Vincent Brooks Day & Son, Lith.

LIEUTENANT GUDGEON

F R O N T I S P I E C E ,

R E M I N I S C E N C E S

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

T H O M A S W . G U D G E O N ,

LIEUTENANT AND QUARTER-MASTER COLONIAL FORCES, N. Z.

WITH TWELVE PO RT R ALTS.

L O N D O N :

S A M P S O N L O W , M A R S T O N , S E A R L E , & R I V I N G T O N ,

A U C K L A N D : E . W A Y T E .

1879.

[All rights reserved. ]

LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS,

STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.

This Work

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY

T H E AUTHOR

TO THE COLONIAL FORCES OF N E W ZEALAND,

WHO CAME FORWARD SO GALLANTLY IN DEFENCE OF THEIR HOMES

IN THE COUNTRY OF THEIR ADOPTION.

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INTRODUCTION.

THE best method of governing the natives of the Islands of New Zealand having been a continual source of dis­cussion up to the present time, it would be well to con­sider the policy adopted by the Home Government, and the result obtained; for when Great Britain took possession of these Islands, the policy hitherto adopted by civilised nations towards savages was altered. Instead of assuming sovereignty over them, and then dealing out the benefits of civilisation, as they could comprehend and enjoy them, a treaty was made whereby they were acknowledged the lords of the soil, and on their part they agreed to sell their land as the Government required, for immigration purposes. This agreement the Maories fell into readily; the waste lands of the country were of no value to them, as they were alike unable and unwilling to cultivate more than was required for their own gardens; neither could they regard their land as hunting grounds, as the North Americans did, for no animals existed except the rat, nor bird, with the exception of the pigeon or parrot, for them to make an article of food of. The uncultivated lands of New Zealand were nothing but barren fern wastes and bush, which the natives offered, in miles to the first settlers for a blanket or a gun. But as the British Govern­ment began this policy, so would it carry it through, and

vi I N T R O D U C T I O N .

the early settlers (the pioneers) were made to disgorge the gifts of the natives, and pay a fair price before any lands were alienated. It was the absolute worthlessness of the waste lands in the eyes of the natives on our first arrival that led to all the after disputes; for, finding the land after the Pakehas' improvements changing hands amongst ourselves at much higher prices than they originally obtained for it, they not only began to increase their demands, but to protest against former sales; and to appease them, many large blocks of land were repurchased by the Government at a considerable increase, to be, after all, given back to the native owners in order to avoid a war. And so cun­ning had the natives become, that in the blocks offered by them for sale, they not only managed to include thousands of nearly useless acres, but to mark out all the best parts as reserves, so that by the time the Government had paid for the presents necessary during the negotiations, the agreed price per acre, expenses of survey, &c , &c , they were in many instances considerable losers by the transac­t ion; and the natives, finding that the more they demanded the more they obtained, the chiefs, being mostly native assessors with good salaries, finished by entering into a league, proclaimed a king, and declined to sell any more land. Thus was a treaty founded in good faith and love for our fellow man, be he black or white, upset by the avarice or obstinacy of the parties benefited.

On the day I landed at Taranaki twenty-seven years ago, Sir George Grey, then Governor, was arguing with the natives at a meeting held on the beach the question of the Waitara block, already twice purchased by the Government. Negotiations for the quiet occupancy of this block had then extended over a period of ten years,

I N T R O D U C T I O N . vii

and at last was only settled by conquest after ten years'

further patience, backed by inducements of expensive

presents of flour, sugar, blankets, and guns. So let no

one accuse the Government of not keeping their part of

the treaty as well as their patience. Governor Gore

Brown, who had in the meantime succeeded Sir George

Grey, was a man eminently adapted to govern the natives,

being possessed of too much firmness of character either to

trifle, or to submit to being trifled with. Finding that all

previous negotiations had failed, and that the more he gave

way the greater were the demands, he decided to occupy

the Waitara lands so fairly purchased, a resolution which

led to the results I have taken upon myself to relate.

From the commencement of the war in 1860 down to

1864, the colonial forces took only a subordinate part in

the campaign; but the time was at hand when they would,

have to take the field not as auxiliaries as heretofore, but

as principals unsupported by the Imperial troops, and

depending solely on their own exertion for success. The

Imperial forces, in consequence of representations made to

the British Government by the commanding officer (General

Cameron), were being slowly but surely withdrawn, and

that at a most critical time when the spread of the

Hauhau religion through the Island had embroiled us with

the whole Maori population, with the exception of the

Napuhi tribes of the extreme north. Perhaps it was as

well it was so, for to this circumstance we owe the self-

reliant policy of Messrs. Weld and Stafford; and whatever

difference of opinion may exist as to the wisdom of that

policy, it had the effect of training the settlers into a

firm and well-grounded belief of their capability, if well

handled, of dealing with the Maori difficulty in its worst

VIII I N T R O D U C T I O N .

form. The Taranaki settlers, whore the war commenced, probably fought and suffered more than any other men in New Zealand; yet they would laugh at the idea of not being a match for the most active and daring of their foes. With the political aspect of affairs as the war pro­ceeded, I shall not deal; they have already been treated by abler pens than mine; my task, self-imposed, is a lighter one—a simple narrative of events, of skirmishes and expeditions grandiloquently called campaigns, in which the colonial forces of this country took a more or less prominent part.

C O N T E N T S .

CHAP. PAGE

Preliminary C h a p t e r . . . . . . 1 I. Landing of Troops at W a n g a n u i . . . . 2

II. Colonial Forces under Imperial Rule: Battle of Waireka 9 III. Colonial Forces under Imperial Rule-—continued:

Battles of Mahoetahi, Mauku, Wairoa Ranges, Waiari Stream, Orakau, Rangiaohia, Haerini, and Te Matata 14

IV. The Origin and Progress of the Hauhau R e l i g i o n . 23

V. Progress of the Hauhau Religion: Ahu Ahu and Sentry Hill 27

V I . Progress of the Hauhau Religion—continued: Mr. Booth's A d v e n t u r e . . . . . . 31

VII . Progress of the Hauhau Religion—continued: Battle of Moutora and Ohotahi 34

VIII. Progress of the Hauhau Religion—continued: Murder of the Rev. Mr. Volckner and of Mr. F u l l o o n . . 40

I X . Capture of the Weraroa Pah 48 X . Relief of Pipiriki 60

X L The Opotiki Expedition: The L a n d i n g . . . 66 X I I . The Opotiki Expedition—continued: Taking of the

Pua Pah 69 X I I I . The Opotiki Expedition—continued: Adventure with

Kereopa and his Twelve Apostles—Surrender of Mokomoko and Hakaraia—Return of the Force to Wanganui 74

X I V . The East Coast Expedition: Waiapu—Attack on

Pakairomiromi Pah 81

X V . East Coast Expedition—continued: Poverty B a y . 89

X V I . East Coast Expedition—continued: Te Maru Maru and Te Kopani 97

X V I I . Murder of Keriti, of Mr. Charles Broughton, and of Trooper Smith 103

C O N T E N T S .

CHAP. PAGE X V I I I . General Chute's Campaign: The Fight at Okotuku. 107

X I X . General Chute's Campaign— continued: Fight at Te Putahi and Otapawa—Narrow Escape of the General 111

X X . General Chute's Campaign—continued: Ketemarae —March to Taranaki—Fight at W a i k o k o . . 114

X X I . Colonel McDonnell's Campaign: Fight at Pokaikai 120

X X I I . Colonel McDonnell's Campaign—continued: Te P u n g a r e h u . . . . . . . 126

X X I I I . Colonel McDonnell's Campaign—continued: Te

Umu, Popoia, Tirotiromoana, Rotorua . 133 X X I V . Skirmishes on the East Coast: Wonderful Escape of

Wilkinson and Livingstone—Murder of Moore and Beggs 141

X X V . Skirmishes on the East Coast—continued: Colonel St. John at Opotiki—Murder of Mr. P i t c a i r n . 149

X X V I . Outbreak at Napier—The Fight at Omarunui and Petane under Colonel W h i t m o r e . . . 154

X X V I I . Titokowaru's Outbreak: Year of the Lamb—Colonel McDonnell and sixty Armed Constabulary sent to Hokitika 161

X X V I I I . Return from Hokitika: First and Second Visit to Te Ngutu o te manu—Murder of Cahill, Clark, and S q u i r e s . . . . . . . . 165

X X I X . Hauhaus' Attack on Turu Turu Mokai: Death of Captain George Ross, Sergeant McFadden, Cor­poral Blake, and seven P r i v a t e s . . . . 170

X X X . First attack on Te Ngutu o te manu with the new L e v i e s . . . . . . . . 175

X X X I . Second Attack on Te Ngutu o te manu: Death of Von Tempsky, Captains Buck and Palmer, Lieutenants Hunter and H a s t i n g s . . . 180

X X X I I . The important Difference between Disciplined and Undisciplined Men, a Fact never sufficiently re­cognised by the New Zealand Government: Death of the Traitor Kimball Bent—Tactics of Tito­k o w a r u . . . . . . . . 189

X X X I I I . Reconnoitring the Hauhau Position at Taiporohenui—Resignation of Colonel McDonnell: Colonel Whitmore takes Command—Murder of Collins and McCulloch 195

C O N T E N T S . xi

CHAP. PAGE X X X I V . Battle of Moturoa: Death of Captain Hunter—

One-fourth of the Men engaged either killed or •wounded—Colonel Whitmore falls back on Nukumaru........ 198

X X X V . Five hundred Hauhaus within a Day's March of Wanganui—Colonel Whitmore suddenly ordered with all his available Force to Poverty Bay, Te Kooti having massacred the Settlers t h e r e . . 202

X X X V I . Te Kooti—His Escape from the Chatham Islands and Landing at Whareongaonga, Poverty B a y . 205

X X X V I I . Te Kooti's Progress: The Fight at Paparatu: the Colonial Troops defeated with Loss of two killed, ten wounded, and £1200 worth of Horses and Camp E q u i p a g e . . . . . . 209

X X X V I I I . Te Kooti's Progress -continued: The Fight at T© Konaki—The Hauhaus again V i c t o r i o u s . . 214

X X X I X . Te Kooti's Progress—continued: The Fight at Rua­kituri— Loss of Captain Carr, Mr. Canning, and three others—Captain Tuki and Te Kooti wounded 219

X L . Te Kooti's Progress— continued: Threatens the Poverty Bay Settlers; kills the Uriwera Chief Te Munu 223

X L I . Te Kooti's Progress — continued: The Massacre at Poverty Bay of thirty-three Settlers, Men Women, and Children, and thirty-seven friendly Natives 227

X L I I . Te Kooti's Progress-—continued: Attack at Te Karetu - Defeat of Te Kooti, and Loss of his prin­cipal fighting Chiefs, Namu, Kehu, Henare Pai ata, and thirty-four Men 236

X L I I I . Te Kooti's Progress— continued: First Attack on Ngatapa by R a p a t a . . . . . . 242

X L I V . Te Kooti's Progress—continued; Second Attack on Ngatapa—Massacre of Settlers in Arai and Pipi whakau Bush—Death of Captain B r o w n . 246

X L V . Te Kooti's Progress—continued: His Escape from Ngatapa: the Chase—The Hauhau Chief, Nikora Te Whakaunua, and one hundred and twenty Men killed

X L V I . Operations against Titokowaru: Fort Lyon—Ambush at the Peach Grove: Massacre of Sergeant Menzies and six Men

252

255

C O N T E N T S .

CHAP. X L V I I . Operations against Titokowaru—continued: Murder

of the Rev. Mr. Whitely, Lieutenant and Mrs. Gascoigne, and three Children —Skirmish at Otauto on the Patea River—Attack on Te Ngahiere 259

X L V I I I . Operations against Titokowaru—continued: Colonel Whitmore marches on General Chute's Track to Taranaki—Hunting up Stragglers—Capture of Pakakohi by Major N o a k e . . . . 264

X L I X . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe: Reasons for the Campaign—March of converging C o l u m n s . 269

L . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe— continued: Te Kooti attacks Whakatane—Taking of Ahike­reru—Death' of Lieutenant White—Doings of Colonel St. John's C o l u m n . . . . 272

L I . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe— continued: Ruatahuna—Death of Captain Travers—Major Roberts' C o l u m n . . . . . . 278

L I I . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe— continued: Te Kooti—Attack on Mohaka—Murder of Lavin, his Wife, and three Children, Wilkinson, and Cooper . 282

LIII . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe—continued: • Te Kooti—Attack on the Huke Pah—Massacre of

Men, Women, and C h i l d r e n . . . . 286

L I V . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe—continued: Te Kooti attacks Hiruharama—Gallant Conduct of Trooper Hill 291

L V . Campaign against the Uriwera Tribe—continued: Doings of Colonel Herrick's Column—Death of Trooper Noonan—Waikare M o a n a . . . 296

L V I . The Taupo Campaign: Massacre of Colonel St. John's Escort at Opape—Te Kooti's Visit to the Waikato and Return to Lake T a u p o . . . 300

L V I I . The Taupo Campaign—continued; Colonel McDon­nell assumes Command—Skirmish at Te Pononga 304

L V I I I . The Taupo Campaign— continued: Arrival of Major Kepa and the Wanganuis—The W a r - d a n c e . . 310

L I X . The Taupo Campaign—continued: the Fight at Kaiteriria—Death of Captain St. G e o r g e . . 314

C O N T E N T S . XIII

L X . The Taupo Campaign—continued: Searching for Te Kooti - Skirmish at Tapapa - Capture of eighty Horses and considerable Loot . . . 321

L X I . The Taupo Campaign- continued: Te Kooti's Attack on Ohinemutu: succeeds in again reaching the Uriwera C o u n t r y . . . . . . 328

LXII . The Patatere Campaign: The Doings of Ropata's Column—To Kooti's Attack on the Opape Settle­m e n t - F i g h t at Maraitahi—Death of Hakaraia . 334

L X I I I Operations at Waikare M o a n a . . . . 342 L X I V . Te Kooti's Raid on Tologa B a y . . . . 349

L X V . Ropata's continued Search after Te K o o t i . . 352 L X V I . The last Expedition in Pursuit of Te Kooti: Te

Kooti surprised by Captain Porter at Ruahapu— Capture of Kereopa, and Escape of Te Kooti into the King Country 360

CONCLUSION 367

APPENDIX: List of Killed and Wounded during the War from 1860 to 1870 inclusive . . . . 369

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L I S T O F P O R T R A I T S .

LIEUTENANT GUDGEON

SIR GEORGE GREY, K . C . B

MAJOR VON TEMPSKY

TITOKOWARU

K EREOPA.

REV. C . S . VOLKNER

MAJOR KEPA

T I K O O T I .

GENERAL SIR TREVOR CHUTE

COLONEL MCDONNELL

COLONEL WHITMORE

MAJOR H U N T E R .

. Frontispiece

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