MILITARY FUNERALS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1994, 10 December 1863, Page 6

MILITARY FUNERALS.

LTEUT. MURPHY AND MR W ATKINS. (From the Southern Cross, Nov. 24 .) ; The funeral of these young 1 officers took place yesterday; and a lavsre uumber of the military, navy, anil citizens attended. The youth of the i deceased imparted a painful interest to their i obsequies. Such, however, is the uncertainty of , life to those whose calling leads them into situa- . lions of danger. Nominally the funeral of yesr tei'day was thpt of Lieutenant Murphy and Mr . Watk'ins, but really it was a tribute to the •nemories of not only them hut the whole of the ( hrave fellows who fell ut Rangiriri; Besides s the procession there was a large number of I spectators. Some, probably attended out of curiosity ; hut there must have been many who i were deeply impresed with the scene. An apr priute mark of respect was sheiVn for the memories of the deceased by both Houses of the Legislature adjorning 1 About three o'clock those > who were 19 join in the procession assembled in , the Albert Barracks, and the barrack enclosure - was crowded with spectators. After the neces- ; sary arrangements had been made, the proces- , sion started, and passed through the eastern t gate in the following order : — : Firing party of the f>ot'a and Gsih regiments, under the command of Lieut. Eorster, of the 12th regiment. ( ' Band of the 12th regiment, with portion of that of ■ the 50tU regiment, and band of H.M.S. Curagoa. ■ The Bodies, , Oil a gun-carriiige drrwn by six horse 3, with three drivers from the Koyal Artillery. Pall Beaueiis. ' Three militnry officers, Mr Jones, of the Koyal Kugi- ; neers, Mr Hamley, of the military store atiiff, and Mr H, Deßuvgh Adnms, senior purveyor I to the forces, who were on the left side i of the body ; and three naval officers, 1 viz,, one midshipman, andthe t seconr! master, and second » Lieutenant of E. M.S. . Curacou, on the , . right side, Chief Mourners, \ Captain Vereker, and Captain Oliver, of the 12th regiment; the Master of TI.IVT.S. Ciiragoa, ! and the senior officer of the Eoyal Navy present, viz., first Lieut., H.M.S. ! Curajoa. The men of H.M.S. Curag-oa. and Himalaya, • and Non-commissioned officers of those vessels. i Eoyal Artillerymen. [ Nou-commissionodofficersanduienof thefioih, 12ih, OOtU, and ?Oth Regts. iv barracks. Officers of the Volunteer and Militia Corps. • Military Officers. ', Members of the General Assembly, and private citizens. ' His Excellency the Governor, and suite. > Staff Officers. Captain Laoey of the Himalaya. &c, &c, , &c.

Lieutenant Murphy's coffin was covered with rich black velvet, and bore oa the plate the following inscription :— lIEUT. WIILIAM LEWI3 MURPHY, H. M. 12TH BEIT., AGED 23 TEARS. KILLED IN ACTION, Nov. 20, 1863. Th« coffin in which the body of Mr Watkina was, waß covered with black cloth, and bore the following inscription : — MB ADDIS WATKINS, DIED 2OXH NOV , A GBD 18 YE ABS. Amongst those present whose names do not already appear, ware General Galloway, Major Paul, Major Turner, Assist.-Commissary-Gene-ral Moore, Dep. Assist. Commissaries Dunn, and Cbislet, Surgeon-Major Gibb, Assist-Sur« geon Henry, 43rd regiment, Staff Assist.-Sur-geou McShane, Capt. Groves, 43rd regiment Major Greaves, Assist. Military Secretary ; and of the Navy, the Paymasters of H.M. s.s. Clira* <joa and Himalaya, aud otber officeis off duty. Of the Militia, there were present Captains Dienin, Durham, Wynn, and several others. On the procession reaching the Cemetery, the road there being thickly lined with spectators, the firing party drew up on each side of the entrance, and the procession passed through. The coffins were carried from the gun-carriage by the sailors of the men-of-war, and on being deposited in the grave, the fnneral service was in?presivelyread by Dr Payne, Chaplin of the Curagoa, after which three vollies were fired over the grave, and the assemblage dispersed. The body of Mr Wakins was buried by the side of those of Commodore Burnett, and Lieutenant Murphy by his (Mr Watkins) side so that there is now buried on this spot in the following order : — Lieut. Murphy, 12th Regiment; Mr Watkins, midshipman of H. M.S. Curagoa; Commodore Burnetl, of FT. M. S. Orpheus ; the chief boatswain of the Orpheus; and Captain Swift, of H. M. 65th Regiment: CAPTAINS MERCER AND PHELPS. (Abridged from the New Zealand Herald, N«v27) On Friday the wail of funeral music again resounded through our streets ; and the ashes of what, but a few days since, were brave and accomplished gentlemen were consigned to that dust to which we must all, ere long, return. At 4 o'clock, the hour appointed for the funeral of Captains Mercer and Phelps, Auckland sent forth her thousands in the direction of the Albert Barracks, in one of the Artillery Huts of which were deposited the mutilated remains of the latter officer. Piior to his decease, it was supposed that Captain Phelps bad perished in consequence of receiving a bullet which lodged in the abdomen. This supposition did not prove to be correct, for on subsequent examination of the corpse, it was ascertained that the bullet had passed clean through the body making its exit near the spine, iB a slanting direction upwards, and creating a frightful and incurable wound. Captain Mercer, shot through the jaw and tongue, was still more fearfully mutilated, and his sufferings, ere death came to his relief, were, we have been told, intense. Having but on Wednesday last given a minute description of the funerals of Lieut. Murphy and Midshipman Watkius, we need do little more than chronicle the order of the last sad ceremonies of yesterday. Shortly after 4 o'clock, all being in readiness the procession moved out of the Albert Barracks in the following or.ler: — Firing patty of one hundred men From the Auckland Garrison and Otahuhu Camp, Composed principally of 50th and 65th regts.. In command of Capt. Saunders, 2ud batt. 14th regt., And Lieut. Harrington, 14th regt. Bauds of lith and 50th regts. Sand of H.M.S. Curagoa, THE COFFIN, Covered with black velvet and bearing this inscription, Captain John Shaw Phelps, 2nd Batt. 14th Regt., Died 25th November 1863. ( >f wouuds received in action). Aged 33 years, Was placed on a gun carriage, covered with the Union Jack, And drawn by six Artillery Horses and Traiu drivers . The Pall Bearers were Major Paul, 65th regt,. Mi jer Turner, 65th regt., Capt. Verriker, 12th ragt., Capt. Groves, 43rd regt., Capt. Whitbread, 6otli regt,Capt.Minister,sothregt., Staff Assistant Surgeon Carberry, laic 2nd batt. 14th i regt., Capt. Minnett, 14th regt, , Chief Mourners, Surgeon ?»rajcr Carte, 2nd tiatt., 14th regt. ■ Mr H. de Burgh Adorns, Military Purveyor to the ■ Forces. Iv this order the cortege moved out of the Albert Barrack Square, the Band of the 14th playing the be-mtiful composition of , Beethoven's, called the " Farewell March." Arrived at the junction of Symonds and Wake(ield streets, near which was the late residence ■ of Captain Mercer, the procession opened to ■ receive the body of that lamented officer. THE COFFIN, Being also plAced ou a gun carriage, covered with the Union Jn^.k, and beariug this inscription: Captain- Henhy Mehcer, C Battery 4ih Brigade Roya! Asiillery, 1 Died 25th November, 1863, (of wounds received in action). ' ' Aged 38 years. Lient. Rait, Royal Anillery, aceompame d by three of Captain Mercer's children here joined the chief mourners. The servants of the deceased officers. . Capt, Mercer's led charger, with black velvet pall, boots and spurs reversed. Officers aud soldiers of the Garrison, of the Line, r Defence Corps, and Militia. Captain Hamilton, Officers and seamen H.M.S.Esk. Civilians. Members of the General Assembly. Members of the Executive. Major General Galloway and Staff. His Excellency the Governor and suite. The Rev. Mr Kiuder performed the funeral service. There were two graves, that of Captain Mercer being next to that of Lieut. Murphy ; that of Captain Phelps to the northward, and outside of the six which now are clustered round that of Commodore Burnett. We heartily hope that this may be the last sad solemnity of the Waikato strife that we shall be required to chronicle. We have only to add that Fort and shipping wore their flags at half-mast, and every testimouy of unfeigned and sorrowing respect was manifested.

Commissariat Expenditure. — The Auckland Herald of 30ih November says : — " The shipping: trail e has been active, but the balance greatly to the debit of the Province, the native purveyors of other days having become foreign consumers of the present; whilst our European agriculturists have, of necessity, ceased to cultivate, with the exception of vegetables and dairy produce, and those within a limited radius of the city. All these nevertheless, are but passiug evils, which will disappear with the accomplishment of permanent peace. In the meanwhile the Commissariat expenditure, from which the colony (Aucklaud) derives little or no gain, is enormous.