PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1922, Page 9

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

THE TARANAKI WARS. NEW PLYMOUTH ENTRENCHED. (By “Juvenia.”) On June the 29th, Hugh Corbyn Harris, a Taranaki Volunteer, on service at the Waitara Camp, went out to the swamp in front of the camp unarmed, accompanied by two soldiers, who were also unarmed, for the purpose of getting firewood. Arriving at the swamp, some natives who had been lying in ambush rushed upon him, and placing a musket to his head shot him through the temple. The soldiers who were with him made their escape, and alarmed the camp. A party of soldiers immediately turned out, and the natives took to flight, leaving the bullocks and cart of the deceased. This’young man was of exemplary character' the hope of his parents, and highly esteemed by a large circle of friends. The body was taken by boat to New Plymouth for interment. At this date a party, consisting of 200 men of the 12th and 40th Regiments,, with Artillery and Engineers, under the command of Major Hutchins of the 12th Regiment, started from New Plymouth for the purpose of taking up a position on Waireka Hill, in order to check the advance of the southern natives. On August the 3rd, H.M. Colonial steam sloop Victoria, Captain Norman, arrived from Melbourne, bringing General Pratt, C. 8.; Lieutenant-Colonel Carey, Deputy-Adjutant General; Lieutenant Foster, R.A., A.D.C. r Deputy-Inspector General of Medical Department, J. Mouat, C. 8.; Captain Pasley, R.'E., and 50 men of the 40th Regiment. DEATH OF JOHN HURFORD. ’ On August the 3rd, news was brought into town that on the previous day John Hurford, an old settler and a farmer at Omata, had left the Omata stockade to visit his farm, and had not returned. It afterwards was discovered that he had called at the newly formed camp at Waireka, and left there accompanied by three Artillerymen. It appeared also that after many hours absence two of the Artillerymen had returned by different routes to the camp, and reported that they had encountered a party of natives while searching for pigs on Hurford’s farm, who had fired at them, and being unarmed they separated, and took to flight, and had great difficulty in finding their way back to camp. After an interview between Captain Burton in command of the Militia at the Omata stockade, and Major Hutchins in command of the camp at Waireka, it was arranged to send a guard of ten men from the camp with a party of Militia in search of the missing men. In the course of the afternoon this detachment returned, bringing with them 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 wounds. 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 search found Hurford’s body among some bushes. The unfortunate man appeared to have been shot in attempting to escape, and had fallen down a steep bank into the bushes. 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 and large family, who were at that time refugees in Nelson.

NEW PLYMOUTH ENTRENCHED. The town of New Plymouth was now entrenched in triangular form, the sea coast being the base, and Marsland Hill Barracks the apex, one side of the triangle being Liardet Street, and the other Queen Street. There were gates on the lines at the junction of Devon and Liardet Street, and at the junction of Devon and Queen Street. A strong redoubt around the Port flagstaff Was held by the blue jackets, and Fort Niger was also held by the sailors, besides which there were blockhouses at the Henui, on the racecourse, on the hill on the Carrington Road, and on the hill in Young Street, west of Dawson Street. On Saturday, the 4th, the to\ i preented a scene of great confusion, arising iut of an alarm that the natives were in force on the Mangorei Road, near to the old Colonial Hospital, and were marching on the town. The alarm was sounded, and the guns from Marsland Hill thundered out the preconcerted notice to all persons outside to hasten into the town. Crowds bf women and children were to be seen hurrying up Marsland Hill—the face of which seemed to be covered with them, while the men were falling in under arms. The confusion was happily speedily put an end to by further intelligence arriving to the effect that the natives had contented themselves with wrecking several houses, and had then retired across the Waiwakaiho. The result of this alarm was the following:—• PROCLAMATION. ' " “As it is indispensibly necessary that families should leave town, they must prepare to embark for such place as shall be decided upon. “By Order. CAREY, ; “Lieut.-Colonel, “Deputy-Adjutant General. “August 6th, 186 v.” On the 16th, the brig George Henderson, which was being fitted up for taking the families of the settlers to Nelson, was driven ashore northward of the Henui in a gale. A large party of blue jackets, in command of Commodore Loring. followed her course on the beach with a gun and a rocket, and when she grounded lent all possible aid. In town the assembly was sounded, and a large party of Militia and Volunteers were marched to the wreck to preserve it from being plundered by the natives. On the 20th, Ephraim Coad, an old settler, while proceeding from the wreck towards town, was shot dead on the beach near the mouth of the Henui by an ambuscade. At this time there was continuous skirmishing in the vicinity of the town, and the rebels burned the Henui village, leaving the church and chapel and the minister’s house. About this time. Henry Crann, while searching, for his bullocks on the Avenue Road, was shot by a professedly friendly native of Puketotara. The General Assembly being at this i time in session, the native policy of the .Government was endorsed in the House tof Representatives, members voting by a

large majority in favour of the following resolution, which was moved by Mr. Stafford, the Colonial Secretary:—“That in the opinion of this House the interference of Wiremu King! at Waitara, and his resort to force to prevent the survey of the land, that rendered the measures adopted by His Excellency the Governor indispensible for the maintenance of Her Majesty’s sovereignty, and the welfare of both races of Her Majesty’s subjects, peremptorily requires a vigorous prosecution of the war to a successful termination.” Early in September the troops were engaged in burning the old pas in the neighbourhood of Bell Block, which had been erected during the Puketapu feud, also the pas on the edge of the plateau between Puketakauere and Huirangi, which had been deserted by the enemy. A blockhouse was also erected at Puketakauere. On the other side of the town marches wete made to Burton’s Hill on the Barrett Road, and towards Waireka, for the purpose of checking the advance of the Taranakis and the Ngatiruanuis. 18th, a large force marched to Kaihihi, which destroyed several pas. The proclamation of the General demanding the removal of all the women and children was not only disobdyed;;but in some instances resisted, the Women posisively Defusing to leave their husbands and sons, choosing rather to stiffer the miseries of the siege. A proclamation was than mtide offering discharge from military service to all married settlers - who were willing to remove with their families to Nelson. To alleviate to some extent the misery. of the besieged, a comic paper, under the title of the Taranaki Punch, was commenced. It was chiefly devoted to skits on the' military commanders.