The Native Rebellion.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 297, 14 August 1865, Page 2

The Native Rebellion.

WAKE A (TAKANAJTI.)

ARRIVAL OP THE EGMONT.

NEWS PROM TARANAKI & WANGANUI. PIPIRIEI BESIEGER ENEMY REPULSED WITH GREAT LOSS [The following appeared in an Extra issued on Friday afternoon last.] By the arrival of the steamer Egmont from the South on Thursday afternoon, we have very important news from the West Coast, which we now hasten to place before our readers : WANGANUI. ENSIGN CLERY, SEBGT, GARRET, COEPOBAL HAWES ASD PIIIVATE SHEEHY WOUNDED. * THE ABCH-BEBEL PEHI, HIS SON TOBIAS, AND BAUD BECOGNISED AS EEADXNG THE ENEMY*. UPWABDS OE THUEE HUNDRED OF THE ENEMY ENGAGED IN ACTION. The correspondent of the Chronicle writes as follows The Military Settlers and Rangers at this post were attacked in the three redoubts simultaneously by the enemy, who mustered upwards of 400 strong, at 8 o’clock, a.m., on the 29th July, 1865. The arch rebel Rehi, his son Topia, Saul, ami other chiefs of distinction were recognised as leading the enemy ; our camps were besieged for twelve days, and the enemy repulsed, defeated, and obliged to sue for peace. The force in the redoubts consisted of 231 men, chiefly Rangers and Military Settlers, who, during the time they kept up the defence, were short alike of arms and provisions. About 8 o’clock on the morning of the 29th ult., a man named Campbell had been out getting soa.e firewood, when he was tired at and pursued by about fifty natives. Simultaneously with this, a heavy and apparently preconcerted fire was opened upon the three redoubts, the Gundagai, Brassey’s, ami Stuart’s, by the rebels fiom the hills which overlooked these positions. Brassey’s redoubt sustained a terrible ine, which riddled the wliole of the tents, ami rent the furniture in the officers’ ami other tents into thousands of particles. Many were the hair-breadth escapes in the redoubt r but more particularly in the Gundagai, as the enemy had position ami everything in his favour. and tents were literally rent to atoms. Ballets were whizzing ami flying in all directions; the rebels shouting, yelling, and doing everything in their power to induce their people to come on and rush the little Gumiagai—whose people, X assure you, were not idle, ami who dared not be. if inclined, as the example set them by the officer commanding, Lieut. Gossling, was"ill that could be required of a British soldier. Our men returned the fire with precision and coolness, and must have been committing fearful havoc, us many of the enemy’s wounded were dragged from out of the riflepits and graves, even in the midst of the firing. About 11*45, a.m.. Ensign Clery, one sergeaut, aud twenty of the Taranaki Military Settlers, were detailed as a storming party, and proceeded from the main redoubt, ami in u very heavy cross fire from the rebelson Cemetery Hill, and from those to the rear of the main redoubt—to dislodge the enemyoff Cemetery Hill; and irrespective of shot, or the number of the enemy on the hill* which must have exceeded 150, and under the greatest disadvantages imaginable, having a high steep hill of 400 feet to ascend, succeeded in ascending and routing the enemy from this, their strongest position. It was here Mr Clery was wounded, the half of his ear being blown off by a bullet; but the perpetrator of this act, who was almost buried to his shoulders in a rifle-pit, bit the dust in return from a well-directed shot from Private Allen, of No. 8 Company. Private Billy, of No. 10 Company, came in contact with another, but, fortunately, the rebel’s piece missed, and Billy succeeded in running him'through, and disarming him. Gaynorv of No. 10 Company, whirled another info the deep gorge underneath, a lifeless corpse. After the enemy had been routed from Cemetery Hill, they took up other positions on our • light flank, thereby pitching into the Gundagai’s rear, bnt were dislodged from this about 6, p.m., when they retreated in various directions—-some to the opposite side, and some to the hill on the left of the Ranger’s redoubt. On the 20th, the rebels threw up a redoubt on the right flank of the colonial force, dislum ulu.ui 1,700 yards on the other side of the river. 4 be hills were at this time swarming with the enemy.

• On the 21st a party of Rangers and military settlers were sent to dislodge the rebels from their position in the rear of Brassey’s redoubt, but the latter had“ skedaddled.' 5 On the 22nd, some firing at long range took place between the rebels and the Colonial forces.. The latter strengthened their position. Firing was continued to the 25th, and on that day the Gundagai redoubt was abandoned and razed to the ground. On the 29th, the garrison was surrounded on all sides by the enemy. The rebels opened fire on all the redoubts at ranges of 200 and •300 yards. On the 30th July the rebel rifle pits were ■with 100 yards of the redoubts. A fearful fire was kept up on the garrison, but not returned, as ammunition began to run short. Numerous hairbreadth escapes took place of soldiers in the garrison. On tiiat day and the 31st the rebels hoisted a white flag, and proposed to come to terms, finding they could not take the position, and that their ammunition was running short.

- On the Ist instant the reinforcements of 500 men. under Major Rookes, arrived on the seventh day after leaving Wanganui. This force patrolled the bush aud proceeded as fir as Pehi’s abode, but the rebels bad flown in all directions. Great blame is attached to Major Rooke’s by the Wanganui journals for the delay in his expedition. Every man engaged in this defence deserves the highest praise, but the hero of the affair was Ensign Glery, who was the first with sword ami pistol in hand to storm the Cemetery Hill.

"ENGAGEMENT WITH THE REBELS —LIEUT. BALLY OF THE 70X11, AND THREE SOLDIERS KILLED. LIEUT. TYLDEN OF THE 70TH, AND FIVE SOLDIERS WOUNDED. THIRTY MAORIS KILLED—TWO TAKEN PRISONERS [Abridged from Taranaki Herald, August 5.J On Wednesday morning, a party paraded at 3 a.m., consisting of the force named above, under Major Russell, and a force of 100 of the 43rd, and 140 of the 70th, under Col. Colville, and the following officers : Captain Hon. Harris, Limits. Talbot, Longley, and another officer whose name we have not ascertained, and Assistant-Surgeon Grant 43rd Kegt., and proceeded as far as Kapoaiaia, where they separated. The party under Major!;ussell, then turned inland and took the track for Okea, where the mill was burnt on (lie 13th June. The party under Colonel Colville went further down the coast, and turned inland fur a place called Kairuru, where it is supposed the natives wore. It was supposed that a track ran from Kairuru to Okea, and the plan was that after Colonel Colville bad driven the rebels out of Kairuru they would be cut off by Major Russell’s party. Major Russell reached Okea about 7 a.m., anil going to the top of some high hills that commanded the flat, smoke was seen at a distance in the dense scrub, disiaut about 500 yards. Capt, Cay was at once sent with 60 men, to reconnitre ; and after ge.ting through the bush found himself close to a collection of about tvveuly whares. The natives were completely surprised, and at first made little resistance Eleven Maoris were bayoneted in the open, and a large number more must have fallen in the dense scrub and in the whares. Five were taken prisoners. The only loss the 70th sustained in this place was one man shot dead, and Lieutenant Tylden severely wounded in the hand and face. Capt. Cay’s parly then returned to the reserve with their wounded and prisoners. While these men were being examined by Dr. Turner, the natives exchanged a few shots with our, men, and a skirmish then ensued, the natives fighting most determinedly, and aiming with remarkable precision. The native position having been destroyed, the force began to return to camp but soon found out that the rebels wanted utu for their losses, in the search for which the features of the country offered great facilities. In several places it was found necessary to check them, as they began to swarm on the flanks of the party who were encumbered with their wounded, &c., which accumulated in their constant skirmishing. On one of these occasions we regret exceedingly that Lieutenant Bally was killed, who was shot while in command of the rear-guard—the fatal bullet entered his side, and causing almost instantaneous death, He was a deserving officer, and very much respected by all who knew him. The troops returned to camp about 1 30, p.m., and during tin? march three of the prisoners, in at tempting to escape, were shot.

Colonel Colville,'hearing the firing, forced his way through a dense track, guided by Minarapa, and having got on the same road on which Major Russell had traversed, fell in with six natives en route, and shot five of them, tvvo of whom were recognised by Minarapa as chiefs. Two prisoners brought in, out of the five taken, are a young woman and a blind man, belonging to the Ngahamanga tribe. The tollowing is a list of nur casualties;— Killed—Lieut. Bally, Privates Smith, Brown, and .Ralph (nil of the 70th Regiment.) Wounded —Lieut. Tylden, Privates Laughton, Royal, and Saville, severely ; Privates Ward and Maley, dangerously (all of the 70th Regiment.) The above is necessarily a hurried account, but may be relied upon as authentic.