THE FOREST RANGERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 131, 14 April 1864, Page 3

THE FOREST RANGERS.

Fuom the very first introduction of this description of corps', wliicli, if we recollect rightly, was commenced at Taranaki tinder the somewhat ambiguous designation of " Bush Hangers, we were always of opinion that such a force would be most useful as the troops moved further up the country, and met the enemy on his own ground, and in his own bush haunts. That this lias been the case we have had several opportunities of knowing. The two companies of Forest, Hangers under Capts. Jackson and Von Tempsky, both of which officers have most deservedly been raised to the rank of Major for their skill and daring, have not onlv approved themselves in the peculiar bush warfare for which they were specially raised, but. in the heavy and more serious engagement at Orakau their gallantry and endurance was consjfleuous. Captain .Jackson s coinpauv. the men of which seem to have been in the thickest of the light, and took an active part in pushing on the sap, and who were the first in the enemy's trench, and were the first to lead the pursuit, lost two men out of only twenty-five, and had four wounded; —one had his breast cut with a tomahawk, another his temple grazed with a ball, another his shoulder, and a fourth his cheek cut. We have received a letter from Ngaruawahia. where the accusation made against the British soldiery by the jS'nr Z'-nhnfh-r had arrived, and caused a great amount of indignation. '1 in* following is the accusation alluded to, tlie italics are the ~Xi.iv Zealander's : " IVomn —mmuj women—slaughtered, and many children slain, are amongst the trophies ot Orakau, anil • civilization' in pursuit, or as it returned Iroiu the chase, <unused it.self btj shootififf the icotoirlcrl 1 l»irbttria/is us they lay upon the ground where they had fallen." —1)1 this letter we have been given an auncodote of an incident which occurred during the engagement at Orakau, and which tells very

differently for the honor and bravery of the soldier. Capt. Jackson of tlie Forest Hangers who was in hot pursuit,was seen to press hard upon ii native carrying another in his arms, when the gallant .ranger tame close upon his enemy lie discovered that the object he was carrying was a wounded or rather dying woman, and though he could easih r , it is said, have shot the man down wiih his pistol neither he nor his jnen thought of doing so. They called to the Maori to stand, but he refused. Ultimately lie dropped the woman then dead, aud fled for his life but was shot down by some others of the pursuers. This certainly as our correspondent observes, does not look like the cruelty with which the soldiers and men engaged at Ontknu were charged by tlievVc«' Zca/amlrr, a charge as infamous as it is cowardly and false. In noticing tlie gallant conduct of the T?angers, we must not in any way be supposed to ignore the services of the other local forces, the men and otlicers of which also distinguishd themselves. but we have heard, and from men who have smelt powder on many a field, that these men fought, at O rale an fearlessly and careless of danger,that nothing could restrain them, nothing stand against their impetuosity, that they siood out remarkable among the rest, as the bravest among the brave. Why. we ask. should this be s' The answer is easy, esprit dv carps, their rough and rend}'character, their freedom from restraint and pipeclay discipline, will ever render men more effective in irregular bush warfare. We quite agree with a Southern coteniporarv whom we quoted yesterday, that our taeties require a little more dash, and we should like toseeanother corps or two of Forest Eangers in the field.