A BRAVE MAN VINDICATED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 165, 14 July 1910, Page 6

A BRAVE MAN VINDICATED.

JUSTICE FOR. SERGEANT WiALJdiCE. Some months ago tliere appeared in the, columns of the "Star" an account ■of the distinguished services by which Mr. H. W. Norther oft won the New Zealand Cross. -In the description of tie fight at Otaubo, the narrative refers to Sergeant Wallace, -who- was present, in terms that Appear to cast a reflection upon his conduct, on 'that occasion. Sergeant Wallace, who is living in the Hawera district, drew Mr. Northeroft's attention to this, and" Mr. Northcroft has, therefore, asked us to publish the following letter, which it will be eeen entirely frees Sergeant Walla.cc from any suspicion qf hesitation or reluctances to do his duty in the face of danger. It is possible that, as Mr. Northoroft suggests, the words attributed to Sergeant Wallace may have got into the etory in the first place as camp gossip; and it is worth noting that no reference of the sort is made to Sergeant Wallace, in the carefully detailed account of the fight that appears in Gudgeon's ers of New Zealand." 2, Symonds-street, Auckland, 7th July, 1910. My Dear Wallace, I have carefully read the paragraph you refer to in the "Hawera and Nonnanby Star" of May 17th, 1910, copied from the "Auckland Star." I think the papers, copied it from Gudgeon's "Heroes of New Zealand." From this long distance, I cannot say I remember much about it, further than that Watt was wounded and brought off. I should think meet likely when Watt called out that he was 'hit and his leg broken that I did not s-peak to anybody or give any order, but ran and picked him up, and brought him away, as the most likely thing for any man to do. In No. 2 Division of the Armed Constabulary there would be no necessity to give such an order, as the majority of the noncommissioned officers and men would have done that and more for any wounded man. I have known you since 1865 in the Bay of Plenty Campaign, the fighting on the West Coast under Colonel MacDonnell and Sir George Whitmore, the Urewera Campaign and the Taupo Campaign, and have always known you as a brave and fearless soldier, and I am quite certain that had you received such an order you ■would have carried it out. Subsequent to the Otauto fight spoken of, I wa3 detailed at different times with a small of men to carry out difficult duties fraught with a good deal of danger, ac instanced—carrj'ing ammunition from Runa-nga to Tokaano, a distance of 50 miles, to the friendly natives there, through unknown country, with Te Kooti and his men marauding the district—and I chose you as one of the non-commissioned officers to go with mc, which would certainly not have been the case had you once failed, mc. I think the story must have got about as a camp yarn without any foundation. You are at liberty to publish this if you so wish.—l remain, yours sincerely, H. W. NORTHCROFT, Captain, N.Z.M.