FIFTY YEARS AGO

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 58, 10 January 1913, Page 1

FIFTY YEARS AGO

SOME EARLY RECOLLECTIONS. THE OLD DAYS REVIVED.

(BY B. A. CRISPE.I

[This series of articles was kindly written, especially for the " Times," by Mrs H. Crispe, of Mauku. Our lady contributor was amongst those women pioneers through whose courage and self-sacrifice the people of this district to-day enjoy their peace and prosperity.— Ed.l The Ti Ti Fight.

Some Further Accounts. In issue appeared a general description of the Ti Ti fight. The following is an official account of the affair:— MAUKU STOCKADE. 24th Octooer, 1863. Sir,—l have the honour to report that I started yesterday morning with a as per margin,* to attack a body of ttie enemy who were shooting cattle on Mr Wheeler's farm at the Ti Ti. An advance party of my force under Lieutenant Percival, gut close up to the enemy's position under cover of the bush. When discovered they were hotly pressed by tbe enemy and retired, skirmishing in good oruer oi the main body, without loss. I then advanced, having been joined by Lieutenant Norman with eight men, I drove the enemy through a strip of fallen timber on to the open ground beyond; but seeing thac they wheeled round into the standing forest on my left flank, where they were largely reinforced, I deemad it prudent to retire. While re-crossing the fallen timber, tbe enemy, numbering from two to three hundred, charged us from the bush or the left, and after about ten minutes' very heavy filing at very short range (from ten to twenty yards) where both parties suffered severely, I, being out-flanked on both sides, retired into the- forest on tne right. The enemy did not venture to advance on us after we were under cover of the forest. I then re-formed my men and retired leisurely on the stockade. Our loss was 1 lieutenant (Percival) and 5 men killed; 1 man dangerously wounded; 1 lieutenant (Norman) and 1 private missing. The enemy's loss I believe to be about 16 killed and a large number wounded. Sergeant Hill and Private John Wheeler especially distinguished themselves by their determined gallantry under most trjing circumstances. 1 have, etc., D. H. LUSK. Lieut, commanding Mauku Volunteers. N.ti.-I omitted to mention that Mr Norman on the right, and Mr Percival on the centre, displayed groat gallantry in endeavouring to stem the rush of the enemy, and fell fighting in front of their men. D. H. LUSK.

Lieutenant John Spencer Percival was the son of Spenc.r Percival, Esq., for som.3 years a leading member of the Ho.se of Commons, and grandson of Spencer Percival, First Lord of the Treasury, and Prime Minister in 1809, who was assassinated on May nth, 1812, by Bellingham, in the lobby of the bouse of Commons. Both Lieutenants Percival and Norman had hut a short time befoie their untimely deaths arrived in the Colony from Victoria, wi»h the Militia Volunteers.

Lieutenant iNcrman was shot at the engagement of the Bald Hill, Ti Ti, en the 23rd of October, 1863, in the Mauku District, in which the Mauku Volunteers, under Major Lusk, and a detachment of the Ist Waikato Regiment, under Lieutenant Percival, weie engaged. He lost his life in the most chivalrous manner Having amved that day from Auckland with money for ihe he got to the post while the action was goin2 on, tr.d at once procured a rifle, and went to assist his hardly - pressed comrades (wl.o were outflunked by the Maoris), and got shot through the dies'. Having the money for tne troops on him, before he died he marked his name on his clothing with nis blood, sa that his body might be identified. Lieutenant Norman was from Warwickshire, and was formerly a lieutenant in (he South Middlesex Militia. He arrived in Auckland in July, 1859, and had lived some years at Mangonui. When Pitt's Volunteer Corps was first formed he joined it, and belonged to No. 2vCompany. In the local account-: of the action of the Bald Hills his Christian name is not given.but reference to the archives of the Defence Office should make that easily procurable. The late Mr H. Crisfre got the following information fiom a Maori minister, whose relatives fuught in this battle.

I have only a matter cleared up regarding the death of Lieutenant Norman, who had come from Drury, having a considerable sum of money on him in his bag. It was reported, ai:d currently believed, that he had taken his bag off and handed it to his servant at the camp, but the money was never accounted for. Hut now I have got it accurately, and that is th«t the hag, containing cheques, notes, and gold, was taken from him on the battlefield as soon as he was seen to fall. This information 1 obtained from a Maori who had relatives engaged in that fight. The same native also told me that he had been informed how one man had shot so many before he was laid low by a young chiet from behind a log. The following is an abridged account of the Ti Ti fight which appecred in the Auckland Weekly News in 1873, the facts are similar to Mr Featon's account, except in the latter part, where it mentions that "a party of the Flying Column (who had been kept under arms lor hours at Mercer awaiting orders) reached Purapura via Camer.ontown." That is the correct version.

THE MaUKU FIGHI IN 1863. To ihe Koitu: Sir, — Allo.v m a [ few words aU"ut the ii ii (Mauku) fight on Friday, the 23rd October, 1863. The Mauku church, fariicaded, was occupied by aome 25 of Pitt's militia (Ist Waikatos), under Lieutenant Noiman, who on that morning was absent at Drury fetching the men's pay ' : he stockade, at Loner Mauku, 2h milts distant, -was gairitoned Ly the Forest Rifles and some of Pitt's Militia, under the command ot Lieutenant Lusk, until a few days before the 23rd 'irslant, when Lieutenant Percival was sent up, the lorce fit piaces numbi ring 60 mei'. On "the rmrniug of that Ffiday, heaiit.g irum the stockade ririog in the direction of the church, a d thinking it was attacked, Lieutenant Lusk started with his men for its relief, leavi g Percival and about 12 m.-, at th- i tockarie. When niarirg the church, they ascertained the tiring piocttded frum ii Ti farm), and Mr John Wheeler and another voluntee.ed te go and see whether they were iVaoris or the Waiuku Voluueirs. He crept through scrub and bush, near enough to hear thtir Maori tongues, and returned to-the church aid reporud th same to Lusk; he despatched a messenger to Percwal to come instantly to the church with every man that could te spared, which were only 10, til told. On the vsa> up, hearing shots in the direction of the 3ald Hills (these hills bei. g situated just above the ii Ti Hill), Percival diverged into the bush and came upon the Maoris, whom he attacked at once with hi* ten men, but soon found himself fearfully outnumiereo, and was maKing his way io the church, when Lieutenant Lusk and some 40 men, (calculaiiog how matters stood) joined Percival, and they went at it pell-mell During this engagement poor Tom Norman arrived at trie church mm Drurv with the m n's an i hcariig svhat wj-s guig on clashed off to the scene of act.t.n, v. hich was two chains wide of f lied but n.t burnt bush, on thi tramway. Cr.itstis a large clearing of Wheeler's, there was open fern ia id to the church, and standing bush on each side. There were 300 Maoris and 55 of our men, who fought like tigers, until Percival, who was in command, fell, when it was easy-for all to see overpowering numbers would speedily render their retreat impossible; so they each mude for (he chuichor stockade as best as they could straggling in uotii nightfall. The cext morning tight were found missing; amongst the slain, Lieutenants Percival ;nd Norman, a sergeant, a corporal, and 4 piivates. Ihe monument over their honoured remains in Drury churchyaid beats testimony to their dash and valour. Governor Sir George Gray expressed these statements to a relative of mine a day or two after: "It is the

! most cffetthe acti<n that has yet i tak.-i: p'acp, for it will urmistak- j ably ho- the Maori they can find 1 : their rt.atchv.ith :ettlera u; aidei j ! by Imperial t'O ps." From au- | the: tic accounts Maoris engaged i wcie t p e Ngat in- niapot ;s, snd their | loss was 30 slai ; on their ret lrn to j I Waikat'.), s:ver miles from Mi>uku, j tramineilei ly th* ir wouidid and j ikille l , they were net ty anuirtur of tliti: tni e, who upon hsarig ! what had trarEpired inquired Iwh ther they had claimed the ' victory bv finne; a volley over the field. They point:d to their t'ead I and dying comrades. The repiy I was, "It is your tattle, but we will go," and they did, and fired a volley over the naked bedits of th.ir eight victims ard decamped, f crosoiiig the W«ikato at Purapura, j just as part of the Thing Column (who had boon kept under anus for hours at Mercer awaiting orders) ii a'hod Purapur.'i, via Cameron Town. I believe this account to be true, as I had it at the time from one of the Voluuteeis, who, in the fight, stood beside the intrepid Percival, whou a Maori bullet in the neck paralysed his trigger-hand and' brave heait for ever. —I am, e:c, A M.ukt Sktti,kk Previous to !80 : >. [To b; continued.]