REMINISCENCE OF HERE'S WAR.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 382, 6 July 1889, Page 6

REMINISCENCE OF HERE'S WAR.

Forty-fouk years ago to-morrow was fought the action at Ohaiwai, which ended so disastrously to the British arms. After the repulse of the" troops at Okaihau on the previous Bth" of May, Tamati Wakas men assisted in cbnveyirig the wounded to Kemps station at- Iveri-Keri. A grenadier f the 58th Rdgiment, one man of the 96th Regiment, ane one sailor of the Hazard, havfngr died of their wounds, were buried at Wakas temporary pa. During the absence of the land force, Captain Sir Everard Home, of H.M.s. North Stai*, destroyed some of the enemy's villages and many canoes at the Bay of Islands. The nien-of-war boats conveyed the wounded from Kemps etation to the North Star, and on arrival in Auckland were received by the inhabitants with great kindness, as well as feelings of dismay. Houses were temporarily occupied as hospitals— one in a / large house in Official Bay, later for many^ years occupied as a residence by Sir O. Gibbs. The Engineer Office in Emily Place was also utilised, and the gaol, then on the outskirts of the town, at the foot of Victoria-street, and as relays of wounded arrived during the next few 1 months, the prisoners were told to cleatout. The want of surgeons was severely felt, the regimental ones having to remain with their corps in the field ; this want was filled by the appointment of Dr. Pollen (now member of the Upper House) to take medical charge of the wounded. The settlers were most kind to the wounded ; they were constantly visited, and presents of tobacco, cigars, fish, books, etc., were constantly brought to them. One laughable incident took place ab the hospital at Official Bay. The wounded were one deiy visited by the Governor and the Colonial Secretary (Dr. Sinclair). In one of the rooms were two non-commissioned- officers of the 58th Regiment ; the room only held their two beds. The Governor (who wore the Windsor uniform) asked many questions about the fight and what they thought of New Zealand, eic. One of them made the remark that he thought Auckland must be advancing very fast, as when he was at school he never recollected even its '< name on the maps, and he ventured to ask what salary he got. They left at once, and presently Dr. Pollen, who had been making his evening rounds, came in and strictly examined the pair of them, saying that one of them had been reported as drunk by the Governor, who had just left, and that he had been insulted by one of them. An explanation took place which ended, in a hearty laugh. The Governor, from his uniform, was taken for amemberof anre"brigade, and wasasked what screw he got for the billet. For years, till his death, Dr. Sinclair never met Governor Fitzroy's insulter but a pleasant smile would break over his generally sombre countenance. The wounded having been despatched to Auckland, the force at Kemps station had a fatiguing march over a rough and mountainous country of about 15 miles that brought them to a small bay to the right of the Kawakawa River, where all the officers and men were received on board H.M.s. Hazard. Next day, they all removed to the " Slam's Castle " transports. On the 15Ui May, at midnight, Major Bridge, commanding the 58th Regiment, with 200 men of that corps, and 100 of Tamati Wakas men under the Chiefs Ripa and Moses, proceeded up the river Waikara in canoes, to de=troy a large pa belonging to the enemy. This was skilfully performed, the pa being burnt. There were no casualties amongst the troops, but of Wakas men two were killed and seven wounded, one of whom was Jack Robinson, so called by the soldiers. He it was who behaved so well at Hekes pa at Okaihai by discovering the ambush laid by Kawiti for our men. Surgeon Pine, 58th regiment, cut a ball out of his breast. He bore the operation most manfully. It surprised our medical men and others how quickly the natives recovered from apparently dangerous wounds. Afterwards, for his services to the British, Sir George Grey, when Governor, granted him a section of land on the western side of Mechanics' Bay, on -which he erected a house. He was in Government employ as messenger for many years, till his death. He felt a pride in showing the bullet wounds and scars that ho had received in the Bay of Islands war. The troops were now located in the empty houses that escaped the fire when Heke burnt Kororarika, awaiting expected reinforcements of troops from Sydney, and on the Ist of June the transport Royal Sovereign arrived with the flank companies of the 99th Regiment, under the command of Colonel Despard, who stated that he was only going to remain two or three weeks, till he had finished the war with Heke, when he would return to Sydney. During this period, Heke attacked our ally, Tamati Waka, in his pa, with 600 men ; but he was repulsed, although Waka had only 150 men with him at the time. Heke was severely wounded, besides losing: one or two of his principal chiefs (killed) and five of his men also, all of whom fell into Wakas hands. These he buried, and one man left on the field for dead he sent back to Heke — a most unusual circumstance in New Zealand warfare. Information having been received that Kawiti was erecting a jja at Ohaewhai. about the middle of the month all the troops were concentrated at the mission station of Waimate, after a most tedious and harassing march, owing to heavy loads, wretched weather, miserable transport ; two drays with ammunition broke down, and the men had to carry the barrels on their backs, as well as to drag the guns. The men had pretty fair quarters at Waimate, and the Rev. Mr Burrows and his amiable lady (lately dead) did all in their power to make things comfortable to the officers and men. The troops, especially the 58th, were sadly in want of boots, and Mrs Burrows having given a sergeant of that corps a pair, he having been in the habit of responding at Divine service, the lads in camp used to call out after him, " there he goes with his Amen boots." On Sunday, the 22nd, the troops paraded for Divine service, the same being conducted in the church by the Rev. Mr Burrows. At the parade a singular incident took place in the 58th Regiment. On Captain Grant, of the Grenadiers, giving the word of command — "Church of England men to the right ;— Roman Catholics to the left," J. Means (6 feet 5 inches), a Protestant, fell in with the Roman Catholics. The captain said, "Means, you have made a mistake ; come to your place amongst the Protestants," The answer was, " No, sir, I have made no mistake. I have turned Roman Catholic. The Lord loveth whom He chasteneth, and the Protestants haye. been getting it pretty heavy oi late, as every man that has been killed or wounded since we came to |New Zealand were 1 Pro- ■ testants— so I'll join the Catholics." On inquiry and going over the names of the casualties, Means's statement was found to be correct. Now this was singular, for the Regiment was pretty equally divided as bo religion as well as nationali-

ties. The corps was the Rublandshir Regiment, from which shire there was only one man in the regimen b, named Andrew Ned Larretl, and he was one of the first killed at Okaihai. This change of religion did nob save Means, -.for he was severely wounded a few days, afterwards, and long used a 'pair o£ crutches, bub Dr. Pollen got. him albright again. ' ' On the 23rd the force left Waimate and proceeded to attack the pa at Ohaowai. This stood in a clear space in the bush 500 or 600 yards square. On each side was a hill with ravines between, the whole covered with trees. The pa was 90 by 50, with square flanks on each side, sunounded with three rows of palisades, about 15 teet high, averaging 18 inches in diameter. This was covered with flax — a ditch 5 feet deep between traverses — inside were underground excavations. Ivawiti had about 300 men. The British force consisted of : — Staff: Colonel Despard, commanding ; Lieutenant Deering, 99th Regiment, Acting Brigade-Major ; Royal Artillery, Lieutenant Wilmobt, 7 guns, largest 12-pounder carronade; Capbain Mailow, Commanding Royal Enginoer ; 58th Foot, 270, Major Bridge ; 96th Foot, 70, Lieutenant-Colonel Hulme ; 99bh Foob, 180, Babbalion-Major Macpherson ; H.M.s. Hazard, 30, Lieutenant Philpot ; Auckland Volunteers, 80, Capbain Atkins, an officer who had seen much service under Sir De Lacy Evans in the Spanish Legion. MiReader W T ood (now of Parnell) was a lieutenant in this force, ,and atbached to the guns. The Commissariat was under the charge of A.C. General Turner and Mr J. P. dv Moulin, assistant. ' On the 24th the guns opened fire — to all appearance did little damage — and' qwing to the tenacity of the flax with which the palisades were covered, which closed up as the balls went through, it was nob possible to see what damage was done. The same was continued next day, the pa returning the fire. The troops had several wounded, and Doherty. of bhe Grenadiers 58bh Regiment, killed. The guns were fired only every half hour. Colonel Despard, finding ib impossible to reach bhe pa, determined bo storm it by a night attack. Ladders were prepared — a forlorn hope — and two attacking parties were oideied for two o'clock in the morning. It rained very heavily after midnight, and at one o'clock, when the picquets were called in to form the storming parties, it was raining so hard that the attack was counbermanded. On the Ist of July (Tuesday), a most beautiful morning, the enemy were most active in firing ab bhe picquets, and bhe Auckland volunteers engaged complebing a battery for a 32-pounder brought up the previous day, the escort under Lieutenant Morgan, and 25 seamen of H.M.s. Hazard, returning the same day to Waimate, with as many wounded os the drays would hold. After the 32-pounder had fired several rounds, a sudden attack was made on Wakas position on the hill, from the thick bush in rear, and so bad a lookout had been kept that they were completely surprised. The sentry on the gun that was on the hill, a young soldier of the 58th Regiment, named Stewart, was shot, receiving five balls in his breast, and young' Mr Clarke, the interpreter, wounded, before they knew where the shots were coming .from. There was a geneial rebreat, ib was" bhe deil bake the hindmost," and bhe leaps made down that hill were somewhat extraordinary, Wakas men and women* running in the' greabesb consbernabion, carrying ou,r men with them. The English flag and 6-pounder gun were taken, and shortly afterwards the flag was hoisted in the pa under the Maori one. Colonel Despard then directed Major Bridge and the 58th Regiment to retake the position. This was done in double quick time, the men cheering all the way, and carrying the hill in a few minutes, under a cross fire from the pa, as well as from bhose who had possession of ib; with the loss of only one killed and two wounded; found one of Hekes slaves dead, the remainder carried off, also a young girl of Wakas bribe was found shot through the body. Her husband was absent at the time the hill was taken with Waka in the bush, and finding his wife wounded on his return was nearly frantic and was nigh putting an end to himself. The object of this attack of Kawiti'b was evidently to get possession of or kill Waka, for three men rushed immediately to his hut, and pointed their muskets at the very corner he always occupied, and so intent were they on shooting him that his wife and a European escaped from the hut whilst bhey searched the blankets. It was fortunate for Waka, and the troops, too, that ho had gone out with some of his men, to try and cut off some of the enemy's foragers, for they had come out that morning and had taken prisoner a man of the Light Company of the 99th Regiment named Robert Eating, who had ventured too far whilst foraging for potatoes. This hill was to the right oi the pa and occupied by Wakas bribe : ' a sergeant's guard was also there to protect a 6-pounder that was placed there to rake the pa. Some bandsmen of the 50th Regiment were also present when the surprise took place. The gun when recaptured was found stuffed with sods and grass. After all the shot brought up for bhe use of bhe 32-pounder had been expended (26 rounds), Colonel Despard, on the hill being retaken, determined on carrying, bhe pa by assault, as he considered the palisade sufficiently broken in two places ; bub the Commanding Royal Engineer, Major Marlow, did not con&ider either practicable, and in defiance of this officer's professional opinion, also that of our allies, Tamati YV~aka, Ripa, and Moses Tawai, who most strongly objected, orders were issued. . Ths parties for the attack consisted of a forlorn hope of two sergeants and 20 rank and file from the 58bh and 99bh Regiments under Lieutenant Beatty, of the latter corps. Assaulting party, 40 grenadiers, 58th Regiment, and 40 grenadiers 99bh Regiment; 20 seamen and marines, H.M.s. Hazard ; 30 pioneers, Auckland volunteers. The seamen to be supplied with axes to cut down the palisade. The pioneers to. carry the ladders as well as ropes for pulling down the same. The whole under Battalion -Major Macpherson, 99th Regiment and Major Bridge of the 58th Regiment, to follow closely with 100 men of that corps and 40 rank and file of the 99th Regiment. A supporting parby under LieubenantColonel Hulme, 96th Regiment, of 100 rank and file of the 58th and 96th Regiments. Captain Thompson, 58th. Regiment, was ordered to occupy the hill overlooking the camp with 40 rank and file of his corps. Amongst the few now living who were on this duty may be mentioned B. McDonald, of Parnell, and Alick Whisker, of Newmarket. At 3 o'clock, all being in readiness, the parties for the attack were enabled to advance within 80 to. 100 yards of the left angle of the pa, and whilst here there .was an awful pause — the pa ceased firing, and not a Sound was heard except the occasional report} of a.gun from the hill, the Colonel (having ordered^ a few shot and- ahell.to, be thrown in before h^-sojinjcjed Jihekadvance, when alk'were to rush rapid \y- -forward and force an entrance into the par "" ' ' On the .advance sounding, tlie trobps rushed forward in the most gallant and daring manner with v *a . regular 'British cheer, reached the palisade, and every en-

deavour was made to pull it down, bub in I vain. The volunteers failed to come forward with the ladders, etc. Only one ladder was placed" against the fence, and that by an old man of the Militia, and a seaman was shot dead whilst endeavouring to gob over by it. He fell inside, . the officers cutting at the ties of palisados with their swords, and pulling ab a part loosened, when a, buyle sounded the retreat. ThK at first was thought a mistake, and the men continued their efforts, when the recall sounded again, and then all that wore left prepared to obey carrying oft'thp wounded. The troops had ■ suffered very severely, and many were killod and wounded whilst retiring. The failure was attributed by Colonel Despard to the ladders not having been brought up, bub after the pa was evacuated professional men agreed that far more loss would have accrued to the troops if they had gob over the outer palisade, although they partially succeeded in opening the outer one. The next- resisted all attempts, and being lined with men firing through loopholes on a level with bho ground, and from others half-way up, tho men fell so fast that, notwithstanding the most daring acts ot bravery and the greatest perseverance, they were obliged to retire, having losb one- third of the force engaged in the space of ben minutes, and during the eight days of the operations against the pa one-fourth wore killed or wounded, a loss unequalled 'in British warfare. i The loss was distributed as follows :-— H.M.s. Hazard — Lieutenant Phil pot and 2 seamen killed, 2 wounded. 58th Foot — Captain Grant and 3 sergeants and 13 rank and tile killed; 2 sergeants and 35 rank and file wounded. '• 96bli Foot— 3 rank and file killed ; 2 sergeants and 3 rank and file wounded. 99th Foot — 1 sergeant and 1(5 rank and file killed ; 1 sergeant and 21 rank and file wounded. Major Macpherson and Lieutenants Beatty and Johnston killod ; and Ensign O'Rielly, wounded (lost his right arm). Lieutenant Beatty died of his wounds ab Waimate, and is buried in that quiet cemetery alongside of Captain Grant, of the Grenadiers of the 58th Regiment, and Lieutenant L'hilpot, of the Hazard. Captain Grant's sword was brought off the field by his brother officer, Major Bridge. The officers of the regiment had afterwards a handsome table erected to his memory in the church at Parramatta, N.S.W. Lieubonant Philpob was a son of the celebrated Bishop ot Exeter of that name. He was well-known to the natives, and in the attack on the pa they repeatedly called out to him to keep oft', paying, "Keep oft, Toby," the cognomen they had for him. At the taking of Kororarika he was taken prisoner by Heke, who afterwards released him, and sent him on board his ship. Seldom have British troops passed a more dreadful night than the one before Ohaiwhai after this repulse. They were constantly expecting an attack, hearing tho groans of the dying and the moans of the wounded, to add to which the shrieks of the captured soldier, R. Eating, of the 99th Regiment, who was being tortured with burning kauri gum and red hot irons. None slept in camp, and the men again and again begged to be led to the rescue and revenge of their tortured comrade. The surgeons were occupied the whole night in attending bo bhe wounded, and in this Mr J. P. Dv Moulin, of the Commissariat Department, from previous knowledge, was able to render most material assistance. Aichdeacon Williams and the Rev. Mr Burrows applied to be allowed bo bury the dead the next day, but they were ordered off. Ib was noticed that Captain Grant's body had been removed. The next day Kawiti hoisted a flag of truce, and allowed the dead to be carried aAvay by Wakas men only. Some of the bodies were terribly mutilated ; Lieutenant Philpot scalped ; one had bhe head severed from the body ; another the skull tattoed ; and the body of R. Eating, of the 99th, showed the flesh all burnt and torn off his thighs and a hole burnt in his body. All the dead were given up, except the body of Capt. Grant, whom they said they had buried, but ib was afterwards found mutilated. The men weie all buried in tho one grave, Archdeacon Williams reading the burial service. A curious incidont with one of bhe dead occurred. A sergeant ot the 58bh Regimenb had been reduced to the ranks on the morning of the attack, his chevrons being cub off by the Drum-Major with the usual formalities. He was killed at the assault, and prior to being buried his &tripe-5 were sewn on his lifeless arm, and he \va? buiied a sergeant. The troops continued before the pa till bhe 10th, during which period bhe guns were piincipally used so far as theammunition would admit, with occasional skirmishes, the great dread being bhe unprotected state of the wounded at Waimate. Colonel Despard being afiaid ot their being cub off, he expressed his intention of retiring, but Waka and his chiefs strongly protected againsb such a step, and in this instance their advice was followed. About midnight porno of the chiefs came into the camp reporting that the pa was being vacated — they knew by bhe howling of bhe dogs. Ab daylight on the 11th this was found to be tho case, leaving behind all the arms, &c , taking off the killed on the Ist some of their own ammunition, guns and, tomahawks, &c\, boxes lull of the plunder of Kororarika, with a six -months' supply of pobaboes and Indian coin. An old woman was found asleep in one of bhe underground chambers (she was deaf, and could not have heard bhem going . away), also one dead woman unburied.' v Some of our nabives were on the point of putting the old woman to death, but were prevented by Mr Dv Mqulin, of the Commissariat Department. After tho troops and natives had carried but all, worth taking, the pa was set fire to. in several places and kept burning all day. An' accident happened whilst bhis was going on. Two women of Wakas tribe quarrelled aboub a double-barrelled gun — parb of the plunder — when it wenb off, and one was killed on the spot. The pa was a remarkably strong and well defended place, very cleverly fortified, wj'h .trenches in&ide a double row of palisades,',bomb proof pits, huts with side walls of stones,, loopholed embankments, ebc.; bhe posts of bhe fences were as bhick as a stout man's body. This was a lesson not to make too light ot our enemios, and showed the folly ot attempting to carry such' a place by assaulb. wibhout a pracbicable breach. On the 14th of July, after destroying the pa, their own. huts and breastworks, the troops returned to Waimate. , As a graceful acknowledgmenb bo bhe men who served in the IJay of Islands war in 1856, the Provincial Council of Auckland passed the Naval and Military Scrip Act, which granbed scrip for 40 acres bo any one of Her Majesty's forces who had served during the war at the Bay of Islands., Ija, 1858, v the same Coancil passed the. Land Reeulabion Acb,, one clause of which granbed to sergeants #Q aGr.es, and to rank and file 60 acres, on condition that they obtained their discharges, for the purposeof be-coming-settlers in' the, province, and that their character was good whilst in the army. .. j

A great number of men obtained their discharge to remain in the province — some by purchase, some free with gratuity, others to pension ; in aIL upwards of 1,000 mon were discharged between the lBt January, 1854, and tha 31st October, 1858, for the purpose ot becoming settlers in New Zealand. The n.en were discharged monthly in squads of 20, 30, 40, and sometimes 50, care being taken not to overcrowd the labour markers. The men discharged, remaining in the province, received scrip for 40 acres. When the Act of 1858 came into force, which gave increased grants to the discharged soldiers, men who had already received the scrip undor the Act of 1854 applied for the land under Clause 81 of the Act of 1858. A few received it, -when the Waste Lands Board discovered some flaw which precluded the issue of two grants to the same person. Thus the men who had undergone the hardships and privations of the Bay of Islands war of 1845-6 felt .this keenly, as the drafts of recruits fro.m .England to replace casualties, on obtaining their discharge, obtained grants of 60 or 80 acres, according to their rank, whereas those who had borne the heat and burthen of the day had only received 40 acres. The Government must be aware of thie, as session after session the House of Representatives? is. inundated with petitions on •the subject ; RoyaL Commissions have sat, and as yet these claims are not adjusted. Sir George Grey has constantly arid persistently advocated thtir claims, calling the difficulties in the way ot settlement "mere legal quibbles." Messrs Hobba, Mops, Thompson, and, indeed, all the Auckland members, are steady advocates of justice being doiie these old soldiers. Although the Legislative Council threw out the B,ill to adjust the claims of these men, jit'is" to be.hoped the Premier will not ullow the closing session of this Parliament to pats without these men (very, veiy few left) receiving relief. — "Auckland Star," ! July 2.