CHAPTER II. WARNINGS NEGLECTED, MURDER OF ESCORT
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CHAPTER II
WARNINGS NEGLECTED, MURDER OF ESCORT
I ARRIVED in New Zealand in June, 1861, and joined H. M. 57th Regiment as Captain, having exchanged into it from H. M. 29th Regiment. The war in New Zealand had then closed; and we were supposed to be at peace with the natives; though, no doubt, a great feeling of discontent existed among them at that period, and it was unsafe for Europeans to travel in the country occupied by Kingite Maoris at that time. The Maoris had a King of their own in Waikato; and the various tribes down to Wellington furnished supporters to the King movement, and were called 'Kingites.'
Our troops in Taranaki, during the year 1862, were quartered in different redoubts,
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BISHOP SELWYN
north and south of New Plymouth, for the protection of that town, in the event of the natives rising again. It was about this period that Te Ua, a Maori prophet, started the new religion, named 'Hau'; and his disciples were called 'Hauhaus.' This religion so worked upon the feelings of the natives that they became fanatics; and those who formerly had such power over the natives, lost it. In 1862, the natives established a toll gate at Tataraimaka, twelve miles south of New Plymouth, and would not allow any one to pass, without paying a toll. Bishop Selwyn, who tried to go among the natives there, was stopped by them, as he himself told me, evidently feeling it most keenly; for, during the whole of his career, he had never before been stopped from going wherever he pleased, and that noblest and grandest of men felt that the influence he had hitherto exercised over the natives had vanished.
In April. 1863 two companies of the 57th Regiment, under the command of
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Captain Woodall, occupied a redoubt at Tataraimaka, and two companies of the same regiment, under the command of myself, garrisoned the redoubt at Poutoko, half way between that post and the town of New Plymouth. On April 27th, a native chief, known as Bob Hurangi, brought me a letter for Sir George Grey, the Governor, who was at New Plymouth, warning him that the natives from the Kaitake ranges had laid an ambuscade midway between the two redoubts.
I myself sent an orderly in with that letter to Sir George Grey, and stopped the settlers from going between the redoubts. Sir George Grey took no notice whatever of this warning; and that very day week, May 4th, 1863, the natives laid another ambuscade at the same spot, and, unfortunately, caught an escort of eight of the 57th Regiment, who happened to be going into New Plymouth on duty. Lieutenant Tragett and Assistant-Surgeon Hope of the 57th Regiment were riding just in front of the escort, never dreaming
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ATTACK ON ESCORT
for one moment that there was any danger, when they and the escort were suddenly fired upon by the natives, Assistant-Surgeon Hope being killed by the first volley.
The escort, though loaded, were not capped; for, though the natives were in an unsettled state, no one expected an immediate outbreak. Lieutenant Tragett went back and at once took command of the escort, but the second volley killed more men, and wounded him. He then held up a white handkerchief, hoping to save the remainder; but, in spite of that, they and he were all killed, excepting Private Kelly, who ran into some high fern, and thus escaped to tell the doleful tale.
Had Sir George Grey taken notice of the warning that Bob Hurangi sent him, through me, on April 27th, and warned the troops to be prepared for such an attack, that massacre, I maintain, would never have taken place.
Such was the commencement of the war
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of 1863. I gave up the command of the Poutoko redoubt on April 30th, and on May 4th Sir D. A. Cameron was good enough to place me on his staff as his extra aide-de-camp.
