Our New Zealand Wars.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1695, 29 April 1886, Page 2

Our New Zealand Wars.

THE WEST COAST CAMPAIGN.

REMINSCENCES OF THE PAST.

UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT AT MANAIA.

(united press association ) j Hawera, "Wednesday. On Monday, the. ceremony was performed of unveiling a monument erected at Manaia to the memory of the officers and men who fell during the last war on the West Coast. It had been arranged that the Hon. Mr Ballance should per* form the ceremony, but he was unfortunately detained on the East Coast. The ceremony was performed by LieutenantColonel Roberts (New Zealand Constabulary), who, as Captain Roberts, led the forces out of Te Ngutu after the disaster there, when Von Tetnpskey fell. Colonel Roberts, m speaking, said : As one of the surviving officers of all the engagements described on the wonument, he should be nerfectinsr the duty which lay upon him to show honor to his dead comrades, if he did not say a few words expressive of his admiration of the devoted conduct of the brave men whose names were there recorded. When he looked at the sad long list, his memory rushed back to within a few months of eighteen years ago at Te Neutu 0 te Manu. There fell the gallant Major von Tempskey, whose name appeared first on the roll, and no wonder that it did so appear, as he was always first m danger and last to leave it, and never asked a man to do that which by example he was not prepared to do himself. They did well to honor such men. If he had a fault as a soldier, it was the characteristic one of always being m advance, sometime mayhap too far m advance. The next one on the list was Major Hunter, whose bravery and courage were always conspicuous, and who fell mortally wounded early m the fight while showing his love and devotion to his country. His last words Colonel Roberts remembered well, " Follow me closely." Captain Koss was next on the list. He lost his life m defending a post which he was commanding. Unfortunately for him and the handtul of men who were with 'aim, he was taken at such disadvantage that he was unable to make use of the solderly qualities that he possessed. Captain Brown fell m the tranches before Ngatiapa* while nobly setting his men an example of scorning danger when duty demanded exposure. The next name was Captain Buck, a man of undoubted courage and cool, sound judgment. Colonel Roberts remembered well his firm unflinching courage at Ttr Ngntu Te Manu. Having lost their leaders, they held a brief counsel together as to what should be done, and Colonel Roberts directed Captain- Buck to hold a certain position and await his return from search for Von Temp'key. He carried out the orders only too faithfully. Colonel Roberts returned to find ! him there at the assigned post, but dead with his face to the foe. Captain Palmer and Liutenant Hastings were next on the-list, men who met their deaths while nobly doing their duty; and then Lieutenant Heinpter, who was the life of the camp, with his. sparkling wit and jovial laugh, and whose bright humour was not absent m time of danger. Only a few minutes before he fell he laughingly said, "There is one of them ; I can see the white of his eye ; give it to him." Mere simple words, but they were the words of a brave sustaining- spirit — words to inspire men with courage m time of difficulty and lighten the sense of danger. Colonel Roberts said he would fain run over the list of non-com-missioned officers and men, and of their allies, the friendly natives, the majority of whom he knew, and whose courage and devotion he. was an eye witness to, but time did not permit. They were too apt to forget what they owed to tlie> brave men whose memory they were there to honour, and the surrounding circumstances under which they sacrificed their lives. All the pomps of war were wanting, but none of its hardships and dangers. There were no brilliant uniforms, no flying banners to cheer the weary as they filed their way through tangled, gloomy, trackless forest, nor blast of trumpet nor beat of drum to rouse them to the charge, yet nobly all ! did their duty ; and the last moments of some, perhaps of the majority, were not eased by a comrade's kindly touch, nor soothed by sympathetic looks or hopeful words, but were often agonised by the fiendish yells of the savage, mutilating foe. He need say no more, and trusted that the monument would be kept m good preservation, that the names thereon written might be cherished with pride by generations to come. He concluded by expressing his regret that Captain Heinpton, to whom much credit was due for the erection of the monument, was not there (Applause.) Some other survivors Vere also present, but mostly were too much affected to speak at any length.