The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-22 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND.

THIRD REPULSE OF THE BRITISH TROOPS.
(From the Bombay Gentleman's Gazette.)
We are sincerely grieved to lay before our readers, this
morning, an account of a third repulse, by the belligerent
natives of New Zealand, of our troops. In this repulse, as
in the second, no stain attaches to British valour; on the
contrary, there has been much of daring bravery, to the ex•
cess of which (looking how much the feelings of men affect
the judgment even of the sage and experienced, like Colonel
Despard), we cannot but attribute this third disaster.
It will be been, that according to the report of the New
Zealander, a newspaper published in Auckland, a private of
the 96th Regiment was captured by the New Zealanders, and
that, Heki not being present, he was burned alive, and that
his cries were distinctly heard in the British camp. We
heard this before we saw yesterday's Sydney Herald, and in-
dignation and horror made us dread taking up the newspaper
which captained such a recital. In perusing the whole ac•
count, however, we are happy to see the circumstance is not
mentioned in the dispatches of Colonel Despard. May we
therefore hope that no such cries were heard, but that the
report arose ftom incidents and intentions which may be
imagined to have been kindled in a case of so much trouble,
disappointment, and disaster?
The accounts published in this day's Australian wilkinform
our readers of certain things:-
1. That the troops numbered 490 men, and that the guns
which had been taken from Auckland were inefficient—their
recoil being so great as to upset the carriages.
Y. That in consequence a heavy gun from her Majesty's
ship Hazard was subsequently brought to the camp, over
execrable road., with great labour.
3. That on the let of July, at 10 in the morning, after this
gun had opened its fire, "a sudden attack was made on our
position from a very thick wood close in its rear, and Waka's
peuple were driven from it." The position and the gun were
regained by a party of the 58th, with a loss of only one man.
4. That in the afternoon of the same day, after all the
'Mot (26 in number) had been discharged by the Hazard's
gun, the troops were formed in parties for attack and support,
and the storming of the pah took place at or soon after three
o'clock on the afternoon of the same day.
5. That among the orders issued by Colonel Despard was
she, *hat the storming party should provide themselves with
hatchets and axes for cutting away the palisading of the pah,
or stockade, about to be attacked, and also with ropes for
pulling them down.
6. That this order was not obeyed.
7. That the storming party evinced the same high valour
which we have read of in the Peninsula, at Bajados, and
Ciudad Rodrigo, &c.; but that for want of the hatchets, axes,
&c., the brave assailants could make but little impression on
the stockade. They got through the first palisading, but
could make no impression on the second, the enemy being
ranged inside in pits up to their breasts, and firing through
loop-holes not higher from the ground than a foot or so,
which rendered their fire irresistible; for while the British
were attacking the inner palisading, the enemy inside could
coolly take their aim at every advancing soldies To the pali-
sading they could only present their bayonets.
It is evident, from this account of the battle, that the
British have been punished (as great armies have been
often punished before) for their contempt of the enemy.
Had they not despised the natives, both as regards their
bravery and ingenuity, they would not have stormed their
fortress of poles and planks, with 'merely powder and ball
and bayonets.
And we think we may say further, that although hatchets,
axes, and relies in the hands of such brave men, might in
their ardour have enabled them to penetrate the second
barrier of poles and planks, yet the numbers inside would
have cawed an immense slaughter of our troops, supposing
the enemy to have maintained anything like a fight before
they opened their gates and ran. And, consequently,
that nothing but cannon should have been used for the
destruction of the pah ; and that, consequently, until more
heavy guns, or some light artillery could have been obtained
and planted behind entrenchments at such small distances
as would cause the shot to tell, the attack should have been
deferred.
So far, according to the dispatches of Colonel Despard. In
a privateletter, dated the 12th of July, eleven days after the
repulse, the writer speaks of their " finding a way of getting
their large guns to the top of a hill, not far distant from the
pah, and firing down on it." The result of this second
cannonading (on what day soever it took place) was the
evacuation of the fortress in the night ; and it is remarkable
that this evacuation took place two hours before it was known
to our little army.
The negative surprise, and positive surprise of the gun, in
the first instance, seemed to indicate that we had too few
troops to establish a system of pickets, without sacrificing
to a certainty the lives of such pickets. Yet we can hardly
comirrehend how warfare can be carried on without patroles
in advance, either on foot or mounted. But it is very easy
to sit at home, as we now do, and find fault in read-
ing a defeat, when, if we knew all the circumstances,
we should ace that our suggestions had been impossible of
execution.
What eurpr;ses us is, that there is no dispatch from Co-
lonel Despard of the evacuation of the pah, as described in
the private letter alluded to ; nor of bringing up more guns
from her Majesty's ship Hazard ; nor of their being brought
to bear on the pah •, nor of their effects. Yet the evacua-
tion of the f,rtress, being the great object of the expedi-
tion, seems of sufficient importance to merit a distinct
dispatch. We trust this private letter will not turn out mere
hearsay.
Again, if the guns, subsequently to the repulse, brought
from her Majesty's ship Hazard, were, by taking a new po-
sition, made effectual, so far as to cause the enemy to
ova: date their pah, the question instantly occurs, why these
guns were not brought up before the troops were allowed
to storm ? If this private letter prove a true narrative of
events subsequently to the repulse, it is clear that, by delay-
ing operation, only 10 days, there would have been no need
of the assault.
Colonel Despard expressly says, that the surprise of the
gun, by a party of the enemy, caused him to come to an im-
mediate decision ; that is to say, to a determination to storm
the pah that very afternoon. The last event, if the private
letter be correct, shows that the commander should have
determined to use his forces in preventing these surprises ;
and in the meantime, seeing the good effects of a single gun,
to have sent for two or three more before he hazarded an
assault. But, as we have said above, it is easy, at this dis-
tance, to'find fault.
Since writiVg the above, we have been favoured from dif-
ferent sources with the following scraps of intelligence, all
highly interesting either to the public or to individuals :
Ensign O'Reilly was wounded in the elbow so severely,
that if his arm escape amputation, the power of bending it
will not return. Lieutenant Johnsen had a narrow escape.
A ball struck the edge of the peak of his cap, and glancing
aside did him no harm. Major Macpherson was shot in the
fleshy part of the thigh—a painful, but not dangerous wound.
the Gallant Grant (Captain of Grenadiers) had expressed a
presentiment that he should not return alive; it did not,
however, unnerve his arm, for just previously to his being
shot, he had with his sword struck off the head of a New
Zealander in forcing his way through the palisade. His
remains were found mutilated, but had not, as reported, been
exposed in any way to the action of fire. Poor Beattie died
ox the tenth day after the battle.
Of married soldiers, the 99th lost only one. The 58th
lost three sergeants, all married men. Can nothing be done
fir their widows? We are afraid they are too poor and
humble to be thought off. Our Legislative Council might
vote them a trifle a piece.
On occasion of the successful attack which took place with
the Hazard's heavy guns, subsequent to the date of Colonel
Despard's second dispatch, and which we have noticed above
on the authority of a private letter, it is supposed the shot
was very destructive to the enemy in the pah. The
killed were buried previous to its evacuation; the wounded
carried oft:

ait private letter says :
We had the opportunity afforded us of observing how
well skilled these savages aro in the science of defence.
Their stronghold wag a perfect warren—houses under-
ground; a triple row of stout fencing, stout enough to resist
rix-pound shot, two of which were found sticking in one of
then ; the space between the fences deeply trenched, afford-
ing slivlter to the defenders, and also the means of firing
low, and with correct aim.

Captain Grant, 58th, and Lieutenant Beattie, 99th, who
most gallantly led the forlorn hope with :10 Grenadiers, were
buried on the 13th at Waitimate.

" Ani,ther pah near this place (Waitimate) was deiitroyed
by the light admpanies of both regiments, accompanied by
40 of the 96th and the friendly natives. No lives were lost
on either side, and a horse and a❑ old woman fell into our
hands, and an ablin 'ance of potato: s."
We copy the following dispatches. &c., from the New
Zealand Grazette of the 7th of July. The particulars therein
narrated of the proceedings at the late battle may therefore
be colisidered ail officially authentic:—

DISPATCHES FROM COLONEL DESPARD TO GOVERNOR
FITZROY.
Camp, before lleke's Pah, July 2.
Sir,—lt is with much Iwo regret that I can express that
bays' to a-nuaint your Excellency that an attempt was
yesterday male by the troops under my command, in the
af.'ernoari, to esedvy the fortified position or pah of Heke with-
al. success, and we were repulsed with heavy. loss. The
particulars shill be forwarded to you with as little delay as
I inclose herewith a list of wounded. Many of the latter,
I am sorry to sry, are severe and dangerous.
It is imp.issible to say too much in praise of the bravery
and good conduct of both officers and men.
I have the honour to be,
Tour Excellency's most obedient, humble servannt,
11. DESPARD, Colonel Commanding the Troops.
To his Excellency Governor Fitzroy, &c., Auckland.
Return of killed and wounded of the force under command of
Colonel Despard, 99th Regiment, from 30th of June to the
Ist of July, 1845.
Her Majesty's ship Hazard—Llentenant Phillpotts killed;
*tie semen killed; two seamen wounded; one private of the
Royal blarines killed.

Her Majesty's 58th Regiment—Captain Grant killed ; three
sergeant. and 11 rank and file killed ; two sergeants and
33 rank and the wounded; two privates since dead.
Her Majesty's 96th Regiment—Three rank and file killed ;
flys rank and tile wounded.

Her Majesty's 99th Regiment—One sergeant and 14 rank
and file killed; Brevet-Major Macpherson, severely wounded;
Lieutenant Be:ttie, severely wounded, since dead ; Lieutenant
Johnson, slightly wounded ; Ensign O'Reilly, severely
w4unded ; one sergeant and 21 rank and file wounded ;two
privates, since dead.
Volunteers (Pioneers)—Four rank and file wounded; Mr.
Henry Clerk, interpreter to the force, severely wounded.
Tha names ,:ef the non-commissioned officers and privates
killel and wounded, as yet known. are as follows :
Her Ilsjestv's 58 h Regiment—Killed : Sergeants Halliday,
Morrow, aol Andrew Wilson; Corporal William Stewart;
Privates Davis, Claxton, Punchett, floodrum, Fisher, Norton,
Reynolds, Payne, Sutton, Doherty, Leech, Molloy, and
Andere-n. Two sergeants and 33 rank and file woupded,
nam.s not yet reported.

tjeAty's 99th Regiment—Killed : Grenadiers-3er-
geant Tiornas Todd ; Privates, Martin Moran, John Hill,
IVatson, William Pope, and John Magrath. Light
Coop thy— G.oripa Maher, John N,dde James Ultnzhes, John
Eato.l, Patrick
Henry Moseley, James Stock, and
B...njAmin Heath. Woundod : Grenadiers James rane,
//:,,411 Dmvso, Jacob Edmonds, Michael Farren, Robert
Ilit•hes, Henry Spencer, ‘Villiam Swan, Hector M'Cormiek.
Light Coinpany—Sergeants, Maley Thomas and Bradley
martin' Privates, William Bridges, Thomas Crawley, David
Mark. Thomas Couriers, Andrew Duncan, Patrick Flym,
an.l Duncan Murray.

Camp, before 'lckes Pah, July 2.
Sir,—Annexed is a detailed account of the action that took
place between the troops under my command, and the rebels,
in the early part of the forenoon of yesterday, as also of our
assaulton the pah, and our repulse, which took place in the
afternoon afterwards.
Finding the guns which I had brought with me from
Auckland quite ineffective for breaching, from their very
defective carriages, as them/frequently upset from their own
firing, I requested CaptlA.Johnson, of her Majesty's ship
Hazard, to send me one of his heavy guns, which was ac-
cordingly brought up to the ramp, a distance of 15 miles
land carriage, over most execrable roads, with great labour
and difficulty, on the 30th ; and during that day a platform
was erected on the side of a hill on the right of our position,
the top of which bill was occupied by our ally, Waka Nene
and his tribe. A sergeant's guard of the 58th Regiment was
also there, to protect a six-pounder that had been placed
there with a view of raking the enemy's position. The ,