties from all three western powers. Sources indicate that the detachments on both sides were led by the Western powers, aided by their Samoan counterparts. 

7. March 15-30 – Battle of Apia. Rebel warriors forcibly evict long-time residents of European descent from their homes near Apia. The refugees flee in fear to Apia seeking protection from the British and Americans backing the King. 

8. Rebel forces are asked to desist from attacking Apia by the leaders of the American and British forces. The Rebels ignore this plea and begin attacks, laying siege to Apia. 

9. In response, nearby Rebel strongholds are shelled by the HMS Porpoise and HMS Royalist, as well as U.S. Navy ship USS Philadelphia (C-4). The rebel forts and strongholds are located among or near villages, so some shells land in these areas, which resulted in collateral damage (death and injuries to villagers that are not combatants). Areas around two other villages were later shelled by the Royalist to target rebel troops moving through the area. 

10. American and British forces withdraw from Vailele, a nearby town. 

11. April 1 - Second Battle of Vailele. Sixty-two British sailors from the HMS Porpoise and Royal Isle, along with a landing party 60 American sailors and Marines come ashore and join a group of 100 Samoan warriors loyal to the new King. Their purpose is to capture an opposition stronghold. 

12. Several rebel villages are burned, but residents are ordered out of their homes beforehand. 

13. The force loyal to the King, under the command of British Lieutenant Angel H. Freeman, is ambushed by the rebels. Lieutenant Freeman is killed and Lieutenant F.V. Lansdale of the U.S. Navy assumes command. 

14. Lieutenant Lansdale is seriously wounded in the left thigh by Samoan snipers while trying to clear a jam in a Colt machine gun that was being used by the U.S. Marines. He orders his shore party and their Samoan allies to retreat and leave him behind. 

15. Ensign John Monaghan refuses to leave Lieutenant Lansdale to face the enemy alone. Monaghan repeats the order for everyone else to withdraw, which they do. The American sailors and Marines then return to the Philadelphia. 

16. The HMS Royalist and USS Philadelphia again bombard rebel positions resulting in about 80 Samoan rebel warriors being killed out of a force of about 800. 

17. April 2 – A shore party returns to the battlefield to retrieve the bodies of the slain officers and others that fell during the battle. All three officers are found beheaded, which was the custom of Samoan warriors of that era, and would be considered a war crime today. Missionaries negotiate a return of the heads of the fallen men to be buried with their bodies. 

18. Another smaller battle occurs on April 15. The results are inconclusive, but hostilities die down afterward. 

19. The British, Germans, and United States realize their proxy war is taking more resources, time, and manpower than they wish to expend. Over several months, they negotiated an agreement that would end the conflict. The talks occurred in Washington D.C. and Berlin. It was agreed to partition Samoa between the Germans and Americans, with the British getting concessions from the Germans elsewhere. The agreement was signed in December 1899, and ratified in the U.S. in January 1900. The Germans were given administrative authority over what would become Western Samoa and Mata’afa Iosefo was chosen to lead the Samoans under German rule. The United States was granted authority over the eastern islands, which came to be called American Samoa. The new territory was administered by the U.S. Navy. 

20. January 1900 – The United States negotiates a cession treaty with the Samoan government. The U.S. assumed authority to administer eastern Samoa, while the Samoans retained their rights to communal land ownership and limited self-governance. 

21. A number of Samoans in both Western Samoa and American Samoa felt resentment over Germany, United Kingdom and the United States partitioning their country without consulting with their leaders. That resentment continues among some Samoans to the present day. 

Aftermath – 1901 to Present 

22. The U.S. Navy awarded three Medals of Honor to members of the shore party that was ambushed. The three Marines were Sergeant Michael Joseph McNally, Private Henry L. Hulbert, and the sailor was Gunner’s Mate Frederick Thomas Fisher. These were granted in 1901. 

23. In 1906, the Spanish American War Veterans led an effort to have Ensign Monaghan honored for his brave and heroic actions with a statue in downtown Spokane. 

24. In 1914 WWII began and control of Western Samoa was transferred from Germany to New Zealand in a bloodless takeover. In 1962, Western Samoa gained independence from New Zealand. 

25. American Samoa remains an American territory to this day. The U.S. Navy administered the eastern islands until 1950 when those responsibilities were transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The DOI also is responsible for overseeing the affairs of the Native American tribes within the United States. This led to a change in the governance model so that the Samoans could elect a governor and legislative body to manage their affairs. 

26. There have been at least two plebiscites asking those living in American Samoa if they wish to change their relationship with the United States or stay with the status quo. Both times the Samoans voted to maintain the status quo. Of course, there were dissenters that desired some type of change. It is interesting to note that the freely elected native government of American Samoa has stated to the United Nations commission on colonies that their people do not consider themselves to be subjugated by the United States under their territorial status. This suggests that while the local activists are resentful of the relationship of the United States with American Samoa, most people actually living there believe it is in their best interests to remain a territory. 

27. In 1997, Western Samoa changed its name to just “Samoa.” This upset many living in American Samoa as they felt this dimmished their identity as Samoans. 

Key Point Summary 

28. Starting with the treaty signed in 1878 between Samoa and the United States demonstrates a good-faith effort by America to establish a relationship based on mutual respect, not conquest. 

29. Fighting among Samoan factions over who should be their rightful leader tended to destabilize the situation. Following the typhoon in 1889, an agreement was reached ending the civil war and the king was retained as the head of the government. Again, Samoa retained its independence as part of the solution negotiated by the Americans. 

30. The Second Samoan Civil War was triggered by the death of King Malietoa Laupepa. Both sides accepted military aid from the Great Powers to help them defeat the opposing side. Samoan forces on both sides received bolt-action rifles and training in the methods of Western warfare. The modern infantry weapons and use of naval gunfire meant the human toll increased significantly, especially for those not directly involved in the actual fighting, such as villagers. 

31. The two major battles resulted in major casualties, but were inconclusive in giving one side or the other the upper hand. This made the three Western powers realize that the conflict would cost more in lives and material than anyone realized at the start. Their pragmatic solution was to negotiate a settlement among themselves and side-step Samoan politics completely.

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