FORGOTTEN HEROES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 322, 23 January 1908, Page 4

FORGOTTEN HEROES.

SOMHERS' <JRA\ Kb IN COUHTENAV STREET. To the Editor. Sir.—Since writing you last on the a host" subject a paragraph in your Saturday's issue brings to my mind the name ' ot the ocvupaul ot the third grave in the CJourtenay street cemetery. You , mention that -omu old identitieM were , j <ii*Ufc s ing the question ot named of J j soldiers liuried there. Apparently they | thought he ought to be u Hibernian, so | they hit the very sale name of "RafferI ty," but though they were right as to 1 hir nationality, also ad to his he run an I artilleryman, this poor fellow's name i was (Jatfnev. not '•Rafferty." This is j the story of the deaths of Hurford and 1 t.aifnev that I remember hearing us a | bov. The former, who liail land in the j Omata district (the lfurford road, I bci lieve, gets its name from him) and was j in the Uhml forces., was in camp at Waireka with a poninn of the Imjx'rial troop-*. Expressing a wish to visit his farm, which. like all oilier farms had been abandoned lor some lime, tiaflney, a big Irish artilleryman, volunteered to go with him. They reached the farm safely, and were in the act of running down some pigs, when u parly of Maoris armed with loiualianks eanie on tiiem. The two bodies were found l'eariully hacked about. The .Maoris afterwards said thai Uattney lought desperately for his life though quite unarmed. Vour paragrapn also mentioned an artillery bombardier being killed at Kailake. 1 don't remember having heard this beiore. Anyway, Kaitake was taken in ltttU, a'n<l 1 believe the last of the soldier* that were buried in either St. Mary'* or Courtenay street Romau Catholic cemetery were the seven victims of the Wairau. This wae in June, 1863, and though later on in that xear, at Johnnie's flat and other places, many mora Imperials were killed, and of dilfetent religions, they were all buried at Te Henui cemetery. 1 have no doubt that tlie names of those waJlted for the

three graves: are: Gunner Gaffuey, H.y, killed at Omata, August, 1840; and I'riTate Hynn and McCarthy, 57th Foot, Idlled at Wairau, June 14th, 1883. 1 am, etc., J. HALL. Albert toad, 20t)i January, 190 S. P.S.—l notice you ha»e taken my "X" for an '"F" in the lieutenant's nnnn of the 57th. The name h "TragcU," though 1 almost think there are two "gfs" asi inscribed on the headstone, which, if 80, will doubtless be correct. The name is pronounced "Tradgett," with the acceut on the lirnt svllablv.— ML

AUTHENTIC RECORDS. From "Well/ History of liiinnuki'' ire take the following particulars of the manner in which some of th<«- soldiers met their deatlw during the turbule'it bixties. JOHN HLRFORD AND CAFFXEY. *\>n August 3rd, new* was to town that on the previous day Join Hurford, an old settler and a farmer at Omata, had left the Omatn stockade j to visit in? farm, and had not returned. It was afterwards discovered that lie had railed at the newly-formed camp ] at Waireka, and left there accompanied j by three artillerymen. It appeared alio that after many hours' absence two of the artillerymen had returned by different routes to the camp, and report, rd that tiwy had encountered a party ul' natives while searching for pigs on Hurfords' t'ann, who had tired at them, and being unarmed they separated and to"k to Itight, and had great dilliculty in finding their way back to camp. After an interview l>etween Captain Burton in command of the Militia at the Omata and Major Hutchinft in charge of tne camp at Waireka, it was arranged to send a guard of ten men from the camp with a party of militia in search <•!' the missing men. In the course of the afternoon this detachment returnt.il, bringing the body of Gaffney, the artilleryman, which they had found in a gully near to Hurford's house, mutilated to a frightful extent about the head and body with a tomahawk, but without any gunshot wound*. They were not able to find the body of Hurford, but had no doubt about his fate. On Sunday, the sth, another party went out, and after a long Bearch found Hurford's body amongst some bushes. The unfortunate man appeared to have been shot in attempting to escape, and had fallen down a steep bank into the bushe*. The ball had struck him in the region of the heart, and his death must have been instantaneous. There were no other marks of violence about his person. He left a wife anil large family, who were at that time refugees i'l Kelson.""

SERGEANT FAHEY. In describing the Battle of Waireka, the historian records that Sergeant Fabev. of the stockade at Omata, was shot dead. The Maoris who shot him also killed one of the marines of H.M.S. Niger, and was himself ehot by Mr I'. Wilson with a fowling piece."

i'RIVAXtb J. FLY N.N AND 1). McCARTHI, On Monday, May 4th, 18tU, a party confuting ot Kveu armed men u( thi57th Kegiment, left the Tataraimaka camp for town. Knowing nothing ol the warnings which had been given t'j the oovcrnment, they marched on regards ol danger. They had not proceeded far on tneir way when Dr. Hope and Lieutenant Tragett, of the same regiment, overtook tnern on horseback, uoth ueing unarmed. The officers passed the party and proceeded onward at a walking pace, about 2UO yards in advance, until nearing the Wairau stream, when they came to a sudden hall ttlj'f waited until the party on loot came up to within live yards of ibem, when a shot was tired from the bush which at that spot eloped downwards to the river, and ran parallel to the beach. So sudden and unexpected was the report, thai the man Kelly, who alone escaped to tell the tale, turned round and enquired of Sergeant KUard, who was imiuedialt'ly in trout of him, it his piece had gone oil by accident. The question was scarcely answered in the negative when another snot brought poor £llers to the ground and another, Color-Sergeant Hill. )n front ur. Hope was lying in the stream, having fallen wounded from his horse. Private F'lynn, on being requested to aid in the defence, stated his inability to do so from a wound which he had received in hli arm. Private Banks, the prisoner, na« also prostrate on the ground. While mailers were iu this state, Lieutenant Tragett,. instead of riding off and saving hi-, life, dismounted from his horse and joined the three survivors, remarking. if speaking t(> himself. What i* best to lie done';" Florence Kelly replied. "We had better retire liring. The noble ollicer replied. "U'r cannot leave our dead ami wounded.'" 150 he took a rille and iieeouirenients to aid in the defence. After continuing the fire i\ i r some time and receiving a wound, lie gave his white pocket handkerchief to Kelly, with directions to place it on his Iwyonet, and use it as a Hag ol truce. Kelly obeyed this order, but the call lor mercy war, unheeded, lhe little party again opened lire, which was answered with telling effect by the nmbu*ade, Kelly alone being left alive. A Maori now, in attempting to take Sergeant Hill's firelock, was shot dead by thn Mirvivor. Kelly then retreated to-

it'lly then retreated towards Tiiurijituku. Uut* u Maori trviii" to outflank him, and the string* of hi* xhuos. which were of Hax. breaking. re kicked off hi- -hiH'-. threw away lis rille and bolts, ran for his life, ami escaped. The names of the victims of this manure were:-. Stair Assistant Surgeon William Astle Hope. M.D.; Lieutenant Thomas lleatheote Tragett, 57th Regiment: Color-Sergeant Samuel Kllars: Samuel Hilt; Private John Hynn: Private Bartholomew MK'anhv, anil Patrick Kgan.