65th REGIMENT. Wounded.—Private Halliwell, severely. 12th REGIMENT.

North Otago Times, Volume 1, Issue 13, 19 May 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

65th REGIMENT. Wounded.— Private Halliwell, severely. 12th REGIMENT.

Wounded. — Private Andrew Mitchell, severely, right arm. Private Patrick Mouaghan, severely, right thigh.

Tuaranga, April 30, 8 a.m. We opened fire on the rebel position at daylight yesterday with the ordnance detailed in my other communication. Thp shelling was kept up till very near dusk, the rebels replying occasionally by a single shot. A little before dusk the Blue Jackets, Marines, and about 250 of the 43rd Regiment was told off to storm the position, Captain Hamilton (Esk) and Captain Jenkins (Miraiidi) leading the navy ; Lieut. Gardiner, Marine Artillery, the Marines. The 43rd were headed by their Colonel ( Booth J ; the 68th regiment formed a complete semi-circle round the rebel position. Owing to the large extent of ground occupied by the 68th in surrounding the position, they were very much scattered, and several hundred yards intervened between parties, which allowed the rebels to effect their escape through the night, although not without getting a parting volley or two from the 68th, which must have causod them severe loss. The movable column, under the command of Major Ryan, also formed part of the storming party. A practicable breach at an angle of the upper pah had been made by the guns through which the storming party entered. The fire from the enemy was very feeble until the men commenced to enter the breach, when they opened in all directions. They had the fire from their front, right, left, and rear. After a desperate struggle for about ten minutes to gain possession of the pah, our men were obliged to retire, leaving the dead and wounded lying where they fell ; some of the wounded were brougkt away, but all that fell inside were left. Our men retired about 200 yards into a hollow, where they extended in skirmishing order, and opened fire on the rebels, who commenced to show themselves on the top of the work A trench was commenced, and a a 24-lb. howitzer and some Cohorn mortars brought forward, when they opened fire on the pah, for the purpose of keeping the rebels under ground. Early in the night they crept out of their works and made away down a ravine leading towards the bay, where those who were able made their escape. They were observed by the 68th regiment, but as they were so much scattered it was impossible for them to stop or prevent them all from getting away. Several Maoris have been picked up this morning in the direction in which they went. One fellow wa« caught by the 68th, making his way for the friendly natives' place, and it is very doubtful if many were not engaged in the pah. Our loss has been severe-— Captain Hamilton, of the Esk; Lieutenant Hill, of the Curacoa (killed) ; Commander of the Harrier, dangerously wounded ; a Lieutenant of the Miranda wounded, and some other naval officers, whose names I cannot learn. The names of four Captains of the 43rd killed — Glover, Hamilton, Duff, and the other name I don't know. The Colonel of the^ 43rd, and five others of the sam^ regiment, dangerously wounded. Our casualties are over 100 killed and wounded. We have found about forty Maori bodies in all, and no doubt many are buried about the pah, as the place is fearfully knocked about by the shell ; there must be numbers of them buried, as some of the pits where they were buried in were blown up by shell falling inside and bursting. Some of the dead Maoris are fearfully mutilated with the shell ; of one man, all that could be found was his head, neck, and one shoulder attached — the remaining part of the body could not be found.

i Many of our poor fellows are badly wounded, and will not mwer. Two bodies I saw had been tomahawked, the gunner of the Miiandi was one of them ; the poor fellow's head waR nearly ofl f . I saw several of our rifles lying about belonging to the men Avho had been killed, which shows that the rebels had enough to do to mind their own personal safety. More reinforcements are coming down hee. This position is quite as strong as Rangiriri was, and constructed more to the advantage of the Maoris than Rangariri, as around the latter there was a ditch, which afforded cover to the men wheu they got up to the work. Here they hod a palisading and no ditch ; the consequence was that we had either to gain entire possession of the place or leave it. The rebels are certainly improving in the construction of their earthworks, and I am inclined to think that the sap will become the rule of General Cameron's future operations against the rebels.