DEATH OF GENERAL CHUTE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2931, 22 March 1886, Page 3

DEATH OF GENERAL CHUTE.

General Sir Trevor Chute (pronounced Shoot) K. 0.8., whose death was announced in a cablegram to the Press Association from London on the 15th inst., will be remembered by many of our readers for the part he took in the Waikato and West Coast (North Island N.Z.) compaigns. His age was 71, not 51 (as telegraphed to southern papers). The Auckland Herald gives the following biographical sketch of his militaiy career :—“He served with the 70th Regiment in India for twelve years, and was constantly and actively employed dining the whole of the Mutiny, pai ticularly in command of a held force in the distiict of Peshawur, and subsequently he commanded a brigade at Lucknow, till it was broken up at the suppression of the rebellion, when he received the thanks of the Governor-Genet al-in-Council. In January, 18G1, be embarked in command of the 70th for New Zealand, and took an active part in the operations at the commencement of the Waikato war, being shortly appointed a Brigadier-Gen-eral in 1860, us Major Genetal, be succeeded Lieutenant-General Sir Duncan Cameron in the command of the New Zealand and Australian colonies. In 1865-6 he conducted a campaign on the West Coast against the rebel Maoris, when he made the famous inarch to Taranaki by the bush track behind Mount Egmont, and the troops were so hard pressed • luough scant sullies of food that horses were killed

and eaten on the w .y, In a despatch to (ho Governor describing the march, he said “ there were no less than twenty-one rivers and ninety gullies, the piecipitons banks of many of which proved formidable obstacles to any advance, and required great labour to make them passable. To accomplish a distance of about fifty-four miles the force was eight days actually on the move.” For his services in this campaign he was made a K.C B. In 1868 he received the thanks of both Houses of Assembly for taking the responsibility of detaining the 18th Regiment in New Zealand, pending farther instruction from the Imperial Government. Sir Trevor Chute continued in the New Zealand and Australian command until October, 1870, when it was broken up, and Ire returned to England. Two or three years before his departure for Home, he was united in marriage to Miss Browning, daughter of Mr Samuel Browning, merchant, of this city, by whom he has issue. Latterly Sir Trevor has lived in retirement on his estate in England. The tidings of his decease will be received with regret, not only by our citizens, but by his old comrades in arms who have settled in the colony.”