SUCCESS OF COLONEL M'DONRELL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIII, Issue 2729, 8 September 1868, Page 2

SUCCESS OF COLONEL M'DONRELL.

I THREE OF THE COLONIAL FORCES KILLED, AND EIQ-HT WOUNDED.— , ONE SINCE DEAD. f \ ', THE BODIES OF NINE MAORIS FOUND. I The following letter from onr own correspondent contains a fuller account of this affair than has yet been given : — Waihi, 22nd August. The strong settlement at Te-Ngutu-o-te-Manu has fallen. Tito Kowaru's bead-quaiters are no more. On the night of the 20th a force consisting of 22 men, No. 2 division, Armed Constabulary ; 2 officers and 54) men No. 5 division, A.C.; 3 officers and 75 men Wellington Rangers; 1 oilicer and 36 men, Tarauaki Volunteers; 2 officers and 45 men, No. 3 division, A.C.; 3 officers and 90 men, Volunteer Militia; 1 officer and 31 men, European Contingent, under the command of Lieut.-Uol. McDonnell, were ordered to parade at daylight and to proceed to the rebel stronghold. The rain fell in torrents, but punctually at the appointed hour the men fell in quietly, and were marched off. Tho Waingongora was crossed, though it was much swollen, and whon on the other side tho Colonel intimated hi3 plan of attack. It was evidently a well matured scheme, and it fortunately succeeded beyond the highest expectations of any of the expedition. Tho rebel village is, I should rather say, was, for it is now no more, between ten and twelvo milas distant from Waihi, and situated in a clearing, only to bo approached by travelling through a dense bush. The plan of tho attack consisted in dividing tho forco into two parties, which would attack simultaneously. The left attack was undertaken by tho Colonel himself, while the other was confidod to Major Hunter, who, as I before told you, had been oxonorated by a Board of Officers of all thecharges preferred against him in tho Wanganui papers. Tho disposition of the force was as follows : — Under Col. McDonnell—s volunteers, and 22 men No. 2 division, A.C, under Ensign McDonnell ; 54 men No. 5 div. A.C, under Major Von Teinpsky; 75 Wellington Rangers undei' Lieut. Hastings -, 86 Taranaki Volunteers under Lieut. Roddy. Under Major Hunter—4s men No. 3 div. A.C, under Captuin Newland; 90 men Volunteer Militia under Captain Buck; 31 European Contingent under Lieut. Wray. Captain O'Halloran, with Cornet Kenriok and a few troopors of the Patea Yeomanry CavalryA having been stationod outside tho bush as a sup-^' ! port, the force proceeded to toil through the slush and rain to the scene of battle. To cover the retreat and to act. as a reserve, the Taranuki Volunteers, under Lieutenant Roddy, were stationed under cover in a clearing a short distance boyoud Pungarebu, the remains of which village was passed en route. Most fortunately the rebels were not on the alert, and though the track was covered right along with breastworks and natural obstacles, the force crept quietly, swiftly and steadily on to the attack. By tea o'clook an out- o. lying picquet of the enemy v/aa seen en- r trenohed in a palisaded and rifle-pitted position, and then the ball opened. Whon within a few yards of this post we were first seen, the bugle

sounded the "Advance." The Colonel ordere" the place to bo stormed, and with a cheer th ' men of the No. 5 Division, A.C., and the Welling ton Ranges rushed forward. The enemy for a few moments kept up a smart fire, and then fell baok on Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, leaving their outy jtol in our hands. In order not to give them W&& to rally, Colonel McDonnell, followed by Von Tempsky's men and the Wellington Rangers, rushed forward and poured volley after volley into the village, the inhabitants of which kept up a very smart fire, while Major Huntor's men' came leaping after him across the clearing, ready to attack on the right. For a moment cover was taken at the outermost palisade, and then the order to " Fix bayonets and charge" was given. With a yell the men bounded forward, leapt all barriers, and in spite of a strong fire, drove the enemy right through the village, and away aeros3 a small clearing into a dense bush. Thus fell Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, the boasted stronghold of Tito Kowaru and his band of murderers. I regret deeply to say that the victory was purchased dearly by the death of three as fine young soldiers as ever walked. The names of the brave trio are , Private Richard Wallace, Wellington Rangers, ■ Private Kerr, Wellington Rangers, and Constable McCoy, No. 5 Division Armed Constabulary. They all fell well to the front, and inside the village. Wallace and McCoy had an instantaneous death, but poor Kerr was ehot just below the fibs, the ball passing through him and out at the back. Ho lingered in great agony for twenty minutes, and then passed away. In addition to the above-named casualties, the undermentioned men were wounded while storming the village, Corporal Lloyd, Privates Collinson, Sedgwick, Wellington Rangers, Privato Dwyer, who is Major Hunter's servant, Constables Hope and -Wliiteaide, No. 5 Division Armed Constabulary. As the natives began to open fire again from the denßC covert surrounding the village, the whares were set alight, and the wounded, covered by Von Tempsky's men moved to the track leading out of the bush. The main body after seeing that the village was a smouldering heap of ruins, then steadily wended their way towards the entrance of the" bush, closely followed by the rebels who yelled defiance and poured in volley after volley, while our fellows cheered and kept them at bay. In crossing one of the numerous clearings tlio rear guard was heavily pressed, and they had all their work to do to keep the enemy back till reinforcements came up. Unfortunately, the Wellington Hangers and Volunteer Militia, while holding the rebels in check, suffered severely. Bugler Middieton and Private Thompson of ) the former and two brothers, named Geary, of the latter corps being wounded. One of the brothers has since died of his wound, which was very severe, the bullet entering behind the ear and passing out at the left eye. The other brother was shot in the shoulder, and ns he fell the enemy advanced. They were soon again checked, but they poured in a mo9t deadly fire. The danger was imminent and a moment's hesi- | tation would have been fatal to the poor fellow j lying writhing on the grouud ; but Major Hunter, followed by two of his men, Constables Ready and Andrews, gallantly dashed out into the clearing under a perfect storm of bullets and carried away the wounded man, amidst the cheers of the men who witnessed an act of daring for which many a man ere this lias received that much-coveted bronze cross which is the reward for valor. By thus putting his life in deadly peril to save that of another man, Major Hunter has given the most emphatic denial to those, who, safe in their own homos, have not scrupled to accuse him of either "incompetency or cowardice." The enemy hovered in the rear, keeping up a brisk fire at long ranges till wo were clear of the bush, when they drew off and made for a point where they might trouble us crossing the river. From this new position there was no difficulty in ousting them, and the remainder of the journey back to camp, which we reached about 6.30 p.m., ■was uneventful. I cannot refrain from mentioning the conduct of Mr Edward McDonnell, who, ably assisted by Volunteers Livingston and Blake, Corporal Dunckloy and Private Higgins, Wellington Rangers, carried the stretchers with the killed and wounded across the Waingongora River which was very deep, and where a very strong current was running. You will bo happy to hear that Colonel McDonnell has expressed his pride and satisfaction at having the honor to command such a force a9 Vie took into the field, and I may, in all fairness, say that whether officers or men, all hands fought well and sustained tho prestige of their Colonel. The wounded under the care of Assistant-Surgeons Walker and Best are getting on well and have today been i*emoved to Patea, as we have more work yet to do here. I have no moans of judging the extent of the native loss, but it must have been considerable, as some wore sesn dropping like cocks while others carried them away into the bush.