MAORI WAR YEARS RECALLED

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3247, 18 January 1926, Page 5

MAORI WAR YEARS RECALLED

STIRRING DATS OF THE ’SIXTIES. GALLANT MAJOR VON TEMPSKY. The valiant soldiers commemorated by the cairn recently unveiled at Ohawe, near Hawera (says the "News”) mostly fell In the various engagements throughout South Taranaki between the end of 1864 and 1870, and the story of those fateful years is the most interesting in the history of the southern end of the province, telling, as it does, of a life so vastly different from that now' lived on the prosperous plains as to seem to the present generation almost a piece of Action. When, towards the end of 1864, General Cameron, took command of all th e New Zealand forces, h e decided to subdue the rebels on this coast, and while Colonel Warrc worked down the coast from New' Plymouth to Opunake, the general landed at Pafea and commenced to push northward to meet Colonel Warre. At Kakaramea General Cameron first met trouble, a brief but bitter struggle there giving him possession of the pah with the loss of only one man killed and a few wounded, while the Maoris suffered over SO casualties. General Cameron’s forces then pushed nortlrward to Hawera, building blockhouses at the various settlements en route. It was during 1865 that the Colonial Government offered peace to the Maoris on the coast, because of the extreme reluctance with which the British Government granted military help to New Zealand. In October Mr. Charles Broughton landed at Patea, with a message of peace to the Maoris, but he was murdered, and his body was thrown over, the cliff, the natives refusing to accept peace. A few days later five troopers fell into an ambush, and Trooper Smith was tomahawked, his companions escaping to safely reach Hawera.

Diirlng that year the Government decided to confiscate all the native land south of the Waingongora River, because the Maoris refused to listen to the peace overtures, and a large number of grants of land were made to settlers tvho were required to bear arms if necessary. A Vigorous Campaign. Major-General Chute succeeded General Cameron, and during 1866 ho started from Wanganui a vigorous campaign against the still, militant Maoris of the coast, his force consisting mostly of volunteers and native auxiliaries from the East Coast. With him was Major von Tempsky. On January 4 Chute captured the pah at Okotuku, near Moumahaki, and a few days later the Putahi pah on the Whenuakura River, with only minor casualties. The next advance was on the old established Ketemarae Pah, where strong resistance was expected, but the pah was cleared with only a skirmish, for the bulk of the natives were encamped at Otapawa. General Chute concentrated a force of about 700 men and three guns, and after destroying th e famous meeting-house at Talporahcnui, advanced on the Otapawa stronghold on January 13, sixty years ago.

Thre e hundred natives were strongly entrenched, and they waited patiently until Chute’s men woro at close range. Then a destructive volley of rifle fire struck the attackers, the' chief sufferers being the B7th Regiment. Momentarily staggered by the sudden hall of lead from the entrenchments, the storming party, rallied and then made their memorable charge which gave them possession of the stronghold, while von Tempsky made a detour and cut off the retreat of a number of the enemy. Chute’s men sustained over thirty casualties, Including eleven dead, while . Rhe Maoris also suffered about a similar number o’ casualties. Colonel Hassard was one of the dead, and the general himself had a close call, one of the buttons being shot off his tunic. XiirlUinj Engagements. After this serious defeated scattered parties of Maoris gathered at Ketemarae, Mawhltlwhlti and Ahaipalpai, whence they were dispersed by Chute. In February, 1866, General Chute commenced his famous march to New Plymouth, leaving Colonel Butler With a flying column stationed at Ohawe, Colonel Butler had many a thrilling engagement of a minor character, his exploits Including the destruction of the pali at Tlritirlmoana and the strong fortress at Ahalppipal, near Okaiawa, where five natives were killed. During the absence of General Chute Colonel McDonnell also operated successfully from the Waihl camp. In October, 1866, he made a night attack on a rebel encampment near Okaiawa, where Farrier-Major Dull was killed, and Ensign Northcroft, distinguished himself by rescuing Duff’s remains from mutilation by the natives.

In the following month Colonel McDonnell led his party from Ketemarae to Mangavuingl to disperse a gathering of natives at Tlritirlmoana, and it was on the brow of the hill overlooking the Mangamlngi Gorge that a Greek, Private Ikonomedes, was shot dead from an ambush, while h e was acting as guide to McDonnell’s party.

In July 1867, the lest detachment of the Imperial forces left the country, and another serious phase of the war commenced, for the Maoris were far from being subduiod. The armed constabulary was formed in 1868, and Major von Tempsky took command of the local forces at Pntea. Tomahawked by Maoris!.

The next outbreak near Hawera was announced by a mounted messenger who galloped Into the blockhouse with the Information that a plt-«awing party had been tomahawked by Maoris on the edge of the hush,, and get'gbaDt Cahill and Privates Squires and Clarke were The dead wore burled In the Waihl Cemetery, and two days Inter another funeral was held at the same place, for Trooper Thomas Smith, was shot dead while

mounting 1 his horse near the blockhouse. These ominous sign# of another outburst resulted in troops being hurried to 'Hawera. Major von Tempsky, who had been sent to Auckland, hurriedly returned, Captain Nowland shipped with a detachment at /New Plymouth for Patea, while mounted troops hurried overland from New Plymouth, and Captain Ross re-con-structed and re-garrlsloned the Pld fort at Turuturu-mokal. All the settlers in the surrounding districts were ordered to the shelter of the blockhouses. Hearts Tom Out. The storm burst In th e early dawn of July 12, when the Walla blockhouse was aroused by the crash of musketry northward in the vicinity of Turuturu-mokal. Presently messengers rushed Into the blockhouse with the news that Captain Ross’s fort had been surrounded by Hauhaus and the bulk of the garrison exterminated. A band of 300 Maoris led by Tltokowaru had crept up the banks of the Tawhlti Stream and surrounded the fort with H» little garrison of 25 men. The outside sentry, Laoy L seeing a na(ii'|e (crawling along the ground, challenged and flred. Immediately the hillside rang with an answering volley from th e Maoris, who charged the fort, and wild confusion reigned.

The keeper of the canteen outside the fort,, a man named Lemon, -was the first to fall, and his heart was torn out, and his body •shockingly mutilated. Captain Ross, rushing out of liis hut, was shot dead, and his heart, too, was cut out by the savages. Beamish, the inner sentry, was shot at his post, and Private Holden, endeavouring to scale the parapet, was shot and tomahawked. Sergeant McFadden. Corporal Blaice and Private Shield,, while endeavouring to hold an angle in the redoubt. wer e killed, and a few others, with some settlers who ware visiting the fart, escape!! over the parapet and fled to the Hawera block-, house. Constables Ross, Swords and Gaynor were killed as they emerged from their hut. Pour men. Constables Lacy and J. Beamish, Messrs. Johnston and Mllmoe, succeeded in holding up the natives until the relief party from Waihl rushed to the rescue and the Hauhaus decamped. The withdrawal of the Imperial troops greatly strengthened th 0 courage of the rebels, amongst whom Tltokowaru had how risen to the pbaition of undisputed leadership. He concentrated his followers at tht pah at Rua

Runi, and In August Colonel McDonnell left'Waihl with 200 men to rednoj 'this stronghold. The Maoris wer* taken by surprise and were ntterly routed* leaving behind nine dead, a number of wounded, besides a quantity of ammunition and guns. Four pakehas, Privates Wallace, MoKJojr, Kerr and Garey, were killed and tefc Wore wounded. While retiring from the scene the Oarey brothers were shot by natives in ambush. The following month •aw'one of the most disastrous battles of the South Taranaki campaign, the fight at Te Ngutu o te Manu, and the more disastrous retreat from that portion. On September 1 Colonel McDonnell set out from Waihl ’with 880 men to finally crush Tltokowaru. Of the attack and the retreat the tale Is never clearly told, pr it is told in diverse ways, but the' moat eloquent evidence was the casualty list of 19 killed and about 30 wounded. The killed Included the gtfMnt Von Tempsky, Captains Buck and Palmer, Lieutenants Hastings and Hunter. This serious reverse completely disorganised the Forest Rangers, and the outloek for settlers on the coast was extremely gloomy. For the time being Tltokowaru “took the Initiative, and commenced to march to Wanganui, slaughtering several Battlers on the vajj In the meantime Colonel G. Whitmore succeeded Colonel McDonnell .and’ with a force of 360 men he set out from Wanganui to meet the advance of Titokowaru. He met the Maoris in very strong force at Okutuku, near Moumahakl, and suffered a severe repulse, the killed Including Major William Hunter. Colonel Whitmore was then called away urgently to the East Coast, and Wanganui was left with a. very weak defence against the menace of TitokowarU. After successful operations against Te Kootl on the other coast, Whitmdro hurried back to Wanganui, collected every available jman, and marched out; against Tltokowaru. The Hauhaus’ position at Nukumaru was cleared and the troops then bridged the Waltotara River and pursued the Maoris, successfully routing them at their strongholds at Otautu, on the Patea, and at Whakarama. At Xniporohenul the Maoris vanished as If by magic from the avenging force, retreating across the Ngasr e swamp and away ,by % secret track to Ngatftnaru, on the Waltara River, and the ware, so far as South Taranaki was concerned. virtually fended.