MAJOR-GENERAL SIR THOMAS S. PRATT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 287, 27 March 1862, Page 4

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR THOMAS S. PRATT.

T'm following veracious account of General Pratt’s successes in New Zealand is’ taken from tlia February ,N 6. of'the Illustrated Melbourne Post —a newly startled! ..paper*, whose illustrations compare favou rably with those of its London Exemplars. It is difficult to say m*heth,etf' this version will more amuse or disgust those officers whom General Pratt sent to the tear, because they offered to take in half an hour, with a handful of men, that redoubtable pah, which the celebrated sap of many weeks’ hard labour, was needed to. capture:-—. Major-General Pratt entered the army in 1814, in which year he served in the campaign in Holland as a volunteer in the 56th Regiment, being present at the attack on Mersem, and the subsequent bombardment of Antwerp. He served with the 26th in the China expedition, ob+aining a medal for meritorious services; and he commanded the land forces at the assault and capture, of the. Bogue Forts on the 26th Februaiy following. • He commanded the 26th in the . attacks on. Canton from 24,th May. to Ist Jpjae ;,dn the might attack on Nlhgpo, and at Segoan, Chapoo, Woosung, Shanghai; and Chin Kaing Foo. ’ His commission of Major-General is dated 26th October 1858, and he arrived in. Victoria on the" Bth of Januaiy, 1860, having been appointed successor to Major-GenerahMacarthur, as Commander-in-chief of the forces in Australia. The gallant general had not been long'in his new command before he.was called upon to take an active part in the war in New Zealand. On the receipt on the I.oth July, 1860, of the disastrous news of the repulse sustained by the British troops at Waitara, the Major-Gener-al at once determined to send all the assistance in his power. Two detachments were forwarded within a few days ; snd on t’ e 24th of July, General Pratt saile.l himself with the remainder of the troops in H. M.’s colonial steamship Victoria. His departure from Sandridge was witnessed by many thousands of persons, the interest of the scene being heightened by the circumstance that three (lays before, Miss Pratt was married to his’Excellency Sir Henry Barkley,, whoaccompanied Sir Thomas on board. The skill and bravery of the new commander soon changed the aspect of affairs ; and on the 10th of April i!n the- following year, Sir Thomas had returned to the colony, the insurrection being virtually quelled. Votes of thanks were passed in both houses of the legislature to. the Major-Geeneral and the military- and* naval foree3 under Lis command for their gallant services; and the City Council of Melbourne passed a similar vote of thanks. s;

Major-General Pratt is a- member of the Executive Council of Victoria, having been sworn in on the I.6th .of-; January 1860. He was also nominated President of the Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the circumstances attending the death of Burke and Wills, the explorers.