Presentation to Lieutenant Hickey.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 37, 11 September 1902, Page 20

Presentation to Lieutenant Hickey.

The smoke concert tendered to Lieutenant D. A. Hickey of the Fourth a-iri Seventh New Z^a'aml Contingents took place m the Victoria Hull, Dunpdin, oa Monday night, and was the most B'-cces.iful affair of the kind ever held in this city. Th"«J who wen present ti» do honor t<> the truest of the evening r-pre-ei:-ted all sections of the com-uuni>y, aid the gallant boldinr mu-t have felt highly gratified tit thw tangible expression J public appreciation of Uia cervioi'H in Afii^a. Th" Mnyor of Dunedin presided, and on hia rierht sat the guest of the evening, while the seat on the left was occupied by Colonel Robin. At the same table bat Mr. K. Cbisholm, Lieutenaut-Colonel Smith, V.D., Chaplain-Captain Dut^on, Mr Geurge Bell, Inspector O'BrieD, and others. Scattered over the hall were members of the Oity Council, the Organining and Patriotic Committees, tne police foroe, the Gaelic Society, the Burns Club, and other public and prirate bodies. The chairman, in proposing ' Our Guest,' spoke in very eulogistio terms regarding Lieutenant Hicki-y's career in South Africa. Their guest, Baid Mr Park, joined the Fourth as a trooper, went away as a oorporal, and on board the troopship he was made a sergeant. Arriving at Beira, he took part in the march throgh Rhodesia. Then we heard of him at Ottophoop, where Captain Harvey was killed. First on the list of the wounded was Captain Kulton, and then Sergeant Hickey. On that occasion he was shot through the left hip, the bullet coming out on the r ; ght. After coming out of the hospital he rejoined the Fourth at Zeerust, and waß promoted to squadron sergeant-major, subsequently being made regimental sergeant-major, which position he held till June, l'JOl. He was given a commission in the Seventh Contingent, on the recommendation of Colonel Davies, C.8., and in July, 1901, was appointed adjutant of the South Island Battalion on the recommendation of Colonel Bauchop, C.M.G. The next place we heard of him waa at Witkoppies, and he (Mr Park) would like to read the following aooount of an incident which occurred and was written by one who was present : — ' We left camp at midnight on December 31, and kept going till 3 a.m , when we halted, as h was very fogey, and in consequence we received orders to wait till daylight. There were 150 of ub New Zealanders and 80 huafars. We were all lying downsome were asleep, but the inaj irity only dozing— wiien out of the gloom there suddenly came the flash or the Mauser and the crack and whizz of the bullet. All was confusion— horses and men being huddled together. The horses went fairly mad, knocking many of ub over in the flight. Some of the animals were badly hit, and fell dead right alongside of us; while the cries of the wounded weie awful to listen to. The Boers kept yelling out " Hands up ! " but we were dead oil that, and we gave it to them for all we were worth. One of our officers, Lieutenant D<in Hickey (he is well known in Dunedin, where he served for many years in the poUoe force) shouted out, " This way, New Zealand ! On to this ridge 1" and we followed him to a man, and lined the ridge. We gave the Boers a precious lively time. They charged us three time* — but it was no use ; and finding they could make no impression on us, they retired, leaving us in possession of the ridge.' Later on we heard of Lieutenant Hickey, with Colonel Bauchop, in connection with the capture of the last three cf De Wet's guns. At Bothasburg he was a conspicuous figure, and there were many conflicting accounts of this engagement. He had a description from an eye-witness, and would read a portion of it . ' Many acts or coolness, presence of mind, and great bravery are recounted. For instance, Lieutenant Hickey s voice could be heard above the din, o&lling out : " Rally, New Zealanders 1 Rally 1 " Then, observing that the Boers were firing low, and so wounding our men in the head and upper part of the body, gave the order for the men to stand up This was obeyed, and most of the wounds inflicted during the latter part of the fight were about the lower extremities and not so serious. 1 Lieutenant Hickey during the fight found it necessary to change the front of the firing, and it was largely owing to this movement that the New Zealanders succeeded. Although his right leg was broken by a bullet, and he was wounded in the instep, his voice could be heard above the din : ' Into them New Zealanders 1 No surrender ! ' The Mayor (continuing) said he knew that what he was Baying might not be pleasant for Lieutenant Hickey to listen to, but it was only right that all present should know what he had done, and why they had met to do him honor. He returned from the war in August of this year, after two years and five months of active service. This brought him to another point. He would like to ask who waß going to look after such men ? men who were disabled and had their means of livelihood taken away from them. He could remember the Premier stating when the First Contingent went away : ' Our boys will be the Colony's care when they return.' Now, here was a case — one among many — where settlement was not as prompt as it ought to be. He hoped that when Lieutenant Hickey applied for his pension, not only would he get one from the Colonial, but also one from the Imperial Government. The Mayor then presented Lieutenant Hickey— who, he suggested, might in future be known as ' Fighting Dan ' — with a gold chain, sovereign case, and pendant bearing the following inscription : — 'Presented to Lieutenant D. A. Hickey, late of the Fourth and Seventh Contingents, by citizens of Dunedin, New Zealand, in recognition of Mb distinguished services during the South African war.' Lieutenant Hickey replied in a speech which was notable for the modest manner in which he bpoke of his deeds in South Afiica, and for the complimentary references made to the New Zealand men, who, he said, would make ideal soldiers if they had the training received by the regulars.

Other toasts proposed during the evening were ' The Army, Navy, and Volunteers,' eiven by Mr G. Bell and replied to by Mr J. B. Gallan and Lieutenant-Colonel Smith ; ' The New Zealand Contingents' was proposed by Mr R. Chisholm and replied to by Coonel Robin, C.B.