CHAPTER XXXVIII.
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
GENERAL CAMERON having completed his dispositions for attacking the Maori position at the Gate Pah, the 29th of April, 1864, was the day fixed upon for the assault which ended so disastrously to the British troops. On the night of the 28th, Colonel Greer, with the 68th Regiment--who carried one day's cooked rations and a greatcoat-- marched from the head-quarter camp, which was situated about 1200 yards in front of the enemy's works, round to the rear of the enemy, so as to prevent his escape. Mr Purvis acted as guide, and under cover of a feigned attack on the front of the pah, the movement was successfully performed, the 68th being in their assigned position by 2 o'clock on the morning of the 29th. At the time it was dark and raining, and the natives could be plainly heard shouting in their works-- evidently unconscious that the 68th were posted in their rear. Before daylight Colonel Gamble, with a detachment of the Naval Brigade under Lieutenant Hotham, joined the 68th, leaving the detachment as a reinforcement for Colonel Greer. Colonel Gamble returned alone in safety to the head-quarters camp.
Shortly after daybreak the artillery posted in front of the enemy's position-- consisting of one 110 pounder Armstrong, two 40-pounder Armstrongs, two 6-pounder Armstrongs, two 24 pounder howitzers, two 8-inch mortars, and six cohorn mortars: total, 15 pieces of ordnance-- opened fire on the left of the enemy's works. The guns were manned by detachments of the Naval Brigade and Royal Artillery.
At 12 o'clock--the fire on the works having been kept up since it commenced --a breach was made in the left angle of the stockading which was erected in front of the enemy's rifle-pits. At this time the natives made an attempt to escape, but were driven back by the 68th, who were extended across the rear of the pah. The fire of the artillery was at times rather wild, many of the shells passing far over the enemy's works and endangering the men of the 68th, several of whom were slightly wounded from fragments of the bursting shells. The two 24-pounder howitzers (in charge of Captain Smith, R. A. ) were well served, and contributed largely in making the breach in the enemy's works. The shells directed at the Maori flagstaff did no damage, owing to the fact of the staff being erected in rear of the pah instead of in the centre, as was at first supposed.
At 4 o'clock, the breach being large enough, a rocket was sent up as a signal for the assault. The storming party-- consisting of the Naval Brigade and 43rd Regiment: in all about 300 men--were led by Commander Hay, of H.M.S. Harrier,, and Colonel Booth, 43rd Regiment. The
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storming party (four abreast--two soldiers and two sailors), upon the signal for the assault, at once, with hurrahs and cheers, rushed at the double into the breach, under a heavy fire from the natives. At the same time the 68th Regiment, answering the cheers of the storming parry, moved up closer to the rear of the pah, and at once opened fire. In a few minutes the storming party, gallantly led by their officers, were in the centre of the pah, the natives falling back before their advance, and attempting to escape by the rear, but were driven back by the tremendous fire that the 68th opened on them. The rifle-pits in the pah were mostly covered over with ti-tree and earth, and formed a network of concealed passages, the roof being raised a few inches above the parapet, so as to enable the natives to fire out on their assailants. In entering the breach the storming party lost most of their officers, who were shot down whilst cheering on their men. When the defenders of the pah were driven back by the 68th--the fire of which must no doubt have struck both friend and foe--the storming party, soldiers and sailors, without leaders and owing to the formation in which they entered the breach, mixed together, appeared at a loss to know what to do.
At this critical moment, instead of occupying the trenches which the natives abandoned, the stormers wavered. As the natives swarmed back into their works, some one, it is said, shouted out "Retire! Retire!" but whether such was the case or not, the stormers at once, in a confused crowd, retreated. The natives having regained their pits, at once opened a murderous fire on the men pouring out of the pah. The reserves under Captain Hamilton arriving, endeavoured to rally and stem the retreating party. Capt. Hamilton, R.N., rushing forward, had no sooner reached the second trench than he fell dead; and the whole force--storming party and reserves--hurriedly fell back to the nearest cover they could find outside the pah. Having rallied his men, General Cameron before dark took up a position about one hundred yards from the pah and threw up a breastwork. Captain Jenkins, of H.M.S. Miranda, who led the supports--an officer of small stature--had a miraculous escape, he being at one time actually in one of the enemy's rifle-pits by himself, not being aware that his men had retired.
The natives, during the early part of the night, which was pitch dark, made a great noise, shouting to the troops to come on. At midnight they were silent, and Major Greaves, D.A.Q.M.G., creeping up to the works, believed that the natives had gone. At 5 a.m. a sailor belonging to H.M.S. Harrier entered the pah, and reported that it was deserted. The troops at once advanced and took possession of the abandoned earthworks which the natives had left during the night, escaping in the darkness through the spaces left in the lines of the 68th Regiment.
When the troops took possession of the pah a sad spectacle presented itself. A correspondent who entered the pah the morning after the assault thus describes the scene:-- "Three men of the 43rd Light Infantry were lying dead against the inner paling of the front face. On entering the pah, within a space of a few yards, the bodies of four captains of the 43rd were lying; and further on, in line with the others, Colonel Booth, of the same regiment, was leaning against the rear paling of the pah mortally wounded; officers of the ships of war were lying stark dead in the same line of trenches. As they lay alone they must have been in advance of their men, and fell nobly in the execution of their duty. Captain Hamilton, of H.M.S. Esk, and Captain Muir, of the 43rd, lay in the second trench of the pah, opposite the breach. They fell, leading on their men. Captain Hamilton, of the 43rd, was lying against the fence, and breathed a moment after he was found. He had been mortally wounded, and having been left in the pah lay there neglected amongst the enemy all night. Close by him were the bodies of Captain Utterton, of the 43rd, and Captain Glover, of the same regiment. In the centre rifle pit of the pah lay the body of Lieutenant Hill, of H.M.S. Curacoa, who was the senior officer saved from the wreck of the Orpheus, on the Manukau bar. Poor Hill was shot through both cheeks and through the centre of his neck. He had lived long enough to bind up the wound in his face, for he had his pocket handkerchief tied around his head, covering the face-wound when his body was found. Col. Booth was mortally wounded in the spine, but was
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able to speak when relieved from his perilous position. The dead body of a sailor lay in the second trench. There ware several tomahawk cuts across the face, and the head was split in two by a tomahawk blow, the contents of the skull being cleared entirely out. The gunner of H.M.S. Miranda (Mr. Watt) had his head severed from the crown to the lower jaw with one cut of a tomahawk--the cut passed right down through the centre of the nose. Captain Hamilton, of the Esk, lay dead with a gunshot wound in his temple, through which the brains were protruding. The bodies were not stripped nor injured; they lay as they fell, and the tomahawk wounds were inflicted during the first encounter when the stormers entered. The watches, rings, money, and clothing of our dead and wounded were untouched. This was the finest act of the enemy during the struggle. No one expected it. No one could believe that the exultant rebels would not satiate their passion for revenge by mutilating the helpless bodies, but thank God, it was not so. They had, it appears, made a law not to hurt the wounded or mutilate the dead that fell into their hands, and they kept their agreement. The dead and wounded were removed. The wounded Maoris were taken on stretchers into camp and attended to; one died the same night. Rewiti was wounded in seven places by bullets and had his legs broken. Others had severe gunshot wounds; one Maori had been cut in two by a shell, and the head, trunk and extremities were carefully gathered and placed in line with the remaining dead in front of the pa. Another native had his skull cloven by a blow of a cutlass given by the black sailor of the Miranda, who had already done good service during the war. Poor fellow, he fell dead in turn in the pa."
Colonel Booth, Commander Hay, Capt. Hamilton, and Lieutenant Glover expired shortly after of their wounds, and were buried alongside their comrades in the Tauranga burial ground on the cliff overlooking the harbour.
Samuel Mitchell, captain of the foretop of H.M.s. Harrier was recommended to the Admiralty for the Victoria Cross for bravely bringing Commander Hay, who was severely wounded, out of the pa.
Mr Watt, gunner of H.M.s. Miranda, who was killed, had, before his death, cut down with his sword the native who shot Captain Hamilton of H.M.s. Esk. One seaman belonging to the Curacoa ran after and bayoneted a native outside the pa in front of the 68th Regt.; whilst returning to his messmates he was shot dead.
The casualties on the part of the British was unusually severe, especially in officers, the 43rd Regt. alone losing their colonel, four captains and one lieutenant killed, and one lieutenant and two ensigns severely wounded. Lieutenant Glover was shot whilst endeavoring to recover the dead body of his brother, Captain Glover. The Naval Brigade had nearly all their officers shot down. Most of the non-commissioned officers and privates who were killed and wounded fell outside the pa whilst rushing to the assault and when retiring. The total casualties amounted to 10 officers killed and 4 wounded; non-commissioned officers and privates killed 21, wounded, 76; total killed and wounded, 111 officers and men.
OFFICIAL RETURN OF OFFICERS KILLED AND WOUNDED.
NAVAL BRIGADE.
Killed.
Capt. Hamilton, H.M.s. Esk.
Lieut. Hill (late of Orpheus) H.M.s. Curacoa.
Mr Watts, gunner, H.M.s. Miranda.
Wounded.
Commander Hay (abdomen mortally), H.M.s. Harrier.
Lieut. Hammick (shoulder, severe) H.M.s. Miranda.
Lieut. Duff (back, two places, severe), H.M.s. Esk.
43RD REGIMENT.
Killed.
Capt. R. C. Glover, (head).
Capt. C. R. Muir (tomahawk, right axilla.)
Capt. R. T. Hamilton (head.)
Capt. Edwin Utterton (neck).
Lieut. C. J. Langlands (chest).
Wounded.
Lieut. Colonel Booth (spine and right arm, mortally).
Lieut. T. G. E. Glover (abdomen, mortally).
Ensign W. Clark (right arm, severe).
Ensign S. P. T. Nicholl (scalp, slight).
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The natives who so bravely defended the Gate Pa belonged to Tauranga, of the Ngaiterangi tribe, and numbered about 400 men. The loss the natives sustained could not be exactly ascertained, but as they acknowledged to having over 30 men killed, if their casualties are put down at 60 killed and wounded, it will be not far out. Amongst the killed were several chiefs of note. One native taken prisoner belonged to the Bay of Islands, named Niko, of the Ngapuhi tribe.
General Cameron having sent word to the natives that they had his permission to come and bury their slain, twenty of the enemy arrived as a burial party. Mr H. E. Rice of the Native Office, attached to the General's staff as Interpreter, ably conducted what correspondence was required by the General with the natives. The burial party having collected their dead bodies, laid the common men in a row, and the chiefs and more important personages across their stomachs, and then covered them with earth. This was done in accordance with an old Maori saying, "Kati ano ia kia mate hei whariki ano aku rangatira"--it is well (or proper) that he should die to be a couch for my chiefs. The bodies of the leading chiefs who had been killed had been taken away when the natives retreated from the pa.
The official despatch of General Cameron is as follows: --
Head-Quarters,
Tauranga, May 5, 1864.
SIR, --It having been decided by your Excellency and myself, in consequence of information received from Colonel Greer, commanding at Tauranga, that reinforcements should be sent to that station, detachments were embarked without delay in H.M. ships Esk and Falcon, placed at my disposal by Commodore Sir William Wiseman, and by the 26th April all were landed at the mission station, Tauranga, to which place I had transferred my head-quarters on the 21st April.
On the 27th April, I moved the 68th Regt. under Colonel Greer, and a mixed detachment of 170 men under Major Ryan, 70th Regt., towards the rebel entrenchments, of which I made a close reconnaissance.
It was constructed on a neck of land about 600 yards wide, the slopes of which fell off into a swamp on either side. On the highest point of this neck, they had constructed an oblong redoubt, well palisaded and surrounded by a post and rail fence--a formidable obstacle to an assaulting column, and difficult to destroy with artillery. The intervals between the side fences of the redoubt and the swamps were defended by an entrenched line of rifle-pits.
I encamped the 68th Regt. and Major Ryan's detachment about 1,200 yards from the enemy's position on the 27th, and on that and on the following day the guns and mortars intended to breach the position were brought up to camp, which was joined by a large force of sailors and marines, landed at my request from the ships of the squadron by Commodore Sir William Wiseman. The composition and strength of the force, assembled in front of the enemy's position on the evening of the 28th, are shown in the footnote. 1
Having received information that, by moving along the beach of one of the branches of Tauranga harbour at low water, it was possible for a body of troops to pass outside the swamp on the enemy's right, and gain the rear of his position, I ordered Col. Greer to make the attempt with the 68th Regt., after dark on the evening of the 28th, and in order to divert the attention of the enemy from that side, I ordered a feigned attack to be made in his front.
Colonel Greer's movement succeeded perfectly, and on the morning of the 29th, he had taken up a position in rear of the enemy, which cut off his supply of water and made his retreat in daylight impossible, but was necessarily too extended to prevent his escape by night.
During the same night the guns and mortars were placed in position, and opened fire soon after daybreak on the morning of the 29th. I gave directions that their fire should be directed principally against the left angle of the centre work, which, from the nature of the ground, I considered the most favourable part to attack.
Their practice was excellent, particularly that of the howitzers, and reflects great credit on the officers in command of batteries.
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About 12 o'clock, the swamp on the enemy's left having been reported by Capt. Greaves, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General, practicable for the passage of a gun, a six-pounder Armstrong gun was taken across to the high ground on the opposite side, from which its fire completely enfiladed the left of the enemy's position, which he was thus compelled to abandon. The fire of the guns, howitzers, and mortars was continued with short intermissions until 4 p.m, when a large portion of the fence and palisading having been destroyed, and a practicable breach made in the parapet, I ordered the assault.
150 seamen and marines, under Commander Hay, of H.M.s. Harrier, and an equal number of the 43rd Regt., under Lieutenant-Colonel Booth, formed the assaulting party.
Major Ryan's detachment was extended as close to the work as possible, to keep down the fire from the rifle-pits, with orders to follow the assaulting column.
The remainder of the seaman and marines, and of the 43rd Regt., amounting together to 300 men, followed as a reserve.
The assaulting column, protected by the nature of the ground, gained the breach with little loss, and effected an entrance into the main body of the work, when a fierce conflict ensued, in which the natives fought with the greatest desperation. Lieutenant Colonel Booth and Commander Hay, who led into the work, fell mortally wounded. Captain Hamilton was shot dead on the top of the parapet while in the act of encouraging his men to advance, and in a few minutes nearly every officer of the column was either killed or wounded. Up to this moment the men, so nobly led by their officers, fought gallantly, and appeared to have carried the position, when they suddenly gave way and fell back from the work to the nearest cover. This repulse I am at a loss to explain, otherwise than by attributing it to the confusion created among the men by the intricate nature of the interior defences, and the sudden fall of so many of their officers.
On my arrival at the spot I considered it unadvisable to renew the assault, and directed a line of entrenchment to be thrown up within one hundred yards of the work, so as to be able to maintain our advanced position, intending to resume operations the following morning.
The natives, availing themselves of the extreme darkness of the night, abandoned the work, leaving some of their killed and wounded behind.
On taking possession of the work in the morning Lieutenant-Colonel Booth and some men were found still living, and, to the credit of the natives, had not been maltreated; nor had any bodies of the killed been mutilated. I enclose a list of our casualties.
I deeply regret the loss of many brave and valuable officers who fell in the noble discharge of their duty on this occasion.
The 43rd Regiment and the service have sustained a serious loss in the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Booth, which took place on the night after the attack. I have already mentioned the brilliant example shown by this officer in the assault; and when I met him on the following morning, as he was being carried out of the work, his first words were an expression of regret that he had found it impossible to carry out my orders.
The heroism and devotion of Captain Hamilton and Commander Hay reflect the highest credit on the naval service.
The loss of the enemy must have been very heavy, although not more than twenty bodies were found in and about their position. It is admitted by the prisoners that they carried off a large number of killed and wounded during the night, and they also suffered in attempting to make their escape, as described in Colonel Greer's report.
In my reports to his Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief and the Right Honorable the Secretary of State for War, I have brought to their favourable notice the names of the officers who particularly distinguished themselves on this occasion.
Commodore Sir William Wiseman on this, as on every other occasion, co-operated with with me in the most cordial manner, and I am much indebted to him as well as to the whole Royal Navy and Marines who took part in these operations, for their valuable assistance, --I have. &c,
D. A. CAMERON, Lieut-General.
His Excellency Sir George Grey, K. C. B.
