CAPTURE OF KAITAKE, AHUAHU, AND TE TUTU.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XII, Issue 610, 9 April 1864, Page 2

CAPTURE OF KAITAKE, AHUAHU, AND TE TUTU.

DESTRUCTION OF CROPS, &c. From the ' Taranaki Herald,' March 28. This week has been marked by great activity in military matters here, and the results have been most satisfactory and encouraging — Ahuahu, T*e Tutu, and another village, all south of Kaitake, .have been taken and burnt, some horses and cattle brought in, and a great deal of growing maize, aud other crops, destroyed — but the main thing has been the capture of Kaitake, a stronghold we have all looked ' at aud talked about for the last ten months. On Monday a force consisting of Captain Russell's and Captain Schomberg's companies of the 57th Regt. and the two companies of Bushrangers under Captains Atkinson and Good, were moved down to Oakura, where they camped for the night. During the day a pretty constant fire had been kept up from the Armstrong guns upon the different positions at Kaitake, with the object mainly of drawing up the natives from the pas to the southward so as to leave these comparatively undefended. Accordingly, at 330 on Tuesday morning Colonel Warre started from Oakura with 200 men (Capt. Lloyd's company 57th and the bushrangers) and two guns, for Te Tutu, a pa just beyond the farther inland corner of the Tataraimaka block. This pa was awkwardly situated in the midst of the bush and looked very formidable at a distance, but when reached was found to be a mere sham, as there were no trenches or earthworks of any kind in it, and it was no doubt only intended as a sort of scarecrow. The natives had evidently not been there for some days. The palisading and five or six whares were burnt, and the force was about .to retire when a good-sized clearing was discovered a little further on. through the bush which gave an hour or two's employment to the men in destroying the maize (about six acres), potatoes, kumeras, taros, tobacco plants, and other crops. It is probable that part of this cultivation belonged to Hoani Wharekawa (commonly called Johnny), as a Maori testament was found in one of the whares with his wife's name in it. In the same kit -with the testament was a part of a proclamation of Sir George Grey's .about the murders of the 4th of May, cut to the size of a cartridge. It will be remembered that Hoani was the man who welcomed his Excellency so enthusiastically when he went to take possession of Tataraimaka. The force came back by way of the

old redoubt on Bayly's farm. At the grave I of the Maoris -killed on the 4th June, the Whanganuis had left an inscription on a board to say that they had seen it. In the meantime the mounted men had found and driven in six fine working bullocks belonging to Te Meiha (Big Jack), the man who (as we have just heard from Mataitawa and Whangamii) killed Mr. Patterson. On Wednesday morning, Captain Russell, with 30 of the 57th and a party of Victorians and several carts, went down to bring away the remains of the Tataraimaka chapel, which, as was discovered yesterday, the natives had chopped down ami pulled to pieces with the intention of carrying it away — indeed some of the boards had already been carried close up to Te Tutu. No obstruction was met with, though some natives were seen putting up the fence across the road which had been taken down the clay before, but they quickly disappeared. Iv addition to the timber, six horses were brought in, so belonging to tb'e Haurauga natives (Big Jack, Hopa, &c). At an early hour on Thursday, two companies of the 57th, under Capt. Russell, and Capt. Schomberg, and Capti Page's company of Victorians, tho whole commanded by Major Butler, moved down 'to attack Ahuahu, a small pa but strong from its position, being on a steep spur of the range, with open land in front and bush behind. Fortunately most of the garrison were away at Kaitake, and the place was carried by assault. .The only loss on our side, two men of the 57th wounded, occurred in pulling down the palisade to get in. One or two valuable taiahas were found here. There was a large quantity of maizeand other crops growing which were destroyed, and the force retired again to Oakura.

Information having been received that the Ngatiruanui were shortly expected at Kaitake, Colonel Warre wisely determined to attack that place before they could arrive. The attack was to he on three sides at once. Major Butler, with three companies of the 57th, (Capt. ' Russell's, Capt. Lloyd's, and Capt. Sohornberg's,) Capt. .Wright's company of the 70th, and part of Capt. McKellar's from the Omata Stockade, were to advance in front with the guns. Capt. Corbett was to take his company (No. 5, Otago) up a spur on the left, and Capt. Atkinson, with 170 men, (his own and Capt. Good's companies of Bushrangers, and 50 Volunteers and No. 1 Militia, under Lieut Hirst,) was to go right round through the busli and come down the spur at the back. The attack succeeded so^ excellently that it seems almost a pity the efficacy of the plan was not a little more severely tried, when its excellence would have been more apparent, but as soon as it was put in execution the natives saw at once that, they were" beaten, and acted accordingly. The Armstrong <*uns, under Captain Martin, R.A, opened fire between 7 and 8 o'clock, and kept it up for about three hours, and the way in which these guns were served deserves the highest praise. Iv the earlier part of the week they had made some beautiful shots at over 3000 yards, and yesterday the precision of their fire was shewn by the state of the pas and whares. Colonel Warre had arranged that the different parties should move to the attack at 10 a.m., but Capt. Atkinson's party was 15 minutes late by having to take a much longer round than was expected, indeed they went within a few chains of the top of Patuha, the highest peak in the range, and as there was no line a great part of the way, the land hilly, and the supplejacks thick, a little delay is easily understood. Just before the latter party emerged they fell in with and killed a native who was either a sentry or trying to escape that way. Immediately, after they heard a cheer in the clearing below, and rushing out they found that Captain Corbett had taken the pa. It seems that Colonel Warre .after waiting beyond the appointed time? had told the men in front to give a good cheer with the intention of drawing the natives down and giving the upper parties a better chance of getting out, but Captain Corbett understood it to mean that the troops in front were advancing to the charge, and he therefore thought it his duty to charge too, and his men gallantly following a good example soon had possession of the pa, the natives retiring precipitately into the bush above, where they kept up a sharp fire (wounding one man) till they heard the shot behind them when they retreated across the deep wooded gulley in which the Wairau runs. After crossing this they collected again on the edge of the bush at the back of a little plantation of maize on the top of - the other (side close by the t6p of the hill where Captain Schomberg's company of the 57th and Captain Page's Victorians were stationed, and opened a sharp fire on them which was well returned, and they soon retired, but not before they had wounded one man and shot an orderly's horse. We should have said that Lieut. Kelly, with the left subdivision of No. 5, entered the second pa while the maories were still close outside, and it was here that Sergt. Appleby was wounded. Two mounted orderlies (G. Tatton and W. Brooking) captured the only prisoner taken. He had fired at one of them and had then hidden in the fern. They gave chase on foot and found him, and one of them fired five shots at him with his revolver, one ball wouuding him slightly, the others going through the different parts of his dress. He fell apparently dead, but as they approached to examine him he fired again at Tatton, who therefore knocked him down with his revolver. It is very much to the credit of these men that they did not kill him outright after he fired this second shot. He proved to be Ihau of Mokotunu, and is an enemy of old standing, as he was wounded in the former war. The man shot by the Bushrangers was Te

Kati, of Oakura, the largest claimant of land in that district. At Kaitake itself as at Te Tutu and Ahuahu there were large quantities of maize, tobacco, and other crops, and a great many firstrate potatoes in store, which will serve our garrison now established there. A redoubt is to be built there, but in the meantime one of the pas has been strengthened and occupied, and Captain Russell now holds Kaitake with his company of the 57th anil Captain Carthew's company of Otago Volunteers. The conduct of the men of the various forces engaged was all that could be desired, and great credit is due to Colonel Warre for a masterlyplan well executed, by which this formidable position has fallen into our hands. It would not be fair to conclude without saying a word on behalf of two natives, Ropata Ngarongomate (Bob) and Kornene, who" acted as guides to Captain Atkinson's party. The Government before this have given their money freely for native purposes much less obviously useful than this, and should not be stingy with it now. We hope our fellow settlers will not presume too much on the capture of Kaitake in going about the country carelessly, because ManMahi and Mataitawa have not yet fallen, though we have no duubt they will soon follow. Even after that there would be some time left for a little cattle huntiug about the Kaihihi and Warea. The following are our casualties at Ahu- ! ahu and Kaitake — WOUNDED. 67th Resft.— Privates B'shrp, M rrissy, nnd Neary. Taranaki Militia— Captain Corbetta Company— Sergeant Appleby, I ♦