AN OLD SOLDER'S CAREER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 15 July 1907, Page 2

AN OLD SOLDER'S CAREER.

THE LATJJ MR JOSEPH SWAN. One of the oldest and must interesting of our interesting old soldiers was [Mr .h-i'cpli Swan, of Egmont Village, wlio passed to his rest on Sunday, 7th J duly, lit his home. One of the old school. open-hearted, contented, and ever ready to tell of the trouble and trials anil adventures of an active career, the Lanca.-liire mill-hand, soldier, fighter and pioneer colonist was well-known and popular amongst old and young. As intimated in the foregoing sentence, he was hom in Lancashire. Iu 183'.), at the a#! of eight years, he was sent to work in a cotton mill. At the age of manhood lie was driven by hard times and hunger ,to enlist, and he took the "Queen's shilling" in 1841, joining the l)!)th regiment. Very soon orders came, to embark on the ship Waterloo to mount guard over a hatch of convicts. However, his lucky star was in the ascendant, ami Private Swan was, just oiv the eve of the ship's depature, engaged by an officer as servant, remaining in England. That was the last voyage of thu "Waterloo," the vessel being wrecked at the Cape of flood Hope, with great loss of life among the convicts, soldiers and crew. The next year he embarked on a like errand on the "Duke of Northumberland," bound for Sydney, with a " shipload of convicts for the penal settle--1 incut. For a year or more he was sta- £ tinned there with a portion of his regin ment, and then, when the Maoris threat - r ened the burning of Kororekeka, the

99th were sent to the Bay of Islands

post haste. The regiment was engaged in Hone Hoke's war. Swan was with the forces in the' attack on Hone ileke's pah at Ohaewai. The British were repulsed with great loss, 101 being killed and wounded out of some 400 engaged.

He related bow it had been decided to retreat, spiking the guns, and leaving the tents and equipment behind) but the I counsels of two privates altered tlie plans. It was here that a soldier named Eaton was tortured and killed by the natives in the pah, his cries and entreaties to be shot being plainly heard

by his comrades in camp. He had been caught in the potato whare in front of the pah. As showing the fortunes of war, Mr Swan was wont to tell that his two tent mates were both wounded in the Ohaewai fight, whilst he remained unbanned. He bad a narrow escape at the capture of Ruapeknpeka , a bullet penetrating his great-coat, and grazing' his ribs. Before marching to Ruapekapeka the troops were given three days', rations. Amongst others tlie subject of this narrative demolished his rations on the first day, and on the third day was gliul to satisfy his cravings of hunger with fern-root from the friendly natives. This incident recalls the fact that the troops before Ohaewai were wretchedly clothed and fed, the soldiers often eating their meat raw as soon as it was served out. Mr Swan was one of the surprise party who captured the notorious chief To Ruaparaha, who was suspected, under the clonk of allegiance, to have connived Maori ambushes and surprises of Europeans. Whilst being carried to the bout which awaited the prisoner Ruaparalui bit a sailor in fho thigh, and for this he was nearly kicked to death and Hung like a log into Hie bottom of the boat. Mr Swan returned to Australia and spent some time in charge of convict gangs near Sydney and Hobart, the convicts at this time being in chain gangs, the worst offenders carrying 281b leg-irons, lie was stationed at Eagle Hawk Neck, in Tasmania, for some time. Here was kept a line of dog sentries to prevent the convicts escaping to the mainland. The "neck" was covered by the sea at high tide, and there were sentry boxes in the water on each side.- The dogs patrolled at low water when the 75j'ds strip of land was bare. Escapees found with arms in their possession or with faces i blackened (to pass as natives) were jm- . modiately hung. Ultimately he exchanged into the 05th, when his regiment . was ordered Home, and he went through . the Taranaki Maori war. At Pungare- , lm he was commended by Major CumI mlngs for bis bravery in taking charge of the rearguard ill the retreat. He was also at Te Ngutu o te Manu, where Von Tempsky was shot. The last time this gallant officer was seen by Mr Swan he was hncking with bis sword a passage I for the wounded. He related that the I soldiers were two hours iu carrying the wounded across the Waingongoro river I in Hie dark after the fight, the officers holding lighted matches to guide them | clear of deep water. Swan was also at : Whiteclifl'ai to recover the bodies of Whiteley and others, and at the lmrn- [ ing of Coleman's mill at Warea, and the; ' destruction of the Maoris' wheat. Aii exciting story he told of tile light at the ' Rangiriri pah, another of his engagements.. The troops, under General Cameron. twice stormed the pall, and were twice repulsed. Then a vessel coming up the river created a diversion, and the attacking party was enabled to enter this extremely well fortified stronghold. Mr Swan told me not long before his death that no man living, black or white, in New Zealand had seen more service in the colony, he having been at all the battles iii the forties and the sixties. He commenced Ills service under Colonel Despard, and a so served under Colonel .lacksoil, and old l'eninsular War oflicer, who joined iu 1808. Mr Swan completed his service in 18G4, after 22 years and nine months' soldiering. He was allowed to resign on reduced pension, as he had enlisted for indefinite service. He then went to the South Island, where he worked on the diggings. Going to Hokitika he was wrecked on the Nelson bouland spent two days and two nights without water before his rescue by the police boat. About 1872 he took up his "soldier's grant" on the upper Egmonfc road, afterwards moving lower down to the Village, where he lived the balance of his life, a sturdy and respecteil fanner. He was the first inhabitant of Egmont Village. Many a time have i listened intently to the old man's tales of f lie stirring days that aye gone,—Contributed,