The Story of Our Volunteers.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume III, 1 October 1900, Page 1

The Story of Our Volunteers.

By J. P. Whitelaw

*-|-"I.HE war in South Africa has infused JIG fresh life into Volunteering, and the s*^ present time, when defence matters

are claiming a lat'ge share of public attention, seems opportune for briefly sketching the origin and growth of the Volunteer movement in this colony.

The chief centres of Volunteering in New Zealand are " the four cities " of the colony, and of these Auckland, as the birthplace of the present Volunteer movement in New Zealand, naturally claims first attention.

The history of Volunteering in Auckland has a special interest, for to that city belongs the honour of being the first place in the British Empire where the Volunteer movement, after nearly forty years' decay, was eventually revived and placed on a permanent footing. It is said that an honorary and vei'y " select " Volunteer Artillery Corps was in existence in England before the revival of 1858, but Auckland was the first city to revive the State-supported Volunteer system, which has since spread throughout Her Majesty's dominions.

Volunteering in Auckland, as elsewhere, owes its existence to a war scare. In 1858 Great Britain and France appeared to be on the brink of war, and the prospect of a French invasion of New Zealand led to the formation of our citizen-soldiery. The war scare was the immediate cause ,of their enrolment, but it is interesting to note that the formation of a Volunteer force in New Zealand had been mooted at least two years previously. As a piece of ancient history, it is worth recording how this came about. In 1856 Governor Gore Browne received a despatch from the Secretary, of State, intimating that New Zealand must no longer look to Imperial troops in the event of a native disturbance arising, unless prepared to pay the cost of such troops. Dr. J. Logan Vol. lI.— No. 13.— 1.

Campbell, " the father of Auckland," was at that time Superintendent of the Auckland Province, and on receiving a copy of this despatch, he sent a message to the Provincial Couucil recommending that tho sum of £1,000 be placed on tho estimates for the purpose of procuring a first instalment of rifles for a Volunteer force. In tho old Southern Gross of November 13th, 1876, is reproduced Dr. Campbell's " memorandum for Colonel Hay's guidance," which states :

" 1. The object in view is to form a body of efficient marksmen (tho primary essential) resident in Auckland, who shall be preparod at a moment's warning to turn out for the protection of the town should thoir services be requh'ed for any unforeseen cause not indeed at present apprehonded, but which may unhappily some day arise in connection with the native race.

"2. The second clause points out the moral influence such a formidable body would have on the native mind, and shows that the action of the Secretary of State renders the formation a necessity.

" 3. In event of the militia being called out, as it is a service performed under compulsion, intensely disliked, creating no esprit de corps, endured because it cannot bo evaded, its duties would be avoided to tho utmost ; and such a force would consequently be found most inefficient in cases of emergency, as the probability is that nine men out of every ten would never get beyond the feat of loading their muskets properly.

"4. The enrolment of the militia will secure the necessary discipline and order, in so far as being drilled and officered is concerned, but no efficiency in so far as securing expert marksmen is concerned.

" 5. The first step, therefore, is to supply a weapon in which a pride will be taken, the next, to create a rivalry in the use of it.

" 6. The vote of £1,000 has been obtained for the purpose of procuring a first instalment of good arms, to be distributed instead

of the ordinary musket to such of the militia as would volunteer to form rifle corps. " 7. To create a. rivalry in the use of it, it is proposed to form from amongst the militia rifle corps rival rifle clubs, among whom an annual prize should be competed for."

The foregoing memo, was enclosed in a letter of instruction to Colonel Hay, a personal friend of Governor Gore Brown, and the choice of weapon was left to his discretion.

In September, 1856, Dr. Campbell, in resigning the Superintendency and proceeding Home, transmitted private funds for the purchase of a prize rifle, to be competed for by the five best marksmen in each club. He also donated a valuable silver vase, to be competed for annually at a field day of the whole of the rifle clubs, which he proposed should be formed in each rifle corps.

Two rifle corps were formed, named, respectively, the City Rifles and the Royals, and soon made good progress, great enthusiasm being displayed by the volunteers. The formation of the companies was not altogether an easy matter, for the attitude of the Government was hardly encouraging. The objection was even raised that it was contrary to law for armed bodies of men to collect. Apparently military officialdom regarded " Volunteers " as incipient freebooters ! However, energy and perseverance overcame official prejudice and red tape. Enrolment of members had commenced early in February, 1858, and the City Rifles offered their services to the Superintendent of the Province in April. The late Major Derrom was the leading spirit in the promotion of this corps, but he left it soon after its formation, and with some others started the Victoria Rifles, of which more anon.

The volunteers commenced drilling in the old barrack square, O'Rorke-street. Their instructor was Sergt. John Mitchell,

formerly of H.M. 58th Regiment, and aftei*wards Captain of the Rutland Rifle Volunteers. About August belts and " frogs " were served out to the men, but it was not till November, when they received their firearms, that the formal swearing-in took place. The Auckland Volunteers were given their choice of 200 sword rifles, or an equal number of bayonet rifles ; they chose the former, and the remaining rifles were sent down to Taranaki, where men were also being enrolled. Two Companies of Auckland Volunteers were swoi-n in — the Royals first, the City Rifles on the following morning. It had been intended that both Companies should be sworn-in on the same day, but as time would not admit of this arrangement, the swearing-in of the City men had to stand over for a day.

Most of the original volunteers came from the local Volunteer Fire Brigade, and for some time after the formation of the Com-

panics the citizen-soldiers used to muster when the firebells rang.

The original minute-book of the City

Rifles, which has boon preserved, gives aorno interesting details about the starting of the corps. (Similar information with regard

to the Royals is unfortunately not available, their minute-book having goue astray. Some years ago the "A" Battery, the direct descendants of the Royals, decided to deposit the old minute-book in the Free Library, but the resolution was never carried into effect, and all trace of the book now appears to be lost). The first mooting of the City Rifles took place in the old Oddfellows' Hall, Queen-street, on August Kith, 1858, when the following Provisional Committee was appointed to draw up rules : — Messrs .F. L. Clark, Cherry, McDowell, Batgor and Le Roy. Mr. J. Derrorn was elected secretary, but differences arising, he resigned at tho' end of October. The first uniform of the corps was a blue serge shirt, dark cloth cap and black belt. (It was not till 1860 that a blue tunic was substituted for the serge shirt.) They commenced drilling as a Company on September 7th, and used to drill twice a week in the morning, and afterwards added one evening a week, Sergt. Mitchell being paid £2 a month by the corps for his services as instructor. By November Ist,

before the Company had received their arms, they had one hundred and five members on the roll. The captaincy was first of all offered to Captain (now Colonel Haultain), but he was unable to accept the position. The first annual meeting was held on December 6th, when the rules of the corps were adopted, and the following officers elected : — Captain, Mr. Moir ; first lieutenant, Mr. W. McCallum ; second lieutenant, Mr. M. Kielly ; sergeants, Timothy Lynch, Ben]. Holmes, Emilius Le Roy, Chas.

Heaphy ; corporals, Jas. McO. Clark, Win, Waddell, John Batger and Harry Ziegler. Mr. George Eraser was secretary of the corps. Members, ou joining the corps, had to pay an entrance fee of one shilling, and a subscription of one shilling per month. The fine for absence from drill without excuse was also one shilling, and the fines wei*e set apart tb form a prize fund for shooting contests. The bugler was paid fifteen shillings a month fur his services, the same emolument being paid by the Royals.

On the suggestion of Captain Balneavis, the City Rifles and the Royals agreed to drill together one morning in each week, commencing in February, 1859. Then arose the vexed question of seniority, which was for a long while a disputed point between the two companies. While the point was still at issue, the question of priority of position when on parade was got over in rather an amusing manner. At one parade the Royals took the right of the line and the City Rifles the left, while on the next occasion the positions were reversed. After a while a third corps, the Rutland Rifles, came into existence, and as neither of the old rivals would give up their claim to an end of the line, the Rutlands were placed in the centre when the companies paraded, and the other two interchanged from right to left alternately as before. By and by the Victorias and the Parnell Rifles were formed, and still the question as to which was the senior corps remained unsettled. By this time the constant interchanging of the two rival companies had come to be regarded as leather childish, so the officers decided to settle the seniority once and for all. "Let's toss up," suggested the City captain. This, however, did not satisfy the Royals' officer, and eventually it was agreed that the corps which could produce the oldest documentaiy evidence of its existence should be acknowledged the senior. It so happened that the promoter of the Royals, being a methodical business man (he was chief clerk in the Customs), had put in writing the various steps taken towards getting the company accepted by the Government. Some of his documents were in the possession of the Royals' captain, and as they were of earlier date than the City Rifles' records, the Royals were proclaimed the senior corps. But the City captain would not agree to his company being No. 2 on parade. " We're entitled to one end of the line," said he, " and if we can't have the top we'll go to the bottom. Our corps will be No. 6." And No. 6 the Rifles were accordingly gazetted. Such is the version given by one

of the original City veterans ; others declare that the question of seniority always remained a moot point, the City taking No. 6 position, merely for the sake of peace and quietness, and not because they admitted the seniority of the Royals. Altogether it appears to have been a case of " Tweedledum and Tweedledee."

The Volunteers in the early days had to contend with far more disadvantages than have those of the present generation. The present Government have often, and with some justice, been charged with not giving sufficient encouragement to our Volunteers, but they are treated royally in comparison with those who started the movement. Beyond supplying the infies, the Government of the day lent the pioneer volunteer troops little or no encouragement. Each man had to buy his own uniform and his own ammunition for target practice ; such a thing as a Government capitation grant was unheard of for years. Each company paid an instructor to teach them their drill, and they also engaged a bugler at their own expense to teach the various bugle calls. No Government instructors, no " special payment " parades or Government medals in those days. But there was plenty of life in the movement for all that, and the fact that they had to shift for themselves taught the men self-reliance and independence. Said one old volunteer of thirty years' experience, when comparing past and present Volunteering the other day, " I have found that the more Volunteers depend upon themselves for what they require, and the less they lean on Government aid, the more self-reliant they become, and the better their esprit de corps." But if the Government were inclined to starve the Volunteer force, private citizens were much more generous in their treatment. Foremost amongst these was Dr. J. L. Campbell, whose connection with the movement has already been mentioned. His prize rifle and silver vase were handed over to the rifle companies to compete for in 1859, and in 1860 on his return to the colony he presented a silver cartouche-box and

champion belt as prizes. The following year the silvor vaso was returned to Dr. Campboll — the purpose for which it was given being considered accomplished — and ho then preseuted it to the newly-formed Auckland Rifle Association. This vaso, and the champion belt, after being compotcd for at various times, woro ultimately deposited by Dr. Campbell in the Auckland Museum, together with an account of their origin. Yet another gift was made by the worthy Doctor in 1870, when ho presented to the

Auckland Volunteor Rifles a silver-mounted epergne to be competed for at the rifle range. In 187G on receiving back his vase and belt, Dr. Campbell made another presentation to the Auckland Rifle Volunteers, " to mark the close of their connection with the honorary prizes." And, again, at the time of writing this article, I hear that Dr. Campbell has just presented £25 for prizes to encourage a new system of rifle firing, so as to practise the corps in judging unknown distances, and also in firing at moving objects. Up to 1863 the Volunteers were only

enrolled for a period of one year, and the process of swearing-in, for officers and men alike, had to be repeated from year to year, the officers receiving fresh commissions each year. When the war broke out in Taranaki in 1860, the Auckland Volunteers notified the Government of their readiness to assist in

maintaining the honour and rights of the Crown in that district. The offer of their services was, however, not accepted. The City Rifles disbanded in 1862 in order to re-organize, the company being at once reformed. By this time each company was in reoeipt of an annual subsidy of £75 from the Government, which went towards the

working expenses and purchase of uniforms. Each man had to pay three shillings per quarter towards the clothing fund, to be refunded in the event of the Government subsidy being increased. "Honorary members " were first admitted in March, 1862, their annual subscription being fixed at £1 Is.

The Prince of Wales was married in March, 1863, and four months later, when the news reached far-away New Zealand — news travelled slowly in those days — the Auckland Volunteer Force drew up an address of congratulation and sent it off to His Royal Highness. During the Maori war of 18G3 the

Auckland Volunteers were kept chiefly on garrison duty within the town, but they took part in several expeditions against the

natives. They were sent out to Ofcahuhu and Drury, and with the 70th Regiment formed part of a " flying column," which went out to Papatoitoi, fourteen miles from Auckland. They were designated a flying column, but their only claim to that description appeared to be that they had to find their own firewood ! But in none of these expeditions did they come in contact with the natives. The first time the City Volunteers smelt powder was when, later in the year, they were sent to the Northern Wairoa in company with the 18th Royal Regiment, some of the Militia and the Wairoa Rifles. Major A. Morrow, V.D., an old volunteer, supplies the following narrative of the expedition : —

" It was on a raw, dreary morning in the early spring of 1863 that the detachments of the Auckland Rifle Volunteers — intended to relieve the militia garrison doing duty in the Galloway redoubt (in the Lower Wairoa

district)— embarked at tho Queen's Wharf, at Auckland, on board tho Government steamer Sandfly, then commanded by Capt. Marks. After an uneventful run—if I may except the loss of a largo troop boat, which was towing astern — over a heavy cross sea, we arrived up the Wairoa River, at tho lauding on tho farm owned by tho late Capt. Salmon, where, having disembarked, we made all possible speed by a bush road, or rather track, arriving at our destination during the afternoon.

" The site upon which tho camp was situated commanded the bridge and approaches to the river some three or four hundred yards distant to tho eastward, whilst somo few hundred yards further in that direction, on the other side of tho river, the stockade, a heavily-timbered, loopholed structure, frowned upon the immediate surroundings, in the vicinity of which a building of unpretentious dimensions served in the dual capacity of stove and district postoffice, supplying the literary and general

household requirements of the settlers. The ground on the north and west faces of the redoubt— an earthwork of rectangular

shape, with salient angles, and subsequently enclosed by a strong palisading — was covered with dense bush, the parish

church lying scarcely a-quarter of a mile to the northwards. The ground to the east and south had been cleared of bush and was under grass, whilst the ground to the southeastward of the stockade still had a good deal of standing timber faced by a thorn hedge. We were not long in taking up the quarters allotted to us within the quadrangle in company with a detachment of H.M. 65th Regiment — Royal Tigers — under Lieut. Chevalier, which was subsequently relieved by a detachment of H.M. 18th Royal Irish Regiment, under Lieut. Russell.

"For some considerable time after our arrival camp life was attended by the inevitable instraction parades, piquet duties, etc., until the afternoon of the 12th September, when we received the welcome intelligence through the medium of a friendly chief, who rejoiced in the sobriquet of " Long Greorge," that the rebels had decided ■upon attacking the camp in three days afterwards — vi et arinis. On the morning

of the l§th, whilst some of the men were indulging; in a scratch game of cricket across the river, in the temporary company of a fatigue party— told off to procure some slab timber for use in the redoubt — two shots were fired in quick succession amongst them from the bridge adjoining the bush, at a distance of about a hundred and fifty yards from the stockade. It did not require a moment's reflection for the cricketers and fatigue party, who were unarmed, to betake themselves to the redoubt and stockade, from which the fire was quickly returned, and soon became of a very general character. The natives, however, not deeming it prudent to endeavour to carry the work by assault in the face of such a well sustained rifle fire, finally retired, the only casualty reported on our side from the operation being that of a slight wound occasioned to Ensign Johnson by a spent ball on one of

his arms. A young lad of Mr Niccol's had a narrow escape, a ball having passed through his cap.

" On the afternoon of the 17th, we were again thrown into a state of excitement by the appearance of two travel-stained men of a mounted patrol, who galloped into camp conveying the intelligence that a large party of natives were plundei'ing the settlers, houses about three miles distant, and had exchanged some shots, whereupon a detachment of twenty men from the stockade, under Lieut. Steele, with thirty men from the redoubt, the whole under the command of the late Colonel W. C. Lyon, proceeded by a forced march through a drizzling rain to check the raid, and intercept the natives on their way to the settlement at Otau, a few miles up the river. Coming up with them in about an hour, our party opened fire, and although the range was at first a long one, it had the effect of causing them to drop a considerable number of their packs, which contained a quantity of valuables, the property of the unfortunate settlers. As, however, they possessed an advantage over us in the direct route they were taking, we made a detour through a belt of bush and fallen timber, and again came up with them at a closer range, when we commenced firing, killing three of their number, one of whom was a chief. But as a deep stream, swollen by the recent rains, temporarily impeded our progress, some of the men who wore great coats disappeared one after the other in the swollen torrent, and only managed to cross by great exertion. However, we succeeded by various means in crossing, the natives, meantime, not being slow to take advantage of our difficulty by placing a greater distance between us and them. Our advance, however, was finally checked by a much larger river, and we were obliged to content ourselves by extending in skirmishing order across the face of a hill commanding their village, and kept up a wellsustained fire on them, to which they replied vigorously by independent firing, as well as in volleys from numbers of men formed into squares. Each square, having delivered its volley, retired into the obscurity rather than the protection of the whares, to re-load

again, repeating the squaro formation to deliver their tiro. Our fire was, of courso, directed on the squares aud whares, which, being formed of raupo, etc., wore by no means proof against shots from En field rifles. We were again fortunate in not sustaining any casualties, although the load whistled freely about our heads. As it was now fast approaching dusk, and our number — about fifty- (ive o dicers and men — opposod to a force numbering over throe hundred, wo retired, maintaining six paces intervals, as

they had commenced an outflanking movement to cut us off.

" Our firing having, in the meantime, been heard at the camp, wo soon discerned the warlike notes of the bugle sounding the advance as a party of men of the 18th Regiment under their officer, Lioutenant Russell, came to our relief. We now gave the natives a parting volloy, returning to camp at about 7.30 p.m. The night passed without molestation, and on the following morning a party of fifty men from our camp and twenty from the stockade, under

Lieutenant Steele, left at four o'clock, arriving within three hundred yards of the native village shortly before daylight. The natives soon became aware of our presence, and firing was exchanged for some time — our men being well under cover. But as the river was still in flood, we were unable to approach their position to a close range, and, after a time, drew off without sustaining any casualities, and on our way back to camp, buried the men killed on the previous

evening, arriving early in the forenoon. Later on in the day another expedition was organised, twenty men of H.M.s 18th, under Lieutenant Russell, were despatched to occupy the position near the settlement which was held in the morning, whilst our commanding officer, with seventy-five of all ranks, proceeded hy a track across the river to take the settlement in the rear. We found, however, upon arriving in the locality that the natives had evacuated the place. It was unfortunate that this course was not decided

upon in the morning attack, then we should have assured success. We made a search through the village, and secured much of the goods taken from the settlers (which we were enabled to return). The wliares were riddled with bullets, and the profusion of bloodstains, both inside and outside, testified to the native tosses, which they afterwards admitted to have been forty killed and fortyone wounded. We also got several guns, tomahawks, etc., and again returned to our camp. " Matters now remained quiescent for a little time, when we ascertained that a large native force had assembled in the settlement of Mungahauhau, some four miles distance — across the river — from our camp. An expedition was again organised, consisting of the detachment of the 18th Regiment with as many men of the Rifle Companies as could be spared, having regard to the efficient protection of the redoubt. We ai'rived in the settlement early in the forenoon, only to find that the natives — who must have been made aware of our intentions — had made a hurried departure, leaving an old woman by mistake, or intentionally as a spy, as the sole occupant. After a brief halt we pushed on again in the direction taken by the natives, and discovered that they were erecting a formidable pa some miles distant in the hills, and not beiug possessed of artillery or even sufficient supplies for such an expedition we were obliged to retrace our steps, being to some extent rewarded with fresh supplies for the camp in the shape of some pigs and poultry, in addition to which we recovered some watches belonging to the settlers, and other valuables, together with guns and tomahawks. We arrived in camp late in the afternoon.

"Our campaign was now brought to a close for the present, and we received an order to return to Auckland by the steamer Sandfly, under the command of Lieutenant Hunt, R.N., H.M.S. Harrier, and as the boat was already in the river we took our final departure (the relief detachment of militia being already within an hour or two's march of the redoubt), arriving in Auckland

about midnight. Thus terminated the first portion of our campaign, in which we claimed to have been the first Volunteer Corps who received their baptismal fire in service with Her Majesty's Regular Troops." - No article on Volunteei'ing in the early days would be complete without some reference to the deeds of the Forest Rifle Volunteers, who did excellent service against the Kingite Maoris in the Waikato in 1863. The Forest Rifles were raised from among the country settlers in the autumn of that year by Major Lusk, who was residing at the time on his property between Patumahoe and the Waikato River, and under his command they played a very important part in protecting the district from the violence of marauding bands of natives. No other Volunteer corps saw so much fighting as the Forest Rifles. Their first encounter with the natives was on September 9th, 1863, when a band of two hundred rebels was overtaken, and engaged in some dense bush near the Mauku. A sharp tree-to-tree skirmish ended in the rout of the natives, who lost six of their number, while only two

of the Company were wounded and none killed. The Volunteers showed the same steadiness and gallantry under fire in this, their first engagement, as marked their

fighting throughout the campaign. Several minor skirmishes followed, including a gallant defence of the Pukekohe Church against a surprise attack by over two hundred natives. On October 23rd the Forest Rifles fought one of the most desperate engagements of the war. Three hundred Ngatimaniapotos, with about fifty of the

Ngatiporou, had come down the Waikato, eluded the military forces, and landed below Cameron Town, with the avowed intention of killing all the settlers between that place and Auckland. The only troops available at the time to check the marauders were the Forest Rifles and a detachment of the Ist Waikato Regiment, divided between the Mauku stockade and the redoubt at the church, higher up the valley. The fight took place outside the latter place. Captain Lusk had only sixty-seven officers and men

with him, but as tho number of natives visible was not more than one hundred and fifty, he did not hesitate to raako a sortie. The natives retired up tho hill, and when our men reached tho brow of tho slope a force of three hundred and fifty Maoris, who had hitherto remained hidden in the bush, came round to tho rear of tho whites, cutting off their retreat. Major Lusk had just time to chango his front when tho Maoris, in a long lino, charged the Volunteers. It was tin anxious time, but the Volunteors never flinched. Retiring in good order to tho shelter of tho bush, they met tho yelling savages with a well-directed fire, and after a fiorce fight ultimately repulsed them. Eight Europeans were killed, and a large number woundod, while the natives lost thirty-two, and so many of them were wounded that they gave up their expedition and left tho district that same night. Governor Sir George Grey, in his despatch dealing with the engagement, expressed " the greatest admiration for the resolute gallantry shown by tho small body of men under Major Lusk's command."

And here it would not be out of place to refer to an early Volunteer, who had tho proud distinction of being tho only colonial soldier who received the ■Victoria Cross.

Charles Heaphy was an original member of the City Company of the Auckland Itiiles, and rose from the ranks to be first sergeant and then lieutenant of that Company, and was on detachment duty at Otahuhu, Papatoitoi and Papakura in 1863. Later in tho same year he was elected captain of No. 3 (Parnell) Company.

It was while acting as guide to tho flying column in the Waikato on 11th February, 1864, that he performed the act of valour which led Col. Sir Henry Havelock, V.C., to recommend him for that coveted badge, but the existing regulations did not admit of the Cross being conferred on any but members of the Imperial forces. It was largely, if not entirely, through the representation of Sir George Grey that the warrant was amended, and Major Heaphy received his Cross in 1867.

[to be continued.]