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Taranaki Herald, Volume IX, Issue 459, 18 May 1861, Page 3

A Letter from Brigade Major Paul expresses some annoyance that his nameshoul dhave appeared as it did in the Herald of last Saturday in an article recapitulating some facts relating to the attack on Puketakauere in June last. It was far from the writer's intention to make any charge against that officer, whose courtesy and kindness many of us have to acknowledge, and whose activity in connection with the unfortunate affair, in question, might have changed the face of the day had it been suffered to prevail. Tn saying that Major Paul made no secret of the intention to attack, all that was meant was that he admitted the truth of the obvious conclusion of those at the Bell Blockhouse with whom he conversed. Secresy is the-duty of a staff officer, but it is not the duty of any English soldier to tell untruth, and it would have been difficult, with honesty, to conceal the movement in question. No one at the time resident in town has ever stated that he heard of the intended attack from the Brigade Major ; but it would have been little credit to the piquets had his movements the night before been unnoticed, and from them was derived the universal belief on the following day that the engagement was going on. The article it may be observed was not intended to go ariy further into the matter than was enough to show that Colonel Gold must have been consenting to the movement.