Natives came alongside with coconuts, limes, pineapples, pigs and chickens. We bought them for a song finding that old brass coins were considered more valuable than silver dollars! We discovered police on the island had worked for nothing and still paid $1.50 taxes a year. They had no guns and the points of their knives had been cut off. An American was left in charge of the island while we sailed away on a North-westerly course with all ships underway by 4 pm. carrying Spanish government officials and fifty soldiers as prisoners.
James J. Loughrey
(July 4, 1869 — August 28, 1965), Sergeant in ‘A’ Company of the United States California Volunteer Infantry.
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