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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 69

Chapter XII

Chapter XII.

Guerilla parties were now formed at each outpost, consisting of an officer, a couple of sergeants, and about fifty rank and file. These were in the habit of falling in quietly at night, and sneaking off to lay traps for the enemy. This was easy enough; but they seldom made a haul. Our coloured brethren were too sharp, as a rule, to fall into traps; in fact, on one occasion it was very near the other way.

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A party went out one night (3rd October, 1863) and took up a position on Allan's Hill. This commanded a bridge over which the enemy generally came. The party was very cosy until a member strolled some distance from the main body, and, lo and behold! he spotted a party of natives. It may be surmised that he soon returned and informed the officer, who had some doubt on him as to the genuineness of his report. So the two started off, and were not long gone. On the officer's return, the men were quietly moved away to camp, and a mounted messenger despatched off to New Plymouth to report the circumstance to Colonel Warre, who sent orders for a party to go out in the morning as strong as possible, and that reinforcements should be sent from town in the event of their services being needed.

In the morning the advance guard moved off from the Poutoko Redoubt, and had not gone far when they were fired upon from some bush near at hand.

Lieutenant Powys was here wounded, also the fine old regimental dog; but neither severely. This created a little excitement, and word was soon off to New Plymouth. The two parties kept banging away at each other nearly all day. The enemy was pretty strong, judging from their fire and the space from whence their firing was coming.

Two men were killed—Thomas Finn and Daniel Crane. Finn had been hit in the head, and maddened by this, he rushed towards the bush, and Lieut. Downes and Bugler D. Stagpool went out to bring him back. As the officer picked him up (he fell near the bush) a Maori rushed out, He was despatched, however, by Lieut. Downes. For this both Lieuts. Downes and Stagpool received the Victoria Cross, Finn and Crane were the first two men of the military who found resting-places in the New Cemetery at New Plymouth.

It could not be ascertained how many of the enemy fell on that occasion; but there must have been a considerable number.

One night at Poutoko the writer was in charge of a guard composed of some "Die Hards" and the—th Regiment About midnight one of the latter, who was on sentry, came to the guard tent and whispered—

"Sergeant, I think there are some natives in the trench."

"Oh!" I said quietly; "stand to your arms, men."

I went out and listened—no sound. I then sprang on the parapet and gazed around—no sign. My sight was better page 69 then than now, and I was quite satisfied that he only heard them in his imagination. I knew him to be a very timid man, so I said—

"Come on with me. We'll go out and walk round the trench. Then you will be satisfied."

"Oh!" he replied, "I might have been mistaken. I think I was."

"Come," I said, "we will soon see."

I believe that man would have forfeited ten years of his life rather than have given that alarm.

Trapping? It remained for Captain H. R. Russell to lay a successful trap, of which the following are the particulars:—

During his own term on outpost duty he had not succeeded in bagging any game, and as he was a bachelor, he remained out with his Company another term for a married officer, and this term had nearly run out and no game caught, so he took it into his head to lay a trap on the track leading from the beach up to Raitaki, at the foot of which our men had met their doom on the 4th May.

The party moved off in the silence of night, and forded the two rivers Taipoi and Oakaru. On the north side of the latter was a redoubt which was not then in use; in this the Captain left about a score of men under Sergeant Tom Hackett, with the intention of protecting his retreat over the River. From the redoubt to the river there was a considerable descent, much greater than on the south side. The remainder went on, found the track, then went up. The natives were in the habit of going down fishing nearly every day.

The party went within 800 or 1000 yards of Kaitaki, then divided, one half turning off into the fern, the other moving on a couple of hundred yards up. This last party was to let any natives pass and allow the other to deal with them. This was more easily said than done. As it turned out a mistake had been made in not going up some distance in the fern before lying down. Everyone was shivering with the cold, And a hearty welcome was given to old Sol when he made his appearance.

Soon the natives could be seen on the move on the hill, and it was not long before a party of six were seen on their way down. The men were now getting warm, and much interest was beginning to be taken. On they came—on—on—till their voices could be heard. There was a chief among page 70 them carrying a very fine spear, on which was hung a beautiful bunch of feathers. On they came, and were just opposite the party when the chief spotted the boot tracks in the dust and roared out "Pakea," and looking in the direction he say them leading he observed Worsley's head, then all the fa: was in the fire.

Worsley rushed out and ran the poor old chief through and grabbed his spear, which he afterwards presented to General Cameron. The party was soon despatched, ant another party on their way down, got alarmed, and three of them were picked off, making in all nine, just the number they killed of our men at the foot of the same track.

The trappers were soon ordered to move homeward, which they did, followed by several natives, but at a very respectful distance; but by the time they got in the river the natives somehow reached the bank above and began to indicate that they were about, when up jumps the party in the old redout: and opened on them, then they thought they had better get back to breakfast.

Captain Russell was now well satisfied and said, "Now we will soon be off to town." And we did during the next week.

The Capture of Kaitaki.

This was looked upon for some time as likely to result it great loss of life, being considered a formidable stronghold, situated as it was on a high hill, with saps and rifle pits from base to top. Colonel (now General Warre, K.C.B.), made arrangements for its capture, and took out all the available force, and the event was looked upon as one of the most important of the whole war. He duly arranged his forces, fired a few shot and shell at it, then ordered the force to retire to their respective quarters. This was the signal for no end of abuse from the papers. They lashed out a terrible heap of abuse, and called him a second Colonel Gould. The Colonel read it all and smiled, and said to himself—

"Blow off all your gas. We have our own way of doing these things."

Not long after, he made his arrangements again—arrangements which were done very quietly, and left every one, nearly, puzzled to know what was in the wind. Captain Corbett's company of military settlers were sent off one day, accompanied by Lieutenant C. M. Clark, now Major-general page 71 who was adjutant of the "Die Hards." They took a course round to the back of Kaitaki, and when, from a certain signal from the front, down they came upon the heights of Kaitaki, the attention of the enemy was, as a matter of course, all centred on the front. Judge their extreme surprise when attacked from the rear. They soon fled, leaving this company, which was soon reinforced from the front, masters of the position. There was not a man lost on our side.

"Now, said the gallant Colonel, "we have it."

This gave command of a large extent of what had hitherto been very troublesome country. These rangers ran along to a place called Ahu-Ahu. Of this place more anon.

There was plenty of good solid hard work to be done, not only the ordinary military duties, but road-making, &c. Expeditions were now and then undertaken, involving a considerable amount of travelling. Such outings were seldom crowned with that success which their promoters wished.

Operations having been started in the Waikato, there were very few troops, beyond the "Die Hards," militia, and volunteers, left to look after the welfare of the province of Taranaki.

The Attack on Sentry Hill Redoubt.

Captain Shortt and his company were located there, near the spot where the junction of the New Plymouth and Waitara lines now exists. The location of a force there seemed to cause the enemy a little annoyance, and they would have given something to rout them out of it. They appeared to have somewhat underrated the difficulties attending such undertakings, if we may judge from their action in this particular instance.

A prophet, in whom they placed every confidence, went one evening, after the sun had disappeared over the watery horizon, to the gate of the redoubt, which had been closed for the night. Sergeant Fred. Day was on duty, and he went to see what the native wanted, supposing him to be one of the friendlies. He opened the gate, and was just in expectation of having some important item of intelligence disclosed to him, when, as sudden as a flash of lightning, he received a smack in the face that would be no discredit to Slavin. This was a sort of a surpriser, and so unhinged his wits that it took a little time to fully realise that he had been duped; and before anything could be done the "prophet" was bounding page 72 away in the fern, and got, as a matter of course, safe away to Matatawa—Billy King's Pah.

The "prophet" must have told them what he had done in the pakehas' camp to the boss of the guard; that they could go up and take possession of the place just a readily as he had carried out his little mission. They appeared to believe him, and at once preparations were made to go and take possession next morning. As the next day dawned, unusual activity seemed to prevail up their way Their voices could be always heard at the redoubt when they were at all excited. Precautions were taken at the redoubt Soon they could be heard getting nearer. The men fell in but no one could be seen but the usual sentry walking his post. The big gun was ready to belch forth its deadly grape &c.

On they came, many in full view; others sneaking through the fern. Matters at the redoubt were so apparently tame that they felt themselves almost in possession. Such ideas as these are sometimes very premature. In this instance it was so. They approached within easy popping distance. Still they could see no move but that of the sentry's head. The; opened the ball. No response. They must have caught the idea now that that they would soon take charge of the pakehas' quarters and all therein contained. Some may have gone so far as to foresee any amount of pickled pakeha within the near future.

Poor deluded simpletons, they little knew the fate many of their number would meet ere the breakfast bugle in the redoubt would call the defenders to refresh after their morning's exercise. They were now so conveniently close that the men lying waiting were burning for the fray. There little Captain Shortt gently said, "Up, men." I don't think he repeated all the famous words used by the Iron Duke at; Waterloo. Up arose fifty or sixty heads. Bang goes about that number of rifles. Then the attackers began to realise the fact that their morning's outing would not be an unmixed pleasure. Many, no doubt, sorely regretted their early move. Some had but little time to think over it, their souls having departed to the happy hunting ground; others were lying in agony. The gun then vomits forth among them. Terrible then was their excitement. Brave fellows. There they were, in spite of a deadly fire, carrying away their dead and page 73 wounded. Some would succeed; others only dropped to keep them company.

So much for the advice of their prophet. I wonder they didn't fix him up when they got back. They suffered a severe loss. The men in the redoubt went out to pick up those left behind. Captain Shortt received promotion over that little affair. There was no one hit at the redoubt. That prophet must have fallen much in their estimation after letting them in like that.