GENERAL M'NEILL.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1538, 22 April 1885, Page 2

GENERAL M'NEILL.

<u * I ♦ .1- .14. General Sir Jehn M'Neill, K.O.R, K.C.M.G.. V.G., who commanded the British troop* in the engagement at Hasheen •« Sunday, M*rah 39, and who has been blAnwid for the hmvj l«u of officers and men whieb occarred on that occasion through *h« f>n«tmj efleeting a larpiiae, is well known in this quarter of the globe (obsftnrps the Sydney Morning He, ale. y W!nm> General Sir Oaacan* CUmeron w,n dfspatcbeH in 1861, wifh at array nambering eventually lO,CCC t-.-. -»f all arnii, to soppreas the ii*o..

rebellion in New Zealand, Major M'Neill (as he then was) cam* with him us aid? de-camp, atod served with him antil Sir Frederick Weld's "self. reliant policy " * brotogJit about the withdrawal of the British troop* f««sjr years later. The relation of the Imperial officers with the CWonisf Gov«rn meat and puMic wi>m decidedly what diplomatists called .«• straiuerf," and not a few of th*» sta (F appeared tode*» it their duty to muke themselves as < n 'easant as possible hy their ttwm? an-a miiHairet. Sir John M»N»H! r however, vu by kt iship a colwriwt, for !>• had a brother settled in Southland as a &heep kriner and sittinj; in the House ' «f Representatives, and throngiwtit the whole of those wretched •tHß«»derstawlßtgfi which -f ndei in tlm abrupt removal of th« Governor. Sir Georgt Orsf r fti-oogh War Office tatri*»*s, b* e*ntrivpd to b*» popular *uH resp^eled nnionsrnt all classes of tb« eommnnity. His services in the field were not l«s* brilliant than his social seec****. I» half a-doxen <tTA«rent'enzajr»iii«ntt9 a*c? "Rflfairs" he di<<pfared soaspicaooH Hmverr, and in the bl«*w»T hattles «f Ranjjifiri and the (Jate Pah h«» sn dis tinguished himself as t© gain »«tl slo<v and promotion On March 80. 1864, hf earned the Vietc-i* Cr*# b< one of those coq! acti of airing wbMt come nafenrallT to m#n of his temperame'.t, bnt which are utterly i'tir>o>sibld to men of a different sort. Riding on strtflf dnty lo headquarter* at T» Awamutn, he saw his escort, Private* Vosper and OiJwon. 'of the New Zealand Defence Ferce, snddonly attacked hy an arabnscade ofsoN%ti«R«. Gibson gained safety hy flight, btt Vosper was nnhorsed, a»>d iu a few «»<-onds most have been ir the enemy* « hands. Therenpon Sir Jolih M'N^ll, who was -oot of danj^r himself, ieliberstely returned can*ht V«fper's horse, assisted bin U m<nr>t, and bi on?ht him awsy in mMy by sheer hird gaUoping, amid a slmwer «t Hul'eu. Th«, Natires admitted that they ontrht to have kilM Uoifa otsWr and man ; bat tiey were so d«va f in» dered Hy the intrepid coaraeaof t'i^ '>rooeedi»fir that they ftrst loattnie aid then fired wiWly. A simihiraxn, n ider far lew trying circumstances, would have saved the life «f the Prince Imperial in Zaluland. After leaving Nmw Zealand, Sir John M*N-ill serr»d with ever increasing distinction ia Ireland, at the Red River, and in Asbantee, where he was second in command nnder General Wolwrf**-. He was wounded all bnt mortally ta the attack »n Essaman, during »n advauce to Coomasaie, and ratired from active service with abnndancc of hononrs and the b*st Howe apt>oin> nients that happened to-be avaiUM^. He has been A.D.C. to the camroand«>r» iit-cliief and ••qoerry to the Quten fry more than 10 years ; ard it was with surprise and pleasure (bet his fri*nr « heard recently of bis havfttg AeooptKi a?tivp employment in the Soq.niu. Bis misfortune at the ontseS «f h s »>."\t career in allowing his farce n r& s tit-prised by tlieir vigilant and u»>wearymg fo« may very likely ba attributed to his long aWnee frora nitlitary command in the field, and t is to be hoped that he will speedily have an opportunity of redeeming hit rrpntatl»n, and perhaps of ouoe iaor» leading Co'onial troops to victory.