To the Editor of the taranaki herald.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 665, 29 April 1865, Page 3

To the Editor of the taranaki herald.

»•- Stoney River, April 25, 1865. *Siß*, — I send you these few lines relative to the melancholy occurrence of yesterday, I being an eye-witness to the same.

On April 22nd, about 2 p.m. four orderlies — Reynolds, Clements, Hawke, ;aftd^Badderly — were ordered by the Major in command to cross the Stoney River and Inure some Commissariat cattle that had strayed. We crossed it and after proceeding as far as Mokotuna, came across six mon of the 43rd Regt. ; went up inland to the bush, but not finding the cattle returned to the beach and proceeded as far as Werenui River, where seeing two horses inland, rode after them accompanied by the six men of the 43rd, one being mounted on a horse the property of the storekeeper at Te Ngana ; the other five boing on foot. Private Hawke, T.C.V., then saw some cattle about 1$ miles from the beach — all followed, and Hawke succeeded in catching a calf, a rope was then tied to the calf and was being taken down to the beach when it got into a swamp and. could not be got out again. Two cows that had been following them made for the beaoh, and Privates Hawke, Reynolds, Clements, and the 43rd man that was monnted (named Jury) followed after thorn to ti?y aud tarn them, leaving Private Badderly, who had dismounted, with the rest of the men to pull tho calf out of the swamp. As the four men were chasing tho cattle they saw two Maoris on horseback riding towards them, and waving their hats at the same time. Reynolds and Hawke rode towards them, when quite close one of the Maoris halted and fired a double-bar-relled gan at them, bafc missed them. They then saw twenty or twenty-five Maoris all mounted, coming towards them ; they then retired back to where the other men were engaged with the calf, who by this time had seen tho Maoris. Private Badderly then mounted his horse taking Sergeant Shae of the 43rd up behind him. By this time tho Maoris were right amongst them. I may as well state that although there were ten Europeans in all, there were only three revolvers amongst the lot j the 43rd man not being armed. Every*body turned and fled to the swamp with the ex^ cepciou- of Private J. Jury, 43rd, (mounted) and Private Hawke, T.C.V., who whon seen last was pursued by a dozen Maoris j the other man then took to the swamp, the three horses getting bogged with the first plunge whilst crossing the swamp. The Maoris kept up a continuous fire at about twenty or twenty-five yards distance. After getting through the swamp they separated, Private Badderly, T.C.V., and Sergeant Shea, 4sr.d ? taking inland and hiding in the fern till dark. Privates Reynolds and Clements with the remainder of the 43rd men taking strait across swamp and fern — aftor a tramp that nobody can conceive that was not of the party — they arrived in camp about 7 p.m., Baddorly and Shea not arriving until 11 p.m.

On the 23rd an expedition went out and found the body of Hawke stripped, shot in Beveral places and with the left eye out out. Jury, 43rd, oould not be found, and the supposition is that ho is taken prisoner. Jury and Hawke's hoyse were both found shot, and robbed of saddles and bridles, the other thi'ee horses were found quietly grazing close to the scene of the disaster — saddles, bridles, and everything as they had been left. Hawke's body was brought into camp. Both men were great favourites in their respective corps, and their loss is fplt deeply by their comrades. One c&» tiie Survivors.