WAR ON THE WEST COAST. ATTACK ON THE TURUTURUMOKAI REDOUBT BY THE REBELS. CAPTAIN ROSS KILLED. NINE MEN OF ARMED CONSTABULARY KILLED. ONLY THREE DEAD BODIES OF THE REBELS RECOVERED. ARRIVAL OF REINFORCEMENT IN TIME TO PREVENT REDOUBT BEING TAKEN.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3433, 17 July 1868, Page 3

WAR ON THE WEST COAST. ATTACK ON THE TURUTURUMOKAI REDOUBT BY THE REBELS. CAPTAIN ROSS KILLED. NINE MEN OF ARMED CONSTABULARY KILLED. ONLY THREE DEAD BODIES OF THE REBELS RECOVERED. ARRIVAL OF REINFORCEMENT IN TIME TO PREVENT REDOUBT BEING TAKEN.

" Tabanaki Herald " Office, Monday, July 13, i p.m. The mailman. Houi Pehami, has just arrived with the news that the redoubt at Turuturumokai occupied by Captain Robs and thirty of the Constabulary force has been attacked by the rebel", who were repulsed. The particulars, as far as we can gather them at present, are as follow :—: — It would appear that firing having been heard early on Scinday morniqg in the direction of Turuturumokai, Mr. Northcroft, junior (who accompanied the mailman Creed) wished to see what waa going on.aud contrary to Creed's advice proceeded in that direction. Finding that he was bent on going, Creed accompanied him. On arriving at the redoubt they found that it had been attacked at four o'clock in the morning by a party of natives, who succeeded in gettiue into it. The men had to turn out without dress and defend themselves with their bayonets. It would seem that the entrance to the redoubt was not provided with a gate, and Captain Robs seeing that a native was entering rushed to prevent him, but tue native succeeded in cutting him down by a blow from his tomahnwk across the face. While this desperate struggle for life was going on, two of the Constabulary force were speeding in the direction of the Waihi redoubt, having, it is said, left under circumstances which will confer on them an undeniable notoriety, but fortunately they were the means of bringing Buccour to the surprised garrison, who would otherwise have been cut to pieces ; the reinforcements arrived in time to prevent such a sad disaster such a triumph to the determined foe,— the result is bad enough without such a consummation Mr Northcroft was admitted into the redoubb.but Creed' (a natire) was not admitted, but he saw nine white men dead, and three natives. He judged from the footmarks outside the redoubt that the attacking party consisted of about 40 men. On Saturday, or Friday, an attack had been made on the redoubt at the Waiogongoro, occupied by Captain Page and 100 men, but the natives were driven off. During the attack on Turuturumokai the moon was up. It appears most extraordinary that such an experienced and brave man as Captain Rows -would have had his post in such an indefensible condition as the mailman reports. Of the number of killed and wounded we have no further report, but it certainly looks ominous that the mailman was refused admittance into the redoubt. We fear that the worst is not known. It is now evident that these natives are determined to commence another war ; they openly boast that they have ' eaten Englishman' and like it ; men, women, and children have partaken of the horrid food, and desire a renewal of the fiendish banquet. They have received no access of forces » Qd are stlll alone in the business. It is evident that the Government must lose no time in dealing with these wretches, or the consequences will be more serious than they are even now, which are sad enough. Captain Morrison has been appointed to the command of the Militia in the Patea District.

From an extr» issued at Whanganui on July 14th, we make the following extracts :— A despatch has been received from the front, dated Patea, July 13tb, 1868, 10 p.m., giving the following particulars of the attack on Turuturumokai. The attack on the redoubt at Turuturumokai was make before break of day. Private Lacey was on sentry outside— challenged twice 6 *"di O O * IVUUinaer—1 VUUinaer— received a » vu-., n y^ s his rifle, bub could not fire succeeded i n Went to the gateway and saw Captain Ro3s in his shirt. Handed his rifle to Ross, who fired it. Rosa then fired off all the chambers of his revolver, and part of another. He then called out, "I am done for ; men, you must do the best you can for yourselves." The men then seemed to have had a panio, and some of them attempted to escape. Four men jumped over the parapet, one of whom was caught and tomahawked— frightfully mutilated. Three others, Cowie, Wilkie, and Burrows, gob away to Waihi. Four men held one angle of the redoubt, and two of these men, Milmoe and Johnston, being armed with bayonets, kept the natives from getting over the parapet. The latter had cut steps in the parapet, and as soon as one showed his head he was bayonetted. Theie four men held the post until Yon Tempsky arrived. The natives never g..»t beyond the gateway of the redoubt. Casualties : One officer and nine men killed— Captain Ros*, Sergeant McFadden, Corporal Blake, and seven privates, viz. :— Shields, Holder, Kershaw (mutilated), Lennon (frightfully mutilated), Ross, Swords, and Beamish. Beamish was a young man. When mortally wounded, and not able to load his piece, he opened his pouch for his comrades to supply themselves from. Eight men are wounded. There were 26 in all at the post. Later reports state that Katene and all his people went off last night to the Hauhaus. We are all in good spirits her©, and the settlers have no intention of giving in ; every man in Pabea is under arms.

When the news was received at Pafcea Colonel McDonnell started with the Putea Light Horse. The excitement at Patea, and all along the coast where the news has reached, is intense. A meeting of the Magistrates was convened here last night, about 8 o'clock, in the Militia Office ; Mr. Fox was elected to the chair, and a resolution was passed expressing a unanimous opinion that Colonel McDonnell ought to be reinforced, and a comp»ny of Imperial troops stationed in Whanganui. A copy of the resolution was forwarded to the Government by this morning's coach. It is rumoured in town, but apparently without any foundation, that the Captain Koss, said to be killed, belongs to Taranaki, and is not the Captain Alfred Ross of Whanganui. Colonel McDonnell has the best means of knowing, and, if it had been so, would have stated it. — Wanganui Herald. The redoubt is a place of Borne strength, placed on a knoll, and surrounded by a ditch and bank— the former of some depth and breadth, — we have not learned the dimensions, but it is of such extent as to necessitate a plank as * crossing or bridge to gain an entrance. And another proof of ill-judged security is to be found in the fact, as we have beea iuformed, that even this plank was not withdrawn during the night. Of course, it would hare been no adequate defence, but the time required by the enemy in clambering up the side of the ditch would naturally have been of importance to the men within the redoubt. The dead bodies were brought down to Waingongoro, and interred in the graveyard there.