LATEST FROM THE FRONT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 403, 14 November 1868, Page 4

LATEST FROM THE FRONT.

By the Sturt, which brought the body of Major Hunter to Wanganui, on Monday last, some further particulars from the Front were received. Captain Newland's company went into action 40 effective men ; of those killed and 5 wounded. Captain Newland was close to Major Hunter when he fell, and assisted to carry him to the rear. The brave Hunter had asked Colonel Whitmore to be allowed to command the attacking party, and it was whilst nobly doing so, that he received his death wound. Three of the killed —2 Europeans, and 1 Kupapa —were buried at Patea. One of the Europeans was not shot but tomahawked.

On Monday Culonel Whitmore, with the main body of the Force, marched from Patea tor Nukumuru, via Wairoa. The women and children from Wairoa, having been taken to Patea on |Sunday, came to AVanganui by the Sturt. It is therefore supposed that Colonel Whitmore's object in marching by Wairoa was to take the men from that redoubt with him and abandon the place. This is the more probable as the Wairoa redoubt was attacked on Sunday night, but the assailants were driven off. Major Eraser and a few men only remain at Patea. It is feared that it must be abandoned. We are told that Titoko Waru's next attack will be upon the Weraroa redoubt, and even should he be repulsed there he could so surround it as to cut off supplies. Should the whole of the Wanganui Natives leave that redoubt, it is evident that the 40 first-class Wauganui militia—most of them mere lads —and Ensign M'Donnell's 25 men, could not defend it for any length of time, and there is no adjacent post from whence they could receive assistance.