EARLY BATTLES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 October 1932, Page 6

EARLY BATTLES

MAORI WARS RECALLED. t A WANGANUI RECORD. WANGANUI, October 5. Interesting sidelights on the early .u'storv of Wanganui are contained in . document recently received by Mr f. H. Burnet,' director of the Alexaner Museum, from Mr Wi K. Houn.jll, honorary technical assistant to he Auckland Institute and Museum. The document is accompanied by a photograph of the late Major-General and Honorary Lieutenant-General Logan, who commanded the 57th Regiment in Wanganui in the middle of the last century.

Coming from a long line of soldier ncestors, one of whom went with Sir •Limes Douglas in 1329 to the Hoiy Land to convey Bruce’s heart there, the general, naturally followed an adventurous career. His father added a chapter to Australian history in his discovery of the Darling River and in his explorations of the vast contin ent in the early days of settlement there.

Robert Abraham Logan joined the British Army in 1841 and saw service in liul'a, Ireland and the Crimea. He was transferee! hack to India during the final stages of the Indian Mutiny. Just before he wa s appointed to the command of the regiment he was or- 1 derfed to hold himself in readiness foi service in New Zealand. In 1858 the regiment embarked for New Zealand in two wings which landed at Auckland and New Plymouth, proceeding immediately to the seat of war in Taranaki, which was reached toward the end of January 1861. BATTLE ON WAITARA RIVER.

The regiment war mmediately engaged in active operations and especially in the attack on the enemy position on the Waitara River. Hostilities terminated on March 20, and all troops except the 57th were withdrawn from the province of Taranaki, which remained under martial law.

Colonel Warre, who had returned from the staff in India, as senior officer present, acted as Deputy-Gov er or, being stationed with the headquarters of tlie regiment at New Plymouth, while Major Logan was' dispatched in command of the detach ment to Wanganui. For. his services in command of the regiment during the arduous months of the 1861 hostilities Major. Logan was thanked in General Orders and named in despatches. During 1862 the regiment remained in Taranaki, but early in 1863 the Governor, being dissatisfied with the condition of affairs in Taranaki, moved fresh troops into the province.

Although there had up to this been no overt act of hostility on tie part of the Natives, their attitude was ominous and they threatened to interrlupt the communications with New Plymouth.

Major Logan, \ylio had been promoted lieutenant-colonel in ■ February. 1863, was relieved of his command at Wanganui in April and sent to occupy an important redoubt in tlie danger zone with one hundred and fifty men. Following on the massacre by the Natives of a small party of officers and men of the o7th on May 4, war again broke out and several encounters took place between small parties of the re giment and the rebels. ANOTHER ATTACK.

Later in the month, as it became evident that the Maoris were busy constructing', rifle pits and entrenchments on tlie southern bank oi th-.-Ivatikara River, it was decided to attack them at once. LieutenantColonel Logan accordingly matched from Oakura at midnight on June 3 with a force escorting a convoy, while Sir Duncan Cameron followed immediately after with a strong body oi troops from New Plymouth, inol nling the headquarters of. the 57th. At daybreak on the 4th the attack was oened by artillery fire on the Maori position, and the main attacking col unin under Colonel Warre advancing, crossed the deep rapid river, whii J four companies of the regiment, nnd<-r Lieutenant-Colonel Logan, rushed and took the enemy’s redoubt.

For the next three mouths he commanded the regiment and outposts until the i jturn of Colonel Warr*' from staff duty on August 24, when he was sent to command a detacument of the regiment and the mixed garrison occupying the settlement at Wanganui. He retained this coinniai? i for the next three years.

During this period he was, in adui tion to his military duties, appointed Agent to the Colonial Goevrnrneut i that part of the province of Ta'ruiidn, and on three occasions receiv'd :1s thanks for his defence of the set-”-merit, and for having armed the friendly Natives who by themselves :.ut(’ceded in defeating an attacking per tv 'f rebel;* and formed the nucleus of iuo Native Contingent. On October ]2, 1866, Colonel Warre, being employed on the staff, Lieutenant-Colonel Leg l "' once more assumed command "i the regiment, soon after which, i:ow •ver. military operations having pro’ iacallv ceased, orders were received for it la lie hold* in readiness to embark IdRug md.

BRiMNING TO KNGLAND. The regiment ailed for England in two wings in march and April, 186 . concentrating : Iter arrival at Maiml'es lev in Align t. .After ecciinving several stations in England it moved to

h\;land in 1871, proceeding to Limer- ■ cnr with detachments to the west. On Febi nary 17, 1872, Lieutenante.oncl Log..n was promoted brevct.onel, and at Kinsale succeeded- Col-

mol Bowen in command of .the; reg ment Early in the following year it as moved to the Curragh, where, : September, orders were received for it to proceed on fresh tour of foreign service, this time in Ceylon. For some time previous to his dep.rture Colonel Logan had been in coriespondeace with the Dean of St Paul’s n the suaject of placing the old CoL ~rs which had' been carried in the rlmva, Jnd.a and New Zealand in the U’thedral. This permission was readily granted, and they were deposited he:e on January 22, 1874, by whicli time, unfortunatellv, the regiment was .o longer in the country, having embarked far Ceylon on Dec'm!.er 23, 1873. C lonel Logan commanded the 67th i t Ceylon until ]i teed on half-pay on Jnlv 26, 1876, nf er thirty-five years' continuous service with the corps.

MONFMEXT TO NATIVE 8. A monument had been erected at Wanganui in memory of the friendly n-fives wlio fell at -M on to a. The unveiling, which was attended with some ceremony, was in September, 1865, done by Mrs Logan as wife of the Officer Commanding Troops, while she ;t the same time presented a silk jlag to the brave chiefs and others who fell at the Battle of Moutoa, giving their lives to save those of Europea women and childien. This is the cc'a lira ted Moutoa flag, still in existence.

At the end of the war she, .with her f miiy, a coni panted- her husband to England, ioutlini ng with him durng the periods of his commands at Woolwich and Hounslow. On his retirement they settled down in South Kensington, where she died on. August 12, 1887 _ being buried in West Norwood Cemetery.

\ brother of Mrs Lagan, Jones It. K. Tredenick, also served in the 57th, being present , witli it in the Now Zealand and Zulu campaigns. He sue—-f-’eded General .Sir Charles Mansfield Clarke in cominaud of I lie regime'll in May, 18 0, being the Ist lieuiciumtcol ne, of tli > mil, it:: cx'sten; e "s a

qcniii’.'tc’ rcinienl terminating in 'Lina He retired on c-» — pLiLiou if his |-c ■ i 'i| of command with the rank of i m.jor-geueral. l