IMPORTANT FROM WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2218, 13 June 1865, Page 7

IMPORTANT FROM WANGANUI.

SKIRMISH AT KAKARAMEA BETWEEN MAJOR VON TEMPSKY'S CORPS AND THE NATIVES. ENSIGN WHITFIttLD and ONE MAN KILLED. SEVERAL NATIVES SHOT. Our Special Correspondent writes on the 17tla May :— " This last week lias boon remarkable for the first attempt on the part of Major von Touispky to combat the rebellious' Ngatiruauui in their own fastnesses, an attempt which proved partially unsuccessful. The "Chronicle" published an Extra yesterday, giving a very full account of the whole affair, and as the news was brought down from Patea by the gallant Major in person, wlio came in the t-hmdagai along with the body of the officer who was killed, the account is correct. The poor fellow was buried with. military honors in the public Cemetery yesj terday. It is rather unfortunate that this 1 first attempt should not succeed, but we must hope for better luck noxttimo.

The following is Major Von Temp-Ky's official despatch announcing the late ski: ini-h lietwccn j tho companies under his command ami the robe's ot K.ir.un^a. t.ik'.'n I'iom the New Y.<-a\ itul ('tozi-H-j '■ of tho 7:h .hii.e :— | "W.mu.-.nui, May ii.th, 1-Ui"). i i Sir. — 1 h.iv.: tin' honor tv r";iorr tor the mi'",- j llUUi.'ll uf ihe \'('W ij.'.il.llid (rOVl'l'li;!K'!lt ill it ".1 thelii'ii i;i-:.i it 1 had an engagement wit!i n-ln-l ; Maoris. I'lK'.uup id on tho I'alca Kiver. tour miles north of Kak-> ratnea On the iHh of M;iv I had s-'nt. out two parties of my detachment at Kakaraniea to spoilt along tin; riglit and left kink ot'the I'.Uim River. O ie party indeed my eommind found n tiaek lauding ;i!o:il: the n /lit hanlc of tho i-iv.-r, it tlc-eeii«lfil a sd- p clid'. furnished with Luldi'is of pole- and supplejack : it had m.tnv of tin* intervening Mreaiubridge.d. 1 concluded thcriiforn tii.it considerable importance wa-s attiirht-d liy (he .M.-toiis to this track, and decided upon exploiing its cour.-e for some distance ll.ning dogs s.'iili me. that day I coul ! nut expect to surpri-e. the natives and not wishing to li'.jvo my track-; too far on tin; road 1 returned, resolved to u«*. it. on the following night. The second party. uiid>M' Captain (ienrge, and Ensign Wnitlield, were fired upon by the natives : shots were exchanged, and our' men chased the natives for sonu- distance, till they disappeared. It appeared tliciciorc that t li- i naiivos wore to be found after all on the left bank ; m> that ni^ht at 1 a.m. I stinted with my whole detachment, crossed t tie river, and was b< fore dawn oppo-ite to the native encampment, but the river intervened, and «••> had to euiitei.t ours-elvcs with listening to the Pai iMaii'i morning hymns and watchim; the smoke of' their copa Maoris. Den-e bush prevented us from seeing a single Maori, and ptudence forhadu any attempt of an attack fioiii our eido of (lie liver We reiunietl early on the 10th, with the intention of lolloping the track on the right bank the coming night ; but three scouts maile their appearance at dusk, coming evidently from that \ track, where our footprints of the Dili must have; revealed our intentions, and making a, surprise that night anything bui feasible. On tho 11th ten i-coutson foot and one on horseback were seen coming from tho same direction as the first three; -so iliat that maht also was passed over as unpiopitioiis, particularly ns the continued smoke of the Maori encampment proved their de termination of stopping wlieie they were. On the night ot Friday to Saturday at !. am., I started with a force of forty-eight Fore.it Rangers and sixteen Waikato Militia, officered by Captain George, Lieut. Westi-up, Ensigns Whit field aud Irwin, leaving Lieut Malone with twenty additional Waikato Militia to guard the pass over the cliff, as ten detci mined men could have prevented there (lie return of hundreds. \\"e got over twothirds of our way without accident, though the road was of the most difncuU nature, and the time •was night. Arrived at an extensive clearing, however, wo lost the track. Two different, tracks we ran down bootlessly — one ended in a precipice. and eel-weir — the other iv a place for steeping corn, at the bottom of a deep gorge. With infinite labor, through a dense forest, wo found at la^t the right track and hurried aloiif it. \y.. canu; upon a row of large whares on the top of a commanding hill, but daylight was dawning already. On investigation the whares proved to be deserted, though the ashes of recent fires were still warm. While pondering over the probability of the natives having deserted the neighborhood, la rye volumes of smoke ascending from a nei"hboiiii"hill below us settled that question completely. A deep wooded ravine separate I tin: native encampment Ironi the hill wo were oo — beyond the encampment was the river. There seemed to me no chance of a suiyriso now; but having Inou^ht a new detachment face to face with the enemvl'or the first time, I deemed it necessaiy to attack, even at some risk. We rapidly descended the ravine and ascended the hill; a sudden turn in our road on the top brought us to slip-panel gate, aud there, in the centre, or nearly so, of a 1.-in-e clearing, wan the native encampment. We could Bee the Maori sentry and other Maoris walking about. 1 extended the men along the clearing, but found that tho edge of the clearing was barricaded It was necessary to break through this barricading; the noise caused thereby and the distance to the huts gave tho Maoris time to grasp their arms and leceive our charge with a heavy volley. We drove them, however, from the huts into the bush, Ensign Whiifield and Capain George conspicuous in their <jallantrv ; but this was the time when we Buffered the most ]oss, as Ensign Wliitfield was hit, by two shots, one breaking his aim and one entering his side; private Macbean of No. 1 Co., F.R , was hit in the head while close to tho bush. We took what cover we could get in front of the bush within twenty yards of it. A heavy fire continued now for some time. The V aoris sang Pai Mariii hymns and danced the war dance behind their ban'icadjug, and had harangues for the purpose of inducing a charge ; once or twice we heard them advance a little, but stop shoit at the first fire at any visible member of their party. I sent Li -ut. Westrup to outflank them in the bush, but, it was soon found that their flanks were protected by gullies. A front charge on our part would have been quite as great a piece of folly as on their part. 1 had enough, even with two "men ftors de combat, to convey them hack to camp over the frightful road we had before us. As the Maoris before us were evidently calling in all directions for assistance, and moreover, as I heard their calls answered, 1 deemed it *t last necessary to draw off the men before some reinforcement took us at a disadvantage. I sent Lieut. Westrup to take possession of the gate onco more, forwarded the wounded, and gradually drew off my men in small parties, without the Maoris perceiving our retreat. At half-past nine I left my portion in front of the bush with tho last five men, and left (he clearing which we had entered precisely at half-pnst .-ix. Six or ei«ht Maoris were liors de combat at that time. We purposed finding an easier route for the transport of the wounded. ITorabout a mile wo cut tlnongh ;i dense bush in a gully till a precipice of l. r i(J teet closed our retreat In that dh eel ion. We returned towards our old track, bur. found that a party of .Maoris had taken possession of the big wharos on the top of tho hill. As wo had appioached the whares carefully, my advanced guatd, under .Sergeant Ross, shot three incautious Maoris who were peeping round the corners of the whares. To foice r>ur way past these whares would have added considerably to our wounded, whatever other advantage might !n: gained; the d^v was advancing fa-t. so i sent another exploring party under Cupt. (Jeoign to luok alter |.he po^ibility of heading ihe guily, whiio 1 k'.-Dt watch on 1 1 i Maoris in the whan-?. Tli<: gul'y wa-, at la-,t rnportod passible; vrr div.v oil' gradually one: iii'iru, and entered the bush unmolesi.-d. Thi.-e-iJi>-tii.(-i forest gullies had to he travei.-ed. and a mad cut through th'-m for tbe transput ot' the wounded till we rciV'h'jd the lovn rhlnu.* and our camp at I p.m., having been on our li-^.s for fifteen li.iiim without, rc-.t, food, or diink. I liavtj to briiig to yom- special notic". lh<; conspicuous gall.i'itry of KiiM.;n Wiiitfield, who I gvicve to -„1V liif'tl of !>M Wotiiils at Pat<>,i, tiiv 13th, at H •'::•') p mi.: al-o the gnlhntry of f.iptain George in l<;a :in^ }\U men ;u:i<>^ ;!..< i'lt;,iriiig, J getting several luilii'ts 1 1 n, n; ;!i his floiiiin:; :i;i.| ■ the tip r.f hi-; thumb blown c!.I. Tin; soldi. 1 : ly i managcuii'iit of Lieut. Westrup was beyond ail ; prriso. as v.el! a* th* u-- !'"!nc«.s ot' iOusign Irwin and LieiKcn/Hit. 1 , t}v: lat tci i:i couiin.iiid «f the voiiivi! at the cliff. ! Above all, liowcvcr, I inn;* inciiiion the un- , flinching conduct of all my non-coniiui-ioiied officers and men, who jiMuimcl tlnir arduous ( duties on that long day without a tuurmur, ;un] with courageous qlaf-iity, ' Private Macbean died on (lie road home, was buritd there temporarily, and conveyed to cvnp on the following day. On that day Lieut West-

rup went out with a party o( volunteers to look . for a man of his company who 'i.id lost his way in tin* bush. 'JMi.it man (Private ]!r.-i. No. 1 Co., F.Lv.,) was not I'oh'm! <>n the l.'itli instant. I h.ivi', (1 i l ' Von- Tr.'.!"-KY .M.ijur X., ;i '-.! !.\i -.-its. !'.S -The pai iy un li-: Lieut Ac.i :i! : .> who wvit. on tin' lllii to lo.iu I'ol 1 |>r'v:Ut! I'.e-t. IV- | |m- li.l t r. it no s noi.e co.ii : ln % . .•■l'im: at ihe native cue iiiipfiieiit, aUo no new liar's;-.; in a.l pioI'al'iiiiy fieri (lire, tin) native,-, linvit h;J L that part ol i ln- liver. Tlie oljeet of the expe lition of the ' ; 3:li vva^ n twofold (Mi' —thi' fiisr to put as many naiivus as jiu.wtilc liors de coiiil>;ii, an. l tlin M-eond anil most | import, mil «Mii!. to piovc to the natives ilial «•« ' 'Mil linil till-in wlu'.ivvci' they may hide anil thai j then' securest fastnesses will piovc no ob-tacle to their being attacked. ii V. Von Ti;Mi''Kr, j Major Forest Kuigers.