The Native Rebellion.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 345, 29 January 1866, Page 3

The Native Rebellion.

Latest News from Wanganui!

(From the Wanganui Times, 16th Jan.) At a late hour last night a messenger arrived from the front, with despatches for Walter Buller, Esq., E.M., and by that opportunity wo have received from our able correspondent the rapidly written account of the battle (of Otapawa) which we now place before our readers. It will be seen that General Chute has again attacked and captured one of the enemy’s strongholds. The Otapawa pa (hitherto considered impregnable), a strongly fortified position about five miles inland of i'ukctarata, has fallen into our hands, but, we regret to eay, with rather a heavy less in killed and wounded. Our readers will regret that Col. Hassard, of the 57th Regiment, whilst nobly leading his men to the attack, was severely, if not mortally, ■wounded ; the ball passed through his liver, but when the messenger left Waingongora, the Colonel was still alive, and hopes entertained of his recovery. (He has since died.) We have also lost seven men killed and ten wounded. The Hauhaushad 30 killed, the number of wounded is not known. THE ATTACK ON OTAPAWA. From the main road between Manuwapo and Wftingongora, there stretches forward an extensive level of grassy plain, bordered by bush inland, where gentle undulations gradually rise into drr’ils, and, further on, into abrupt forest ranges. Valleys and gulleys running in all directions detach here and there forest clad and isolated hills and ridges, forming a perfect labyrinth of accessible and inaccessible positions. In the former the Hau-bau villages are scattered plentifully, and in the latter you may look for their pas. Otapawa pa is one of the most formidable positions in this neighborhood, and one of the most difficult to find. The approach to it leads up and down forest xidges across a fertile valley, where the slopes are covered with plantations, you see everywhere the evidence of Maori proximity, yet the pa is nowhere ■visible. A sudden turn in a road leading through hush up a steep hill at last brings you face to face with it at two hundred yards distance. At that point the field force under General Chute saw it this morning for the first, and at that short range the engagement began. The field force had left Putahi on the 10th; arrived at Kakaramea the same day; made Tangohe (beyond Msnawapo) on the 11th; Puketara on the 12th, within five miles of Otapawa pa; —the latter was attacked and demolished this day, January 19.

At two a.m. detachments of the 57th, under Colonels Hassard and Butler; of the 14th, under Colonel Trevor; Rangers, under Major Von Tempsky; Natives and Native Contingent, under their own chiefs and Ensign Maodonnell, marched towards Otapawa; three Armstrong six-pounders, under Lieut. Carey, accompanied the expedition. The pa had been somewhat reconnoitred the day previous by Ensign Macdonnell and his Natives, on which occasion a large village with a magnificent council-house (equal to the Ngaruawatua palace) was burned j also it was ascertained that from a neighboring ridge artillery might play upon the pa. This was put into execution to-day, when the force was about half-a-mile from the pa, and thanks to Lieut. Carey’s skill, with some effect, as we had occasion to see afterwards.

The 57th was leading, next came the rangers, then the 14th. Three shots from the Armstrong guns had called forth no reply from the Hau-haus —a most unusual thing. Many a one, even to the General, thought that the pa had been abandoned. Even when the last corner of bush was turned within two hundred yards of the pa, the ■pa lay there as silent as a graveyard—and as ominous. Colonel Butler, on advancing further, could shortly see that the silence was not caused through a want of occupants. The rifle-pits behind the pallisading were thickly lined with black heads, and a bush at right angles with the pa swarmed with the black vermine. The whole tableau ; the strength of the pa ; the number of the enemy (three hundred) j their evident determination to reserve their fire at the deadliest range; —all formed a picture that might well cause an interested observer to pause, but General Chute knows no such thing as hesitation The 57th advance; the Rangers clear the bush!” and off went both corps in double time; then came the crash—the rattling of volley after volley. The 14th came up in quick time, and extended partially in front of the pa. The Rangers got to the rear of the pa just at the time that the 57th gallantly forced their way in in front. Some advantageous volleys were fired into a flock of flying Hau-haus by the Rangers when the latter entered the pa by the left rear angle. The pa, considered up to this time impregnable by all the Maoris in the neighbourhood, had fallen, and 20 minutes afterwards was a heap of burning ruins. Thirteen bodies, ten in the pa and three in the gully, were found at first; afterwards more still were found and “made” by our natives (they could not come in time into position through the length of their route and the time-saving disposition of the General.) The Hauhaus must have had at least thirty killed. This victory, however, was not bought very cheaply. Five dead of ours lay on the field, and nearly a dozen wounded. A brave Maori, Spain by name, a guide to the Rangers, was shot dead—a loss much deplored by his commander ; and another Ranger is wounded, but only slightly. But as the French have it, that one cannot make an omelette, “ Sans casser des oeufs,” so we must pay for our laurels. The-prestige of dash in the British soldier, lost almost entirely in this part of the island, has been nobly resuscitated by General Chute.

The following is a list -of the killed and wounded in the above engagement;—

Killed—Lieut.-Colonel Hassard; Sergeants F. Day and J. Sullivan ; Drummer Moran 5 Privates King, Manning, Halbrook, and M‘Gregor. Wounded—Ensign Swanston; Corporal Boyer; Private Corcoran, Donahoe, Kinarnie, Gannon, and Connolly.