Newsletter #22, December 2017
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Number 22 December 2017 DESPATCHES NEWSLETTER OF THE QUEEN’S REDOUBT TRUST ISSN 2324-5271 SERIES ON BRITISH UNITS AT QUEEN’S REDOUBT This is the fifth article on the different wounded. The 70th were not involved in the battle at Rangiriri but were in the action in British Army units involved with Queen’s Their next major action was the attack February 1864 at Rangiawhia with the Redoubt and continues with the exami- on Koheroa in July 1863, where Major Regiment, now led by Lt Colonel Mu- nation of those Regiments that were ei- Ryan led the detachment of just over lock, made up about a third of the force 100 men that had returned from Otago. ther involved with building the Redoubt which captured the village. or the Great South Road. The 70th, East In September a smaller section of this group , again, led by Major Ryan and Two companies of the 70th, with 50th and Surrey, Regiment of Foot, were in New including Captain Saltmarshe, were at 65th Regiment forces, then attacked and Zealand from 1861 until January 1866. the closely contested fight at the Puke- drove out from Hairini ridge the Maori kohe East Church which had been at- rearguard forces -placed there to allow TH EAST SURREY REGIMENT tacked by a strong force of Maori, prob- the safe withdrawal of their compatriots ably Ngati Maniapoto. The 70th lost two from Rangiawhia and the Paterangi line, OF FOOT men in this engagement and Captain -the latter a strongly fortified position. Saltmarshe, who was severely wounded, In the final battle in the Waikato, THE GLASGOW GREYS was promoted to Brevet Major for his Orakau, a company of the 70th led by efforts. Captain Cay was involved. One of the The 70th were the first regiment to be 70th, Private Maskeli, was killed and two sent from India, where they had been for In Taranaki Captain Wright’s company wounded. 12 years before leaving for New Zealand was engaged at Poutoko but suffered no in February 1861. Under the command of loss. They were favourably mentioned By the beginning of May the regiment Lt Colonel T J Galloway they arrived in in dispatches by Col Warre who com- was stationed at several posts along the Auckland on 13 May and encamped at manded there. Waikato River but at the end of the Otahuhu with the 12th, 14th and 40th Regi- month most were transferred by ship to ments and were soon employed on the Toward the end of December General Taranaki. A small detachment under construction of the Great South Road. In Cameron set up the Thames Expedition, Major Ryan remained in the Waikato November 1861, a detachment of 100 a mixed force of about 900 under Col and later took part in the attack on Gate men under Major Ryan, was sent to Dun- Carey (18th Regiment), whose job it was Pa. Major Ryan was mentioned in Gen- edin to help keep order amongst the min- to establish a line of redoubts from Pu- eral Cameron’s dispatch to the War Of- ers in Otago, remaining there until June korokoro (Miranda) across to Queen’s fice in London. The Major observed the 1863. The remainder of the Regiment, by Redoubt. The 70th regiment, with 16 advance of the assaulting column, then now encamped at Drury, continued Officers and 355 men comprised almost “following into the pa and, with Captain working on the Great South Road until half of this force. Captain Greaves (70th) Jenkins of H M S Miranda, was one of June 1862 when 3 companies, under took part in this action, his task being the last to leave it.” Major Rutherford, were sent to help to map the area and report the activity In Taranaki two companies of the 70th, build Queen’s Redoubt. back to General Cameron. Three re- under Majors Rutherford and Salt- doubts were established; Miranda, Esk When relationships between Maori and marshe. took part in the battle at Te Arei and Surrey. The first two named for and, early in 1865, two companies were European in Taranaki, began to deterio- ships of that name and the last for the th at Wanganui and were involved in the rate again the 70 was sent there in 70th, Surrey, Regiment, who manned it. March 1863 in the HMS Harrier and fight at Okea where Lieutenant Henry This action by the British made the inte- Bally and three privates were killed. In HMS Eclipse. Their first engagement rior of the Hunua Ranges untenable for with Maori forces was at the mouth of the same engagement Captain Cay, Lieu- the scattered Maori forces in the ranges tenant Tilden and Sergeants Howe and the Katikara River just south of New and within a short period most escaped Plymouth on 4th June when a detach- Clarity of the regiment were mentioned through the cordon into the Waikato. in dispatches. It was here ment of the 70th comprising 235 officers and men –a third of the force- took part in a bayonet attack on the Maori trench- The Trust always needs more active members, so please contact es. A 70th section, led by Sergeant Cleary, was part of this lead group, one of whom Ian Barton:- 09 239 2049, if you have an interest in the Private William Wallace, was severely project. P a g e 2 DESPATCHES that Captain Cay was promoted Bre- panied her husband and for most of vet Major. their time here she lived in a house in Auckland. Greaves, who apart from In August 1865 the regiment was being a Captain in the 70th, was also moved to garrison Napier; returning appointed Deputy Assistant QM Gen- to Otahuhu in December before re- eral (DAQMG). He was often men- turning to Britain in January 1866. tioned in dispatches for his gallantry and ability and was promoted Lt Colo- Ian Barton nel based on his time in NZ. His wife did go with him on the first surveying job he had as Assistant Quar- GEORGE RICHARD GREAVES termaster General which was to survey the country on the right (north) bank of TH REGIMENT the Waikato in the area around Queen’s Redoubt during the summer of 1862. One of the officers of the 70th Regi- Here George Greaves (whom the Maori ment who served in New Zealand, called ‘Jack’) lived in a tent camp, ad- Captain George Richard Greaves, is jacent to the Waikato River, with his little remembered today but served wife and dog Ranee; looked after by his here with distinction and later rose two soldier servants and the wife of the to the rank of full General. Apart Regimental Drum Major. Apparently, from General T S Pratt, the first although the local Maoris were aware commander of British forces in New of what he was doing, they were quite Zealand and his successor, Sir Dun- friendly at this time. [Memoirs: DQMG can Cameron, he seems to have been pg 8] the only army officer from the Land His next job, and probably the most Wars to rise this high. [Hart] important he did, was a survey from George Greaves was born at Lake the mouth of the Waikato to as far up Windermere on 9 Nov 1831. His river he could reach. The objective of Father was also an army officer who this work was to determine how far up retired early and took his family on a river it was possible for the proposed tour of Europe which lasted 11 years. river transport fleet to reach. This ne- Coloel G R Greaes CB They stopped in different towns each cessitated triangulating the river and winter where the children went to taking soundings across it; his tools shot-smaller than the bore dropped in, more school and where George learnt Ger- being a pocket sextant, prismatic com- paper or wads on top and then primed by man, Italian and French. Destined pass, aneroid barometer, field glasses, having the butt struck on the ground. The originally for the Artillery he attend- rod and lead for sounding and a survey- British with their muzzle-loading Enfield's ed Quaterman’s preparatory school or’s chain. Despite difficulties like high were out gunned because they were longer at Woolwich but for some reason cliffs and swampy ground Greaves did a and difficult to load, especially when on the entered Sand Hurst in October 1846. competent job and was able to produce move through fern and long grass. a useful chart of the river. However by He did well here excelling in Ger- Soon after the Koheroa attack, about which this time, early 1863, relationships with man, French, military drawing and Greaves had considerable praise for General the Maori were becoming strained. On surveying. Aged 18 when he finished Cameron, he was sent to join Captain Maine his training, in November 1849, he one occasion he and his two assistants RN, to pilot the Avon from Overhung, across was gazetted as Ensign in the 70th were surrounded by a group of Maori the Waikato bar and up the river; this making they did not know, to be informed that Regiment. full use of his earlier experience surveying the the King had given orders for them to The Regiment were in India at this river. A little later, when the Pioneer arrived, be killed because they had been tres- time and he joined them there in he also piloted it across the bar and later pi- passing and measuring on the king’s October 1850. He was stationed in loted it to rescue Archdeacon Maun sell and land.