A TALE OF STIRRING TIMES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 33, 21 January 1911, Page 9

A TALE OF STIRRING TIMES.

REMINISCENCES OF THE MARU MARU FIGHT. By ISAAC KENT (Corporal in Major Fraser’s Coy.). As year after year passes, the ranks of the veterans who served at a time when every man carried his life in his hands are getting thinner and thinner. Soon, very soon, all my comrades who fought with me in the days long gone by will have passed into the night, and the history of the Maori War will be lost.

Urged by this consideration and on the advice of my friends. I have decided to write a true and faithful narrative of that part of the war in which I was engaged . The'Cause of the Trouble.

I io understand rhe position of la Hairs that led up to the Marti : Maru fight. 1 must first tell why it took place. That great warrior Te I Kooti had fur along time made i himself a terror to the settlers, and. in order to capture him, a j reward was offered, and many exiteditions were sent out. ■ About this time the Maorie had ’ to a greater or lesser extent the whole of tlit* Poverty Bay district j tinder their control. In the pah j at Wairangahika there were about ! 600 rebels, and another HMM) out I side, «lhi supplied those in the pal'with provisions plundered from | the settlers. Wh en the pah was | taken, and Te Kooti. with the j worst of his rebels, were made secure. those who were left set about a systematic plundering of the settlers’ sheep, cattle, and horses, of which they took several thousands. Plan to attack Napier. The reason for this was that they ) proposed marching down to attack Napier. When their intention beI came known, we received orders jto hold ourselves in readiness to j go to Wairoa in order to stop the [Hau Haus from passing through ’the Wairoa count v.

Our marching orders came quicker than we anticipated. ami at five o clock on the morning of Hth December. HG.t. we arrived by the gunboats Sturt arid ’St. Kilda in th<* Wairoa River. The whole place was in a stale of ex ritt n-rnf. and vague rumours of ad descript ions were in the air. A’ last, definite information was re ecu rd that tlif* Maoris were budd - ing a. large war pah at Mani .Maru. on th<‘ M’lt’.ml I i'iU'K to Povert \ bay. Ibis news being receive-! Major Fraser al <>nee sent to Napier for reinforeenmm s. Cap tain Fairchild was only able to gel forty-fix e men. but not enough for our purpose. Our force consisted of 230 white men, some under Major James Fraser of the Hawke’s Bay Military Settlers, and Captain Hussey of the Wanganui Military Set tiers. There were also several Chilian;; who volunteered. F)iir number was made up to Too ) )V Maoris of Ropata’s tribe, ami Daka Wonga Maoris from Nuliaka. We could only get about a hundred of the Wairoa Maoris, as the greater part "ere of the Hau Hau religion. The Campoign opens. On the 22nd of December, that is a few days nilcr our arrival, a move was imide for the rebel * amp. I tie first day we arrived at what is now known as Frasertown. and campi-d alongside the river for safety. On Christmas Eve we

march* d imthf r up the river and td\anc» ! d witlim five miles of Main Main.

Ihr next day was <.'hristmas, but we had m> time to celebrate it. An early st irt was made, and we soon iriived n< a high plateau overlooking the Maim Mam country. Be•ow us was an uncompleted pah. A Maori v.omin was smt down to make in'estiga-ions. but found the ola- e dimmud. The Maoris had ’ee.i in that pah m the moral m.;. m t!:- eribrrs of Hm fires vert sdß if!. i fils 'i 1 M’< > G \ CitrnSt <! A!;t I: J,'- ' taser ;>;>d his -mn a great deal of •.:ixi--ty. as lire bad not us into ids bush, in which we were scarce y able to move, aid wo felt rather ei’gcfn 1. \\ e >.(11111 found out. mwever. that tln-y bad cross'd he i er. aeo a lot of Maoris could ’<• 'cen among the fruit trees. Tin- Maori woman was sent to ’’em bearing a white Hag. and de- • •inding their stuitnder. On the ’turn tt 1 ’ 1 of tie woman we saw Man-: walking by the side of her >:• «’. lie ivmaieed on the oppose sid - the ir-Tr. Er."-': • and Hamlin, the Governwf. interpreter, went to ottr sid ■ »’ the river aid found out that d

■is a brother of To Warn, the hief of the Lake Maoris. Afttr ’’e mellites’ talk. Fraser told him hat he would give him ten minutes fore he gave the order to fire.

The Fight by the River. The ten minutes passed by, and it became a question as to which, Major Fraser or Captain Hussey, was to lead the attack. Fiaset suggested that they should toss. This was done, and Hussey won and led the way.

All this time we were concealed in the manuka. Hussey got across the river, and our company followed. On crossing all the whites formed a line and entered a large tract of shrub. To get through this it was necessary to crawl on one’s hands and knees. While in this position xve received a hot volley from the rebels, who were entrenched behind a sod wall. A number of whites were despatched along the Munganui, for this was the name of the creek, to prevent the Maoris from attacking us in the rear, cutting us up, and then inarching on to Napier. This we found out afterwards was their >n tention. but their plans were very <-leverly frustrated by our commander.

After about half-an-hour’s crawling through this bush, some of our men in the front cried out that the enemy were entrenched in a high earthwork. Shortly after this, Major Fraser, crawling behind us on all fours, gave the order to attack. On this order being given, we worked gradually to the pah, but were unable to see the rebels on account of being enshrouded in the smoke arising from their constant firing.

After about a quarter of an hour we got a clear view of the enemy’s defences, and we found the earthwork was about four feet in height. Immediately on seeing us, they poured a volley into us. but as we were crouching behind the manuka it did but little damage.

“Fix Bayonets and Charge!’’ The order was then given to fix bayonets and then to charge while they were reloading. We were glad of this change, even although it meant death to many of our men. Across the short distance we charged, and on reaching the earthworks we gave the rebels a volley from 300 rifles. Scrambling over the wall, we literally pushed them out of their defences. and the Maoris, seeing that they were beaten, retreated to another line of defence.

As soon as they were secure they gave us a volley, and I think it was Feaser who crad out. “ Now then, lads, follow up quick and charge them. ' Me did so, and time after lime we fiic-1. ’The Maoris turned tail, and ran along a track tha: bordered the iivei's bank and Jed to Lake- \\ aikaremoana. As thi.t rack was clear, we continued firing as long as they were in sight. Several of the rebels were carrying wounded with them, but we bayonet ted all those we could catch.

Captain Hussey Wounded. We wanted to follow, but Major Richardson would not allow us. i W e mustered on a clear space of I about an acre of extent, and found Captain Hussey lying on the 'gtound with the suigcons bending 'oxer him.

Listening from this spot, wr could plainly hear the sound of fir ing coming from two separai. places. Majors Fraser, Richardson and Gascoyne at once set out with their men to relieve the friendly I Maoris. On this side of the creek ; Haka Wanza had all his work cut ’ out to deal with one party of the ’ rebels, and had already lost several men. Rebels in Full detrear. i Kopata. chief ot a tribe of ! Maoris, was engaged in driving another party before him. By ‘ now it was about four o’clock, and an extremely hot afternoon. We , were worn out with the work we had done, but on the word of comi maud we started to the relief of (he friendly Maoris. We marched ion. passing by the dead bodies of ! many rebels, then on to where the ‘ fight was raging. We could see ; the Hau Haus running down the : hill to supply their side with ani--1 munition. After a short wait, RoIpatu citiiic across with bis friendly • Macris, stating that he had left a ‘ f,-w of Ids force on the other side i i ordito kc< p the Hau Haus G check, lie also informed us that the main body of the jebels had retreated through a gorge which led to Lake Waikaremoana. ; After the last of the rebels had disappeai.d. it was decidtd

leave some fiiemlly Maoris in t’m places where rhe Hau Haus were most likely to attack. About •' o'clock we wept ba k to the pat that the rebels had deserted. Here we were supplied with run and victuals. As soon as o Christmas feast was over, th greater number, worn out by the day’s work, laid down to sleep and forgot that there were ever such people as the Maoris. The Britishers give Chase. We were soon aroused, as Ser geant McKay was going round looking for fifty men to volunteci

to follow the rebels through the gorge already mentioned. I was one .of the volunteers. At 12 o’clock we were roused from our slumbers, each man receiving a glass of rum, and we were ordered to carry enough provisions to last us for a day. We crossed the Wairoa river at Maru Maru at one o’clock, not knowing what this expedition was going to bring forth. In a later article I shall describe the pursuit and the result. (To be Continued.)