AN HISTORIC BATTLE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 648, 4 March 1914, Page 7

AN HISTORIC BATTLE.

CELEBRATING ORAKAU

TO BE UNVEILED.

Some time ago a committee of Waikato residents was set up to make arrangements to fittingly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the battle orOrakau, the last great fight in the Maori war in Waikato. na April Ist of this year. Mr J. W ' 7 !: is, who has had considerable deai :h-i with the natives, was asked to an for a gathering of the tribes I•• :i in arms against the Europeans, iT assist in the celebrations. Mr Ellis has now issued the following invitation to the native chiefs, which is printed in both Maori and English:— "To the Maori tribes who fought against us in the Maori War. — Friends: A committee representing the whole of the Waikato district has been set up to fittingly celebrate the great fight at Orakau, and more particularly the fifty years of peace we have enjoyed since. 1 have been appointed by this committee to inform thfi tribes who were then in arms against us of what is proposed, and to ask them to join with us in celebrating these great events. The Europeans will attend to their side of the celebration, and I am to a?k the Maori tribes to organise their side, bo tbat they will be suitably represented at Orakau on the Ist April, 1914. The battle of Orakau was fought on the 31st March, and the lat and 2nd April, 1864 The Euronean committee have unanimously selected the Ist April the middle day ot this glorious fight, in preference to the 2nd April, when Orakau fell, as a tribute to a brave and gallant foe, and to show that it is not the fall of Orakau that they want to celebrate, but the splendid defence made by the Maoris. The Government have erected a monument on the site at Orakau, but it has not yet been unveiled (a ceremony always carried out by Europeans with monuments erected to celebrate great occasions). he Governor, as representative of our King, has agreed to do thn unveiling, and besides the general public, there will be present Ministers of the Government, and a large body of troops under General Godley, the Commanding Officer. The Government have been asked to put on one aide of the monument the name of the British commander in this fight, General Carey, and on the other side the name of Rewi Maniapoto. your great commander. The Waikato Regiment have adopted Rewi's brave words, when be was asked to surrender, as their motio, which are now imprinted on their colours, and the second great ceremony of this gathering, will be the presentation of these colours to the 16th Waikaui Regiment, in which our sons and your sons are serving side by side. We Europeans have always considered that the defence of Orakau was the grandest tight made by the Maoris, and Rewi's brave words, 'Ka whawbai tonu matou. Ake! Ake! Ake!' (We will fight on for ever and ever) spoken on th 9 last day of the ligbf, will never be forgotten, and will be valued a3 our common possa.-i----sion as long as our country lasts. We Europeans are trying to make the unveiling of the Otakau monument on the jubilee of this grand fight worthy of this great occasijn, and we want you Maoris to worthily represent th 3 brave men who fought and died there, as you have every reason to be proud of wbat your fathers did at Orakau. That we Europeans are always ready to appreciate a gallant foe. is shown from the following extract from General Cameron's despatch re the Orakau battle, at which he was present, but did not take command: —'It is impossible not to admire the heroic courage and devotion of the Maoris in defending themselves so long against overwhelming numbers. Surrounded on all sides, cut eff from their supply of water, and deprived of all hope of success, they resolutely held their ground for more than two days, and did not abandon the position until the sap had reached the last entrenchment. They had probably not less than 150 killed out of a garrison not exceeding 300.' These are words for you to be proud of, and I hope they will be an incentive to you to show that you can still stand shoulder to shoulder with the European in the activities of the present day. As already mentioned, the committee wish you to clearly understand that they are leaving the question of Maori representation at Orakau entirely in your hands, also the question of transport and provisioning; but this committee will be only too pleased to work with any committee that you may appoint, and for any of your representatives to attend the committee meetings in Hamilton if | you desire. The time is short, and I ask you to go straight to work and make the Maori side of this great celebration worthy of your ancestors and yourselves. (Signed) J. W. ' Ellis, by authority of the Waikato Orakau-Committee." *