MARSLAND HILL MEMORIAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 86, 7 May 1909, Page 3

MARSLAND HILL MEMORIAL

TO-DAY'S CEREMONY. ! The programme for to-day's ceremony provides for the assembling of the mill- ! tary forces, th e veterans, school cadets, ' anil members of friendly societies, in : (.Jill Street, ill the Drill' Hall, at 1.4.5 . p.m., thence 10 march in procession to j Mursland Hill. Those of the veterans who arc unable In march wTll muster jon the Hill at that time. Uis Excellency the Governor will proceed to the memorial in his carriage along the drive spcciallv constructed for the occasion. 11,. will lie received by Mr. S. PercySuiith, chairman of the Memorial Committee, and will then proceed with the unveiling ceremony, in which the Taranaki Harrison Band will take part. The monument will be dedicated by Chaplain-Major Evans. Members of ihe committer and some Of thc more prominent veterans will then be presented to his Excellency the Gov. rnor, and this will conclude the ceremony. I THE BATTLE OF WAIREKA. The following account of thc Battle of Waireka, from the "Taranaki News" of March 20th, 1800, will be read with interest at the present juncture: The state of affairs has not improved since our last publication. The friendly natives from Katcrc, Una, and Waiwakaiho met on Thursday respecting taking arms in defence of British authority in th ( . event of the town being attacked by the Taranaki natives, which was rumoured as probable, and whoso sole object can but be plunder, for they have no wrongs to avenge. On Friday a report came into town that Manahi and his people had left and gone over to the rebels; and at 2 o'clock ou Sunday morning military to the number of 200, with men of the Rifles and Militia to about 140, marched to the neighborhood of the Omata stockade, and thenc e to Katapihipihi. The Rifles proceeded in advance to the ground occupied by the enemy; but the officer in command deemed the position too strong to be attacked with success', and-they were withdrawn and returned to town.

On Tuesday there was great excitement in the town, report having como in that the bodies of three men were lying in the road in the neighbourhood of Omata Inn. This intelligence was confirmed, and the bodies brought into town, and proved to b ( , Mr. Ford, of this town, and Passmore and S. Shaw, of the Omata bush road. Two boys were also missing—lPotc and Parker, and were afterwards found and brought in; they had both been killed with the tomahawk. These murders' made thc authorities anxious for the safety of several families which had foolishly* persisted in remaining in their homes until they were cut off by this large body of men from the little garrison in th'e Omata stockade. On Wednesday an expedition was organised to bring off from Omata these families, calculated to number 35 souls. There was news' that the Maoris were in motion for the town, and about 1 o'clock p.m.. two guns were fired from Marsland Ilil'l. and a force, consisting of the light company of the 05th Regiment, about one hundred and forty of the Militia and Volunteers, under Captains Brown, Stapp and Atkinson; and a small party of the Niger's crew and marines, under thc command of Lieutenant Blake—the whole under the command of Lieut.-C'ol. Murray, started: the Volunteers by the beach, thc Military by the main 'road. The arrangement appears to have been that the civilians should, 'if possible, pass by the beach round the native force and take charge of the families in question; th,. troops halting at the cross-road called Whaler's Gate, about three-quarters of a mile nearer town than the stockade, and two miles from Mr. Brown's house, where the families to be rescued were supposed to be collected.

A pa bad been commenced on the Wuircka Hill, a lofty ridge commanding the main road for a considerable distance. Parties' of natives occupied this pa and the bench, completely'intercepting communication by way of the road witli the miserable families. The gallant troop of Volunteers and Militia made the travelling over the heavy sand at a smart pace, and on arriving at a point beyond Ilcrekawe, about a mile from the great Sugar Loaf, the enemy were seen pouring down towards the beach along the edge of the gully below J. Jury's house, ('apt. Atkinson was sent forward with 50 men iu skirmishing order, and these men were the first to receive the fire. It was some minutes before lh e main body joined them, and in this interval the advanced party were hardly pres'sed and thrown into some disorder for a moment, one man, F. Bawson. falling badly wounded in the thigh. They rallied immediately, and the main body arriving, the whole held their ground, although surrounded and greatly outnumbered. After some lima a party was detached to command the beach and preserve, as far as possible, the line of retreat. It would be difficult to give any eorrect idea of a skirmish such at was maintained for the whole of the ifternoon until dark. Thf cover of <>ur _ - an7 consisted o* *".:■■ house and stsx of J. Jury, bw .. rough but eflicient I •nft»r»»l. 0 f Jogs' and oat-straw, on v .. they retreated as night drew on. Their ammunition running low, and no communication taking place with the other parties of the expedition, they were obliged to cease firing and reserve what few rounds remained for a final rush, should that be necessary. In an early part of the skirmish the Niger's party and eome of the soldiers appeared in Ibe rear of the Militia and Volunteers, and for a time kept the natives from closing iu on them. The Niger'*' men disappeared, driving a number before them, and the men of the 05th retired on their support. When it was perceived from (he bari racks that the fight had begun on the beach. 50 men from the ship proceeded under Cant. Craeroft to the groun.l. They passed along the road on to (be ridge opposite (lie pa, into which the natives were swarming; and. after discharging a few rockets into it, they rushed up the sleep hill and entered the entrenchment, clearing their way with revolver, cutlass and pistol. Many natives were killed, the flag' captured, and a diversion effected which certainly saved tlie Militia and Volunteers' from being destroyed to a man, Trom their almoi-t absolute want of ammunition.

The recall having been sounded by. Col. Murray, the Xiger's party retreated from ii position they could hardly have held without support. The position of the Volunteers ami Militia forc ( . was perilous indeed, and it needed officer-' like Captains Stapp, Brown and .Mkhwin. and men as gallant, to maintain spirit umlt-r such circumstances. They did no. however, and retired silently under cover of the darkness; and arrived in town after midnight, just as a relief party of the G.itli and Militia was leaving for their help. Tt needed little to have made this wvllfought affair a decisive and annihilating blow of the Southern natives, and tint little we hope may be supplied on some future occasion.

The following is lh ( . list nf casualties on tin' >idc of the British force: Killed.—Sergeant Fahcv. Militia; Miliava. Marine.

Wounded— Lieut. Wake. \igcr: Lieut. Hummci-ton. Volunteer Pvifles': F. Kawson, W. Oliver, W. Messenger, seur.. Pope. Clhno. Tueh. and Hawken.

It is calculated that umvnrds or nix hundred natives were engaged with the troops and Militia, and (hat some sixty of them linve heen slain, among whom are four of their principal chiefs, and many more wounded.

ft o'clock ]). m. We hiivc Hip heartfelt satisfaction to nnnmicp that the families ill jeopardy in tliv Rev. Mr. Urmvn's limine li'avp been brought in to town in safety and that the Tarniiiiki nativw are leaving.