DEFEAT OF OUR FORCES AT OKUTUKU.

Colonist, Issue 1165, 4 December 1868, Page 6

DEFEAT OF OUR FORCES AT OKUTUKU.

MAJOR HUNTER and EIGHT MEN KILLED,

19 WOUNDED, 8 MISSING.

A telegram received from Wellington on the Priuce of Wales' Birthday (Nov. 9), announced the serious fact that our Colonial Forces, under Colonel Whitmore, had again been defeated, on Saturday, Nov. 7, whilst making an attack upon Okutuku, and that Major Hunter was amoug the slain. The news conveyed by the telegram proved correct. Tho following is a summary of Col. Whitmore'a despatch, which gives an account of the attack upon Okutuku. The portions omitted refer to details of no general interest:— Head Quarters, Wairoa, 7th Nov., 1868. Sip,—l have the honor to inform you that the whole available force under my command marched this morning from my bivouac at this place, at 1, 2, and 3 o'clock a.m., with excellent guides, provided by Captain Hawos from the actual residents, ho himself guiding the advanced party. This latter was composed of the Wairoa Rifles, the A. C. natives, and 20 picked natives under the chiief Kemp. Tho Kupapas were ordered to follow the advanced guard, but, whether on account of the light rain falling or not, they did not do so. They, however, promised to come when I caused them to be roused, and I moved off myself with the Patea Rifles, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 A. C, mid the Patoa Yeomanary Cavalry dismounted. No 6 Division A. 0., having been carefully inspected by Captain Roberts, and the wholly untrained and footsore men left behind, marched from Wah-oa, as an Qscortforthereserveammunition,atdaylight. AHthese columns mot by 4 a.m v or thereabouts. It was now day- i

light, but I could neither sea any natives coming, nor had any number of them come lip, though a few were there under young Aperahama. The bulk of the force under my order 3 were Maori Kupapas. I am not able to apeak their language, and am bat indifferently versed in the Maori mode of forming an opinion, so I specially asked Messrs. Parris and Booth to ascertain the disposition of the whole contingent, and they were satisfied that they would fight. Their delay wa3 embarrassing to me, but as Aperahama told me that 100 Kupapas, relying on my carrying out my arrangements, liad gone by the dray road, and would be left in the lurch; and a3 Mr. McDonnell told me that all the party present wished to fight, and that many others would soon overtake me, I decided to push on and take Motaroa, which, from my information, was not likely to be held in force.' If the absent Kupapas did not then appear, I told Kemp I should not enter the forest to Okutuku, but confine myself to what I believed we were then strong enough to accomplish. Apparently up to this point the enemy had not discovered our approach; indeed I have grave suspicions that he was accurately informed of my intentions, and took no trouble to keep any seutrie3 at all. I advanced at length cautiously, and at the entrance to the scrub by the dray track I halted and sent on scouts. At a distance of 600 yards, on a commanding elevation, I left the Wairoa Rifle 3 under Mr. Middlemas. They were ordered to throw up a small redoubt, and fo protect the reserve ammunition, which they did. Having allowed the scouts to proceed some way, I cautiously entered the scrub. I knew the ground from tho description of many of the Wairoa settlers, and I was accompanied by Captain Hawes, whose own property adjoined tho block now occupied by the Hauhaus. I enclo33 a sketch map to illustrate the events of the day, which I hope will supply any imperfections in my description.

Having proceeded about half way through the scrub the snouts with Kemp returned, and reported that they hsi'l seen tho Kainga (I had myself also jusfc seen it) i'liafr ifc was palisaded, tint we had nob boon perceived, ond that wo might endeavor to surprise »ml carry it by a rush without any unreasonable danger. Kemp suggested a plan ar.d undertook the execution of the most important, because the most difficult part. I supplemented ifc by one or two additional pi'ecautioiis, all of which proved of value. Kmnp's plan was to strike into the forest with such of hi* men as ho could get to follow him, on the right bank, eupporied by Europeans, nnd to creep up close to the Kainga to its left rear. I was to advance by tho road the way I was expected, and as soon as I was perceived Kemp's party was to op9ii fire on the place, while I assaulted it. I added tho ordinary precaution of supports and reserves, and on my left flank extended a party to prevent that road being left open to them in case they designed to turn it. I may here say that the Kainga was surrounded by an oblong palisade with one gate (as it proved) only to the rear. The palisades were new and nswly put up, but in no way different I think to ordinary Kainga palings, exocpt that they appeared to be of uniform height. I hear from some that it wa3 rifle pitted, and it. m.iy be so, but T did not perceive this, and the fire came from the mid Uo of the palisade as often as from the level of the ground.

I halted to give Kemp time for one hour, when I heard the dos;s begin to bark furiously, and being afraid that Kemp's party misjht be out off I resolved to advance. I then ordered the advance, and Major ITinter sprang to the front, cheering on his men gallantly soeonded by C;ipt. Gilling of the Patea Rifle Volunteers. The enemy opened a smart fire upon us, but the open space wo traversed without lo.«s, chiefly because the fire was kept clown by the flanking party and supports. When Major Hunter reached the work he found the entrance was in rear and hid his mon round the work, pirtly to clear the way for the fire of Kemp's p>irty, and partly to give his men all the concealment he could. Major Hunter entered the bush in passing the work. He was abreast of the gate at a very short distance, and some of the Hauhaus were already leaving the place, when they were obliged to run back for shelter from our fire. At this moment Kepa, a native of No. 1 Division, ran up to the palisades and looked over them, in doin? so he was shot through the shoulder and left the field, returning to Wairoa with a report that the Kainga had been taken. For a few "minutes it appeared to bo so, but just now a fire was opened on Major Hunter from the bush, and he was himself mortally wounded. The few men actually with him had as much ns they could do to bring him out of the bush, and a very gallant follow, mounted Constable Kelly, was also struck down ; nevertheless though assailed by overpowering odJslvld out, stoutly covering those who were carrying out their officer and their comrade. The natives of the chief Kemp and No. 1 Division Armed Constabulary supported them, and the two wounded men were slowly brought out of the place towards the rear. Tho Hauhau3 became furious nt thus seeing their prey escape them, and fired heavily upon the troops, but they were met by equal determination and a very heavy fire, for almost every man in tho force under my orders was so posted as to be able to fire effectively, and having spare ammunition at the earthwork outside tho bush and pick-horses to bring it. up, there was no occasion to husband our cartridges. The wounded wore being extricated painfully, for the stretchera had not yet come up ; but the fortitude of our men was unshaken, and they returned more than they wero receiving. The natives must have been crowded too, and though as yet wo cannot say what their loss was, I am sanguine that it was severe. Kemp's natives behaved admirably, undismayed by the continual arrival of reinforcements to the enemy, or the fact of our having lost an officer. I was pi'esent myself on this pirt of the field, and visited all tho positions of tho force, and it mnst be satisfactory to th' 3 Government to know how staunch our men were o^en undisr the trying circumstances of having to take out their wounded under so galling a fira without stretchers, and in face of a very superior force. To prevent tho enemy turning our flunk we reformed our right, and gradually showed a front towards the Kainga and towards Okutuku. Now when relief was wanted and stretchers urgently needed, our men were cheered by seeing No. 6, led by Sub-Inspector Roberts arrive on the ground at a double. They camo up in single file, with their distance sufficiently maintained to halt and front the enemy a few yards in front of our position, in skirmishing order,*and they brought up stretchers to curry off the wounded. Sub-Inspector Roberts had very judiciously left one. section behind to reinforce No. 2, and Captain Gumming moved up this force to occupy the loft of the dray road, close to tho open ground. Thus the fire upon the front of the ranges was still maintained, and nt the immediate front our force was strengthened. After giving time for the removal of tho wounded, I withdrew No. 1 by tho bush track, unseen by the enemp, and re-formed it in support of No. 2. In the same manner tho storming party withdraw to the rear of No. 1. Lastly, No. 6, with a constancy and firmness beyond all praise, when their recent organ'sation and previous exertions are remembered, retired, fighting slowly but steadily till covered by the other troops. Kemp drew off his natives in the same way, and about the same time, but he diverged to the proper left so as to lean npon Captain Cumroing, and Sub-Inspector M'Donnel), whom he then joined, and, ultimately, was with the last that left the scrub.

Tho force having at length been safely withdrawn, I enquired from all the officers I could see if their men wore all present, and was informed that they were sure all the dead and wounded were brought off. I made similar enquiries of the men, and one told me he thought some men—one at least—had been left. Accordingly I sent back twico and returned myself, but as nobody was discovered and as the men seemed confident that all their comrades had been brought off, I felt no longer any hesitation in retiring under cover of the redoubt. Tho circumstance that some mon had not been brought off has Bince become known to us, yet I cannot satisfactorily ascertain where these men fell. The officers could not tell except from what they saw or their men told them, because nobody exactly knew who had carried off the wounded or who the wounded were—some had walked out, others had been assisted out of the scrub. But it has been a bitter disappointment to the m^n who suffered the greater part of their loss in extricating the wounded, and who Toluntarily on many occasions returned towards the enemy on the report, unfounded, that men were left behind. All the time of the retreat the men were extended, and each man

took cover and laid down. The enemy pressed vi very hard, dashing in with tomahawks "whenever men fell, but recoiling always from the determined front shewn him, and the terrible rapidity with which the breach-loaders enabled our men to fire. On these occasions, which were many along our whole front, the men stood up and fired volley after volley, such as I never before heard in bush fighting. Tlieir resolution may be judged from the fact that the enemy had onco seized a man and were tomahawking when the men rushed back and rescued him. He is savagely wounded, but ha 9 not; one gunshot wound about him. The Hauhaus tried to run in upon our men to do this sort of thing several times, but in no instance but this succeeded. >

In carrying off the wounded the officers set a bright example to the men. I sew Captain Newland himself, with one or two men, carry poor Major Hunter and Constable Kelly from the spot where they fell, and where, but for their prompt action, in another moment they would have been tomahawked. The officors never passed to the raur fu> ther than ia carrying tho wounded —they held the post of danger. If I can say that the tr.en behaved excellently, maintained their discip.inc, and were from first to last determined to do their duty, I must do the officers the justice to say that their exertions were conspicuous even among brave men. It is not necessary for mo to say more on thi3 subject, for you will easily understand that where all did their duty id their several stations, I do not wish to draw distinctions of this kind. Of the 80 Kupapas, only 50, with the chief Kemp, whose gallantry, whose coolness, and whose determination to hold if possible the post of honor was evident throughout the day, behaved like men. These 50 were not his own peculiar hapu—they were a medley of ali hap us compos* ing the Kupnpas. If Kemp had had even 100 more nativQ3, the kainga not only must have been, but it is possible I might after that success have carried Okutuku.

Having drawn off ray men, and begun an orderly retreat by alternate divisions, one of their own chiefs suggested to me that as there were Maoris at the redoubt and further buck, it would be desirable that they should relieve my men, I rousented to this, and he went to the redoubt and addressed his people. Unluckily a long shot mortally wounded him while he was speaking ; when Kemp, who was on the parapet, called Puckoy, one of liis men, and they bore their countryman from the field, and the Europeans', as in other instances, carried him for them when they were exhausted. Kemp's behaviour throughout wag beyond all praise—he uniformly supported me, and made his people carry out my orders to.the best of his ability; and had he known that one European was missing, would hare gone back at the last moment to fetch him, or (us it seemed to me) to die. When we passed the redoubt a few Hauhaus came out and occupied it, but I had already extended a party to reply to their fire on the next hill, and, as we marched, dropped companies on each low range to cover the retreat of the rear guard, so,, though there wa3 some noise, there was no harm done on our side till we reached Wairoa. Ac about a . niile off a hundred Hauhaus, perhaps, scattered along the brow, and fired loug shots, which could not reach, probably out of bravado. When this had gone on for a short time I had one of the gun 3 run out, and fired a few shells among them, which presently dispersed them. When wo first got up !o the palisado we all heard crying iuside, and as it appeared to me to give no protection to its defenders except concealment, and a3 200 rifles were fired into it from two sides, at easy range for an hour, and it wus full of men, I am sure there must have been many casualties inside. Kepa who looked inside, and was shot in doing so (lie is doing well lam glad to say), saw four dead men lying together in a lnap, partly covered with a mat, and this was within five minutes of the beginning. Casualty Eeturn of killed, wounded, and missing, in the action of the 7th November, 1863,, at Okutuku :— Killed. Wounded Mis3ing. Officers ... ... 1 0 0 Non-Commissioned Officers and Man 8 19 8 Total ... 38 9 19 8 G-. S. WniTMORB, Colonel Commanding Patea Field Force.