# Victoria: with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong/Chapter 6

CHAPTER VI.
"And there was mounting in hot haste: the steed,  The mustering squadron, and the clattering car,  Went pouring forth with impetuous speed,  And swiftly forming in the ranks of war:  And the deep thunder, peal on peal, afar;  And near, the beat of the alarming drum  Roused up the soldier ere the morning star;  While thronged the citizens, with terror dumb, Or whispering, with white lips, "The foe! they come! they come!" "
Byron.
IN the foregoing chapter we touched lightly on the disturbances, and how, in the burning of the Eureka Hotel, the authorities and the people came into collision,—such constituting offences against the order of society and the laws of the land, which it was impossible to overlook. The leaders of this outbreak were, therefore, arrested and placed on their trial; the jury found them guilty, remarking, however, in their verdict, that the conduct of the Ballaarat authorities was censurable. The judge having passed extremely lenient sentences on the offenders, it was hoped that the matter would quietly end. That hope proved fallacious, for the digger population regarded the Eureka rioters as martyrs; convened meetings, and proceeded to muster, ​drill their forces, and entrench a position in their own encampment; making every preparation for a struggle and conflict.
On the 28th of November, 1854, a detachment of military arrived at the encampment of Ballaarat, after a long and tedious march. Their arrival was greeted by the hootings and shoutings of a large concourse of people that assembled round them. With the greatest possible forbearance, and with steady pace and unbroken order, the gallant and undaunted veterans of the 40th regiment passed quietly through the infuriated rabble. An hour afterwards, another detachment of the 12th regiment, with arms, ammunition carts, and baggage, came in by the Eureka.
The people, excited by their demagogues and leaders, and upbraided with their pusillanimity for not attacking the preceding detachment, closed upon this body with greater determination, heaping on them every term of abuse they could; and at length, exasperated by the cool steadiness of the more youthful regiment, rushed on them, and a severe conflict arose. By the coolness and decision of their officer, confining all his attention to the safety of his party and his escort, at the point of the bayonet alone, they succeeded in gaining their camp. Unfortunately, in the melee two carts out of the eight which the escort had charge of were broken to pieces and rifled. Being thus abandoned, several shots were fired at the soldiers, one being mortally wounded.
​After another hour, another party came up about dusk, comprising a detachment of the 40th regiment and some mounted troopers. They, coming by another route, were attacked on the bridge, but, forming into close order, with their mounted force as guards, they soon cleared the bridge and gained their camp without any serious injury (though several shots were fired) beyond a few slight wounds, and many of the horses wounded.
On that evening dispatches were sent off with full particulars—Captain Thomas, who commanded the force there, deeming it expedient to hasten the march of the troops supposed to be en route for Ballaarat. On the morning of the 30th, intelligence reached the camp that the whole of the 12th regiment, stationed at Melbourne, the remainder of the 40th regiment, a detachment of seamen from H. M. ships Fantome and Electra, with several field-pieces, under the immediate command of Major-General Sir R. Nickle, Commander of the Forces in Australia, had left that morning for the scene of action; and on the morning of the 2nd he received private information that a chosen band of three hundred of the insurgents had gone off to intercept them; also, that the diggers were strongly entrenching themselves, and making every preparation, as before stated, for a serious conflict. As, however, this is minutely described in Captain Thomas' dispatches to the General commanding, we will relate it in his own words:—
"Camp, Ballaarat, December 3, 1854.
"In the course of the afternoon Mr. Commissioner Amos, in charge of the Eureka station, arrived here, and reported that an armed party of the rebels had ​marched up to his camp, taking him prisoner, and subsequently released him, but kept possession of his horse.
"During the whole of that day strong parties of insurgents were parading the diggings in every direction, many of them, in sight of the camp, robbing stores, collecting arms, and forcing people to join their ranks. I did not consider it prudent to attack them, as they were not collected in any one spot, and the safety of the camp would have been risked had a larger portion of the force been withdrawn. I determined, however, to attack their camp at daylight the next morning; for this purpose the troops were ordered to assemble at half-past 2 a.m. At 3 o'clock I left, with the following force, mounted: escort of the 40th regiment, thirty men under Lieutenants Hall and Gardyne; mounted police under Sub-Inspectors Furnell, Langley, Chomley, and Lieutenant Cassack, and seventy men; 12th regiment, under Captain Quade and Lieutenant Paul, with sixty-five rank and file; 40th regiment, under Captain Wise, Lieutenants Bowdler and Richards, with eighty-seven rank and file, and twenty-four foot police under Sub-Inspector Carter. The total number of troops were, one hundred mounted men, and one hundred and seventy-six foot; the remainder of the troops and police I left to guard the camp, under the command of Captain Atkinson, of the 12th regiment; having with me, Mr. Commissioner Amos, Mr. Hackett, P. M., and Mr. G. Webster, Civil ​Commissary, as the three magistrates to authorize my proceedings.
"In excellent order, and perfect silence, the force arrived in about half an hour in front of the rebel entrenchments, and about three hundred yards from it, and under cover of a rise of the ground. The detachments of the 12th and 40th regiments extended then in skirmishing order, each having its proper support. Part of the mounted force of military and police moved towards the left of their position to threaten its flank and rear; the remainder of the mounted force and foot police were kept in reserve. We then advanced quietly to the entrenchments, where the revolutionary flag was flying; at about one hundred and fifty yards, as we advanced, we were received by rather sharp and well-directed fire from the insurgents, without word or challenge on their part; then, and not till then, I ordered the bugle to sound the 'commence firing;' for about ten minutes a heavy fire was kept up by the troops advancing, which was replied to by our opponents. During this time I brought up the infantry supports and foot police. The entrenchment was then carried and taken by the point of the bayonet; the insurgents retreating, I ordered the firing to cease. All persons found within the entrenchment were taken prisoners, and many of the fugitives were intercepted by the cavalry. I then marched the infantry and a portion of the mounted police, in charge of the prisoners and wounded, to camp, directing the remainder of the ​cavalry to recover the Government camp at the Eureka, which was about five hundred yards distant from the place where we then stood, and which was reported to be in possession of the insurgents. They found it had been occupied by them during the night, and that it had subsequently been deserted; the whole force, accordingly, returned to camp.
"The prisoners brought in were in number 128; a few of them, however, I ordered to be released, as I was not satisfied of their being in the engagement, though they were taken in the immediate neighbourhood. Several have been taken since on the charge of insurrection, which makes the number now in custody to be 114.
"The behaviour of the troops and police, both officers and men, in this skirmish was very good; and whilst I hope the Major-General will be pleased to convey to his Excellency my appreciation of the conduct of the whole police force under my command, I feel it right particularly to notice the extreme steadiness of the foot police under Captain Garter, who were brought up with the supports to carry the entrenchment.
"I am most desirous of acknowledging the great assistance I received in this affair, and in all the arrangements connected with my command, from Captain Pasley, R.E., who was good enough to act as my aide-de-camp on this occasion, and joined the skirmishers in their advance. Mr. Webster remained under fire the whole time, giving me the benefit of his services. Mr. Hackett, the police magistrate. ​remained with the infantry; and Mr. Amos guided the cavalry to their position.
"I cannot omit from my dispatch the expression of my deep regret at the dangerous wound received by Captain Wise of the 40th Regiment, who, remaining at his post after getting a slight wound, fell on the inside of the entrenchment when conspicuously leading his company to the attack. Lieutenant Paul, 12th Regiment, also received a severe wound, but continued to do his duty in the ranks.
"The number of killed and wounded on the side of the insurgents was great, but I have no means of ascertaining it correctly. I have reason, however, to believe that there were not less than thirty killed on the spot, and I know that many have since died of their wounds. Amongst these and the persons in custody, several leaders of the insurrection appear, two of whom lie dangerously if not mortally wounded in hotels near the spot.
"The effect of this blow has been that the police now patrol, in small bodies, the length and breadth of the Ballaarat Gold Fields, without threats or insults. To such of the wounded as have not been removed, I have sent medical assistance, and have caused the unclaimed dead to be taken away and buried in the cemetery.
"J.W.Thomas, "Captain, 40th Regiment, "Commanding troops at Ballaarat.
"Deputy Adjutant-General, "Head Quarters."
​"P.S.—Annexed is the list of casualties, copied from the surgeon's report:—
"'Ballaarat, December 3, 1854.
We have copied verbatim Captain Thomas' report, as the various other reports circulated through the papers seem so contradictory that we can scarce place reliance upon them; and still we would, 'ere we pass on to other matters, give to our readers one or two extracts, on which we think some degree of reliance may be placed, though still tainted with the feeling of partiality, consequent on the violent state of party spirit abroad. Thus, the "Ballaarat Times," which was published in black borders, as in mourning for the event, thus writes:—
"The majority of the population retired to rest as usual, owing to a notice to that effect from the officer commanding the troops. Some time about 6 o'clock were seen the passing troops returning from the conflict, bearing with them the dead and wounded, and driving before them at the bayonet's point prisoners taken at the Eureka stockade. The armed diggers that were on duty ​at various places returned early to their camp, where they took up their quarters. Sentries were placed, and every precaution taken to prevent surprise from the military, which, however, was effected about 4 o'clock A.M. It would appear that there was some treachery in the matter, inasmuch as a party had been decoyed to look after arms, and the sentinels failed to perform their duty. However that matter stood, the Eureka party was fairly surprised, and had only time to order the men to 'fall in,' when a withering volley was poured in on them from the military. The diggers immediately returned the fire, and the melée became general. The soldiers made a rush and carried the stockade in a short time,—one principal reason of this being, the difficulty laboured under, from inexperience in loading the fire-arms, to return anything like an equal fire.
"Several of those present got off, and many prisoners were taken, to which were afterwards added all those who were so unfortunate as to show their heads out of their tents as the force marched back in triumph, carrying the dead bodies. To do the soldiers justice, while discharging their duty they were generally merciful, until the affair was over, when it is said the officers had to keep them in, or they would have butchered the prisoners in cold blood.
"The mounted troopers are coming in for a large share of ill-will; without an opportunity (and perhaps ​it was as well so) to prove their valour, they contented themselves with waylaying the unarmed and innocent, who were so unfortunate as to exhibit themselves. A former reporter of our own, lately connected with the Melbourne 'Morning Herald' here, was drawn to see what was going on by hearing the noise; on seeing how matters stood, he was returning to his tent, not far off, when a trooper intercepted him. He was handcuffed by two other troopers who came up, and driven to the mob of prisoners there collected. He is said to be mortally wounded.
"The spectacle presented at the stockade this morning was sufficient to appal the stoutest heart. About twenty dead bodies (many of them riddled with balls), pikes, spent balls, and pools of blood, showed where the contest had been most deadly. It is said that there were several more bodies, but that they were removed by friends early in the morning.
"The place, which has been visited by nearly all the diggers before this, is situated a little beyond the late Eureka Hotel, nearer the Eureka line.
"The men who were killed in the stockade are, many of them, unknown, though some are well known to all old residents. Those which remained up till near midday were removed to the camp, and buried at the same time as the soldiers who fell on the occasion. Of those who escaped but little is known, and that little is contradictory.
"About noon another notice was given out:—
" 'Notice!
" 'Government Camp, Ballaarat, " 'December 3, 1854.
" 'Robt. Rede, " 'Resident Commissioner.'
"Since writing the above, we have heard that the armed diggers fired at the soldiers first. We can with difficulty make out the truth, owing to parties who know the particulars being unwilling to furnish them."
This extract is the least exaggerated account we have had of the affair, and still, we must observe, that the leading paragraphs are evidently intended to mislead the reader into the belief that the community at large were not implicated, or even aware of the insurrectionary movements, and perfectly ​obedient to the orders of their rulers. From another source, and one of the insurrectionary party, we have received the following version of the affair:—
"About daybreak on Sunday morning, 3rd inst, we were awakened by the cry—'The military are coming to attack us.' We had no sooner fallen into our different divisions, than a man in the fourth division fired a shot, said to be accidental, and when we had taken up our several positions in the barricades, he fired again: at this moment the military fired their first volley on us, and as they fired their second, we fired our first.
"The soldiers now rushed on the barricades, when we retreated, driven back at the point of the bayonet, still fighting as we retreated, and disputing every inch of the ground. One soldier whom I had disabled ran his bayonet through my comrade, when I put a bullet through him, and then retreating, fell over some slabs, and lay so till the conflict passed on to another part. I then endeavoured to escape through the broken barricade, but meeting some five or six comrades, we drew together behind a chimney, and fired at a party of troopers who were leading away some prisoners. They immediately turned on us, and ere we could gain a more secure retreat, we were cut down to a man, and, wounded and weary, driven to the camp. Several of the prisoners told us that they were surrounded ​when concealed in a tent, and fired upon, shot down as they attempted to escape."
Such are the accounts of the emeute. On the following day all was quiet, and ere a week had passed over the lesson thus taught to the insurgents entirely put a stop to their violent and outrageous opposition to the constituted authority over them. A general amnesty was declared; the martial law which had been proclaimed on the arrival of Sir Robert Nickle and the troops under his command in a few days was remitted, and the diggers returned quietly to their original occupation; and the seeds of rebellion, so fearful and dangerous to the public welfare, were thus, by the prompt measures of Captain Thomas, checked in the bud, and the peace of the community fully established.
For some time after the arrival of the military, considerable caution was taken to prevent any recurrence of any enrolment or combining of forces amongst the disaffected, and high rewards were offered for the apprehension of the leaders and instigators of the rebellion, more especially for their generalissimo. Colonel Berne, a German refugee, who, it was said, organized their forces,—a man of considerable talent, daring and impetuous. He was not taken, however, though £300 were offered for him, dead or alive; it is said that he escaped to Melbourne, where, disguised as a woman, he remained for some days, till a sum of money was collected for ​him, and, in the same disguise, left in a ship sailing for California. Several other leaders, however, were taken, and were indicted for high treason, state trials being ordered for them; but of this more anon.
Many anecdotes are told of the military and their opponents during these troublous times. On one occasion a doctor, about to enter the camp, either not knowing or not willing to give the pass-word, was fired at by the sentry, but fortunately the ball only grazed him, passing through his coat; to his angry remonstrance to the General, he was told the soldier had but done his duty. On another occasion, one of the sailors who formed part of the force, like the disciple of Galen, endeavoured to pass the sentry, when, hearing the cocking of his firelock, called out, "Hold hard, mate, and I'll 'bout ship in a jiffy," and, suiting the action to the word, ran off from such a dangerous neighbourhood.
During the storming of the stockade the insurgents fought at a great advantage, having holes and places of refuge to lie in, and suddenly rushing out, firing on the soldiers. A party of soldiers, having put to route a large number, were proceeding at a quick pace to another part of the entrenchment, when one man, losing the percussion cap off his firelock, returned to pick it up, when he was immediately assailed by three or four men, suddenly jumping from a hole; with cool intrepidity he quickly levelled his piece, and fired on them, and, wielding his ​lock with lusty arm, soon cleared the way, and rejoined his comrades unhurt. Among the badly wounded in the affray was a private of the 12th Regiment, Felix Boyle, who had served fourteen years with the 10th Regiment in India, retired from the service with a good pension, two medals, and three clasps (having been engaged in many a brilliant action in the East). He returned unscathed to his native land and birth-place, Belfast, covered with glory, to spend the remainder of his days with his friends, but Felix finding them dispersed, and in very bad circumstances, resolved once more to return to his old profession of arms, and joined the 12th Regiment, then quartered in Ireland, one month previous to embarking for Australia. They had only landed a few days in Melbourne when they were ordered to Ballaarat, where poor Felix was the first victim to fall in the popular outbreak. He received a musket-ball in the mouth, which severely shattered his lower jaw; he lingered a few days, and died.
Space does not permit us to enter more at large into the particulars of this sad affair, and we reserve for the ensuing chapter the circumstances that followed the taking of the stockade, the movements of the troops at the time, and the fate of Captain Wise.