THE ATTACK ON NGUTU-O-TE- MANU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9919, 7 September 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE ATTACK ON NGUTU-O-TE-MANU.

VERSION BY ANOTHER EYEWITNESS.

Mr. James Siianaguan, Wellington, give? the following interesting account of the unsuccessful attack on Ngubu-o-to-Manu :— I have read with great interest the account of the doings of No. 5 division recounted by "An Eye-witness" in the New Zealand Herald supplements of the 3rd and 17th of August, under the title of "Old Stories Retold," and as I was also present at Turo-turo-Mokai and at both attacks on To Ngutu-o-te-Manu, I must certainly compliment " An Eye-witness" on the excellent and very readable description he has given of those fights. As these events are fast becoming matters of history, it is well thab they should go forth as reliable as possible. lb is evidenb " An Eye-witness" did nob witness the terrible tragedy ab To Ngutu— No. 2—when our brave and generous major (Von Tompsky) was shot down, and his body left bo his dusky enemies to gloat over. Ho says he left with our sergeantmajor, therefore he was nob present, and I am sorry he was not ; for had our men remained together we would never have loft our major's body nor a wounded man behind us. He says :—" What Major Tempsky was waiting for, none of us knew ; bub imagined he was waiting for orders." He forgets how disgusted the major was at nob being allowed to charge the pa ; also at the " cease firing" being sounded before the men became demoralised. It was inaction, where least expecbed, and nob the loss of the officers that caused the panic, because the officers were all killed aftor " An Eyewitness" left. The writer is the last man alive that spoke to the major, and the major's last words were, " If I geb oub of this scraps £ will wash my hands clear of the force ; I am disgusted with ib. Look ab the poo:* fellows being shot down, and we doing nothing here—you go over and keep a sharp lookout for yourself, for the firing is coming on us from all sides." I went to the place indicated by the major, which was doss lib where Lieutenant Hunter was posted with a few men. Ab this time the firing was very heavy, and men were falling fast. I had scarcely reached my post when Gilligatf was shot, and fell in the bush close to where the major stood. Poor " Von" went to his assistance, and was shot in the forehead, and fell dead on the top of Gilligan. I raised the cry, " The major is hit !" and ran* in to his assistance, accompanied by a Frenchman named Jausey. We turned the major on his back and saw thab he was dead ; and just then Jausey was shot in the breast, ho burned, and was hit a second time, the shot, bibbing the magazine box

and knocking him down. I went to his assistance, bub he soon recovered, and was able to walk. Just then Lieutenant Hunter came running across the fatal clearing, and was shot dead. He was going to Von Tempsky's assistance. I attempted to draw his body under cover, when ib became entangled in some roots. I gave an extra hard pull and fell, bringing the dead man partly over me. Just then several men came to my assistance, and took Hunter's body away. • Seeing one of our men, named Harry Smith, there, I tapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Come along, let us bring the major out." He declined, saying ib was too hob. I replied, "We might as well go voluntarily as be sent." I then asked, " Will any of you come in for the major?" Captain Buck came to me and said, " Do you know where the major's body is?" I answered, "Yes." " Then," he said, "lead on, I will go with yon." We soon reached tho body, and Buck said, "God keep you, Von Tempsky, I never thought it would come to this." Ab this time the bullets were flying like hail, and Captain Buck said, "We musb hurry oub of this." i replied, " You take his legs, I will take his body." We stooped to lift him, when I was shob in the lefb hand. I then wenb bo sling my carbine on the left shoulder when I received a second shot, which literally blew my right hand bo pieces. Poor Buck then turned to me and saw that I was shot, when another volley came in, killing him and knocking my cap off my head. Only the regulation tilt of the cap saved my head. I stood there helpless. Poor Buck never moved after he fell. - I looked round for assistance, and saw three men, one of ours and two of Buck's. I beckoned them to come to me, but they turned and walked away. As the Maoris kept up an incessant fire on me, I thought it well to get away. When I got back a shorb distance, I met Captain Roberts; he sympathised with me in my misfortune, saying I had gob more than my share. He thought it a mad act for me to go in as I did, bub he did not like to check me. Ho asked if the major was dead. I said, " He was ; thab he wad shob jusb over bhe righb eye, and I believed he never felb the hit," He then said, "Thank God he is dead, for it would be a terrible thing to have to leave him alive." I then replied that half a dozen men could easily get his body. He said, " No, ib is impossible to geb ib, we are deserted ; you had better try and overtake the doctor, or you will bleed to death." While he was talking to me he tied a long woollen scarf around my neck and pub my hands in it. We were then joined by Captain McDonnell and Const. Birmingham, of No. 5, who volunteered to take me to the doctor. We then left, and passed poor Hastings and Russell and many more. We had to run the gauntlet of the Maoris when they lefb the pa, bub overtook the main body, where I reported the disaster to Colonel McDonnell and Major Hunter. We had warm work immediately, as the natives poured out on us in good style, and often charged right up to us. The colonel took me under his especial care until I got over the river. Then I made my way with one man to camp, as I felt I was nearly played out. Colonel McDonnell afterwards told me that he had instructed Lieutenant Hunter to tell Von Tempsky to take the rear guard and follow, and the first intimation he had thab Major Von Tempsky was nob following him was when I arrived, wounded, as stated above. I am positive thab Hunter never delivered the colonel's message to Major Von Tempsky. I have always refrained from speaking on this matter, and this is the first time I have written, for it is a sad, sad story, a tale of a terrible blunder on somebody's part, by which many brave men were sacrificed. To a sensitive spirit it is most repugnant to have to write in so personal a way.