OTAPAWA MEMORIAL

Patea Mail, Volume XLVIII, 15 January 1926, Page 3

OTAPAWA MEMORIAL

UNVEILING CEREMONY.

The old Waihi military cemetery, on a knoll overlooking the Ohawe Beach, was the scene of a memorable ceremony on Wednesday, when a cairn erected by the late Mr. James Livingstone to the memory of the soldiers who fell in the Otapawa engagement, exactly sixty years ago, and other battles in South Taranaki, was unveiled by the lion. R. F. Bollard (Minister for Internal Affairs).

A feeling of deep reverence for the memory of those who fought to retain the rich heritage they passed on, pervaded the large crowd (says the “ News”), Which included a large number of veterans of the Mabri Wars, including Mr. J, G. Beamish, of Patea, the sole survivor of the historic Turu-turu-Mokai, and Sergt.-Major Bezar, late 57th Regiment, who was present at the Otapawa engagement.

STIRRING DAYS RECALLED,

FIGHTING AROUND PATEA.

Writing of the struggles in .the early days, the 1 * News” says:— The valiant soldiers commemorated by the cairn 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, tolling, 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 Oamcron took command of all the New Zealand forces, he decided to subdue the rebels on this coast, and while Colonel Warre worked down the coast from New Plymouth to Opunake, the general landed at Patca.and commenced to push northward to meet Colonel Warre.. At Kakararaea General Cameron first mot 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 northward to Hawcra, 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 Hawora. During that yeaer 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 who were required to bear arms if necessary.

A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN. Major-General Chute succeeded General Cameron, and during 1865 he 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 Eiver, 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 slight 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 the famous meeting house at Taiporahenui, advanced on the Otapawa stronghold <m January 13, sixty years ago on Wednesday.

Three hundred natives were strongly entrenched, and they waited patiently until Chute's men were at close range. Then a destructive volley of rifle lire struck the attackers, the chief sufferers being the 57th Regiment. Momentarily staggered by the sudden hail of lead from the entrenchments, the storming party rallied and then made their memorable charge which gave them possession of the stronghold, while yon Tempsky made a detour and cut off the retreat of a number of the enemy. Chute's men sustained over thirty casualties, including 11 dead, while, the Maoris also suffered about a similar number of 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. THRILLING ENGAGEMENTS, After this serious defeat scattered parties of Maoris gathered at Ketemarae, Wawhitiwhiti, and Ahaipaipai, 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 pah at Tiritirimoana and the strong fortress at Ahaipaipai, near Okaiawa, where five natives were killed.

During the absence of General Chute Colonel McDonnell also operated successfully from the Waihi Camp. In October, 1866, he made a night attack on a rebel encampment near Okaiawa, where Farrier-Major Duff was killed, and Ensign Northeroft distinguished himself by rescuing Duff's remains from mutilation by the natives.

In the following month Colonel McDonnell led hia party from Ketemarao to Mangamingi to disperse a gathering of natives at Tiritirimoana, and it was on the brow of the hill overlooking tho Mangamingi Gorge that a Greek, Private Ikonomcdos, was shot dead from an ambush, while ho was acting as guide to McDonnell’s party. In July, 1867, tho last detachment of the Imperial forces left the country, and another serious phase of the wax commenced, for tho Maoris wore far from subdued. The armed constabulary was formed in 1868, and Major von Tcmpsky took command Of the local forces at Patea.

TOMAHAWKED BY MAORIS.

The next outbreak near Hawera was announced by a mounted messenger who galloped into tho blockhouse with the information that a pit-sawing party had boon tomahawked by the Maoris on chc edgo of the bush, and Sergeant Cahill and Privates Squires and Clarke were dead. Tho dead were buried in the Waihi Cemetery, and two days later another funeral was held at. the same place, for Trooper Thomas Smith was shot dead while mounting his horse near the blockhouse.

These ominous signs of another outburst resulted in troops being hurried to Hawera. Major von Tempsky, who had been sent to Auckland, hurriedly returned, Captain Howland shipped with a detachment at New Plymouth for Patea, while mounted troops harried overland from New Plymouth, and Captain Ross reconstructed and re-gar-risoned the old fort at Turu-turu-mokai. All the settlers in tho surrounding districts were ordered to the shelter of the blockhouses.

HEARTS TORN OUT. The storm burst in the early dawn of July 12, when the Waihi • blockhouse was aroused by the crash of musketry northward in the vicinity of Tnru-turu-.aokai. Presently messengers rushed .nto the blockhouse with the news that Japtain Ross' fort had been surrounded by Hauhaus and the bulk of the garrison exterminated. A band of 300 Maoris led by Titoko- . .varu had crept up the banks of the JL'awhiti Stream and surrounded the fort with its little garrison of 25 men. The outside sentry, Lacy, seeing a native crawling along tho ground, challenged and fired. Immediately the hillsides rang with an answering volley from the 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 his hut, was shot dead, and his heart, too, was cut out by tho 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 Blake, and Private Shield, while endeavouring to hold an angle in the redoubt, were killed, and a few others, with some settlers who were visiting the fort, escaped oyer the parapet and fled to the Hawera blockhouse. Constables Ross, Swords, and Gaynor, were killed as they emerged from their hut. lour men, Constables Lacy and J. Beamish, Messrs. Johnston, and Milmoe, succeeded in holding up the natives until the relief party from Waihi rushed to the rescue, and the Hauhaus decamped.

ACTION AT EUA EURU. The withdrawal of the Imperial troops greatly strengthened the courage of the rebels, amongst whom Titokowaru had now risen to the position of undisputed leadership. He concentrated his followers at the pah at Rua Rurn, and in August Colonel McDonnell left Waihi with 200 men to reduce this stronghold. The Maoris were taken by surprise and were utterly routed, leaving behind nine dead, a number of wounded, besides a quantity of ammunition and guns. Four pakehas, Privates Wallace, Mcl£oy, Kerr and Garey, wore killed and ten were wounded. While retiring from the scene tho Garey brothers were shot by natives in ambush.

FIGHT AT TE NGUTU O TE MANU.

The following month saw one of the most disastrous battles of the South Taranaki campaign, the fight at Te Ngutu o te Manu, and the still more disastrous retreat from that position. On September 7 Colonel McDonnell sot out from Waihi with 350 mon to finally crush Titokomaru. Of tho attack and the retreat the tale is never clearly told, or it is told in divers ways, but the most eloquent evidence was the casualty list of 19 killed and about 30 wounded.

The killed included the gallant von Tempsky, Captains Buck and Palmer, Lieutenants Hastings and Hunter. This serious reverse completely disorganised the Forest Bangers, and the outlook for settlers on the coast was extremely gloomy.

For the time being Titokowaru took the initiative, and commenced to march to Wanganui, slaughtering several settlers on the way. In the meantime Colonel G. Whitmore succeeded Colonel McDonnell, and with a force of 350 men he set out from Wanganui to meet the advance of Titokowaru. Ho met the Maoris in very strong force at Okutuku, near Moumahaki, and suffered a severe repulse, the killed including Major William Hunter. COLONEL WHITMOEE GOES TO EAST COAST. 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 To Kooti on the other coast,

; Whitmore hurried back to Wanganui, ' collected every available man, and marched out against TUokowaru. The Hauhaus’ position at Nukuraaru was cleared and the troops then bridged tho Waitotara River and pursued tho Maoris, successfully routing them at their strongholds at Otautu, on the Patea, and at Whakamara. At Taiporohenui tho Maoris vanished as if by magic from the avenging force, retreating across the Ngaero Swamp and away by a secret track to Ngathuaru, on the Waitara River, and tho wars, so far as South Taranaki was concerned, virtually ended.