The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-04 00:00:00

DESPATCHES FROM NETV ZEALAND.

(From the Gazette of lest Evening.)
ADMIRALTY, AUG. 1.
Despatches, of which the following are copies, have been
received by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
from Commodore William Loring, C. 8., Senior Officer of
her Majesty's ships and vessels on the Australian Station :
Her Majesty's ship Iris, Auckland,
April 27, 1860.
Sir,—l have the honour to forward, for the information
of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, copies of
reports which I have received from Captain Cracroft, of her
Majesty's ship Niger, relative to the proceedixgs of a part
of her crev, employed on shore at Taranaki, at the requisi-
tion of his Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.
The capture of the Pah, as described in his letter No. 10,
was, on the part of Captain Cracroft, his officers, and men,
a most dashing and judiciously timed affair.
His Excellency Colonel Gore Browne informs me that it
was most opportune. The death of several of the most
troublesome of the Taranaki Chiefs, and of a considerable
number of their followers, served not only to damp the ar-
dour of the rebellious tribes, but also to avenge some cold
blooded murders which these very people had committed
only a few days previously.
And it is now known that, under God's providence, this
success was also the means of saving the lives of a detach-
ment of the Colonial Volunteers whom the Maories had
beleaguered in a neighbouring house, and whose ammuni-
tion was almost expended.
Captain Cracroft has not mentioned his own personal
share in the affair, but I learn that his coolness on that and
on other occasions was most conspicuous, and that he aid
not undertake this very hazardous service in a spirit of
headstrong gallantry, but from a deliberate conviction that
it was necessary that the attempt should be made, and
therefore it was done, and done most successfully.
Under these circumstances I trust that their Lordships
will authorise me, in accordance with the request of Cap-
tain Cracroft, in his letter No. 11, to decorate William
Odgers, leading seaman, with the Victoria Cross. These
Maori natives are by no means a contemptible foe,—man to
man they are equal to ourselves; and in the storming of
the Pah it could only have been by eager and determined
gallantry that success could have been attained.
I also beg to call their Lordships' attention to his letter
No. 12, enclosing a letter from the Colonel in command of
the troops in another part of the field, and also a letter from
Colonel Gold, Commanding-in.. Chief.
Lieutenant W. H. Blake's conduct, as Senior Lieutenant
of her Majesty's ship Niger, has been uniformly correct
and efficient, and whilst on shore, in command of fifty-five
seamen, he has shown himself a gallant leader.
I much regret to state that his wound is of a serious na-
ture ; and 1 beg very respectfully and strongly to recom-
mend him to the notice of their Lordships as an officer
whose conduct has rendered him worthy of promotion.—l
have, &c., _ _

, .
WILLIAM LORING, Commodore.
To the Secretary of the Admiralty.

Her Majesty's ship Niger, Taranaki,
New Zealand, March 31, 1860.
Sir,—At 1 p.m., on the 28th instant, I received the en-
closed requisition from Colonel Gold ; you are aware
through my letter of proceedings, No. 8, that 55 men be-
longing to this ship, under the command of the first Lieute-
nant, were already landed to assist in the defence of the
town, but as the case appeared urgent and the weather was
fine, I did not hesitate in complying with it, and landed at
2 p.m., with the force detailed in the margin.*
2. We had scarcely taken up a position pointed out to me
by Colonel Gold, when intelligence arrived that Colonel
Murray was hard pressed by the natives and short of am-
munition, and Colonel Gold requested me to advance to his
support. I therefore proceeded to the Omata Blockhouse,
about four miles on the great South-road, from whence I
was enabled to obtain a good view of the country, and of a
Pah constructed on the crown of a hill, about a mile beyond
which displayed flags, and from which a continued fire of
musketry was kept up upon Colonel Murray's force on my
right; here I found Lieutenant Blake, first Lieutenant of
the Niger, just brought in dangerously wounded by a ball
through the breast.
3. I immediately sent Mr. W. H. Hyde, Assistant Pay -
master, doing duty as my aide-de-camp, to inform Colonel
Murray of my arrival; and as it was half-past five, and
there was only half an hour's daylight left, I determined tr.;
attack this Pah at once.

4. Accordingly I planted the 24-pounder rocket tube
about 700 yards from it, and, after a few discharges, the men
stormed the Pah under a heavy fire, in the most gallant style
—William Odgeys, leading seaman, doing duty as my cox-
wain, being the first man in it ; and having captured the
flags, and destroyed everything living in the trenches, as
far as could be ascertained in the dark, I returned to the
blockhouse.

5. In performing this service I am thankful to say that
I had only four men wounded, which may be in some mea-
sure accounted for by the rapidity of the attack, taking the
enemy completely by surprise, and giving no time for the
usual Maori tactics ; while the increasing darkness also
favoured our small force, and prevented a good aim being
taken by their sharpshooters.
6. It was impossible for me to estimate the number op-
posed to us, nor could their exact loss be ascertained-16
dead were counted inside the entrenchment, 11 or 12 were
lying in the road outside ; but no doubt many of the
wounded succeeded in crawling away unobserved.
7. After a short rest at the blockhouse I returned to town,
placed the wounded in military hospitals, and re-embarked
my men, as I did not consider the ship safe without them
at this exposed anchorage.
8. I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of all engaged
in this sharp and decisive affair, more especially the conduct
of William Odgers, leading seaman, to which I shall bring
your more particular notice in another letter.
9. I beg to enclose the surgeon's report of casualties in
the party landed.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) P. CRACROFT,
Captain and Senior Officer in New Zealand.
Commodore Wm. Loring, C. 8., Senior Officer.
List of Casualties in the party from her Majesty's ship
Niger, at the attack and capture of the Maori Pah, on
the 28th March, 1860.
Robert Glanville, captain foretop, severely wounded in
the leg.
George Tozer, ordinary 2d class, severely shot through
the thigh.
William Palmer, private R.M., severely wounded in the
knee.

William Clark, private R.M., severely wounded in the
knee,

(Signed) W PATRICK,
Surgeon, H.M.S. Niger.
(Signed) P. CRACROFT.
Captain and Senior Officer, New Zealand.

(Copy.) •
Her Majesty's ship Niger, Taranaki,
New Zealand, March 31, 1860.
Sir,—With reference to paragraph No. 4 of my letter No.
10, 1860, 1 beg leave most respectfully to lay before you a
statement of the conspicuous gallantry of William Odgers,
leading seaman, upon the occasion of the capture of the
Pah, in having been the first to enter it, in the face of the
heavy fire opened upon us.
He also assisted in hauling down the enemy's colours, in
which act of daring, which was performed under my own
eye, three other men equally participated, viz : Robert
Glanville, captain foretop, William Older, A. 8., and Wil-
liam Clarke, supernumerary marine, belonging to the Iris
carrying your broad pendant.
And I should wish to submit for your consideration,
whether all these men are entitled equally with William
Odgers to the decoration of the Victoria Cross, and if not,
then I should beg leave to recommend William Odgeri for
it, as being the most deserving, for the reason first men-
tioned.

It would be proper to add that Robert Glanville and
Wm. Clarke were both severely wounded in the Pah.—l
have, &c.,
(Signed) P. CRACROFT,
Captain and Senior Officer in New Zealand.
Commodore Wm. Loring, C. 8., Senior officer.

(Copy.)
Her Majesty's ship Niger, Taranaki,
March 31, 1860.
Sir,—Referring to my letter No. 10 of this day, reporting
the service upon which Lieutenant W. H. Blake, senior
lieutenant in charge of a detachment of seamen and ma-
rines, had been employed with the force under the com-
mand of Lieutenant Colonel Murray, 65th Regiment—
I have now the honour to enclose a letter and its en-
closure, received from the Lieutenant-Colonel, expressing
his high sense of the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Blake,
at the action at Ornate, on the 20th inst. in which that
officer was dangerously wounded, as also o the steady good
conduct of the petty officers, seamen, and marines upon

* Lieut. A. J. Villiers;
Mr. W. W. Smyth, Acting
Mate; Mr. S. Gassiot, Midshipman; Mr. W. C. Karslake,
Midshipman; Dr. W. Patrick,, Surgeon; Mr. W. H.
Hyde, Assistant Paymaster. Officers, 7; seamen, 43 ;
marines, 10; total, 60, with a 24-pounder rocket tube.