PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1922, Page 9

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

GENERAL CAMERON ADVANCES. MAORIS DEFEATED AT KA KARA ME A, (By “Juvenis.”) In January, 1865, General Cameron, at the request of the Colonial Government, proceeded to attack the rebels at Wanganui, leaving orders at New Plymouth for Colonel Warre of the 57th to operate from Taranaki towards the south. In obedience to this instruction a .force left New Plymouth on the 23rd, for the purpose of occupying Te Ngaua, on the Hangatahua, or Stony River. On the same day, Private Frank Roebuck, of the 9th Company of Military Settlers, was wantonly shot dead at the camp at Mataitawa by a comrade named Johu Harris, who was afterwards . convicted of manslaughter.

On the 2nd of March, the Rev. Sylyius Volkner, of the Church Mission, and formerly assistant to the Rev. J. Reimenschneider, at Warea, was barbarously murdered by the Maoris at Opotiki, on the East Coast, at the instigation of some Pai marire fanatics from Taranaki. On the 13th of March, General Cameron, having arrived at Patea, ordered the whole of the available force there to march on Kakaramea. The 57 th, under Major Butler, led the advance, followed by detachments of the 50th and 68th. When within a short distance, of the pa the natives opposed their further march. After a short engagement the enemy was completely routed, leaving 33 dead. The casualties of the British were one killed and three wounded. The soldiers rushed into the pa, and found a quantity of food just cooked. They also found pork, fowls, bullocks, and about seven tons of flour. On the 19th, a skirmish took place at Kaipikari between some friendly natives and the rebels.

On the 21st, a force, embarked at New Plymouth in the s.s. Ahuriri, .for Patea, consisting of 158 non-commissioned officers and men of Nos. 8 and 10 Companies of Taranaki Military Settlers, and a company of Volunteer Bushrangers, composed partly of Taranaki Bushrangers and Volunteers, and partly of Military Settlers, raised by Colonel Lepper, all. armed with breech-loaders and revolvers, also the folio-wing of-ficers:—-Captains Braseey and Penneiather, Lieutenants Kirk-by and Wilson, Ensigns Dalrymple and Beer, and As-sistant-Surgeon Luther. The whole were under the command of' Captain Hirst, who had for his subalterns, Lieutenant AV. Newland, and Ensign Chapman. The steamer was not able to land the force at, Patea owing to the weather, and took them on to ’Wanganui in order that they might march overland to Patea. The men,.however, were detained at Wanganui for some time, and most of them subsequently volunteered for the East Coast, where they were joined and commanded by Captain Stapp, and performed important services. A DROWNING ACCIDENT. Vliile the General was operating on the coast he ordered several surf boats to be conveyed to the coast for the purpose of holding communications with steam vessels bringing supplies. On the 30th of March, a boat was launched at Manawapou to go out and under-run the mooring buoy. In going out of the creek it was struck by three successive seas, and dashed to pieces against the cliffs. The crew -forunately escaped after incurring considerable danger. On April the 2nd, another boat went off from the same place to the s.'s. Ahuriri with despatches, and brought ashore some cargo. The crew on landing told Major Locke that there was too much sea on to allow of the boat going off again. Shortly afterwards the steamer Gundagi arrived, and ran up her ensign “Union down.” It being thought i there -was something the matter, at imminent risk the boat went off. All the captain wanted was to land passengers and cargo, and he adopted this i ruse, to induce the crew to launch the boat. Just as the boat left a sea swept ; the decks of the steamer. The boat succeeded in reaching the surf warp when she was struck by a sea and took a run. Before she could recover herself the chock was carried away, and the next' set turned her bottom upwards. 'Seven lives were lost. The name of the boatmen drowned were F. McGuire, and William Graul alias Scotty. Of the rest, two were men of the 57th, one of the 50th, and two of the Colonial Transport Corps. On the 12th another accident happened to a surf-boat at the same place 'by which three more lives were lost. DEATH OF JOSEPH HAWKE. On the 22nd, early in the morning. Major Colville, commanding the Camp at Stony River, directed four mounted men—Baddeley, Hawke, Reynolds, and Clements — to proceed in the direction of Warea in search -of some of the Commissariat bullocks that had strayed.

The party after crossing the river detected the tracks of the animals and followed them as far as Mokotuna, where six soldiers, who had left the camp without permission, were fallen in with. One of the soldiers, named Jury, was mounted on a borrowed horse. The united parties then proceeded as far as to Waiwhiriwherua, where they turned up a mile and a half inland. Seeing some horses they made an endeavour to capture thehi, but the animals taking fright, started off rapidly towards the forest. Presently two cows and a. call' were met with. The cows ran towards the beach, but Hawke and Clement succeeded in making the calf fast, by means of a tether line. The calf then got into a swamp, and while the men were occupied in trying to get it. out some rebels appeared and fired at them. Hawke tell, and Jury rode inland and was never peen again. The rest of the Europeans, having only three revolvers amongst them, retreated, and reached the camp. On the following day. Major Colville, with a party of the 43rd, went out to reconnoitre, and found the body of Hawke shot in several places, and with the eye gouged out. It was conveyed to town and buried with military honors.