THE BATTLE OF WAIREKA.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 16, 21 April 1860, Page 3

THE BATTLE OF WAIREKA.

[Abridged from the Nelson Examiner .] The settlement of New Plymouth, so far as the operations are concerned of which it has lately been the theatre, may be described as a long strip of open undulating land lying along the coast, and extending from the Omata village and settlement on the south to the River Waitara on the north, a distance of about sixteen miles; and backed by a dense forest, which, coming within a mile of the sea at the southern extremity, gradually recedes to a distance of five miles from it as it approaches the Waitara. The town of New Plymouth itself lies at about one-third of the distance between these extreme points; the mouth of the Waitara river, as measured on the map, being about nine miles from its northern boundary, and the Omata pah about four miles from it in the opposite direction. The state of affairs on the morning of Wednesday, March 28th, appears to have been as follows : In the town itself, 800 fighting men : militia and regulars, in nearly equal numbers ; a detachment of between one and two hundred men in a fortified post on the Waitara, a stockade on the Bell Block, somewhere in the neighbourhood, held by the settlers; and another stockade on the Omata road, three miles from the town, similarly occupied ; whilst the Niger was anchored in the roadstead, opposite the town. Intelligence had been received that three unarmed settlers and two boys had been murdered at Omata the day before, and that a considerable number of natives were fortifying themselves there, in a position commanding the road, about a mile and a quarter beyond the stockade. Fears were entertained for the safety of the outsettlers beyond; who, trusting in the friendship of those they had lived among so long, had declined to come in; and it was resolved to send a detachment to bring them. This party was composed of the light company of the 65th regiment, 25 men of the naval brigade, and a body of Volunteers and Militia, whose numbers in the different accounts are variously given as 102, 120, and 140. These last are ordered to move along the beach, and open communication with the settlers in the rear of the pah; whilst the troops marched along the road. This runs nearly parallel to the beach, at about a mile from it, for the first four miles, when it passes along the foot of the Omata hills, which turn it towards the sea. The military force reaches the Omata stockade about one o’clock, p.m., where it is joined by 18 riflemen. From this point the native position is clearly seen; the fortified pah on a ridge commanding the road; whilst at its foot and in front of it the two little streams, both called Waireka, each in its separate gully, run at right angles to the road down to the sea, about three-quarters of a mile off. In military phrase, whilst the troops advance against the enemy in front, the riflemen are to turn them on their left flank. The attack is opened by these latter about two o’clock, who, crossing the gullies, and getting on the open ground beyond, are soon hotly engaged on three sides; their rear to the beach alone being open. Meanwhile the troops march on about three-quarters of a mile beyond the stockade, where they are halted, and first, about three o’clock, the blue jackets, and next the stockade volunteers, are sent forward in skirmishing order, thus placing the natives in the. gully between two fires. Shortly after a subdivision of the soldiers joins them, and the action goes on till a little after four o’clock, when the bugle of the 65th sounds a retreat; but the stockade volunteers, seeing their comrades carrying off their wounded men rush across the gully and join them. They are getting short of ammunition ; they despatch a messenger to Colonel Murray, the communication being sufficiently open for this, and the reply brought hack is that they “ had got into a mess without his orders, and might get out of it, as his orders were to he at home by dark." The gallant Colonel seems shortly after to have left the field, or more properly speaking, the paddock where the reserve was posted, about five o’clock, and reached home about half-past six, safe and sound. The natives, thus relieved from apprehension in front, redoubled their fire on the volunteers; whilst these reserved their few remaining cartridges for a final effort, and commenced barricading themselves. But help was near from an unexpected quarter. Captain Cracroft, of the Niger, had landed fifty of his men under Mr. Eliot, halfway between the town and the scene of action. These, making their way across the country, arrived at the pah about dusk, rushed upon and took it; killing the sixteen men they found inside ; then, seeing nothing of the parties they came to assist, went into town, which they reached about eight o’clock. The volunteers, finding themselves, though by what means they knew not, relieved from their pertinacious opponents, prepared for retreat, which they con-

ducted in most orderly and soldierly style carrying their wounded with them; stopping for refreshment at the stockade, and arriving in town about half-past twelve o’clock. Such, so far as the various reports allow of it, and with the aid of a good map of the locality, we believe to be a faithful account of the contlict at Waireka; fought, not between two, but between four distinct bodies of armed men; no two of them acting in concert. Why the whole body of troops, instead of a subdivision only, was not sent or led into action ; why the request for ammunition was not complied with; why the Volunteers were not at once extricated from then* perilous position by the Commander moving his troops to the right; or why, when it was only a forty minutes’ canter into town, no one came out to see what was going on, and no one rode in, to beg that the men might stay out half-an-hour longer, are questions which are universally asked; for hitherto no explanation has been given. We do our duty in giving them publicity, for much, depends on their receiving a satisfactory answer.