THE WAR. OF '63.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 162, 8 January 1914, Page 2

THE WAR. OF '63.

A VETERAN'S NARRATIVE. i SOME IXTERESTIXd RECOLLECTIONS. 'Person reminiscences of the .Maori war I in 1803 were given in an address to the (prisoners in Mount Eden Gaol, Auckland, a few days ago by Mr. V. (1. Ewington, who is a member of the Prisons Hoard, and an oilicial visitor to the prison. - Mr. Ewington enlisted in Taranaki in 180,'! in the Mounted Colonial Defence Force, under Colonel Nixon, who afterwards was killed .in action at Rangiaohia, on February 23, 1804, and whose memory is perpetuated by the Xixori monument at the junction of Otahuhu and Mangero roads. Where lie had previously | been an exemplary patriotic settler. The bad feeling occasioned by the Taranaki I war of 1800-01 was easily fanned into a flame by the troops, who had not left. j Mint province, occupying the Tataraimaka block of land, and on May 4, 1803, [ the natives threw down the gauntlet by killing Dr. Hope and Lieutenant Tragett, who were then on their way from Tataraimaka to New Plymouth, and by attacking a small escort.' Swift retribution followed. The Maoris made riilepits in a strong position on the Kaitaki Range, two miles inland facing the sea, and assembled about 000 fighting men, On June 3 (ieneral Cameron marched out of New Plymouth wit/li a force of 873 men and officers. Next day the assault, was delivered under cover of th» guns of the Royal Artillery, and of 11-M.S. Eclipse combined. The 57th Regiment I led the way, pluckily supported Iby volunteers, and the position was carried with a loss of only three men killsd and eight wounded, while 28 Maoris were killed and many wounded.

PREPARATIONS IN THE CITY. Alarming news having been' received about a hostile rising of natives in Waikato, Governor Grey and General Cameron, with about 300 men embarked in (lie Eclipse for Auckland. Being attached to General Cameron'* staff as one of his orderlies, Hr. Kwington accompanied that; Force. As it was believed that the_nativr.s would carry out their threat to invuil." Auckland, special precautions were taken at Panrnure and Otahuhu, and a fortification was thrown up on the site where the Supreme Court now stands, commanding Official Bay. Life at the Queen's Redoubt was sometimes enlivened by hostile demonstrations by natives at Koheroha, Mangatawhiri,' and I Tuakau,

PATRIOTIC SETTLERS. The Drury encampment in those dayg was a lerrrlily wet, muddy typhoidstricken place, and a good innay Auckland volunteers contracted sickness from which they never recovered. Sacrifices then were made without murmuring. Lovo of country seemed greater then than now. European population was sparse, and natives were warlike, confident and aggressive. Military life at Pokeno was characterised by careful preparation to conquer Waikato. Before the final ad- | vanee was made, an incident occurred about seven miles from Tuakau, which caused much excitement at Queen's Redoubt. Some friendly natives had been I attacked by the enemy, and Jlr. Armyj tage, a Government official, was killed at CamcTontown. Captain Swift, of the fljth Regiment, being in command at Tuakau, set off with about 50 men to | support the the friend!- natives. ComI ing up with the enemy, the soldiers fixed { bayonets and charged. Captain Swift and Lieutenant Butler were killed, and the I command fell upon Color-Sergeant M<>Kenria, who with difficulty brought off his men and the wounded after a gallant fight, for which he was given the Victoria Cross.

THE DECISIVE ENGAGEMENT. The timo was quickly ripcniii)* for a groat struggle at Knngiriri. As a precautionary measure, General Cameron sent a force of about 8110 men, under. General Carey, principally of the lSth (Royal Irish) Regiment to land at the Thames and thence proceed to a native settlement, Pukorokororo, whence die Waikatos drew their supplies. Then the general and his staff made reconnaissance of Mori Meri and the adjacent country in the Pioneer, a little steamboat that hud come from Sydney, and the Avon, which had been sent from Auckland. He placed about SIM) soldiers in rear of Meri Meri. The Maoris 'had fortified Meri Meri with some old cannons taken from the wreck of the ss. Worsley at Waitara, and they captured an Englishman, who had been in the Royal Artillery, and compelled him to teach them to lire. That he. did so effectively was proved by one of the "inns firing oil that occasion a 71b weight through the side of the steamer, and it's lodging in a barrel of meat. [ THE ASSAULT ON RANGIPdItf. On November li), ISO:), Pishop Selwyn arrived at Queen's Hcdoubt and held a church parade, lie preached from the text of Scripture. "There is but a step between me and death." Little did some of the poor fellows think thai, within a few hours so many of them would have really taken that final step. The next morning General Cameron inarched with fijli officers and men up the right bank .of the YVaikalo River to assault the liangiriri stronghold of the enemy. Commodore Wiseman had command of the two gunboats and six flat-bottomed boats, with seamen and soldiers to assault the enemy on the left Hank when the general did so in front. The enemy had a strong central redoubt and » ditch ivbout 12ft dee]) stretching from the river to Lake Waikare. The position was shelled for about two hours, and some Maori women who were gallantly helping their fathers and husbands to defend the place, were unintentionally killed. At ."i p.m., the order was given to charge. The (13th led the way, under Colonel Wvatt, whose homely words were: ''Go it,"osth." Tile Pith and Uth supported, and a wild, exciting rush, with shouting and cheering, was made. Meanwhile, Captain Mercer's two Armstrong guns and the Naval six-pounder thundered overhead, until the men reached the position, only to (inil it too strong and beset with too many rifle pits to carry it. Ladders were too short and the enemy's aim was so deadly that shelter had 'to hi! taken in the trenches. Men were falling thickly, killed and wounded, and the night wa» spent in 'hitting and beinghit. I land grenades were thrown over into the redoubt, and some native bills inside it were set on lire. N'oxl morning the enemy hoisted (lie while (lag. and just ns lie had dune so, the great lighting chief, William Thomson, the king-maker, appeared wiih 1(H) warriors; Inil, iinding the white Hag Hying- he retired. The prisoners numbered IST, and they were sent to Uneon's Redoubt, and thence to Aucldnnd. Next day the .'Mi soldiers were buried in. the .churchyard, and an equal •number of Maoris were buried in the trendies. It was a dearlybought victory.