Second Battle of Vailele

In 1899, Samoa was a warzone as it had been previously during the First Samoan Civil War. As a result of Malietoa Laupepa's death, Mata'afa Iosefo returned from exile and was elected to power by a council of Samoan chiefs. In response, the British Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy landed forces at Apia in support of Prince Tanu who was the legitimate heir to the Samoan throne which had already been taken over by the German-backed Mataafa.

The first battle of the conflict involving the British and Americans was fought at Apia, when the naval forces landed they occupied much of the city, Mataafan forces attacked, so British and American warships in Apia Harbour began bombarding enemy positions around the city. After the conflict, Mataafaite forces, as they were sometimes called, retreated to the stronghold of Vailele and thus began several American and British expeditions into the dense jungle to find the chief's men.[1]

At the end of March, a joint expedition of British, American and Samoan forces marched along the coast from Apia towards Vailele. Skirmishes were fought and two villages destroyed as the Samoan rebels retreated. On April 1, the expedition of 50 marines, 90 sailors and 200 Samoans left the coast for an attack on the landward side of Vailele, leaving the protection of naval gunfire support. The cruisers USS Philadelphia, HMS Tauranga, HMS Porpoise and the corvette HMS Royalist landed the sailors and marines, Royalist was sent ahead of the expedition to bombard the two forts guarding Vailele plantation.[1]

Mata'afa Iosefo in 1911.

When the landing party approached the plantation, HMS Royalist ceased her bombardment, and just then the land force, under the command of Royal Navy Lieutenant Angel Hope Freeman and American Lieutenant Philip Lansdale, was ambushed by over 900 Samoan riflemen hidden all around in the foliage of the jungle while another 1,300 Samoan riflemen and club wielding warriors from one of the forts fired volley after volley towards the expedition and clashed against them. The expedition quickly began returning volleys and the Americans set up a Colt machine gun. Mataafan forces first attacked the allied column from the rear and from the left flank. Lieutenant Freeman was killed and beheaded just after fighting began, he was hit by snipers hiding among palm and banana trees. The rebels then charged and Lieutenant Landsdale took command. Close quarters combat and skirmishing continued for a while, the rebel Samoans repeatedly attacked the expedition's front line and several of them were killed or wounded. The machine gun jammed after firing only a few shots and as Lieutenant Landsdale attempted to fix the problem, a shot hit him in the thigh and he fell to the ground with his bone shattered. A retreat was sounded, and Landsdale ordered his men to save themselves so the expedition began to fall back which left the lieutenant alone under heavy fire. Refusing to leave his commander, Ensign John R. Monaghan, picked up a rifle and with three others, went after Landsdale and when they were carrying him out of action, Seaman Norman Edsall was shot and killed.[1]

Once again, Landsdale ordered his rescuers to flee but they held their ground waiting for reinforcements and were killed by fast approaching Samoan rebels. After the battle, Landsdale and Monaghan were found dead side by side and the expedition retreated to the coast having suffered many casualties which were accounted for the following morning. During the withdrawal, HMS Royalist resumed fire and bombarded the bush from which the Mataafans were attacking. Samoan rebel forces killed in this battle is unknown while the expedition were only able to recover 12 dead British sailors 11 American marines and 3 officers while the rest of the dead marines and sailors were taken away by the Samoan rebels leading to a unknown accurate number of killed. Missionaries tried to ask for the bodies back but was denied by Samoan rebel leaders. The British and American soldiers were decapitated and were then taken away to an unknown place. The number of British and American bodies that was taken by the Samoans are unknown due to the lack of information at the time. There were also Samoan loyalists to Malieota who fought with the British American expedition were under American command and most deserted at the sound of the first volley, the remaining were used to reinforce the front line. Later patrols reported finding large pools of blood behind the banana trees, evidence of rebel casualties. Two marine privates, Henry L. Hulbert and Michael Joseph McNally, received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the fighting.[1]

The battle was a defeat for the expeditionary forces, they retreated back to Apia and reported their casualties to their commanders who decided to plan for future operations in the area. On April 13, the British frontline was extended just south of Vailele and that day the Matafaans attacked but were repulsed. Another expedition later fought again within Vailele, this time the rebels won again when they withstood a British led attack on the two forts. The engagements occurred near the battlefield where Samoan rebels defeated German troops in 1888 during the first battle of Vailele during the first civil war on the island. A statue of Ensign Monaghan was erected in Spokane, Washington to commemorate the young officer's bravery.[1] The official report of Monaghan's death reads;

"The men were not in sufficient numbers to hold out any longer, and they were forced along by a fire which it was impossible to withstand. Ensign Monaghan did stand. He stood steadfast by his wounded superior and friend - one rifle against many, one brave man against a score .... He knew he was doomed. He could not yield. He died in heroic performance of duty."

• Mains, P. John; McCarty, Louis Philippe (1906). The Statistician and Economist: Volume 23.