AN HISTORIC EVENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2654, 9 November 1909, Page 5

AN HISTORIC EVENT.

OMARANUI RECALLED

Many of the Old Settlers who fore- : gather at Patutalii to-day will recall with interest the Battle of Om.irenui, by some called the Waterloo of Hawke’s Bay. It took place on Oct.>ber 12th, 1866, and on the occasion of the 43rd Anniversary last month Mr George H:slop. writing as •‘One who was there,” contributed to the “Hasting’s Standard” the following narrative:— The victory had a great and farreaching effect on this and the East Coast district, as that great fanatical creed Hau Hauism had taken hold of the Native mind and caused many to doubt and dread the future. An old settler, at the time, said: “We may know the sower, but who shall reap?”” Of the officers of the militia and volunteers that took part that morning very few are r.ow to the fore. Among those who have passed away are Sir Georgo Whitmore, then Colonel Whitmore, Colonel Lambert, Captain Kennedy a true soldier and a man , Captains Buchanan, Richardson, St. George; Colonel Fraser and Captain Take; our Native allies, Renata, Karania, Hcnare Tomoana, Horcia, and Karamu ; and aLso our great. White Chief Sir D. McLean, the great guiding hand and head at that trying time, and to whose great influence over the Native mind the colony will ever owe a great and lasting debt of gratiture. Truly lie possessed a beneficial and persuasive newer by which he brought the assistance of the pakeha many who would otherwise have been, in arms against us. At. one time ■it threatened to be a war of races and. would have been but for the great power of McLean over the chiefs in this district. He, with his colleague, the Hon. J. D. Ormond, felt the great weight of responsibility for the fate and future of the province under their care, and were with the troops at the attack on the pah that morning of the 12th October, 1 G 66. Many of our presentday people do not realise what was being in the balance that fateful morning. Had a reverse taken place—had the great well-laid plot not been frustrated by the battle on the banks of the Tutaekuri—the decisive battle would have been fought in the town of Napier the following Sunday morning. But it was not to be. McLean and Ormond, and also the late Archdeacon Williams, saw that those unfortunate, fanatical people must be attacked at Omaranui to save the town and province. At that time the gallant 12th Regiment of Imperial troops were in barracks in Napier, but they were not under any colonial control, as the Imperial instructions were that under no conditions were they to leave their quarters unless attacked. This was the fruits of a serious and disastrous quarrel between two great men —the General Commanding the troops and the Governor. Sir George- Grey. That quarrel cost the colony about £3,000,000. besides a great loss of prestige -in the 03-03 of the Native race. It, however, brought about what: was known as the seli-re’iant policy, and the war was fought out by coloniaj troops and brought to a close in 1870, after some losses on both sides. Those* wJim I can name as still to the fore are> Captain Russell, who was acting aide de-camp to the commanding officer; also Captain J. FI. Coleman, who was assistant aide de-camp to the commanding officer; Lieut. Cartwright-Brown, and Lieut.- Irvine. The killed were Young and Morrison. Captain Kennedy and twenty others were wounded. ; Among the friendly natives Karamu was killed and several wounded. The losses of the rebels were nearly thirty killed and about 180 wounded. Alany prisoners were taken and sent to the Chatham Islands. After about two years captivity, the prisoners escaped and brought about- the terrible Poverty Bay massacre (November 1869), when main- of the bravest and best went down by the unsparing hand of Te Kooti and his band. How little the present day people realise the work- of the pioneers of the past, and what they accomplished; but, as Tom Bracken says—“ Sentiment is out of fashion; gratitude is fast asleep.” I will now conclude with the words of Kipling to the old veterans of the Indian Mutiny, among whom may he included Major Gascoyne, who has seen and been in more fights than most men living atpresent . “To-day across our father’s graves The astonished years reveal. The remnant of that desperate host Which cleansed our East with steel. Hail, and farewell, we greet you here With tears that none will scorn. Ho! keepers of the house of old For ever we were born. One service more we dare to ask, Pray for us! heroes, pray! M lien fate lays on us, our own task* We do not shame the dav.