388

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

a complete shower of bullets on us, when,
although we were not above 100 or 150 yards
from them, not a man was hit. At this time
it was near dark, but we managed to scramble
through the bush until at last we lost the
track, when I ordered the men around me,
and told them I should stay there until morn-
ing, ordering not a word to be spoken or a
pipe to be lighted. I now found that 4 of
the men were missing, and knowing that it
would be completely useless to attempt, at
that time, to find them, I determined to wait
until morning, hoping in the meantime to
hear them about in the bush. At 4 1/2 o'clock
a. m., on the morning of the 8th, we
commenced to try and gain a track out
of the bush, and at about 8 o'clock a. m. we
succeeded, and were met about half way
from the Redoubt by Colonel Murray and his
party, and then learned that our esteemed
Captain was dead. After detailing a man to
return as guide to Colonel Murray, I con-
tinued my march to the camp, which we
reached at about 11 o'clock a.m., completely
exhausted. I am sorry to report our casu-
alties (as per margin*) were very great, but
taking into consideration the number to which
we were opposed, being near 7 to 1, we have
every reason to be thankful that it was not
greater.

I hope it may not appear presumptuous on
my part to bear testimony to the cool and
gallant manner displayed by the late Captain
Swift, and Lieutenant Butler in this desperate
affair ; the Captain issuing his command as
if on parade, and even when wounded, refus-
ing to take one man from the force to take
him to the rear, until he was told that I
would not be able to keep my position much
longer ; and Lieut. Butler, even when
brought on his knee, in the coolest manner
possible, deliberately fired the shots from his
revolver into a crowd of Maories.

I need scarcely add, that the men behaved
most gallantly; in fact it would be impossible
to recapitulate the many acts of individual
courage, when each man emulated the other
in acts of heroic bravery.

I however beg to bring to your favourable
consideration the valuable assistance I re-
ceived from Sergeant Bracegurdle, who
supported me throughout in a most intrepid
manner; as also Lance Corporal Ryan, Pri-
vates William Bulford, John Talbott, John
Cole, and Benjamin Thomas, for the devotion
they manifested to their officers, by staying
with them until 7.30 p.m on the night of
the 7th instant. Captain Swift died at
that time, after which they hid his body in
the bush and waited until morning, and then
carrying Lieutenant Butler in their arms,
they returned meeting Colonel Murray and
force, Corporal Ryan returned with Colonel

*Killed-Capt. Swift; private Bellringer, Richard;
private Grace, Stephen.
Wounded-Lieut. Butler, private Powell, private
McLane, private Whittle.
Missing-Private Bryan.

Mrrray and pointed out the spot in which
Captain Swift's body was hid.
I also beg to enclose the report of Ser-
geant Meara, in charge of our advance
guard, also a plan of the scene of action.
I should estimate the loss of the enemy to
be between 20 and 30 in killed and wounded,
7 of whom I, myself, distinctly saw shot dead
and dragged into the bush by the rebels.

I have, &c.,
E. MCKENNA,
Color Sergeant, 65 Regt.

W. Hutchins,
Lieut-Colonel Asst. Military Sect.

Lieut.-General Cameron to the Governor.

Head Quarters,
Queen's Redoubt,
12th September, 1863.

SIR,-I have the honor to forward for your
Excellency's information, the copy of a report
from Captain Greaves, Acting Deputy Assist-
ant Quarter-Master General, who acted as
guide to the party under the command of
Major Blyth, 40th regiment, which proceeded
from the Queen's Redoubt to Tuakau on the 9th
instant, and who subsequently accompanied the
party under Lieut. Warren, 65th regiment,
from that post to Cameron town, in search of
men dead and missing, after the engagement on
the 7th instant.

Captain Greaves' sketch, which I also enclose,
shows the track taken by Captain Swift's party
from Tuakau to Cameron, and the scene of the
skirmish of the 7th Sept., 1863.

I have, &c.,
D. A. CAMERON,
Lieutenant-General.

His Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c.

Queen's Redoubt,
10th September, 1863.

SIR,-I have the honor to report for the
information of the Lieutenant-General Com-
manding, that I guided a party of the 40th
Regiment, under Major Blyth, through the
bush to Tuakau yesterday. We reached the
Redoubt at about 12 p.m., and I immediately
accompanied a party of 100 of the 65th
Regiment, under Lieutenant Warren, to
Cameron, on the Waikato-the scene of the
late Maori attack upon the friendly natives'
pa-to search for three soldiers of the 65th
Regiment (one of them known to be dead),
who had been left in the bush in that vicinity,
on the occasion of the fight between Captain
Swift's party and the Maoris, on Monday
last.

We proceeded through the bush, on the
track likely to be taken by the missing men,
to Cameron, where we arrived at 3.30 p.m.
On the spot where the fight took place we
found the body of Private Grace, 65th Regi-
ment. He had a gun-shot wound in the face,
and cut from a tomahawk in the chin. The
body had been covered over with fern by the
party when they left it, and so we found it.
We went down to the pa, which is a miser-