The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-24 00:00:00

his day, my escort, &0., as per margin,* were fired upon by
the natives at Stone Depot, near Baird's Farm. The fire
was opened on my advance guard on both flanks ; and my
right flank and rear were immediately fired upon. The
fire took effect upon the centre of the convoys, one driver
and two horses of his cart fell, vaich, dividing the convoy,
&c., was taken advantage of by tle natives, who, rushing
in force across the road, opened fire in the left flank, thus
exposing my rear-guard, consisting of prisoner and escort,
to a severe fire from the bush on each flank and right rear.
I immediately retired with as many men as I could con-
centrate, and, firing, kept the enemy from surrounding
my very small party, though in stirmishing order. During
the contest the fire of the etemy was well returned,
and I personally saw five or six natives fall. They came
out in the open, but a charge quizkly drove them into the
bush. Finally, their attemptingto surround my party ob-
liged me to retire to Mr. Martin's house, which I occupied
until reinforced. I beg to enact the following list of killed
mad mounded :

"Killed—Privates A. Jamieson, F.lVl‘Grath,and T.Scott.

~ Wounded—Sergeant Lawson, Corporals Glinn and Kee,
Lance Corporal Kavanagh, Privates Keene, Gibbons, H.
Hurst, H. Ryan, A. M. Cague, T. Conners.
ac missing—F. Byrnes, supppsed to have returned to
Queen's Redoubt. This man was a prisoner and unarmed
at the time.—l have, &c.,

" JAMES RING, Capt, 2d battalion 18th Regt.
p.s.—l beg to state that tha conduct of my subaltern,
Ensign Bicknell, and the men Ras admirable, and particu-
larly that of Ensigu Bicknell.
" J. RING, Captain, R. I."

" Head-quarters, Queen's Redoubt, July 31.
gc My Lord,—l have the honour to forward copies of re-
ports (July 23d) from Capt. Ring, 2d battalion 18th, and
Col. Wyatt, 65th Regiment, of a skirmish which took place
between detachments under their command, and a body of
rebels in the bush near Drury.

66 Both Col. Wyatt and Capt. Ring appear to have acted
with great judgment on this occasion, and the officers and
men under their command deserve great credit for their con-
duct; those under Capt. Ring for tho firmness with which
they held their ground a long time against superior numbers,
and those of Col. Wyatt's detachment (including a small
detachment of volunteers, who were for the first time under
fire), for their prompt support of the former, and the gal-
lantry with which they attacked and beat off the enemy.—
I have, &c., " D. A. CAMERON, Lieut.-Gen.
66 The Right Hon. the Secretary of State for War,
War-office, London."

" Camp, near Keri Keri, Wairoa-road, July 23.
" Sir,—l have the honour to state for your information
that at noon, the 22d inst., I received information that two
two settlers had been fired upon by a body of natives, and
that one of the settlers was killed, and, hearing firing in the
vicinity of Pukekewereke, about two miles from my camp,
I immediately proceeded with 100 men of the detachment
under my command, and close to the above named place I
fell in with natives, who were engaged with 16 Volunteers.
I opened fire and the natives retreated to my former en-
trenchment above the whare, at Keri Keri; the firing of
the skirmishers drove them down the side of the hill into
the brushwood ; the leading skirmishers on the right under
Lieutenant Wray, took possession of the hill and kept up
fire on them; I, with another body of skirmishers, pro-
ceeded to take that on the right flank, but found that the
natives, who mastered a strong force, nearly surround me.
Here I lost one man killed, whose rifle and bayonet were
taken possession of by the natives, though not without
serious less to them. I then concentrated my men on the
entrenchment, and having heard from an Artillery officer
who rode up to my position that the 65th Regiment was in
toy immediate vicinity, I requested that he would inform
the officer commanding the 65th Regiment that there was a
track in the enemy's rear, and if an attack were made in that
direction it would be of great service. As it was quite im-
possible for me to follow so strong a force of the enemy
into the bush with my so small a force, I remained in the
entrenched position, until close on sunset, keeping a steady
fire on the enemy,who were endeavouring to obtain the body
and ammunition of the private who was killed, and who I
would not leave. I repeatedly tried to obtain possession of
the body by sending out volunteers of the man's company,
but desisted, finding that it would entail greater loss. I was
about retiring, leaving a rear guard in the entrenchment,
when the Mounted Artillery arrived. Immediately after I
saw the 65th appear. The natives then drew off their right
flanking movement, and retreating into the bush enabled
me to obtain the body of the man of my detachmen;. This
accomplished; the whole force withdrew. I beg to annex
the following list of casualties :—No. 1 Company, No. 925,
Private John Ewins, killed ; No. 1 Company, No. 805,
Private John Hamilton, wounded severely; No. 7 Company,
No. 324, Private Thomas Dunbar, wounded slightly; No,
7 Company, Conway, wounded slightly.
"The officers engaged on this occasion were Lieutenant
Wray, Ensign J. B. Jackson, and Ensign Butts, whose
assistance, coupled with the steadiness of my men, merits
unqualified approbation.—l have, &c.,
" JAMES RING, Captain Royal Irish,
Commanding Detachment.
" The officer commanding troops, Drury."