Volney V . Ashford Volney Vallencourt “ V . V . ” Ashford ( 1844 - 1900 ) was an American soldier and involved in 19th century rebellion in Hawaii . Military career . Ashford joined the Union Army in 1863 after leaving his home in Port Hope , Ontario . He was a British citizen since Canada was a territory of the United Kingdom . He became a Quartermaster Sergeant in the Grizwold Light Cavalry during the American Civil War . After the Civil War , Ashford , became a surveyor for the Beaverton railway and joined the Prince of Wales ' Royal Canadian Dragoons were he made Captain . He was widowed twice in addition to the death of his daughter . In 1884 his brother and future Attorney General of Hawaii , Clarence W . Ashford , invited him to visit Honolulu . After moving to Hawaii he joined the Honolulu Rifles , a militia . Ashford became responsible for the Rifles ’ growth from 100 men in 1886 to a battalion of three companies in 1887 and recognition as a paramilitary force . He rapidly moved up the ranks entering with his Canadian rank of Captain , he rose through Major and Lieutenant Colonel becoming Colonel in 1887 , the highest rank and commander of the Rifles itself . Ashford and Annexation of Hawaii . Shortly after becoming Colonel , a group of conspirators within the Missionary Party wanted to annex Hawaii to the United States . Ashford believed the monarchy was corrupt and was recruited to what would be known as the Hawaiian League . The Hawaiian League used the Rifles in the Rebellion of 1887 a bloodless revolution to enact the Bayonet Constitution . In 1889 the Rifles did battle with forces of Robert Wilcox in the Wilcox Rebellion . Upon Wilcox ’ s surrender , he offered Ashford his sabre , he accepted the surrender but turned down the sabre . Ashford began to regret his support for the Hawaiian League . He came to believe that the League was more corrupt than the monarchy at advancing their own interests rather than improving Hawaii . He joined the Liberal Party , a third party that supported nether the Monarchy nor the Missionaries . Ashford was arrested in a plot to overthrown both the Monarchy and Bayonet Constitution known as the Burlesque Conspiracy and went into exile . His brother took his place in his absence as commander of the Honolulu Rifles . After the Overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy , Ashford returned to Hawaii and retired from his position as commander of the Rifles . He was a strong supporter of annexation , but with the establishment of the Republic of Hawaii he gave little support for the new government which he believed was corrupt and later revealed at his military tribunal , disapproved of the mistreatment of Hawaiians by the government . Ashford was approached by counter - revolutionaries as a consultant to restore the monarchy . Exile and Illness . The counter - revolution ended in failure in 1895 and Ashford was charged with misprision of treason and received one year in prison and a $ 1000 fine . Due to his ill health he was given the option of the one year sentence or become exiled ( if he returned he would receive his original sentence ) . After accepting exile he moved to California , his brother moved in with him under similar circumstances of exile . Ashford died on March 21 , 1900 in Oakland , California . References . " On a Bayonet Throne " by Neil B . Dukas