IMPORTANT NEWS FROM WANGANUI.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 337, 29 August 1868, Page 4

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM WANGANUI.

FIRST BLOW BY O'DONNELL. ADVANCE UPON AND CAPTURE OF THE NGUTU-O-TE-MANU. the coutiespondent of the Wanganui Times, Aug. 25th.) On Thursday last, the force intended for action being concentrated at Waihi, we daily expected orders for a night march on Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu, but the weather being bad and the Waiugongora river high, did not expect to move that day. Contrary to expectations Colonel M'Donnell about 6 o'clock in the evening, issued orders which were promptly obeyed, and in a few minutes all our camp fires were ablaze and the men busy cooking provisions for the march. The enemy could see our fires and, no doubt, expected us by daylight in tbe morning. This time, however, the Colonel out manceuvered them. At 12 o'clock the fires were put out, but lights kept in every tent until 3a. m., when all were extinguished, and the men turned in, to have a few hours' sleep. At 6.30 a. m., all turned out, silently fell in, and quietly moved off a little before 7. • 'lhe river ran high, but ropes had been thrown across and firmly tied to trees at each side. Holding on by these the men waded across with some narrow escapes, but no accideDt. The force then formed up in the following order : Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, Commanding, attended by Captain Cummings.

Right Wing.—Major Von Tempsky, Commanding. Sergeant-major Scannell. No. 2 division Sub-Inspector Roberts, ...5 „ Lieut. Hastings ... Page'sCompy „ Rohan ... Ditto

„ Isherwood ... Ditto „ Roddy ... Tarauaki Left Wixo.—Major Huntee, Coramanding. Sub-Inspector Newland, No. 3 division Lieut. Wray ... Europ.Contgt Captain Buck, ... Wellington Rangers „ Pookes Ditto Ensign Hirtsell ... Ditto

A small force of the Patea Yeomanry Cavalry under Captain OTlalloran, were ordered to remain at the outskirts of" the bush to cut off any straggling Maoris that might escape The Tarauaki Volunteers were left to occupy Pungarehu, and on our return took up their position with the rearguard, and well they did their duty. When ready to start the men were ordered to observe—lst. Strict silence on entering the bush. 2nd. To observe that when the bugle sounded one G- before any particular call thai was tho Commanding Officer's orderto be instantly obeyed by all. On entering the bush the right wing with Colonel M'Donnell struck off slightly to the left, Von Tempsky pushing on to get between the enemy and the bush. The left wing under Major Hunter,struck obliquely to the right and all moved on in dead silence, but at a swinging pace, in rain and mud ; and through a terribly dense bush interwoven with supple-jacks and dense scrub, but part' of' the way we had a kind of open but narrow path. When within half-a-mile of the pa, between 10 and 11 o'clock in the day, just when the enemy had given up all idea of our coming, we came upon their rifle-pits, so ingeniously constructed to command every approach to the pa, that had they been manned, as they were a few hours before, the contest would be severe, and our loss fearfully heavy. The rifle-pits had just been evacuated for the dav, but the fires in them were still smouldering. It is remarkable that those fires were not composed of the usual firewood that would blaze up, but of coke or charcoal.

The Force pushed rapidly past the deserted rifle pits, Von Tempsky and his men swept round to the right to cut off the retreat. Hunter on the right made an admirable disposition of his force, but hark? ]\ T o sooner had M'Dounell & Cummings reached the clearing, opening upon the pa, than Coffee, the bugler with his one Gr, lollowed by a repeated sound of the " advance," made the hill sides ring again. The effect was like an electric shock. A shrill, clear and thrilling cheer from the men of both divisions responded to the sound of the bugle. The whole was instantaneous. From all quarters our men rushed upon the palisades—the men armed with axes nobly did their duty. Breaches were speedily effected; the enemy meantime tiring through at us but we were soon in and at them. Col. M'Donnell, Capt Buck, Capt. Cummins, Major Hunter, Major Von Tempsky, and other officers and non-commissioned officers whom I could not distinguish, had hard work to keep a-head of their men, all were so eager for the fray. The enemy quickly retreated from the pa, but took up a position and made a determined stand upon a clearing in the rear of it. There they opened a heavy fire upon our men which was returned with telling effect that in three or four minutes the Hau-haus broke up and fled, leaving five killed, and scampering into a dense thicket with their wounded. After that we were thrown out and orders given to remove firearms and property of every description from every dwelling house, but more especially from the " Beak of thebird,"the commodious,and, in Maori sense, magnificent building from which Te Ngu-u-o-te-Manu takes its name. Our men speedily collected from the whares and other places, guns, ammunition, meres, and such miscellaneous lots of " sundries" as my eyes never before beheld ; among the lot about a hundred tomahawks polished like burnished steel. The grand building the Beak of the Bird, some 100 feet long by 30 or 40 ft. wide, which was erected at au enormous amount of labour with all its beautiful carvino-s and ornaments was fired in five or six places, by Colonel Mc Donuell and Capt. Cummings. Every whare was speedily in flames and the smoke of the stronghold of the cannibal Titokowaru and his followers where they had recently feasted upon the body of poor trooper Smith —ascended up to heaven. It is not likely that another European will ever be cooked there.

I now return to our losses, the first man wounded was Sedgewiek, of the Wellington Bines. A ball neatly shaved the flesh of his left temple, and killed poor Wallace who was close to him. Another quarter-inch in Sedgewick's temple and the one ball would have killed the two. Kerr was killed inside the palisading, and Corporal Lloyd wouuded in the leg.

Whilst the place was being burht> fatigue parties were carrying in the dead and wounded, the latter being attended to by Drs. 'Walter and Best. When the wounded were attended to they wcro placed on stretchers and sent on to Waihi in charge of the Constabulary. The Wellington Bangers and Rifles had the honor'to bring up the rear. Mean time the Maories were evidently watching our movements. The capture and work of destruction complete, we moved off in fighting order, buth ad not proceeded more than a quarter-of-a-inile on our way to Waihi, when the Hau-haus commenced yelling and firing on our rear. The Wellington boys returned the fire with such telling effect that the enemy must have suffered severe loss. They hung upon our rear in the dense bush but would never dare to show a front. When we passed Pungarehu, a village of their's that we had previously destroyed, we thought they would show a front, but they only sneaked in ones and twos through the bush and it was there poor Hamilton G-eary wasshot dead by abulletthrough the temple. Singularly enough his brother Geary, immediately afterwards was shot through the shouleer. This'last Greary is quite a lad, about 19, but throughout the whole attack acted a most daring part, and displayed such an amount of cool pluck and courage as will teach many of us not to despise our colonial striplings. On emerging from the bush the rear was covered by the Patea Yeomanry Cavalry, nnder Captain O'Halloran. The enemy, who during our retreat through the bush, dare not show a front, now kept at a more respectful distance, expending a considerable amount of powder in firing after us at a mile or two distant

.On reaching the Wamgongora river, the carts which the Colonel had despatched orders to have in readiness, met us there and safely conveyed the wounded across. The rest of us waded, holding on by the ropes, and reached Waihi by 5 p.m. It is not for me to praise officers or men any further than to say that all nobly did their duty. Our commanding officer laid his plans with consummate skill, and they were ably carried out by the officers, non-commissioned officers and men under his command. Yon Tempskey had a heavy part of the work assigned to him—it is unnecessary to say that, as usual, he did it nobly. Major Hunter, notwithstanding recent events, acted with consummate skill and courage. Here is a little episode worth recording. Col. McDonnell, and Captain Cummings with a few men, cut down all before them, got inside the palisade, and presently his top-coat was dropped, and at the top of his stentorian voicein his shirt sleeves, the Colonel, closely waited on by Captain Cummings, rallied the men and dashed forward. Hunter nobly cleared his way, and his men as nobly did their work. The whole, both officers and men seemed to vie with each other and in the midst of the fray I thought it a pity that the Hau-haus where taken at a disadvantage, or that they had such good legs to carry them into the bush.

The following is a list of the killed and wounded:— killed. Constable McKay, No. 5 division, A.C. Private Kerr, Captain Page's Company. „ Wallace, do. do. „ G-eary, Captain Buck's Company. WOUNDED. Const. Dwyer, No. 2 div. A. C, dangerous. Const. Hope, do. slightly. Const. Whiteside, No. 5, A. C, slightly. Pn. Sedwick, Cap. Page's Co., slightly Pugler Hamilton do do Priv. Thompson, do do Corp. Lloyd, do do Priv. Geary, Captain Buck's, severely Collopy—This man is reported in last nights' " Herald " as " slightly wounded." If so he knew nothing of it when he marched into Waihi. His chinstrap, which he wore at the hack of his head was neatly shot off, but the " scalp " received no injury. It will be seen by the' above, that Captain Cummings who was reported killed, was in full health and strength, and " all there" in the fray. We are sure that all who had the pleasure of Captain Cumming's acquaintance, when on this Coast, will be heartily glad to hear that the report of his death was unfounded. We are placed in possession of the above by the arrival of the Wallabi, and we beg to acknowledge the courtesy of Captain Daniels, in supplying us with full files.

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