FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144360, 26 March 1914, Page 7

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

TARANAKI’S EARLY HISTORY,

(From the Taranaki Herald of 1864.)

Saturday, March 26—This week has been marked by groat activity in military matters here, and tho results have been most satisfactory -and encouraging. Ahuahu, To Tutu, and another village, all south of ICuitake havo been taken and burnt, some borsos and cuttle brought in, and a groat deal of growing maize and other crops destroyed. But the main thing has been tho capture of Kaitake, a stronghold we have all looked at and talked about for the last ten months. On Monday a force consisting of Captain Bussell’s and Captain Sehomborg’s companies of the 57th Regiment and the two companies of Bushrangers under Captains Atkinson and Good, were moved down to Oakura-, where they camped for the night. During the clay a pretty constant tiro had been kept up from the Armstrong guns upon tho different positions at Kaitake, with the object mainly ot drawing up the Native® trom pas to the southward so as to leave these comparatively undefended. Accordingly at 3.30 on Tuesday morning Colonel Warn* started from Oakura- with 200 men (Captain Lloyd’s company 57 th and the Bushrangers) and two guns for To Tutu, a pa- just- beyond the farther inland corner oV the Tataraimaka block. This pa was awkwardly situated in the midst of the hush and looked very formidable at a distance, bub when reached was found Co he a mere sham, as there were no trenches or earthworks of any kind in ii, 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 mimed, and the force was about to retire when a good-sized clearing was discovered a iitilo further on through the bush, which gave an hour or tw«.'s employment to tho men in destroying tho maize (about six acres), potatoes, kumeras, etc. It is probable that part of this cultivation belonged to Iloani Wharc.kawa (commonly called Johnny), as a Maori testament w;us found in one of the wha-rcs with his wife’s name in it. In the same kit was a part of 11 proclamation of Sir George Grey's about the murders on .May I, cut to tho size of a cartridge. It will he remembered that Hoani was the man who welcomed his Excellency so enthusiastically when lie went to take prasfxyssion of Ta.taraimaka. Tho force came back by* way of tho old redoubt on Bayly’s farm. At the grave of the Maoris killed ou June 1 the Whanganuis had left an inscription on a board to say that they had seen it. fn the meantime the mounted men had found and driven in six fine working bullocks belonging to To Melba (Big Jack), the man who (as wo have just heard from Mataitavva and Whanganni) killed Mr. Patterson.

On Wednesday morning Captain Russell, with 30 men of tlio 5V th aud a party of Victorians and several carts, went down lo bring away the remains oi tho Tataraimaka chapel, which the Natives had chopped down and pulled to pieces with the intention of carrying it array. No obstruction was met with, though some Native* wore seen putting a fence across tho road. In addition to the timber, six horses wore brought iu, belonging to tho liauranga Natives (Big Jack, Hopa, etc.,).

At an early hour on Thursday, two companies of the 57ih. under Captain Russell and Captain Sohomberg. and Capt idn. Pace’s company of Victorians, the whole cnmmaiHied by Major Butler, moved down to attack Ahuanu,' a small pa but strong irom its position, being on a stoop spur of the range, with open land in front and Hush behind. Fortunately most of the garrison were away at Kaitako ami the place was carried by assault. The only loss on our side, two men of the 67th wounded, occurred in pulling down the palisade to get in. One or two valuable taiahas wore found. There was a largo quantity of maize and other crops growing, which were destroyed, and the force retired again to Uakura. Information having boon received that the Ngatiruaum were shortly expected at Ixaitake, Colonel Wane wisely determined to attack that place l>efore they could arrive. The attack was to be on three sides at once. Major Butler, with throe, companies of the 67th (Capt. Russell's, Capt. Lloyd’s, and Capt. Schomberg’s), (.'apt. Wright s company of the 70th, and part of Capt. M'ivclhtr’s from the Omata stockade, wore to advance in front with the guns. Capt, Corbett was to take his company (No. G Otago) up a spur on tho left, and Capt. Atkinson, with 170 men (Ids own and Capt. Good’s companies of Bushrangers and 60 Volunteers and No. 1 Militia under Lieut. Hirst) was to go right round through the bush and come down the spur at the back. Tho attack succeeded so excellently that it .seems almost a pity tho efficacy of iho plan was not a little more severely tried, when its excellence would have bt*on 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 guns, under Captain Martin, H.A., o{>encd fire between 7 and S o’clock, and kept it up for about three hours, and the way in which theso guns were served deserves tho highest praise. In the earlier part of the week they had made some beautiful shots at over 3000 yards, and yesterday tho precision of their fire was shown by the state of the pas and wharcs. Colonel "Warre had arranged that the different parties should more to tho attack at 10 o’clock, hut Captain Atkinson’s party was delayed by having to take a much longer round than was expected. Indeed they went within a few chains of tho lop of Patuha, the highest peak in tho range, and as there was no lino a great part of tho way, the land hilly, and tho 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 chcor in tho clearing below, and rushing out they found that Capt. Corbett had taken the pa. It scorns that Colonel Warre. alter waiting beyond the appointed time, had told the men in front to give a .good chcor with the intention of drawing the Natives down and giving the upper parties a bettor chance of getting out, but Capt. Corbett understood it to moan that the troops in front were advancing to the charge, and lie therefore thought it bis duty to charge too, and his men gallantly following a good example soon had possession of the pa, tho 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 gully in which the Wairau runs. After crossing they collected again on tho edge of the bush at the back of a littlo plantation of maizo on tho top of the other side close by tho top of tho hill where Capt. Sehomberg’s company of tho 67th and Capt. Page’s Victorians were stationed, and opened a sharp firo on ihom, which

was well -returned, and they soon retired, but not before they had wounded one man and shot an orderly’s horse. Two mounted orderlies (G. Tatton and W. Brooking) captured the only prisoner taken. Bo had fired at one of them and then hid iu tho fern. They gave chase on foot aud found him, and one of them fired five shots at him with his revolver, ouo ball wounding him slightly, the others going through different parts of his dress. Ho lel 1 apparently dead, but as they approached to examine him he fired again at Tatum, \wio chereiuiv Su-icKa-. nun ta,..u with his revolver. It is; very imieh the credit of those men that they did not kill him outright after lie fired this second shot. Ho proved to be Hum, of Mokotuim, and is an enemy of old standing, as he was wounded in the former w'ar. The man shot by tho Bushrangers was To Kati, of Oakura, the largest claimant of laud iu that district.

At Kaitake itself, as at To Tutu and Ahuahu there were largo quantities of maize, tobacco, and other crops, and a groat many first-rate potatoes in store, which will serve our garrison now established thoro. A redoubt is to be built there, but iu the meantime one of tho pas has been strengthened and occupied, and Capb. Bussell now holds Kaitake with his company of the o7th and Capt. Carthew’s company of Otago. Volunteers.

Tho conduct of the men of the various forces engaged was r. 1 that could bo desired, and great credit is duo to Colonel \V:utc for a masterly plan well executed, bv which this formidable position has fallen into or.r hands. It would not be fair to conclude without saying a word on behalf of two Natives, Bopata Ngarongomnto (Bob) and Ivomcno, who acted as guides to Captain Atkinson’s party. The Government before this hare given their money freely for Native purposes much loss obviously useful than ibis, and should not bo stingy with it. now. The following are our casmiUics at Ahuahua and Kaitnko: Wounded: Privates Bishop. Morrissy, and Noary, of the 57th, and Sergeant Aoolehv, of Capt. Corbett's company of the Taranaki Militia.