SURPRISE OF A PARTY BY NATIVES AT STONEY RIVER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 665, 29 April 1865, Page 3

SURPRISE OF A PARTY BY NATIVES AT STONEY RIVER.

ONE OF THE MOUNTED CORPS SHOT DEAD. ANOTHER MAN MISSING.

Intelligence was received in Town about nine o'clock on Sunday morning last that one of the j Monnted Corps, Joseph Hawke, had been shot by the Natives at Stoney River the previous after- | noon, and that another man named Jury, private of the 43rd Regiment was missing. Great excitement was ca"used in Town thereby, and at noon about 20 of the Monnted Corps under command of Captain Mace and Cornet Johnson, accompanied by some of tho townspeople started for the spot. Messrs. Endrts and Antonio were among the latter, and from them we have gathered the following particulars, they having returned on Tuesday evening, in company with three of the Mounted Corps bringing despatches from Colonel Synge to Colonel Warre, C.8., the officer commanding in the Province :—.: — . Arrived at the camp at Stoney River, which is distant from Town about 20 miles, at 3 p.m. Sunday just at the time Major Colville, 43rd Regt., and a party of men came in, bringing the body of Joseph Hawke, an old settler and one of the Mounted Corps, who had been shot by the Natives the previous day. TKe circumstances are these. On Saturday last four of the Mounted Corps (Hftwke, Reynolds, Clements, and Badder:y) with four soldiers of the 43rd, Regt., started under orders to fetch in cattle for the Commissariat. One of the soldiers (Jury) was on horseback, but the others were en foot and unarmed. One of the latter got hold of a calf and having made fast was driving her in before him. The other men were all scattered. All at once a " cooey" was heard, and Hawke rode to the Bpofe it proceeded from. A nativo on horseback appeared from a bush at a distance of tw? us or KT«* yar&>

dropped tho bridle on the neck of the horse, and, afi observed by the others, took a deliberate aim at Hnwke with a double-barrel gun, firing both barrels at him at the same time, when ho foil. His companions not knowing thefnumber of Natives that might be lying in ambusli made off towards tho camp, but were pursued and driven into a swamp. Reynolds and Clements were compelled to leave their horscßin it. They succeeded in reaching camp as also, Badduriy and three of the Boldif i-s— one (Jury) bairij£*nissmg as well as Hawko biiuc. Tho surprise 'Vs^S, made about 5 p.m., ac a distance of some foutW five miles from the po^t. The nexc morning Ma|oi? Colvillo with a party of tho 43rd went out to reconnoitre tho place, when they found the body of Hawke, shot in several places and with left eye gouged out. Hi 3 horse was also found shot, as well as that of Jury ; which led the party to think that he also had been killed. No trace, however, could be found of his body, and no Natives were seen. Tho body of Hawke was conveyed to the camp, and thenca to Town on Monday. As we have ] said before?'the party from Town arrived at the camp about 3 p.m., but it not being oonsidored advisable to go in pursuit of the Natives that night they returned to Tataraimaka. Early the following morning (Mondaj^gain proceeded to the camp at Stoney Riverj The orders there, however, were for no one fit* the time to pass the sentries, ancfthe subsequent bad weather rendered it impossible for any expedition to go out. The) party who returned to T«jwn left Stoney River at \ p.m. on Tuesday. Those of the Mounted Corps pYoceeded %xxt again the following morning. funeral of Hawke took place on WednesdayVroeipioon with' military* honours. It was numerously attended both by officers and privates of Mjiitia as^vpll^s jjhose of his own Corps not on aotuahduty. \ '*• We must remark that Hawke and the party went farther from the camp than authorised.