THE MAORI WAR.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 342, 29 January 1861, Page 3

THE MAORI WAR.

GLOMIOViS NEWS!

determined night attack.

Bt the Eita from Sydney via Taranaki we were, late last night, put in possession of news of impcrtance from the scene of operations at Kairau, the most important items of which we lay before our readers, the intelligence being of a far more encouraging kind than we have been for some time able* •to record of New Zealand military operations. This affair has been characterised as Mhe heaviest blow of the war/ and occurred < against the picked men of the Ngatihaua, 'Ngatimaniapoto, Waikatb, arid Ngatiaiva tribes headed by Eewii Epiha, and Hapurona.arid numbeHng altogether about 450 ihen.' ; , "'/"' V '/''■': . .;'.?.■ '....' :

As will be seen by our extracts, confidence in their prowess or in the surprise which the attempt would occasion, led this .band of determined aboriginals to face a number of troops of no great disparity, and assault a well-entrenched redoubt which contained 360 British- soldiert./('tO.th.regiment). The ditches $Jed by: Jth|: iqemy were served with *Jwe shells f|^m*tne redoubt, quickly followed" bflMhe^aigadly bayonet charge and instances of 3eterrHln6d bravery that even the hurly-burly of the melee could not disguise. Twenty minutes then sufficed to teach the enemy a lesson which cost them nearly 50 men according to the ■first estimate; many more however are expected to be added to the list. The casualties on our side are stated as 5 killed and 11 wounded.

{From the TarhhaU Herald.)

'Monday, 21st.—Another working party sent to/the front; No firing from the enemy uutil past eight, a.m.. wheu only a few dropping shots were scut, the men collecting fern for the redoubt being protected by a line of skirmishers. Private Crawford, of the 12th; was. wounded tbrbixgh the shoulder whilst at work on the top of the parapet. After this firing became pretty general, the 8-inoh guvs, both from Kairau and the works, with the 9-pounder at No. 2, firing The 8-inch gun in advaiice.is in range for cansister and grape. About noon Colonels Mould and Carey arrived arid visited all the various posts. One of the 24-pounder howitzers was placed in the left square of the front redoubt. From Matarikoriko the enemy can be also seen within reach of our skirmishers, but out of sight of any but those that held tne exalted position of the Matarikoriko. The Maories, in order to carry' o,n their works on our left unmolested, nearly the whole nigit continued showing lights and yelling on onr right. Captain Messenger irrived from Waitara with his Grenadier Company, and proceeded to the advanced post. After the cannons of the morning no filing was heard, with the exception of a few shots from the erieniy, until evening, when the guns again boomed forth.. Eeports afloat in the camp that the natives intend to rush one of our positions, consequently, Col. Wyatt gave directions for extra vigilance during the night. Much howling was. heard with voices from the enemy's camp.

Tuesday .--No attack during the night. Captain Messenger watched his opportunity, and fired both the 24-pounder howitzer and the 8-inch gun,. loaded with gtape and common case, amoog those of the enemy who were busily engaged carrying on their works to our left. Head-quarters of the 40th arrived,, under cominaod of Col. Leslie, In the afternoon the 24----pounder howitzer was sent for a short time to the Matarikoriko, from whence several shells were thrown into the gully that flanks our adyanced position on the flat. During the night Voices heard on our right, that of a woman befog most conspicuous. She was endeavoring tp incite the natives to some desperate, action by Jffßlaiing ihe^eeds of her forefathers.

Wednesday, January 23.~A glorious day for oup gallant soldiers; the enemy having been tttterjy routed and driven back after as desr |>mt<i »q attempt at storming a position as

could well be conceived. The intended tactics of the natives, aa explained by one of the prisoners, were excellent. Their intention was to make a feint on our right, and, as soon as the native sentinels could see that the men occupying the redoubt bad rushed to the part attacked, those who for some time bad been concealed in the ditch on the left, were to rush over the parapet, and at once commence with the onslaught. In selecting their point of real attack they used great judgment, for they chose the only spot unprotected by cannon. The right, could have been swept by the 9 pounder gun at No. 2 redoubt, the left being alone void !of any flanking protection. The first that those of the Kairau redoubt knew of the attack was from the sentinel calling out, "Turn out the guard!" on his hearing three shots fired from our right, after which reiterated volleys were heard from the front redoubt. All this happened at about 20 minutes to 4, it being quite dark, as the reddened sky attendant on the dawn of day had not appeared. After the firing at the lower redoubt had been continued; for upwards of an hour the bugle was heard caliing for the 65th, when Colonel Wyatt ordered out jtfo. 7 of the 65th, under Capfain M'Gregor, and the Light Company of the 65th, under Lieutenant Urquhart, and No. 10 of the 12th, under Captain Miller, as a support. So much for the movements at*Kairau; and now, to make myself understood, I must describe the actions of the 40th, who occupied the posts, attacked.

Some time before daylight thesentinelß,;4 in Dumber, psrceived at about sixty yards to the extreme left a large number of Maoris creeping through the high fern, upon whom they immediately fired. The Waikatos, nothing daunted, rushed forward and joined their comrades already eneonsed iu'the ditch, ahdjendeavored, by means of their tomahawks, to establish extemporaneous scaling ladders, by cutting steps in the steeply inclined banks of the ditch. Finding themselves foiled in this, they endeavored to pass the parapet by climbing over each other's shoulders, and so to meet the British bayonet with the tomahawk. So determined was the rush that they, in one spot where only gabions were placed, commenced to hack their way through. But all their attempts were futile; for no sooner had the first alarm been given when the trenches were manned; Col. Leslie, Major Nelson, and the officers being among the first to their posts.

The men for upwards of an Lour maintained a continuous fire. It was early in the attack that Lieut. Jackson, of the 40th Grenadiers, met with his death. As was his wont, while exposing himself, he had warned the meu to protect themselves under the cover of the bank, with revolver in hand shooting the enemy id the ditch, a bullet pierced bis brain and he fell mortally wounded. Ie is recorded that during the seige of Lucknow, live shells were thrown from the hand into the ditches below. The same was done in this instance; upwards of a dozen were thrown over the parapet by Lieut. Warburton, R.E., and Green, Tradgeley, aad Tucker, RA,. with the most destructive effect. The 40th were so anxious for the attack that one man, Private Halloran, jumped on to the parapet, when, losing his balance, he fell amongst the enemy below, but, as his gallantry merited, the 65th arrived at the time and thus enabled the man to escape without even a wound. To convey "some idea of the deadly struggle I need but state that the Maoris endeavored to climb the'bank by grasping the bayonets of the men defending' the trenches, many of which were wresed from the rifles. Before the gabions were removed from the gateway an engineer was shot in his tent from the gateway whilst putting on his belts, so completely had the enemy surrounded the fortifications. After this, finding from the position of the enemy their rifles useless, the 65th call was sounded, when, accompanied with the 12tb, they immediately responded, the 12th staying at No. 2 whilst the 65th advanced to the front, when: Capt. McGregor having been informed by Colonel Leslie that there were many natives in the ditch surrounding his post, he immediately divided his force into two parties, one passing to the advanced works in front under Lieutenant Urquh'art, the other, under Capt. McGregor, enfilading the ditch on the rear base. As usual the 65th kept up their old character for bravery and determination. I wish that it was in my power to notice seperately the deeds of the men engaged, but among a struggle that lasted for so short a time it is almost impossible to give honor in every case where honor is due. One man of the 65th at all events shone forth, Private T. Cooper, No. 10 company, whoj after having passed round to the adzanced works, mounted over the gabions and came in immediate contact with the enemy occupying the extreme left ditch. He drst shot one man, and after loading againg, bayonetted another, when, in rushing on, the cap fell from his gun, and consequently he had his bayonet only to rely on, with which he succeeded in doing great execution, knocking down with the butt end of his rifle those who opposed him, but his rifle breaking, be was struck to the ground wouuded. Corporal James Howard was badly wounded whilst rushing forward to the ditch, ooing great execution in his progress. Private James Saxton, 65tb, pioneer, highly distinguished himself by rushing unon the enemy sword in hand, doing great execution.

The 12th, under Captain Miller, left the Kairau as a support to the 65th, remaining, as I have before stated, at the No. 2 redoubt, fromj whence he sent to Colonel Wyatt, who commands the whole of the field force, for permission to advance to the front, which was acceded to with directions that he should place himself under the command by Colonel Leslie, who at oncejdhected him to enfilade the ditch on the left. In endeavoring to carry out this movement, an obstacle showed itself in tlie many raaories that rose suddenly from the fern, when Captain Miller, altering his first intention, gave the welcome word to " charge " and whilst doing so, received the wound in his leg. At the same time Mr. Lowry, the senior Lieutenant, was ordered to continue with the movement, which wa3 most ably effected, killing and wounding a great many natives, and thus materially aiding in the utter rout that soon followed. Some few instances of individual bravery have come before my notice. Private E. Archer, one of the leading men in the charge, fell shot dead. Private Cahill, in rushing to overtake a retreating native, pas2ed over a man imagined to be dead, who afterwards ro3e and struck him with a tomahawk inflicting a severe wound in the arm. George Prince, of the same regiment, killed a Maori and found in his band a picture of a battle field from which he had evidently been endeavoring to draw deductions. In the struggle one man, of what regiment I know not, bayoneted a native and could not succeed in withdrawing it again from the body, when two more natives caught hold of the wounded man and dragged him, away, rifle and all.

On the return from the charge th,e in,en were addressed by Colonel Leslie, who thanked them for their determination, and. bravery) after which,

they reformed, arid extended to the left io skirmishing order. I roust not omit to state that after the natives were driven back by the gallant charge of the 12th, firing was opened by W. Kingi's natives on our right. This firing was evidently intended only to cover the retreat of their friends. A very short time had elapsed after the first i firing ere Colonel Carey and Dr. Mouat made i their appearance. They had, on hearing the sound of the guns, rapidly risen from their beds, mounted their horses, and galloped to the scene of action. Shortly after this the General and Staff, Commodore Seymour, accompanied with 25 of the Naval Brigade, and 100 men of the 14th also arrived. Thursday .—Last night, in anticipation of another attack, the trenches in the whole of the redoubts were *>arly manned. Some firing heard, evidently from the enemy's biirial parties; otherwise all quiet. The Waikatos accuse Wi Kingi of having misled them. He advised them to make the attack, stating that lie felt certain that the garrison would be found asleep. What may result from this no one knows. Our casualties are as follows :— KILLED. . Royal Engineers.—Szppev George Chubb. 12th Regiment.—Private'Edwavd Archer. 40th Regiment.—Lieut. Jackson, Private W. Gilbert, Private Edward Gurray. WOUNDED. Royal Artillery.— Daniel Bushnell, slightly. 12thRegiment.— Captain T. E. Miller, slightly; Private Patrick Caliil!, severely, tomahawk; Private Edmond Power, slightly. 40th Regiment.— Private Henry Wakefield, severely, Private John Officer, dangerously, Private John Mullins, slightly. 65th Regiment. —Lance Corporl James Howard, dangerously*; Private Edward Smith, do. ; Private Joseph Robinson, do.; Private Samuel Hamilton, severely.