AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 142, 2 October 1863, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

ATTACK ON PTJKEKOHE STOCKADE. ENGAGEMENT WITH THE REBELS. THREE SOLDIERS KILLED AND SEVEN WOUNDED. [From the Daily Southern Cross, Sept. 15]. Tuesday Morning. Orru Drury Correspondent arrived in Auckland at two o’clock this morning, bringing particular* of an attack on the Pukekohe Stockade, with serious loss of life on our side. The follow is our' correspondent’s account of the engagement;— The impression I conveyed to you in my letter of yesterday has, I am sorry to say, proved tocr true. About half-past nine this morning, the men at the stockade were engaged in cooking their breakfast, quite unprepared for a visit from the rebels, when a volley was fired in among them. The men rushed into the stockade, the natives firing upon them as they went, and following closa upon their heels. Their firing, however, did no injury. The rebels approached within eight or ten feet of the stockade and having surrounded it, were evidently bent upon taking the place. Tho settlers manfully defended themselves for the space of about two hours, having the disadvantage of an unfinished stockade, with walls so low that they had to keep in a stooping posture; while the natives sheltered by stumps, fired volley after volley upon them. The walls of the church were riddled with balls. It was while tho natives were thus held at bay that Messrs. Roose and Dalton rode up within a quatrer of a mile of the scene of action, and, seeing the state of matters, immediately galloped off for reinforcements. Capt. Saltmarsh and Lieut. Grieson, with twenty-five men of the 70th, at once marched to the scene of action, and got into the stockade. In the meantime, Captain Moir, with his twenty-five Militia Volunteers, was busy, some couple miles away, getting up ammunition. The road being so bad the dray become embedded in the mud several times, and once or twice it was capsized. About an hour afterwards, Capt. Inman, with a detachment of the IBth, and Lieut. Tabuteau, with a detachment of the 65th, overtook Capt. Moir, and accompanied by Lieut. Hay, 3rd Battalion of Auckland Militia, passed on to reinforce our trooops. On their way thev saw twenty Maories at Mr. Comrie’s house. Some were seated on the ground and others were engaged in setting fire to the house. On seeing tho party approach they immediately made off. On arriving to the scene of action Captain Inman took the command, and placing his men in capital position, he gave orders to open fire on the enemy. The firing must have told with great effect, for the natives coramenced to retreat into a deep gully, still, however, keeping behind the stumps, and firing as they retreated. After four men had charged down the hill, they fell back; and taking up positon behind logs and stumps, they opened fire upon a large number of natives who had taken possession of-Mr. Easton’s house and shed distant from the stockade not more than two hundred. Captain Moir, having in the meanwhile arrived with his men, placed them along the road. The firing went on vigorously till about four o’clock, when it began to slacken. But previously to this, Lieutenant Rait and Mr. Anderson, V.S., came over to Mr. Burtt’s house, with a party of about twenty of the artillery, expecting to cut off the retreat of the rebels, but they could not do so. The rebels then made for Mr. M’Donald’s house, which, situated on a hill, is quite visible from the stockade. There they appeared to muster to the number of about two hundred. They still occasionally fired across the gully towards our men, but with no effect. The casualties on our side are two men of the70th Eogt., and one of tho 65th, killed; Captain Saltmarsh, dangerously wounded by a ball through the nock; five of the 70th, and one of the 18th more or less wounded. The loss of the rebels, so far as can at present be ascertained, is three killed* one of whom is supposed to be a chief; and: onecaptured, dangerously wounded and not expected; to live. As the natives held possession of MacDonald’s house, which commanded the guliy, our men were unable, at the latest hour, up to which we have received information, to ascertain their loss, but it is supposed to be very severe. No settlers were either killed or wounded during tho engagement. It unfortunately occurred that no medical man accompanied the troops, and no water could be; obtained for the wounded. Major Ryan and a detachment of troops started' from Drury with a medical man and an ambulance cart about four o’clock, but it was likely that they might not be able to return to Drury the same evening. Five stand of arms and a cartridge box were taken from the rebels. An officer and forty men of the 18th, and Captain Moir and his men were to remain behind and the remainder of the troops were to return. Our troops behaved with great gallantry, and did dot appear at 4 all cowed by the superior force with which they had to contend. The settlers too defended themselves with great bravery until the troops arrived. The stockade is situated in a very bad position, being within a few chains of a dense bush. There is a schoolroom nearer to the bush than the stockade, and near this room some of tho volunteers wore cooking when fired on. The two settlers who were reported as missing on Sunday have returned to the stockade. One of them —Mr. Scott—had a narrow escape, his forehead baying been grazed by a ball.j