OUR UNHONOURED DEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 246, 14 October 1908, Page 6

OUR UNHONOURED DEAD.

(By C. A. YOT__TG)

Macaulay says somewhere "that a people that does not keep in memory great deeds of its ancestors is not likely to do anything worthy of being remembered by its descendants." What have w_> done, or what are we doing, to " keep in memory the great deeds" done for this and future generations by " our unhonoured dead"? In the far North, in the little graveyard of the village church of Waimate, have been collected! the bones of a few of those who fell in attacking the Maori pas of Ohaeawai and Okaihau, in the war which followed after Hone Heke cut down the English 'flagstaff at Korararika, Bay of Islands, in 1845; at Te Ngatu o te Manu, where Major Yon Tempsky fell, and in the pretty little Anglican Church of St. Mary's, New Plymouth, and its adjacent gratreyard, generous efforts have been made to honour the deeds of a few of those who fell in the Taranaki wars of 1800-70. As having instigated these humane and patriotic efforts to perpetuate the memory of these honoured dead', it is a pleasure to record here, that at Waimate, and at New Plyinouth,the name of Archd teacon Walsh will always be honourably associated. But around the pas stormed by our troops during the war in the North; at Waitara, Turutru, Ngatapu, and many other places from Waitotara to White Cliffs in Taranaki; at Rangiriri, Orakau, ana tne numerous battlefields of Waikato; at Pukehinahina .Gate) pa, Tauranga; and along the Nap-er-Taupo road in the pursuit of Te Kooti, lie the unhonoured remains of many of the Queen's troops, and! of the organised bodies of the settlers who fought and fell —the one at the call of duty, the other in defence of the country of their adoption. The present generation do not know at what cost their forefathers won this country for them, or surely they would not neglect an obvious duty. The graves of the dead lying unhonoured where they fought and fell call mutely from the past. Nor is the present generation to be altogether blamed for this ignorance. In a country where neither the Bible nor history ere taught in the public schools, how can patriotism be inculcated? Where is the use of the Government calling upon the able-bodied youth of the Dominion to join the defence forces when these have not been taught what patriotism means? Among the many omissions of duty of the present and past Governments must be considered this neglect to teach the history of the Dominion in tbe public schools; as also their neglect to appoint a commission to inquire and report upon the scattered places of interment, and the state of the little cemeteries lovingly formed and left by the Queen's troops as a sacred | legacy to the care of the colony. Another commission might be well employed in collecting and recording the incidents of our little wars. Such a commission would probably find the published records of the Queen's regiments engaged in these wars of service, and, may I add, copies of these regimental records ought to be found in every public library in the Dominion. Here are two incidents which might with advantage be illustrated, and with their stories, hung on to the walls of our paheka and Maori schools: In May, 1846, owing to disagreements as to the legal purchase of land, the Maoris threatened to attack Wellington. A detachment of the oSth Regiment, under Lieutenant (afterwards General) Page, were billeted at Boulcott's farm to guard the Hutt bridge, and near the bridge was mounted a non-missioned officer's guard with a bugler, a little fellow of some 12 or 13 summers. On the morning of the 18th May, in the dark hours before the dawn, the attacking Maoris stealthily approached th_ guard tent in which the soldiers were .soundly sleeping, trusting implicitly to the vigilance of the sentinel posted on an elevation commanding a view of the country around. The sentry was not true to his trust, and instead of keeping every sense alert, he "stood at ease," perhaps dreaming of the loved ones left in the Homeland over the sea. That was his last dream on earth— a Maori tomahawk crushed into his : brain and silenced him for ever. I The Maoris then encircled the guard j tent and, when close, rushed upon it, | and with their tomahawks slashed at J every movement under them. The ; little boy bugler crawled out from under j the tent, and springing to his feet, was sounding "the alarm," when a Maori cut i his bugle arm off with a tomahawk. I Without hesitation, the brave boy stooped and, seizing the. bugle with his left ; liand, again essayed to do his duty; but it was his own "last post" he sounded, for the Maori's tomahawk, descending upon hie head, sent him to wait the great "Reveille." The other incident occurred at Waitara, from which a chain of Redoubts extended at intervals to the Pukerangiora Pa, near which the Maoris were strongly entrenched in Tc Arei Pa. The Queen's troops occupied these r. doubts, and were patiently sapping the interval between to seize Te Arei PaEarly one morning the Maoris attempted to take No. 3 Redoubt by storm, and succeeded in surmounting the ramparts, for whence ' they were shooting down the garrison within. The officer in command, realising his critical position, ordered his bugler to sound the regimental call of the regiment guarding the neighbouring redoubt. The ''call'' 5 was understood and reinforcements came. Meanwhile the Maoris pressed the attack ana rushed upon tbe soldiers; one of them received a bayonet-thrust through his breast, but seizing the soldier's musket with his other hand, he forced the bayonet further through his chest in his fierce endeavour to reach his enemy with his tomahawk. When the Maoris observed they were being surrounded by the reinforcements they endeavoured to retire, taking with them their dead and wcunded, and with them our brown hero the soldier's bayonet in his body. Neither of the combatants would quit bis hold of the musket, but the soldier, finding himself being dragged away by the retreating Maoris, at last let go. This Maori recovered from his wounds, and, after the war, was often seen in New Plymouth, where he would laughingly and proudly show the cicatrice of the wound of the bayonet on his chest ana back. At this engagement, and at Mahoetahi, the Maoris showed conspicuous bravery in the open and lost heavily. Surely, with the lapse of time, the only feelings left are of respect for a brave people, who, after all, only fought after their native maim, r in defence of their homeland. Would it not, therefore, be a graceful and conciliatory act, toothing to the feelings of a fine race, veto we now to include them in whatever efforts we way undertake to perpetuate tiie ____-___ny of the dead?

the North, on the : Waikato, and the t-EJ '%__£&'&■■■ I-t to!d by most of _**_***£*; ivo instances win __rfß_illustration. At Waitara the tpry near the sctujolwas^,^ B . ful condition; one s .* .&___ fence was broken down as' _!**** the fences which had or stone memorials ofW&fe*** grazing on the rank Ssfe ; some vandal was - d trees which had bet^lS^'.» the place the appearand 0 and all around branches and stacks 0 f Kg>*«, ever many memorials been erected by -n^vuf rades or other kindly hands"&t_ now remained, one stone in memory of the ot the Fortieth Queen's ItegfcS>£• as the inscription simply se_TfS-«3 bravely performing t___ir di-tv-?____. i the war of 1860-61.- The ' of wood, to "the memory -_t_3fea Broome, Naval Brigade, who ™S? ally wounded whilst atUdrfn, 7 _\ enemy's rifle pits at _-at_j_ko_iko» After viewing the sad and disgracefd condition, this old naval -und: nnlitarv cemetery was in, and observing it _»d ■. become a playground of the. children. of the adjacent public school; I could not but moralise on the effect in; the minds of these children when,, in .after years, they would recall this evidence of a people's ingratitude. ._■.■■._..'■ The other instance is at Ohawe,■■-__».' wera, near the mouth of the-Wa_no_-ngoro, where the Queen's trobjs endued in the war were encamped, under General . Cameron, awaiting transports to convey : them back to England. Here, on a little knoll, the troops formed a cemetery within which were laid to rest some of those who fell at the capture of ot»pa*a pa, on 13th January, 1866.' Ore. ;.t_e graves -were erected tombstones and slabs of wood on which were beautifully >cot - the names, age, corps, and circumstance* of the death of those whose, banes lie beneath; some twenty-six "Of-tte;s___ • 14th, and 40th Queen's Regiments,.and of the Wanganui Yeomanry:.,and ■_ 3rd . Waikato Volunteer Regiments lie, here. : This was protected by a .sunk-fence.; _iti. a post and rail fence on the inner side, and a stunted pine or two gave this. little place the appearance of tie yewH_4 cemeteries of the Homeland.■'-.'■ Two years ago, when the writer .visited this lonely spot, the sunk-fence, wis [partially filled up, the post and: trail jfeni* broken down, irreverent hands' had re-. moved some of the head-stones, : t^-wood head slabs were decayed, seven being : nildecipherable, fences, around the gr»vM were broken down,.and cattle-■ had,ra riot over all the place, * , After years of neglect, this littK'fJotfi * acre was sold by Govenunent. wifliotttfreservation or obligation to the ':pxw_ni owner, Mr. James Livingstone, to plough over or otherwise as it pleased hint To his honour, be it here recorde.!;'' thati* .. has at his own charges _est_T_d : tne_«_-. . tery to a decent state of order,,and,Te_tV it should again in time fail, into .neglecting hands, he has erected.- a-~ triangnla r obelisk of cemented beach stones,;; nins feet in height—a solid .caking .andnr*v posing monument —on the tablet of which is cut in bold letter- this legend— "Somebody'sisons, :; / ~'•.. Lest they also are forgotten.*.- - and then follows-the name^eorw^c, of as many of the names qf-ttie f_Jg%*» ; could be deciphered of such of and wood heed-tablets "as Jimejidgui** yard robbers had left.' '_. :. _-_ _ There is something very shottiag m the idea of the Colonial Govermnentadl- . ing land for settletaent on .-which win? such little cemetery lies, -auad to tod a some instances the settlers' have...ruthlessly ploughed over the graves,, toll n» trace is left to mark the spofewhereti* , honoured dead lie below. ... Fortunately, in the instance, we i» considering, Mr. James Livingatone 7M himself served in the war ™.;: past, and he, no doubt, sadly:.r-aeete4 that the fortune of those lying _a : ha cemetery might have been hisowru Money would be well spent in n__nt_Uing the little cemeteries alluded, torn decent repair, and erecting small &sfe moriajn cemented stone auras- *itn suit-üble ins-rip-ions, over the toes.. .ot those lying under the sod in many-tart-;, fields; for these are tKepl^™,. which the s-hc.-_nast-_. of the««o«i in the neighbourhood should; *» casionally conduct their : ;ta&°? - are to recite a lesson of -Ustbry,^^;,. show how a grateful country perpeWKM the memory of those who f ought ans.fell in her service. No general mo_-mraV» commemorate the -wars of > T ew Zeaiu. on Ms-rsiand Hi,- New any where else will serve t_t_.. purpose ,»° well as will these isolated and lo?«----obelisks, and surely the spot wtor* soldier fell, and where the revgrentMafls, of his comrades laid him to rest,-.. tw> most fitting places to erect his>e««Wv Lucy Lyttelton's lines on the .&sM*£*. graves of those who fell in .Sbuth-Afnca apply to our unhonoured dead: What is the cry that breaks In on^:*f*". ing? •!'"•'•' •'____. .Tio is it cometn to trouble onrre«_v< Coming to bear us away to tte;d^..jVj, Crying our graves are apart and nnoieats not our blood more than <_e-.Woii>. Bullet-scored rod. than the shite. °? * More than the fairest of marble i :«M rl *" Praise of our country and tea*?; 01 . 0 , borne? ■ ;. = , .-.';'' _e_ve u_ to lie where the ballet hath Wll V-afey or plain, or the Deep In the trench that our comrades ■»• made ns, - „«,,,«_ md Out in the bash where we.fnffet-w. «** died. '...;•':. To learn how nobly their died, with the single purpose .?-...7££? their homesteads and they loved, took their chances, selfishly gave up their livcs^f. r_wu country, would light the fire bf M «<\ patriotism in the hearts of .%Mfg|! lows who are delighting lis >.t MWgt while they are amusing #SP£_SsJKjf playing at soldiers in the various.pn*"* and private schools cadet corps. y At present, the subject agjgMkgjg fence is exercising the public; mnrt. m have our "Navy League^ fence League," our Cadet Corps, "and .surely .;.£». time is more plain of the neglect of in various parts of the has been shown, the condtfaon cf Agg is a public disgrace,, which ; e _. e^S® ' should? insist mediately appoint a commission' to_*■ it fitting that the who served the colony so *f tinue to be so it that this »^^ I*h1* h history has to ft. left our faithful solitary waate. or under «*J2T\Z fields of tha __Si£-£ for « nxwtß . ___ra»m_d*»l -**■»