LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10517, 29 November 1912, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE 18G8 ALARM. SIR,—You have had two accounts of the “Alarm” in Rangitikei m 1868. May I ask space for a third? The “alarm” was ou the first Sunday in November, 1868. Just at early dawn that morning'an orderly (Jack Regetand) galloped up to Tutu Totara with an urgent despatch to my father from Colonel Hauitarn, Defence Minister, then in Wanganui, saying that the Government had received warnings, which it was impossible to disregard, that as soon as the rebel uativies crossed the Patea River there would be a general rising of the Wdst Coast natives from Patea to Otaki, and authorising him to take whatever steps he deemed necessary for the protection of the Rangitikei-Manawatu settlers. My father woke me, and after telling me the news, which he did not credit, directed me to go at once to the Porewa Pa, where Utiku Potaka and some of his people were living, and find out if he had heard anything of the threatened rising. I found he knew nothing, and ridiculed the idea, saying it was all humbug. By the time .1 returned to the house my father had written out a general order warning settlers of possible immediate danger 1 , and desiring them to assemble at stated points to throw up redoubts or fortify houses. All our men were sent in different' directions with tiiis order, with instructions for settlers to warn their neighbours, so in a very short time the whole district was alarmed. I was sent down the bank of the Rangitikei to Messrs Thoms. Symond, Cockburn, Hammond, as far as Westoe, whence, after breakfast, with Mr and Mrs Pox I went to Mar ton, and joined the working party, which had begun throwing up a redoubt where St. Stephen’s Church now stands. All the neighbouring settlers were there and working hard with spade and shovel or cutting and carting fern for building up the earth walk Before night it must have been half finished and it was completed, except the block house, within the next two or three days. I remember the incident of the house catching fire and -being burnt to the ground before any of those working at the redoubt could get to it, I think we all dropped our tools and ran towards the fire as soon as the fire was seen. Nothing could be done when we got there as if was a mass of flames. The fire was purely accidental, though, of course, in the excited state of men’s minds at the time it was magnified outside as a beginning of hostilities. On the day following a redoubt was begun at York Farm. H’s site was on the south side of the road, directly behind the large shed and on the edge of the terrace overlooking the Rangitikei river. I worked there for some days, and later at another redoubt which was thrown up at the north corner of the cross roads at Dunsinane. Both have long since been levelled, and their sites furrowed by the plough. Redoubts or block houses were at the same time put up at Bulls, Parewanui, Foxton, etc., hut of these I had no personal knowledge. The militia had been called out for active service about three months previously (compulsory service it was then for all between the ages of 16 and 60, any shirkers were liable to imprisonment), but they were not all armed or equipped.—lam, etc., J. W. MARSHALL. Tutu Totara, November, 27th.