TARANAKI

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 196, 14 October 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

TARANAKI

CAPTURE AND DESTRUCTION OF MANUTAHI AND MATAITAWA. From the Taranaki Herald Extra

October Bth, 7 p.m. Intelligence was received ia town yesterday that the Puketapu section (Tamihana’s) of the Mataitawa natives were desirous of making peace ; that William King’s own people the Ngatiawa had removed to the other side of the Waitara, and that there would be no difficulty in taking possession of Manutahi and Mataitawa.

Accordingly, early this morning, a force consisting of 200 of the 70th under Major Ryan, two field guns in charge of Captain Martin, R. A., Captain Good’s and Captain Jonas’ companies of Bushrangers, 100 in all, under Major Atkinson, and Captain Mace’s mounted men, started northward as we mentioned this morning; at Mahoetahi they were joined by 150 more of the 70th under Major Saltmarsh —the whole under command of Colonel Warre, C. 8., who was attended by his staff and also by Colonel Lepper and Mr. Parris.

The force halted a short time at Sentry Hill, while a messenger went on to Manutahi, and shortly afterwards Col. Warre ordered the advance, and in doing so addressed the Bushrangers, and told them as they had been so often disappointed, he would give them a post of honour to-day though he did not expect it would be one of much danger. Some friendly Puketapu natives went first to see if the pa was evacuated, but when some of them were within a few chains of it they were fired upon and retired. In front of Manutahi there is a large flat fern patch mainly surrounded by bush, and the pa is built right across the back of it, where the open land is about 150 yards wide, the two ends of the pa resting on the bush. Colonel Warre divided Major Atkinson’s men into two parties, sending one into the bush on the left and one on the right, the 70th advancing in the open as a support. The natives in the pa (about 20 in number) fired briskly as the Bushrangers approached, but finding themselves outflanked on both sides they broke and fled, when the final rush was made, and two of them fell as they ran out of the back of the pa, a third wounded one escaping. The one killed was Te Roiri, a turbulent man. the one wounded and brought away was Te Kepa, a half-caste, nephew to Wi Kingi on the mother’s side. His wounds (several bad ones in the legs) were promptly attended to by Drs. Wadsworth and Tomlinson.

The pa was of a very singular shape, being, as we have said, nearly 150 yards long, rather crescent shaped, and not more than 20 yards wide in the middle, hut spread out at the ends. The ditches were deep, the banks high and 12 feet thick, and altogether it was very strong, if it had been adequately garrisoned it would have been very difficult to take.

The loss on our side was fortunately slight —Private Scammel of No. 1 Bushrangers being wounded in the back, but not seriously we believe. Private Henry Turner, of the same company, had a narrow escape, part of the socket of his bayonet being shot off and the end of his revolver alone preventing the ball entering his hip. Leaving the Bushrangers to destroy Manutahi, Colonel Warre went on with Major Saltmarsh’s party of the 70th and the mounted men and friendly natives to Mataitawa, but no resistance was attempted here. The place was destroyed, eleven horses (some of them belonging to friendly natives) and fowls and ducks, and other small deer brought away, and the force returned. It will give general satisfaction to have

the natives cleared out of those places in which they have so long threatened us. It is a noteworthy fact that the only men who persisted in fighting were William King’s immediate followers, and it is thought they prevented the Puketapu from coming in. Pa Te Aira was taken yesterday without bloodshed.

Just before the Alexandra left, information was received that that the troops had taken the Pa te Arei, the one which, it will be remembered, General Pratt unsuccessfully sapped in the last war. The only particulars of this which we have received, are that on the troops advancing on the pa the natives fired on them, without, however, killing or wounding any. On entering the pa, the natives were found to have evacuated it.