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Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 99, 23 October 1897, Page 4 (Supplement)

Marly Wellington Fighting

* THE INCIDENT OF THE BRAVE YOUNG BUGLER. Some little time ago Mr. T. W. M'Kenzie, ojE' "Wellington, in his lecture on the early days of Wellington, told of the heroic act of a young bugler who was with the 58th Regiment at the Hutt in 1546, and in a night attack made by natives was disabled in the right arm by a blow from a tomahawk wheu in the act of blowing the alarm, but gallantly transferred the bugle to the loft hand and completed the call before being killed. The same incident was the subject of an article in the last Christmas number of the Auckland Weekly News, and its publication has caused Captain C. S. Prichard, of the 58th Regiment, to write a letter to the editor of the News, which contains the following : — ' The incident referred to is, of course, well known to us, but it is pleasing thus to see that it is remembered by those with whom the regiment is so closely connected. Quite recently the facts related have been engraved on a silver bugle, the original bugle having disappeared, or rather, I cannot learn what happened to it. Perhaps you can help us in this matter, as in the letterpress you say, ' the bugle was carried away as a trophy, and subsequently recovered.' I wonder if your informant could tell who go it^ or give me a clue that might lead to its discovery. I should consider it a great kindness if you would ask. Will any one possessing the bugle referred to, or who can give any information as to its whereabouts, communicate with the editor of tho Weekly News or with Captain C. S. Prichard, 58th Regiment, Aldershot, who will gladly defray all expenses.' Sergt.-Major Haslam, late Colour-Sorgt. of the 58th Regiment, who gave the News it» facts, writes again as follows:—' I am Very pleased to learn that the officers of my dear and brave regiment have taken in hand the noble deed of one of my old comrades, who died in the discharge of his duty, as many others of my gallant regiment died ia New Zealand. I have not let the subject rest, as will be seen as 'follows:— "On the 19th January last I received a letter from Mr. John Henn, of Napier, late of the 65th Regiment, in which he stated that his brother whs a bugler in the 65th Regiment; arrived at Wellington, New Zealand, in July, 1846, and wassent to Pahautanui, Porirua District, about 20 miles from Wellington. Further, that Major Last, of he 99th Regiment, being in command, hearing that his brother was formerly a bugler, ordered him to do bugler's duty, and put his name in garrison orders. Shortly uf ter the natives began to give trouble ah Horokiwi Valley, not far from the camp. The men heard occasionally some of the Maori rebels trying to blow a bugle. When the attack was made the Maoris retreated from the Horokiwi Valley, leaving the bugle behind. When Mr. Henn's brother got the bugle, he used it till his compiny was ordered to Wanganui, when his duty as bugler ceased. In August, Mr. Henn met his brother, and had a talk with him about old times. What led to their so doing was that Mr. Henn sent his brother a copy of the Christmas number of the Auckland Weekly News, calling his attention to the story, "A Noble Deed," and asking him what had become of the bugle? Mr. Henn's brother replied as follows—" I think it was handed over to the detachment of the 58 th at Porirua, which detachment left for Auckland in 1848. I know it was not kept in the 65th Regiment, or I would have seen- it. I wonder if the 99th took it with them when they left New Zealand ?— they might have done so." I wrote to Mr. Henn in reply, asking for further information, and got an answer on 19th March last, in which he aaya— "l am firm on one point, that the bugle was recovered from the natives, but what became of it I do not know, unless the U'Jth took it away with them." ' SergtMujor Haslam states that while on escort duty at Wellington in 1850 he went to Porirua and Pahautanui. There was nothing heard about the bugle at that time, and from every enquiry he has made it is clear to him that the bugle was never returned to the sSfch Regiment. In reference to Mr. M'Kenzie's remarks on tho incident, Mr. Haslam says : • The bugltr was killed by the Maoris with a tomakawk by cutting the muscles of both arms, and almost severing the upper portion of the Head. Corporal DockeriU was also fearfully 'tomahawked on the head. Tho three privates -Beale, MTadden, andSeon — were shot through the tent, and were found dead inside. The other three frivates were wounded but escaped, helped to carry the dead bodies out of the tent, and ought to know. I fully endorse the closing suggestion and sentiment of Mr. M'Kenzie, that "if ever a boy should have a monument that little bugler deserves it." The monument might fitly bear this inscription :—" Bugler William Allen, 58th Regiment, died nobly doing his duty in the field, atßoulcott's farm, Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, on 16tb May, 1846.' I was one of the detachment, as I have already stated, as will be seen from the narrative published in the Christmas nnmber of the Auckland Weekly Newe, Mr. W. B. White, of St. Stephens-r oad, Parnell, writes as follows: — 'At that time I was an ensign in the Taita Company ol Militia, stationed at Taita on the Hutt outpost, under the command sf Captain M'Donough, and took part in all the fighting after the attack on Boulcott's to the end of the war. After the -affair at Horokiwi the rebels retreated and were pursued and dispersed by Kaka (afterwards known as the Hon. Ngatata, M.L.C.) and his men, part of M'Donough's command*. Very shortly after this Captain M'Donough told me the 58th bugle had been recovered, and presented by him to the commanding officer, Major Last, 99th Regiment.' Mr. George Taylor, late acting N CO. Instructor of Musketry, H.M. 58th Regiment, eends tho following conimuniea* t\on:— 'l can certify that the bugle that belonged to Bugler Allen, and a bunch of bayonets (about seven in number), captured from the slaughtered and wounded guards i who were surprised at the Valley of the ! Hint, were found in a Maori whare, in the Horokiwi (05 Hungry) Valley, at a short distance from where the engagement against Rangihaeta and his tribe was tiiing place. The company, No. sof tho 58th Regiment, to which I had the honour to belong, was in command of the late General (then Captain) Laye, and occupied a position atfotit two and a-half miles from the Maori pah, which was situated on the top of an almost, inaccessible bill, in tho midst of dense bush. Parties of tho 65th Regiment, who had justarrivedinthecolony, were employed conveying provisions, ammunition, &c, to the front .... The carrying party of the 65th Regiment told me that they had just found a small k;t of potatoes, Allen's bugle, and a buncb of bayonets, concealed under some rubbish ia the whare. I said, " Let me look at them." I took the bugle and the bunch of bayonets in my hands, but had not time to examine them, and handed them back quickly, as sharp firing was going on in Iront. Evidently an engagement was taking place. We hurried up to the place where we had to again cross the stream, and as my clothing was already wet, I carried the Governor over the river. We did not lose any time in moving forward, being anxious to, join in the fray. When we did reach the scene the skirmish was nearly over. We found Lieutenant Blackburn and a private of the name of Chute or Tute both shot dead. The commanding officer, Major Last, 99th Regiment, had a narrow escape, a bullet having passed clean through his cap, forcing the wadding out on the opposite side to the entrance of the bullet. Raugibaeta, with his men, had left the pah by the back way, fleeing into inaccessible bijsh. When all had quieted down the men that I hud taken with me

received each of them a pannikinful of bread trnmb«. We were thankful for even that ; our ptincipal food for some days had been cabbage tree from the bush. These men, my comrades, have all joined the^ arreat majority — viz., Cockerton, Sadjrrove, Sawyer, Teal, Townsend, Whaley, and one other whose name I cannot remember. I was always under the impression that the bugle and bayonets were returned to the company to -which they originally ' belonged.' Ancient Fare, ».. . . A loaf of bread 2000 years old might not be acceptable to everybody, but the guests of Mr. Goebel, of Brussels, enjoyed it on the occasion of a recent dinner given by that gentleman. This was one of the oldest dinners ever given, as the following items mentioned by one of the guests will show : — ' At that dinner,' he says, ' I ate apples ripened more than 1 800 years ago, bread made from wheat grown before the Children of Israel passed through the Bed Sea, and spread with butter made when Elizabeth was Queen, and I washed down the repast with wine that was old hundreds of years before Shakespeare was born. The apples were taken from an earthen jar taken from the ruins of Pompeii, the wheat was taken from a chamber in one of the Pyramids, the butter from a stone shelf in an old well in Scotland, where for several centuries it had lain in an earthen crock of icy water, and the wine was recovered from an old vault in the city of v. orinth.