The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1866. DEFEAT OF THE HAWKE'S BAY REBELS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 1, Issue 194, 18 October 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1866. DEFEAT OF THE HAWKE'S BAY REBELS.

By the Lord Ashley, which arrived this morning, we have intelligence of the total defeat of the rebels on the East Coast. From the Hawke's Bay Herald of the loth, we glean the following particulars. It says : — To begin then ; a body of Hau-haus who came down from Titiokura about a fortnight ago, and who numbered about a hundred

men, located themselves at the native settlement at Petane. Last Thursday morning they moved from thence to Omara-nui, a pa situate on the Tutaekuri river, almost immediately opposite Puketapu. The natives belonging to Omara-nui, who are headed by Paora Ivaiwhatu, at once left the settlement, aud went to the Pa Whakairo, the head quarters of our resident natives. The militia and volunteers were all called out for active service, aud the resident natives were instructed to act iu concert with them.

This was a state of things eminently unsatisfactory. Upwards of a hundred truculent savages, known to be picked fighting men, armed" to the teeth and without any lawful means of supplying their wants, were planted in the midst of a thickly settled district. On Tuesday, as might be expected, most of the women and children residing near Omara-nui, or ou the line of route homewards — assuming the natives to leave or to be driven away — came into town for safety; and arrivals of families continued during Wednesday and Thursday, until Napier was quite full of those who had thus been driven from their homes. Although the friendly natives who had assembled at Pa Whakairo kept a good watch upon the movements of the enemy, it was expected every moraeut that news would reach town of some outrage having been committed.

The Star of the South steamer, which arrived from Auckland on Tuesday, brought news of a dangerous conspiracy in the Waikato. Mr. M'Lean, the Suu-rint-e-ndent. had taken every precaution at Napier, and Major Fraser, and a party of Friendly chiefs, were sent for from Wairoa, and arrived iu a short time. The militia and volunteers were ou the alert, and had to be restrained by Mr. M'Lean, whose watchword was taihoa, by and bye.

The arrival on Thursday of the Star of tho South with Major Fraser and his baud was evidently the signal for action. That evening a Gazette was issued calling out the militia and volunteers for actual service, and the officers went round, warning the' men of the respective corps to be in readiness to march the same night — the volunteers at eleven and the militia at twelve — and to take with them 40 rounds of ball cartridge and one day's provisions. The night was dark, gloomy, and windy, but the numbers who turned out and the spirit they displayed showed that their hearts were in the work. At eleven precisely Captain Buchanan and his volunteers, to the number in all of 48, marched in front of the militia office amidst three cheers from the bystanders. At midnight, Nos. 1 and 2 Companies followed — the former, under Captain Fitzgerald, 43 strong ; the la'ttev, under Captain Kennedy, also 43 in number. Kopu, Ihaka, aud the Wairoa friendly natives brought up the rear, each company beiug vociferously cheered as it disappeared in the darkness. The Clive (No. 3) Company, under Captain Rhodes, and the Meanee (No. 4;, under Captain Birch, had each separate orders as to the time of departure and place of rendezvous.

A midnight march took place and in town some disappointment was felt on its becoming known that Major Fraser would not accompany the militia and volunteers, but was to be despatched at 2 a.m. in the direction of Petane. We 'confess that we thought this a great mistake ; but the sequel showed that the step was doubtless prompted by wise motives. He crossed the ferry at the hour we have named, and marched to Petane, where he was joined by Captain Carr and a small body of the residents of that village.

Information having reached the Government that 12 large canoes were hauled np in an inlet between Poraite -and Park's Island, a party consisting of 27 mounted volunteers under Capt. Gordon and 15 of No. 2 company militia under Corporal Moggridge were detached to take possession of them. The spot was reached at daylight; the canoes seized., and the persons iu charge taken prisoners. Captaiu Gordon took the natives into custody, giving the canoes in charge to Captain Cellem, the harbor-master. At daylight on the morning of Friday, the several companies were in the position assigued them in genera! orders the evening before. The friendly natives (nearly 200 in number) were distinguished by a red and white sash on the left arm, and 70 of this body was stationed ou the adjoining hills to prevent escape. The whole were under the command of Colonel Whitmore, actiug under whom were Major Lambert and Captain Withers, as well a.~ Captain Russell and Mr. Agnew Brown, whovolunteered as aides-de-camp. His Honor the Superintendent and Mr. Ormoud werealso on the ground. At daybreak,, the Hauhaus must have been astonished at seeing themselves virtually surrounded by an armed force of such numbers, but their courage or desperation, whichever it may be termeddoes not seem to have been at all affected by the spectacle.

A flag of truce was sent in vain to the rebels, requiring them to surrender and lay dowi. their arms. They were plainly to be seerdancing round their Hau-hau pole, as if invoking the aid of their god in the impending struggle. At 7 o'clock — two- hours after the first demand had been made upon them — Mr. Hamlin was again sent forward with a son I: white ft.-ig, to inform the Hau-has that the commanding officer could wait no longer. They replied that there w>vs no reason to do so, as they meant to fight.

About this time Captain Rhodes, with 20 of the Clive company, all mounted, made his appearance, he having found it impossible to bring up his company on foot within the time. Captain Birch's came on the ground 4S strong, and this and the other companiestook up the positions assigned to them.

After two hours had been allowed the enemy, the order was given to advance, which was done in the most cool and gallant manner — the Napier companies marching from the Puketapu side, and fording,the river, Captaii. Buchanau's company of volunteers and the section of No. 4 company militia, uuder Mr. Brown were at first stationed about 500 yards up the river, under cover of a ditch-and-bauk fence. The larger part of the Native Con-

tingent, under Tareha, Hapuku, Ihaka, Kopu. Renata, and Karaitiana, and directed by Mr. Locke, occupied the edges of the swamp, or wore stationed outside the cultivations at a distance of several hundred yards; while the smaller portion was placed on the hills in the back to prevent the enemy's escape. Opposite the dray road to the pa, Nos. 1 (the first to come under five) and 2 companies aud a part of No. 4 were formed in open coiumn. This part of the force was under Major Lambert, who, ou the advance being sounded, moved steadily forward and gained the top of the river bank, where he fouud the Hau-haus drawn up. He received their fire and returned it, the men getting within the outer fences of the pa. Unfortunately, just a. this time part of the Native Contingent which had followed, coming unexpectedly under fire, moved iu some confusion to the right, to take shelter under the river bank. This somewhat disordered the militia, the friendlies and our people getting mixed up together ; and the order was given by Colonel Whitmore (who with Major Lambert were to be seen in the hottest of the fire) to take cover under that" part of the bank which, commanded all the ground taken.

About this time Captain Kennedy, commanding No. 2 company, was shot in the shoulder, the bullet passiug through the fleshy part and just touching the bone; but he very heroically refused to leave the ground until ordered to do soby the officer commanding.

During the next quarter of an hour a very heavy tire was kept up on our part, • and returned with great coolness and determination by the enemy, but the latter was gradually

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'pushed back until he abandoned the huts and took shelter in a small gully near the further end of 'the pa, where he found complete shelter. At this time Mr. Hamlin (under a perfect shower of lead) conveyed orders to the Napier Volunteers to advance on the pa by the river, which was done, and the enemy driven out of the gully. Major Lambert and force then moved up the bank and drove them, under a hot fire, into the last of the several inclosures into which the pa was divided — not more than a few square yards of ground. Many of the friendly natives — Taveha in particular — now moved up also, and iu a few moments the remaining position would have been taken by assault, had the enemy not displayed the white flag in token of surrender — the only course he could have adopted to save himself from utter destruction. Before that, the pah would have been rushed, but for the danger arising from a cross fire, which was imminent uuder the circumstances of its beiug pretty well surrounded by the friendly natives aud the colouial forces. Upon the flag of truce being hoisted the officer commanding had considerable difficulty in restraining the friendly natives from rushing in and killing the prisoners. Upon the pah being entered a ghastly spectacle of dead aud wounded presented itself, and the survivors, some 47 iu number, laid down their arms (among which, in opposition .0 a statement made by a local contemporary, uot a Government Title was to be seen) and surrendered. The Hau-hau loss was severe — the killed having numbered 23, and the wounded about the same, many of whom are now under treatment in the hospital. Among the dead was Parnapa, the prophet ; and among the prisoners, Nikora, of Terawera, a chief of note, and well know in Napier ; aud llenare, also a Terawera chief. The former was at one time a native assessor, and _ield other employment under Government.

Some few Hau-haus escaped and were overtaken aud brought back by Captain Rhodes' mounted contingent. Among those recaptured was the notorious Nikora, a treacherous scoundrel.

The papers describe the individual heroism of Lieutenant-Colonel Whitmore, Major Lambert, Captain Withers and Buchanan, and Messrs. Hamlin, Weston, Withers, jun., Miller, Kennedy, Bousefield, Begg, and others. The nun.ber of men on our side did not exceed ISO. Of the number of narrow escapes the name is legion. The killed are but three — William Young, private in No. 4 Company, a friendly native, Karamoa, and another native. The wounded are Captain Kennedy, H. Brookiug, H. Morrison, J. Lawson, John Elliott, Joseph Shirdly, Skillicorn, Allardice, F. E. Hamlin, Ensign Webb. The troops received au enthusiastic reception on returning to town.

The Lord Ashley briugs confirmatory news of the previously reported exodus of natives from Waikato, with obvious intention to repair to Hawke's Bay or elsewhere for the purpose of breaking the peace. A Government officer, as we uuderstaud, is on board the Lord Ashley en route to Wellington, to report to the authorities the threatening aspect of affairs. Fortunately, very fortunately, the vanguard has been met and promptly dealt with.

Paruapa, the chief prophet, is among the killed.

The prisoners have freely admitted to the Rev. S. Williams and others, that a scheme for attacking Wairoa aud Napier had been long planned, and would have been consummated but for the prompt action taken by the Government. Letters from Waikato and Taranaki, addressed to Parnapa, are now in possession of the Government, together with other information, all corroborative of what was previously suspected. The day indeed for attacking Napier had been fixed — Rangihiroa to cross from the western side of the harbor, and Parnapa to operate from the south.

Almost simultaneously with the surrender of the- Hau-haus at Omara-nui, Major Fraser and party, on ' the Petane side, encountered those arch rebels Rangihiroa, Anaru Matete, and Paora Toki, with 22 armed men, coming down the valley. The only answer of the Hau-haus to the demand for them to surren-

der was to present their pieces . An engagement ensued, which lasted only a few minutes, but which resulted in 12 of their number, including Rangihiroa, being killed, and one or two wounded. The remaiuder, including Paori Toki and Anaru Matete, managed to escape, but were hotly pursued by Lieut. St. George aud Capt. Carr. There is little room to doubt but that the scenes of the last few hours w*ili have to be repeated iu other places, if not soon again in our own province. A wide-spread plot, having its origiu in the North, and whose ramifications spread wider, further, and deeper than the majority of the public im-. agine, has not been allowed to lay its snares, without our Superintendent whose knowledge of Maori affairs is keener than any man's in New Zealand, having some inkling of its progress. We may thank his forethought and foreknowledge that things have terminated as they have. . Colonel Whitmore has displayed a power of combination aud resource greatly to his honor. Another expedition has started — its destination understood to be Titiokura by way of Petane. The number is about 70, all volunteers aud mouuted. The Government called for volunteers, but the applications equalled the number wanted before the Gazette came out; the only difficulty being, not want of men, but a scarcity of arms and horses. This force will co-operate with Major Fraser's party, and, under command of LieutenantColonel Whitmore, will, it is believed, range the country up to Rangihiroa' s place.