THE WEST COAST CAMPAIGN.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 24 November 1866, Page 3

THE WEST COAST CAMPAIGN.

A STRONG PAH TAKEN, AND FOUR VILLAGES BURNED. Tlie. t cprre^pondent.. of ; the " Southern'Cross"'au'pplies fuller details of the recent proceedings at the. front than have jjr - viously been receivetl : — . C.unp Ketamarai, Oct. 20. Jus};, after arriving in camp hero, afte r a most harassing march, and sharp engage" ment with the rebels at their pah at Keteoneata, I hasten' tp ' send you the particulars of our march towards the rebel position, and the success attending our efforts' tb 'cool down 'the rebellious spirit <f the Hau Haus infesting the precinct j of tlie bush in this, portion of the district. . ..Orders were issued^ hist. night for the rfield' 'force, under command of Major Rocke, 18th Royal Irish, to march at two o'clock this morning. Major Rocke in command, we started towards the bush. and, after' going about; half a mile on the road, a drizzling ran set in, which rendered • the ground' very slippery. At abput 4; 30 we entered the bush, on a Verry ■uar'ro-vV' track, : after ! passing some. places PPJNiere look,-oiit posts wore fixed.i by the rebels, from- which ; they could perceive ' the advance of trocips towards their locali-.' ties. Previous to ehiei^ng the bush,, and, about daybreak, we came upon a fine drove of cattle convenient to a stockyard and paddock. 1 ' I firmly believe there were upwards of lOQheadpf cattle in the drove,: Kml - tnany ' a : , wish .Was given that .they wonld .he in oiir way on return to Pur campj but : which wishes were not realised. •■ Previous 1 to marching away, thirty sharpshooters went to the front belonging* , tp the 18th. These men were to lead the wljple .division, and, to act as shai'p- . shooters ; and nobly they did their, ; part, ' 'wlieri tlie trial came on. These men were, followed by^the Native Contingent ; then the Patea aud Taranaki . RangerSji; and. '"next followed the main body of the 18th,' ■ .according to the foregoing mmibers*.' :Two ; nie'n from the Maori Contingent actsd as guides, one of whom holds the rank of corporal, aud a most daring, intelligent "ifellow he is. He kept a checlc on the ■-'> other native as to his safe guiding— he r haying come in lately from the rebels and ■■•> ; su'rrerideredi ';..'.! „ ■'.'•• • J\Vhen' we'e.ritei'ed.the close track in the y ;t>ush every ., one , , jtept ; strict silence, and ''['yirTißji, gettingintq. .the^njtricato part of the track weird was sent to the rear to, bring .., ; "the. Contingent, lOithOi front,. as it was the Governor's wish that they should be tlurj .when the;tugio£ w-ar came on. However, ■when we got again on the move we ;; inarched along in; J single^ jnle^4-the ( shar jjshooters of the 18th behig in front^fol- , 5 lowkd iby the ■ Rangers' -and dismounted; . u cayalry. men iiextj.ithe "Contingent.; and . ' then Captain" Dawson*s 18tlij Royal Irish. ! Iri>'a few iriiriiites we came upon aistrpngi.'lpah,; palisaded with huge i ; timber,- and, ; very: j narrowicf or ,!jThe 18th .sjiarp.shppters, ( :nui.der': Ensign Pringle, .rushed' to /the, palisading ,wi^h a- ■ "cheer, followed, by tlie Rangers and,^spganui Cavalry. " L Tlie Contingent living jnade way- 'for' .Captain Dawson's conipany .... ...of the 18th, ; the- whole- dashed oh over .thepalisading, when tliey were ; niet by : a pevere volley from the rebels. behind their stronghold, wlii'cli; was bipekaded by huge •trees." -On rweilt"the"lßth:^Rbyal"'lrish,' ' witli a cheerjthat. none- but (Irishmen can give! " k Bang Vsang! went the volleys, and away flew, the rebels through their : tracka , andj bnsh, .while ..down „pame the ; rebel woodworks by the axemen of the ■ ; 18th.i ißeb$ j huts' and' wharor were' soon ; setr.fee 1»f jfiile,, the trifle ...bullets, were' dealing' terror to i the Hau Haus as th|y flew ; thr6ugh- ; tfie*'bush in' all J directions^; leaving the llth,!P,atea Rangers, and ithe. 1 few cavahy in' occupation of the pah, nPwj . levelled and in flames. .There werefojir,. . of the enemy fpund killed,. f besidps .several: ' who were wonhded' and- escaped, bleeding - ufrom their wounds j towards .the. bush, iI" regret to state that .trooper P..;Hanley, 'of ' the Wanganiii Cavalry," received, a" dah- ; :gerous wound in the left breast, the ball i: „_gpin g °ut at the back. He. receiyed..the 7 Bullet after scaling the palisading with- 1 l th6 sharpshooters of the 18th, - (Haiiley; im since;, died of .the. wound;) The old' fuHau that woiinded Hanley was afterr bayoneted by Private Heiinigan,- of jjhtain Dawson's company, 18th, who

turned the rebel's rifle aside bj^ his bayonet,, and. then made \ him taste the value of the soldier^ cold steel. When the rebels found that the 18th were in action they shouted out the same through the bush' saying, " The lioia, the pakeha make the light." When we had cleared the pah and dismembered ■it of , its fair proportions, we wero guided ■ on towards another. ; rebel village,, which we entered through another track. After .doing so and waiting for a little rest, the village was set' fire to. Not a : lriinian being*c6uld be seen in it, and all the' occupiers had' fled into' the thick of the r bush. The Maori Contingent acted very smartly ...and usefully, bujt when the tug of war came, and the cheer "for death and glory was given, by the. Royal Irish, tliey had to .give -way. before them, and were ' completely ' out-distanced ' by the Irishmen 'in the rush to clear the palisading andUlrive the rebels before them, which they.didin'the most gallant manner. : We came back ,to camp through the bush by: a most hai-Assing track, up almost perpendicular lulls, now tripped up by supplejack,' at other times pulled up by its aid— through swamps, gullies, aud wading rivers. We came upon several settlements in course of cultivation, and 1 three villages, which we. burned to the ground. ' : I can't say if we are to have any more marches thvough the bush, but I can assure' your ' readers that ■ suclr harassing marches, Avithout as much as a drain of rum oivthe road from midiiight till noon, are not relished. The marsh through the bush, wading up to your %iddlo through rivers, climbiug' by mean's of supplejack Up steep hills, through a dense foreat, fighting a desperate foe, and getting several . knockdowns by means of supplejack and slippery ground, over a country, back and forward, of a. distance 1 of twenty miles, without a uian's breakfast or , a taste of nourishment, is a practice not to he relished. , , The two chaplains, : th6 Rev MrCollins and theßcv Mr M'Sweeriey, were hi the field, ha vihgleft ! tlie^amp at the same time. They followed "us inch for iuch, even; to the very teetli of the. rebel position., The Rey Mr M'Swoeney" attended closely to poor Hanley. .' ; . [ Tliree Han Haus came in yesterday'/ and 1 surrendered to the ' Governor. ' One ; of 'them assisted as.guide to-day with. us,: in : our harassing march towards the .rebelneighborhood. I i believe now that, : the rebels have boentaught that ''the soldiers can , be brought against them at ahj time when required, which they did not'think could be done," f or OnWdf their chiefs' told 'tiie Governor herethat he' had none of the "linperinl forces ttfniarch into; the field.; I also believe .that: the, ringing; cheer of the :18th Rangers.. cUid. cavalry this day, .when scaling .their palisading, will teach , them a lesson not soon ibbe. forgotten: ' "' . Major Rockej l'Bth, ; was' in command of the whole force ; and' every man here wishes to have him always >at the. head, for his coolness and judgment in action. , A bayonet belonging ,to. the. lBth Royal Irish, and a bayonet scabbard^^ belonging to the 57th Regiment j No.' 480, were . found in the rebel pah after it was occupied by the trqopslitlns'niorniiig: » '■ ' . The "Governor is still ; here, and Major M'Donnell is /on ;the sick : list, I understand.;! . ; ...; ! .jiir;,;: . r ./:r- :v, ■] .-: ;.;:'; '■'■