The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-13 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAI,a):

We have a file of the New Zealand Spectator and Goa's.
Straits
Guardian, published at Wellington, New Zealand,
"3 the 23d May. These papers supply us with the offi-
cial and other details of the affair of " The Hutt," in
Which,
•
,_,.. it will be seen, •six men of the 58th Foot were
tilled, and four wounded, by the natives (Maories), led
ea by -,-,
, aa,„ Ran
k giaheata, who took so active a part in the
1„
the disputes in the northern parts of the colony.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
TO TELE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR.
Wellington, May 21, 1846. I
begSil---At the desire of his Honour Major Richmond, L o hand you copies of the reports of Major Last. and
th el' Page, relative to the late attack by the natives on
reb a eetacbment of the 58th Regiment stationed at Mr.
eott's farm on the Hutt, in order that the public may
e to Possession of authentic information on the subject.
I am, Sir, yours obediently,
S. E. GIUMSTONE, Secretary.
(Copy.)
Wellington, May 18, 1846.
I). Sir,--I have the honour to enclose a copy of a letter
made u Page, 58th Regiment, detailing an attack
I„4,`,t_e upon him by the natives on the morning of the
reran hist, in which I regret to state our loss has been
~,"ra, as will be seen by the annexed list of killed and
Wounded out of the 50 men under his command that were
fe_L!le position he and his small party so bravely de-
th":l:d
oak de Farm, about two miles in advance of
ade, containing 50 more of the same regiment
‘,lEr Captain Hardy.
0,11-43 hearing of the attack I instantly dispatched an
to 14) for Captain Hardy and his men to move forward,
the 'aut. Page's support, sending the same number of
to - 99th Regirnent from Wellington by a forced march,
n„:l:l,ace them in the stockade, proceeding myself as
ird) as possible to the scene of action, and on reach-
position, about eleven A.M., just la't fore the rein-
h:l atuent had arrived, I found the enemy were still
~!ertrg in the vicinity of the position, and firing on us
' truer; als from the thick scrub on the opposite bank of
the river.
_ At this time Captain Hardy and party came up and
nseveral volunteers, when I immediately advanced with
Zwhole force (as far as practicable) in extended order,
_ect directed a heavy fire of musketry, which drove the
4„„ruY back and silenced them.
484 he thickness of the forest precluded our being able to
doelta3u what casualties occurred, and there is no
Dr. thq must have been considerable.
paid Galbraith, of the 99th Regiment, on his arrivalhe
ree • e' erY attention to the wounded, whose cases
tbeeivad over from Dr. Turnbull, who happened to be ine
gro„T:eighbourhood at the time, to whom I am uGndair.
b ' obligations for his skill and care until Dr.
raith o
aro doing e ut, and I am happy to say the wounded men
wo
I have the honour to be, Sir,
~. Your most obedient servant,
(signed) - _ EDWARD LAST,

Major, 99th-Regiment, commanding
troops, Southern District.
on our the Superintendent, &c., Wellington.
th11:11,," the killed and wounded of the Force under
Nvh.r°ls3nlalid of Lieutenant Page, 58th Regiment,
the
aY, 1846 l e resisting an attack of the rebellious natives in
VallPy of the Hutt on the morning of the 16th
Biped
.
~ocl
Regiment—Larce Corporal James
Dolt, 'ill ; P
t rivates William .Allm, Robert Blot, Thos.
M'Fadden, T. Sonham. . Total killed, 6.
Pr",114(1.--Lance Sergeant Ingram (severely);
Tottlies Patrick 13evatt;
Thomas Taller, Johu Ward.

(Copy.)
Camp River Hutt, May 16, 1846.
4eur b,.r have the honour to state that about half an
Where 11, re; daylight this morning the sentry in front of
kariries (?rinkit'g picqueC was posted observed several
%toy h "1111 g, towards him ; he fired, when irornedi-
leundii, eavY rush was mnc'o from all parts of the stir-
"IRIAN4 v(441. The piequet was overpowered in an
- "
11110 Maories thou surrounded the outhouses
bp a }l,3' Part of the troops, at the same time keeping
°leek ta/ fire. Sergeant; Norton here succeeded in
)2043,,34.1 V g
flow with a few men who got out of the
two 4 I rushed from the lack part of my house with
sallie,,-rrvanfs, but we were driven back directly. We
mad,, again, and with a few men who joined up,
made °ur way at last to the barn, round which I had
Ott
Priv a Sloan stockade, occupied by half my force (25).
Its Zing there, I advanced in extended order, with
take 4y More of the men. as I could in all safety
ttepos Iretu the stockade, and drove the einem.);
ho 8 the river. They aim plundered house
PrA"ging to a settler of , the name of M Hardie.
hts'4l, the darkness we wore unable to judge accu-
-QIY of their numbers; from those we saw, andthethree
wyar dance they had afterwards, I should supose
Were about 900. I feel convineced but that for. the alert-
vet
4 of all turning out, and 1, the determination of the
we should all have falren. The enemy were so
`"lpletely superior in numbers, and having the advan-
ig of knowing the ground,. and watching us for some
tbefore the alarm was given. It was impossible to
13T," in the outhouses, as none of them would resist a
in" in the slightest degree., I am sorry to say our
'„ -s: et has been severe for the number of men engaged;
0-Cl of the enemy were killed, but carried away by
iours directly they fell. Ihalvee the honour to be, Sir,
°l'edient servant,
(Signed) G. HYDE PAGE,
Lieutenant 58th Regiment.
t, 99th Regiment.
POSTSCRIPT.
henl)_°,etor Turnbull, of the Wellington militia, who hap-
iv,: 11 to be in the neighbourhood, arrived about two
uura after with some volunteers. He also rendered
every a
the ssutance in his power to the s.vounded men till
arrival of Dr. Galbraith from Wellington.
(The eg to enclose a list of the killed and wouvled.
names are the same as mentioned above).
• True copy,
M. Richmond, Superintendent.

FURTHER DETAILS.
(From the New Zealand Spectator, May 23.)
We have put together in a. connected narrative the
Particulars of the attack on the troops last Saturday,
and an account of the events .of the past week. It may
be necessary, however, for the information of our readers
at a distance, to state that during the preceding week a
Gov
general opinion was entertained that some sudden
°vernent was in contemplation by Rangihaeata and the
natives acting under him. Their firing on the recon-
noitring party from the camp at Porirua, on the 10th
hist., was a declaration of open hostilities on their part,
b 1144 as no measures were taken to punish this outrage,
olds confidently expected that Rangihaeata, em-
ted by impunity, would proceed to further extre-
nsities.
~,, As we mentioned !test week, the troops sta-
tii"-‘i at Porirua were warned, that a sudden attack was
.atended, and an order was in consequence issued that tbilel, should be under arms every morning at daybreak.
'4 runi's warning and offers of assistance, as we have
*Pr:l,74'O4Y stated,s were treated by Major Richmond
" indifference and neglect. On Friday, the day be-
ire the attack, Muturoa, one of the principal chiefs of
Pitea Pa, called on Major Richmond to warn him of
but his
danger and to offer the assistance of his tribe
,i assistance was declined and his warningsde-
;
ar'sed- Accordingly, at daybreak on Saturday morning,
4 censidtrable body of natives, amounting to
about 200 in number, had arrived in the valley of the
utt, with the intention of surprising and cutting off the
cletachment of the 58th Regiment, stationed at Mr. Bout-
9,b,tt's section, about two mils above the stockade at the
Il'Ant bridge. The party of soldiers amounted to 42 '
l,en, 14 of whom were quartered in Mr. Boulcott's barn,
the immediate neighbourhood. Lieutenant Page, the
'lacer in command, and his servant, occupied Mr. Boni-
eott's house, and Mr. Boulcott and his two servants were
eoThe rebels were under the
4 small house adjoining.
Some of the rebels entered
tlslmand of Kaparetehau.
d M'Hardie, and enjoining
h.e house of a settler
directed them immediately
;.,111 ]Fend his wife to silnenaonle,e
on leaving her house,
4." the spot. Mrs. WHardie,
Look
v., shelter behind a fallen tree,
engagement.
from her place of
The witnessed the whole of the
the sentinel, who, on
LeThe first alarm was given by
roue the noise, fired his piece and endeavoured to
were the the Picquet. Immediate!), three heavy volleys
the Poured into the tents in quick succession ly
11u natives, and they rushed on with loudirs yellsv‘,,ere
,5, the work of destruction. Four of the soldiers
Mahawked on the spot in one tent. One of them,
'Who
I, , acted as bugler to the company,
eouly. On the first alarm he seized his bugle, and while in
hawk
behaved most
t of sounding the instrument, a blow from attooma-
.the
~, nearly severed his arm, and struck him
thewarn "We with his other hand and attempted to i
eonarades of their danger, when a second stroke of thee
tomahawk nearly severed his head from his body. The
Prise evidently calculated on taking the party by sur-
Prise, and hoped that in the confusion of an unexpected
attack they would fall an easy prey. But though sur-
prised and surrounded by superior numbers, the troops
fought with the most devoted courage and gallantry, and
fully sustained the reputation of British soldiers. Lieu•
tenant Page had some difficulty in cutting his way from
his house, which was surrounded by the rebels. This
at length he effected, and Putting himself at the head of
his men, animated them by his presence and examp'e•
The party stationed in the barn behaved with the ut-
Most coolness. They divided themselves into two par-
ties of seven each, firing by turns, and then retreated
!inder cover of the barn to load again. In the
ith ljight of the engagement a
Ylo part o seven o
e Butt militia, who had been disbandedf on the pre-
f
us Monday, attracted by the sound of firing, most
Issravely repaired to the spot, and by their presence in-
pired the troo with renewed courage, and materially
Nevin tope success of the day, for the rebels, be-
kegalieving that furttier reinforcements were close at hand,
nto give way, and were finally driven across the
r.,,lver taking with them their dead and wounded. The
fir
partlasted about au hour and a half. The loss on the
toniaof the troops is six killed (four of whom were
hawked at the commencement of the attack) and
five wounded. We refer to the official dispatches for the
trees of the killed and wounded.
.:The loss on the part of the rebels has not been cor-
hNy aseertaieed, as they carefully carried off every
glYewho fell in the engagement. Two were knOwn to
been killed, and several were wounded very badly.
It Is believed that the total amount of their killed end
_voltaded is thirteen. There is no question that they
w.ere completely repulsed, and were forced to recross the
triver by this heroic little band. The tents were com-
1141Y riddled with bullets, the alaories firing low in the
let ef that the soldiers were in bed. A party of the
"ries firei several volley's into Mr. Ilouleott's house,
-"Jew/ ate ira,yession that it was occupied by soldiers,