The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-15 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

NEW ZEALAND.
THE NATIVE WAR AT TARANAKI.

DEFEAT OF THE NATIVES WITH CON-
SIDERABLE LOSS.
(From the Sydney Morning Herald of Juno 20.)

The I. R. M. Co.'s steamer Prince Alfred brings
news to the Gth instant, from Taranaki.
The Herald of that date says :

It is very cheering that the first important move of
General Cameron hen resulted iu a decided success. Early
on the morning of the 4th, fire was opened simultaneously
by Captain lieroer's artillery and her Majesty's ship
Eclipse. The plan of action seems to have been equally
well devised and executed. especially in the all•important
element of rapidity, and the result was what might have
been expected; and shows what English soldiers can do
when properly led, and that the way to deal successfully
with rifle pits in open ground is to take them at the point
of the bayonet.

The loss inflicted on the enemy was large considering his
slippery nature ; and it seems at first sight a little curious
that not a single Taranaki should be among the dead.
The following is the official notification of the engage-
ment, made by command of his Excellency the Governor :
"Colonial Sccretary's-office, Auckland, June 5.

" Ills Excellency the Governor directs it to be notified
that Lieut.-General Cameron, C. 8., left the town of New
Plymouth at 9 p.m. on the 3rd instant, accompanied by
a military force, and arrived at Tatarairnaka at 4 a.m.
yesterday morni2g (the 4th instant). The force under his
command at that point being made up of the head-quarter
companies of the 57th and 70th Regiment*, of a detachment
of the 65th Regiment, of three Armstrong guns sod the
greater part of the men of Captain Mercer's battery, and of
• small detachment of the Ro►al Engineer*, the force being
in all about 650 strong.

"The attack commenced at 6.45 yesterday morning.
The force crossed the Katikara River, and attacked the
eaemy's position on the left bank of that stream, which it
carried, totally routing the enemy, who fled in oingusion,
leaving twenty-two of his dead on one part of the field.
"The lieut.-general states that Colonel Warre, C. 8.,
and the 57th Regiment under his command, availed them.
seined an opportunity afforded them by carrying, with the
greatest gallantry, a redoubt of the enemy where the prin-
cipal fighting took place.
"The loss on our side was one private killed, and two
mortally, aed two severely wounded of the 57th Regiment ;
and one private severely wounded of the 70th Regiment.
" Her Majesty's ship Eclipse, under the command of
Captain Mayne, R.N., sailed from New Plymouth at four
a.m., yesterday morning, and arrived off the Katikara River
at the hour arranged with the lieutenant-general, so as to
co-operate most usefully with the military force from the
commencement of the attack, by shelling the enemy's works.
"The lieutenant general and part of the force returned
in H.M.S. Eclipse to New Plymouth the same morning,
reaching that place at one p.m., the remainder of the force
marching back to town.
"By his Excellency's command,
" ALritzu Dorarr."

The special correspondent of the Nelson E., -
a/flitter, writing ou the Bth from Taranaki, reports
as follows :

To prevent the pouibility of being betrayed by the
friendly natives who infest the town, the intended expedi-
tion was kept a profound secret. The troops started at
intervals in very small parties, and on reaching their desti-
nation were encamped in gullies, out of sight of the enemy's
look-out of Kstitake, at the ranges. Ammunition was sent
down as provision for the outposts, and other means adopted
for keeping the expedition quiet. The result was a sur-
prise, and a success as complete as is likely to be got at any
one time over an enemy who is scared like • rabbit,
and diverse/ when the odds are against him. For
some time the natives had been observed busily occupied in
digging rifle pits, from some of which they annoyed the
Tataraimaka camp, and were constructing • redoubt after
the plan of our own when the attack was made. The pita
the natives relied on with such confidence were gallantly
charged by Colonel Warre, and many a Crimean hero used
to such work. The redoubt was as gallantly carried, and
the huts and palings were soon in flames. Twenty-four
bodies of natives were collected, and when the ruins could
be inspected, several skeletons were seen. About 150 natives
are supposed to bare escaped. Of these some must have
been wounded from the continuous fire directed at the posi-
Um One or two women were amongst the fallen, and some
few wounded nun are stated to have been despatched with
the bayonet in the final rush. The killed are variously
stated i.t fr m4O to 100. The loan on our side was only one
killed and four wounded. Of the wounded, two, we are
sorry to my, have since died. On inspecting the bodies, it
appeared that the defenders of the position were chiefly
from the Warqabui tribe ; none of the men of Taranaki,
Nga.iruanui. or Nipitimaniapota felL
The following in au official list of the casualties
in the attack on the native position :

57111 Rixamicir.
KILLED.

Private FAward Martin.

O.OI:NDED.

Private H. Shipmao, mortal, wound in head (since dead).
Private J. Osborne, dangerously, wound of abdomen
(since dead).
Private P. Flaherty. severely, gunshot, shoulder.
„ J. Evans, severely, gunshot, wrist.
„ Id. Fox, slightly, thumb.
„ J. Deegan, slightly, gunshot, face.
„ I). Hurley, slightly, tomahawk, ankle.
„ Isaac Morton, severely contusion, both thighs.
~ B. Stack pool, severely. tomahawk, shin.
70TH Recorder.

WouNosp.—Private William Wallace, severely, gunshot,
elbow.

We give also the Taranaki herald's version of
the surprise and assault:
At about 9 o'clock on Wednesday evening, SI of the Gsth
Regiment, under Captain Cresson sod Lieutenants Lewis
sad Chevalier ; 90 men of the 40th Regiment, under

Lieutenants Hobbs and Ensign Docrow ; 228 men of the
70th Regiment, under Major Mulock, Captains Rothe,-
ford, Tovey, Ralston, and Cay, Lieutenants Hoskissois sad
Grienoo, Ensign Clarks. and Young, and Dr. Meiklebao ;
also, 119 of the artillery corps under Captain Mercer.
R.A., and Lieutenants Rait and Larcom—in all about 450
rank and file—together with Lieutenant-Colonel Gamble,
D.Q.G., Lieut.-Colonel Hutchins, military secretary, Major
Paul, Dr. Mouat, C. 8., Captain Travers, LT-C-, Major
M Neil, A.D.C., Captain Gorton, A.D.C., Dr. Teem
Kneen, D.A.C.G. Innen, and Mr. Paris, whited,
native secretary—the whole under the command of Lien-
tenant-General Cameron, C.B.—marched from town by
the Great South-road. The carts, with necesearies, sup.
plies, ammunition, &c., had been previously sent to Oakttra,
Igo that the troops marched away noiselessly. On reschiag
the Pobtoko Redoubt the force wag joined by a party of
the 57th Regiment under Colonel Warre, C. 8., Captain
Russell, Adjutant Clarke, Ensign Douglass, Dr. Mackin-
non, and Quartermaster Martindale, the detachment or
the 40th being left there in garrison under Lieutenant
Hobbs. At ()Aura the force was joined by a detach.
meat of the 70th under Captain Wright, who had pro-
ceeded there in the morning, a company of the 70th, under
Captain Tovey. remaining to garrison that poet. The
troops, observing a dead silence, with a party of skir.
mialiers along the heights. proceeded to Tataraimaka, when
they were reinforced by Lieutenant-Colonel Lope, Captain
Shortt, Ensign Duncan, and Lieutenant Warburton,
with a detachment of the 57th from Oakum, together with
Lieutenant Pickard, R. A., and three Armstrong guns and a
detachment of Mounted Artillery, and Lieutenant Fee.
gluon. R.E., with a sergeant and six men of the &Ocean.
The whole force assembled at St. George's Redoubt and
waited impatiently there till daylight. The force was then
formed in rear of the redoubt as follows :—The 57th. in-
cluding the Tataraimalt• detachment, under Colonel Warn,
Lieutenant-Colonel Logan, Captains Woodall,
and Shertt, Lieutenants Bretton, Waller. Cox, Thompson,
Adjutant Clarke, and Resigns Manners, Duncan, Douglas',
and Brotherip, aa the advance—the G3th and 70th to
follow as a support. At about 6.15 a.m. the force
advanced to the attack, the coarse taken being to the left of
the redoubt, over Early 's farm. After marching about 400
yards, the Armstrong battery halted, and war posted on the
edge of the ridge overhanging the Ketikara river. Here
the guns immediately wheeled up and fired into the native
redoubt about 800 yards distant, directly inland—the 57th
at the same time doubling down the valley in single file to
attack the rifle pits to the right of the enemy's position.
After dashing acres* the stream and ascending the opposite
height, the advance under Lieutenant Waller and Lieutenant
Bretton, with their colonel in command, immediately rushed
the rifle pita to the right, and drove the enemy from their
position above the mouth of the river, thereby opening up
the road to the reserves, which came rapidly up, while
the supporting party, under Lieutenant-Colonel Loges,
Captains Shortt and Russell, and Ensigns Manners,
Duncan, and Douglass, having been fired upon from the
redoubt, turned to their left, and running over an open space
of 300 yards, with fi red bayonets, stormed the place, killing
every native found in it. Captain Shortt with his party,
and Captain Russell with hie, rushed the redoubt almost
simultaneously, while Ensign Duncan was coming over at
another part. Captain Shortt claims to be first in, and
Colonel Logan, who dismounted from his horse just outside,
went in immediately after. The men behaved well, and
nothing could restrain the impetuosity of the charge. The
natives were at once driven into their holes, where the
bayonet did its work. On the right Colonel Warre's party
cleared the rifle-pits, and pursued the flying enemy south-
' wards and inland, Colonel Warre leading his men through
the high fern with conspicuous gallantry—the 65th and the
70th coming up in time, by the right of St. George's redoubt,
and up the !Caterers valley, to be of essential service. The
brunt of the action was borne by the 57th, as will be seen
by the list of casualties. The general was highly pleased
with the gallant manner in which the enemy's positions
were carried, and, we are told. complimented Colonel Warre
and his men on the spot, telling the colonel "he ought to
be proud to command so fine a regiment—well done 57th.°
When the Armatroup ceased firing (the practice of which
I was excellent), Lieutenant Rait and a part of the artillery,
with their swords and revolvers, crossed the gully and river
to the left to try and intercept the retreat of the enemy
from their redoubt. The Msori position taken by Lieutenant.
II Colonel Logan's party, in which were several where*, was
fired, and the enemy pursued in all directions. The bodies
of the natives killed (twenty-four in number) were brought
to the Tataraimaka camp in transport carts, and several
persons asked if they could identify any of them. Only one
was supposed by Komene to be Tamati Hone °mullein,
' chief of the Ngaruahine division of the Ngatirusoui tribe,
but it was almost impossible to tell from the fact of one-
half of the head having been blown away by a shell. Tan.
oahi and Ngatiruanni natives would have been recognised.
We, therefore, suppose that the natives killed were mostly
from Wanganui. Several guns have been taken, and a fine
Waist (chief's spear) and aeveral tomahawks are trophies
in the hands of the men. The spear was sold to an ottloer
for 10/. The Eclipse was anchored off the Katikara valley,
and threw some shells while the troops were advancing
to the attack. A shell from her Armstrong gnu was thrown
with admirable precision, and the distance judged exactly.
The ship lay within a mile of the native redoubt, and one
'hell fell into this centre of it, and killed at least one
native, for a piece of the fuse was found in one of the
bodies, which Commander Mayne has preserved. The loss
of the natives may be safely estimated at about 40 killed
and a great number wounded. The bodies brought in were
only those killed in the redoubt, and it is known that
several natives were shot while retreating. Where every.
one did his duty in this decisive affair we need not pirticu-
kris°, and will only mention that the general, who directed
and planned the attack, and who occupied a foremost place,
and the officers and men who stormed the Maori positions.
deserve the thanks of the colony. The natives were taken
by surprise, sod our casualties were mostly caused by the
first volleys fired when the 57th rushed up.
The Herald publishes the following from goieral
orders of June 5 :

The lieutenant-general t►kes this opportunity of offering
his best thanks to Captain Brown and the officers and men
of the Taranaki Militia and Volunteers for enabling him to
collect an adequate force for the attack, by undertaking
the entire protection of the town of New Plymouth in the
absence of the regular troops, as well as for the good will
and zeal with which they have always shared the arduous
duty since the commencement of hostilities.
By command,

W. J. TIUTCHIN,,
Lieuteeant.Colooel, A.sistant!Rally Svcretary.
The same paper remarks :

It is said that the Mataitawa natives have gone over to
the enemy, and have signified their intention to murder
and maraud at the north of the toe°. Little Paul told OA
he and W. King's people should 'pin the enemy, and he has
been as good as his word, although when interrogated by
the government on the subject, he prevaricated and acid he
did • not tell us so. Now that Waiters has been given up,
it will be seen whether W. King and his followers fought
for it or for !Lori inana and the land league. it is said
that Tarnati Teito (our old friend the prophet) has a:id to
the Datives, "Kill, and spare not." We may add that
during his excellency's visit the filataitewa natives have
been daily in town, and have m►de considerable purchases
of clothing and necessaries..