Captain Porter's Career.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1009, 8 December 1881, Page 3

Captain Porter's Career.

[From the Wairoa Guardian]. (Advertisement.) Sib, —We shall soon probably have a visit from one of the candidates for the East Coast district —Captain Porter — and although with respect to the old settlers of this district, it would be superfluous to recall to them the services rendered by Captain Porter in various capacities, to the East Coast generally, there are now a great many amongst us who are not familiar with the same, and I think a short resume of his colonial career, Compiled from

memory and reference to blue books and papers of the day, will not be uninteresting to those of your readers : — My acquaintance with Capt. Porter commenced at Peka Peka in 1864. He was then non-commissioned officer in the Colonial Defence Force Cavalry, and had been in that Corps since the second outbreak of hostilities at Taranaki in 1863.

In consequence of the disturbed state of the Native mind through the spread of the King movement, Sergeant Porter was placed by Colonel Whitmore, with a detachment of men, in charge of the blockhouses at Mohaka for the protection of the settlement in that then isolated district, and was then intimate with poor Lavin and family, Cooper and other settlers who afterwards fell victims to the murderous band of Te Kooti.

In 1865, at the fight at Waerenga-a-hika, when a small party (some 21) of our company (Wairoa Military Settlers) under Lieutenant Wilson, were outflanked and had to cut their way back from the rear of the pa, through almost overwhelming odds, Sergeant Porter and three others under heavy fire, brought off one of our men (Private Swords) who was seriously wounded, and in doing this he was slightly wounded. During this time he had seen a good deal of active service, and was twice mentioned for distinguished conduct in the field. In 1866 the Colonial Defence Force was disbanded and Mr. Porter went to live in the Ngatiporou country on the East Coast, and whilst there was often entrusted with delicate negotiations with that tribe by Sir Donald McLean and the Government Agent, Major Biggs, who was afterwards killed in the Poverty Bay massacre. In 1868, when Te Kooti and his band escaped from the Chatham Islands and landed between Poverty Bay and the Mahia and hostilities re-com-menced, Mr. Porter again volunteered for active service, taking part in almost every action before and after the massacre. At the seige of Ngatapa he particularly distinguished himself when attached to Native Contingent of Ngatiporou under Major Ropata, being one of the storming party who so gallantly scaled the outer works of the enemy which led to the fall of Ngatapa, and, for the time being, the scattering of Te Kooti’s band. For services rendered on this occasion Colonel Whitmore appointed Lieut. Porter a Sub-Inspector in the A.C., with command of the Arawa No. 8 Division, and he proceeded with them to the West Coast as part of the Field Force operating against Titokowaru in the Patea and Taranaki districts. During this campaign Captain Porter was continually on active service, taking part in every skirmish and engagement of note, being invariably, in all bush raids, detailed off with Major Kemp and the Whanganuis as a flying column of pursuit. In one of the ambuscades on the Waitotara, and also at Otautu where so many of our scouts fell, Captain Porter was again slightly wounded. After the final scattering of Titokowaru’s force at Te Ngaere and the cessation of hostilities on the West Coast, Captain Porter was removed with the Field Force to the East Coast to act against Te Kooti, who had again appeared in force, and committed massacres at Whakatane and Mohaka. When the Ruatahuna expedition was organised to operate in the ITriwera country from Fort Galatea, Colonel Whitmore appointed Captain Porter to take charge of the Transport Corps, and this very arduous work was most efficiently carried out under his supervision in spite of many difficulties and hardships. He narrowly escaped being one of the party who w r ere so treacherously butchered at Opepe by Te Kooti. When Te Kooti and his band on being driven out of Taupo retired to the fastnesses of the ITriwera country, expeditions were organised by Sir Donald McLean to penetrate this stronghold of rebellion and terra incognita. For this purpose Captain Porter was requested by Sir Donald McLean to accompany .Major Ropata and an expeditionary force of Ngatiporous, and they successfully marched through the hitherto impenetrable country of the ITriwera. At Maungapohatu Captain Porter, with a division of the force, successfully surprised a pa and captured about 80 prisoners. This expedition culminated in the fight at Maraetahi, near Opotiki, when Te Kooti was attacked by the united expeditionary force of Ngatiporou and Whanganuis, at which a great many were killed and 330 taken prisoners. From this time up to about the end of 1871 Captain Porter was continually in the bush operating against the ITriwera tribe, and in pursuit of Te Kooti, for months wandering through the wild fastnesses of that country, enduring cold, hardship, and starvation. At that time I was also out with an expeditionary force of the Ngatipahauwera in the ITriwera country, and met Captain Porter, so pulled down with the privations he had endured, that intimately as I knew him, I failed to recognise him. The last engagement with Te Kooti at which Captain Porter was present was at Te Hapua, near Maungapohotu, from which Te Kooti escaped with only a few followers. It was during one of these expeditions that th§ force under Ropata and Porter captured Kereopa Kaiwhatu (the murderer of the Rev. Mr. Volkner) who was taken to Napier by Porter and handed over to justice. After the cessation of hostilities Captain Porter accomplished a far more difficult task,

viz., disarming our Native allies on the East Coast —but by judicious diplomacy he succeeded in inducing them to give back 2000 stand of arms, for which he was awarded great praise by Sir Donald McLean. During the later years of bush raids Captain Porter held the appointment of Staff Adjutant of the East Coast district of Militia and Volunteers, and also that of Native Office Land Purchase Commissioner and many other contingent appointments, entailing much responsibility and close intercourse in troublous times between Europeans and Natives, often being a successful mediator and upholder of the law. The intricate negociations for the completion of the valuable Patutahi block were left to Captain Porter, who succeeded in extinguishing the claim of Ngatiporou, thus obtaining for the Government some 21,000 acres of this block. As special Land Purchase Commissioner, Captain Porter completed most of the land purchase negotiations of Messrs. Wilson, Locke and Hamlin and it will be found on record that during two years he accomplished the task of completing the Crown title to some 547,381 acres of land in various parts of this district, clearing up many long standing transactions. Since the Introduction of the County system Captain Porter has held qffiee as a member of the County Council and Borough and has three times been elected Mayor. He has also for many years been an active member and chairman of school committees, and in all matters of local administration at Poverty Bay he has always taken a leading part. —I am, &c., JAMES W. WITTY. Orere, Wairoa, Nov. 21st., 1881.

For continuation of news see 4-th page.