THE WAR AT PATEA.

Daily Southern Cross, 7 November 1868, Page 6

THE WAR AT PATEA.

DUKY OT KXOINT OPIEATIOMB. Th« following ii a luminary of what hm been done since Colonel Whitmore took the command ;— On Wednesday, the 21st October, Colonel Whitmore, accompanied by Mr. Booth, ft. M , arrired at Wereroa from Wbanganui. .Arrangements were at once made to move on the greater portion of the native force to Patea. The Colonel was desirous that the settlers in the Waitotara district should concentrate in oase of alarm at Nukuiraru, and fortify themselves in that excellent position. . 22nd. — Colonel Whitmore marched from Wereroa with 400 native*, leaving Acting Sub-Inspector McDonnell in charge with a force of 35 Armed Constables and 50 friendly natives, with the chiefs Te Oti Takarangi aad Epiha te Ao Kokiri. The force encamped that night near the month of Waitotara river, in order to be able next morning to escort a herd of the contractor's cattle to Paten. 23rd.— The force arrived at Patea about noon, and Colonel Whitmore at once with a picquet took up his ,head-quarters about a mile out of the town of Patea, 'just beyond the R.M.s Court-house. 24th. — The whole of the Armed Constabulary, together with Captain Spiller's C- mpany (150 men in all), were marcbed out to the site of the new camp, | and a chain of defensive posts at once commenced The canteen in town was closed, and orders given to open one in the c*mp. | 25th, bunday. — A strong party, composed of the j mounted portion of the Armed Constabulary (about twenty), with forty mounted natives and 150 natives on foot, went out to the old redoubt at Kakaratnea to make a reconnaissance of Titokowaru's position. When the force got well in sight of Ofcuia, about 200 natives were seen, and, although they were observed to leave the position in considerable number*, they did not come into the open, with the exception of at>out sixty men, who cams out at the place where Brighton's horse was kille.l. They were fired upon, but did not return the fire. After the friendly natives had fired a volley of defiance, the whole force returned to Patea. 26tb.— The whole of the native force moved up today from Patea, and took up a position on the right flank of the entreucheJ lines. The line of entrenchment, which protects the bank of the river on the tight to a swamp on the sea coast on the left, is now almost completed. Two Armstrong guns are in position on the left flank. it has been found necessary to discharge the greater i o tt >n of the Taranaki and Nelson volunteers, as their time of service has expired, and they are uuTvii'ing to re-engage. It has likewise been decided by the Colonel to discharge the bulk of the Wellington Rifles, who are in a state of in-übordination, after trying the ringleaders by co art-martial. The p.p. 'Sturt' has taken on to Patea, from Wellington, four cohorn mortars, seven hundred sh<-lls, aod sundry other munitions of wur. A mortar on each redoubt, with a few well-trained men to work it, may do good service. Colonel Whitmore ha* moved his camp from where it foimerly wa% in Patea, to the outskirts of the town, near to Mr. Booth's house, and is there throwing up t«o redoubts. Colonel Wbitmore, with a force of about 250 Europeans, and 400 friendly natives, has taken up an advanced position, in advance of the settlement, occupying the laDd from the marshes to the sea. Ti toko warn is vigorously entrenching himself juftt within the bush, and has a force estimated at 800 strong. Reinforcements are wanted, it beiog evident that it would be rash in the extreme to attempt an attack until Co'onel Wbitmore's bauds are strengthened. The Aimed Constabulary from the West Coast an on their way to Patea. With a force of 500 Europeans, and genuine help from the friend lies, it may confidently be expected that Colonel Whitmore will be able to give a good account of any eucountar with the Hauhaus. Considerable insubordination and inebtiety continue to exist, notwithstanding all precautionary me^urcs. Toe wounded are getting on well under the treatment of Drs. Hooper and Brown. Since their arrival, there has been a very great change for the better in the hospital department.

THE POSITION OF AFFAIRS. The Wanganui Chronicle has the following : — Affiirs at the Front have not yet assumed either a favourable or a very hopeful aspect, if we may not say that they are looking darker than ever. The ' p.p. ' Sturt' left Palea at noon on Thursday, at which time Colonel Wbitmore had not reached that post, and things seem to hare drifted into aad confuaion, despite the eff >rts — efforts drserving of all praise — of Major Fraser, who has been for some time in commaud at Patea - efforts, too, ably seconded by Major Hunter. J hia confusion has arisen, we are bound to say, not ao much from the action of the enemy u% from the inaction or rather disaffection of a large number of the men belonging to tbe colonial troops. It could serve no good purpose just now to go into tbe reasons which have caused this unfortunate state of matters. The mode of enlistment was faulty to begin with, and some of the officers have not done all that might have been expected of them to maintain tbe efficiency or morale of the force. It is also needleis tj particularise the several corps who have become demoralised : their periods of service either have expired or are expiring daily, and there will be a riddance of them all very soon. The discbarge of so uiauy men, however, has led to further retrograde movement*. It becime a positire military necessity to abandon Kakaratnea, and we are afraid, and it wouM be folly to blink the fact, th»t unless reinforcemeuts, and these ia con- | bid-r »ble numbers and at once, be sent to the Patea, th it p t the last in the district of the province of Td iua.lt'', must also be given up. Titokowaru is ►ai s t > have no fewer thau 800 men gathered around him. although this number can be nothing more than a shrewd guess j wherea«, thinned as the colonial force now is, there will probably not be more than 200 men at Patea. Let us then note the present position of affihs. Kakaramea is evacuated ; Wairoa ; and failing the speedy arrival of assistance at Patea, it may become necessary to leave it also, and fall back upon Wereroa. This is very disheartening, but the terrible reverse at Kuaruru — the ntter miscalculat on alike of our wcaknoxs then male — should have prepared vi for much that has followed. We state tbe facis fully and undi'gnuedly, as we understand them — not for fceaaat'onal or alarmist purposes, but in tbe hope that, knowing the worst, we may take heart of grace, and mend. Let us look the position unflinchingly in the face, and set about retrieving our disasters, if not rapidly, at least surely and steadily. 30L0NXL WHITMOBK AN» THE PRESS. The Wbanganui Evening Herald saya : — " From a circular which we have received from Colonel Whitmore, we find the C >lonel has given orders that no meouber of the forces will be permitted hereafter to correspond with the pres*, and that the person breaking through thia prohibition will subject himself to serer* punishment. The fact of such an order being made by the Commanding Offic-r will prevent the press f-om publishing any correspondence tbat might be received contrary to such order ; for it would be as undignified as injurious to the cause which everyone has at heart— the suppre-.-*ion of the rebellion — to publish smuggled information."

THI UPPER WHA.NGANDI NATIVES. A letter from the Nafcire Asseisor in the neighbourhood of Pipiriki was received by a Putiki chief yesterday. The Asseuor states that Pebi and Tahana say that his Maori Majesty is peaceably inclioed. Any disputes which may arise about the goluSeldi are to be settled judicially and not by fighting. He denies tbat any natives from the upper part of the Whangaoui river have as yet joined Titokowaru. On this bit of information we may be allowed to remark that we can place but little reliance upon any statements of the kind comiug from Pehi and Tahana. Even what they do state — or are laid to have stated — is very dubious. They deny that any natives from the upper part of the Whanganui river hare joined Titokuwaru. Will they say that it has not been arranged, and that they are not waiting and prepared to do so ? We shall see. — Ibid.

THJ TOIiUNTJtKRS. The ■ s. ' Wanganui,' which arrived at Wellington on the 30fch after * quick passage from Whanganui, brought thirty-fire of Captain Buck's company back to Wellington, their term of service baring expired. Some of the Wellington Rangers at Pateahavs refuted to serve anj longer, asserting that they were only engaged for three months. Colonel Whitmore has received instructions to try them by court* martial if they still persist in their refusal. TBM AMBUSOADX NEAB VTXIROI. Mr. Southby has favoured the Wanganui Chronich with tne following detailed account ot the murder of Mr. Collins. It will be remembered that Air. tjouthby was along with the murdered man, and made a miraculou* escape :— On my return|from Whanganui oa Thursday last,l had business to transact at Wairoa, so I went by | the Perekama way from Whanga»ui|to th« Wairoa

Redoubt, buC arrived rather late to prosecute my journey. There being no boat to be had at the Whenuaktira. I stayed that night at Wairoa ; the same d»y Thomas Colling a tiooper, had come out wiih tbe convoy, but unfortunately lost hiahoise. The next day an Okotukii Maori (the "General") brought his horse. Wa then agreed to start together. We saddle.! up about 2 o'clock, and a fewminutes afterwards we start-d, and btfore long came on a fre»h track that was suppose i to be safer than the old one. My horse was rather fresh at starting, and in fact I wm low in spirits, aud felt a nort of presentiment for ill ; howerer, the road being open, and in goad travelling order, we went along rather briskly, until wa came ,to the new track which I, being in front, had pissed, not knowing the turn, but Collins said, " I his is the road," pointiug to another track. I svd "Allri^ht," aud followed him ; the r»ad not being very well beaten down, we went |on aiogly, talking as usual. We ha t g>t within about a mile of the Whennakura (Collins leading the way), and tbe ground beiug rather soft his hone wa* going along between a walk and a trot, when I said, " Get on, Collins, let us get out of this ;" when he quickened his pace, and had got about 20 yards ahead, when oraok, crack, went tbe guns within 10 yaidi of him ; I did not heu a Maori. Collitit bad pulled off the road to tbe left »t tbe firing, and was galloping away, when th.> fitst Maori ! I saw rose and fired after him. I camp round to the right just as the Maor-s —from 20 to 30 in Dumber — rose up and fir-d a volley, which luckily missed tee. Two Maoris then dathed a cross after (Jo) tins. Whi-n the first Ma in I law fired, Uollion l>ei.t forward on the saddle. lof course did not know whether he was h\t> or not, as his horso turned up by the edge of the swamp, while I took the old road back fur Waiioa, expecting every moneut to be shot. As I turned, I c >uld still see Collu.s galloping his horse for about two or three hundred yards, until the ground obstructed my view. When [ got a3 far as N»rman's 1 kept the range of hilf -. uutil my horse got wind, and looked at my watch— time, qua ter past 9 o'clock. I went to the Wairoa, and Captain Havre* sent out 25 men an far as the hills, but of cuurse could fee nothing. Captain Haw<?s went in with two or three others the next morning, and to»k a road through the swamp to the beach, aud so ou to Fatea, but, rinding that Collius had not arrived, he returned with 15 troopers »nd a fe«r others by the ro»d £ went. We found p>or C .Hint's head and body separated, lying about five ya^da disUut, his heart aud braim taken out, and his right hand cut: off and taken away.

PUBLIC MEETING AT TATEA. At 6 p m. on the 21st 'October, a circular was seat by order of Maj >r Fiawr to the hcaiia of families then residing at Pate*, informing them that it was " a solutely necessary" that the whole of the women •nd children should leave Patea next morning by the p.t. 'StU't' for Whangauui. Id a foot note intiaution was given that in the event of the force being obliged to abandon Patea, and march overland to Whanganui, a difficulty might occur in providing CArriage, for carriage could not be provided for women and children. Th »t circular wan not posted up, but tent r >und to he ids of families, with a request to read, and endo<sa the same in proof of having read it. Consequent v.on that an impromptu meeting of the civilian residents was immediately convened. Captain Hirst; was unanimously elected chiirraan of the meeting. It was proposed by Captain Morrison ; seconded by Mr. EL, Cimpbill : " That, without wishing to enter upon any discussion on the necessity which hag compelled Major Fraser to a^ain re.omoiond that the wives and families of settlers at pieseut residiug at Patea should proceed in the ps. 'Sturt' to Whaoganui, this meeting desires respectfully to bring before his notice the calami Lous position of the settlers here. Throughout the present unfortunate outbreak the settlers at Pa'.ea have been led to believe that it was the «vi-h of the Government thai they should not summarily leave the district; and th«y fully concur in the sound policy implied in this wish. But the last notica issue 1 by Major Fearer ssems to prove that the necessity now exists ; and therefore they feel thai-, as thy have so loug complied with the wishes of the Government, no matter from what motive*, they should — taking into consideration the absolut* ruin wb'ch. through no fault of theirs h** bern brought v.ion them be maiut lined whilst they are io ex«le at Whan ganui, or wherever else circumstances may compel them to go. And that, when the G ivemment !n»y consider it prudent to reoccupy Patea as a settlement, a-sist-ance should be given to bring them back."— Carried. It w*s proposed by dp tarn Morrison, s<*c >nde>l by Mr. Campbell, and unan mou-Iy resolved, "That Major Prater be respectfully requested, con'ingenc on the approval of tbe Government, to furnish ~fr«<e p»Mage3 for the wives and children of settlers at Prttea to such ports of New ZeaUnd as may b« beat adapted to their varied circumstances." Proposed by Mr. Williams, seconded by Mr. Aikmao, and r- solved. "That, in coosideracion of the present critical state of affairs, the services of the civilian' population be offered gratuitously to Maj >r Fraser for the defence of tho town and *uourbs of Paten."