That British militia and volunteers, when opportunity offers, possess no
lack of gallantry, they have often given proof, especially in the Cape
Colony and New Zealand.
In the last war in New Zealand, Colonel Waddy, C.B., was in command of
the advance force of the British, composed of regulars, militia, and
volunteers, at Paterangi near a native pah or fort.
Under him was serving Lieutenant-Colonel Havelock.
To the right, facing the pah, at some distance from the camp, the river
Mangapiko forms a complete bow or loop. At the narrow end or knot there
is an old native pah, with the river flowing on either side of it.
Inside the loop at the broad end is a thick scrub, and here 100 Maories
from the Paterangi pah had formed an ambush.
A number of soldiers from the camp, unsuspicious of danger, had gone to
the river to bathe directly opposite this scrub, there being a ford at
the spot across the river.
Immediately the natives began to fire on the bathers, the inlying
pickets of the 40th and 50th Regiments turned out, a party under Major
Bowdler going to the right to attack the natives retreating up that part
of the river, while Lieutenant-Colonel Havelock, with the men he could
collect, accompanied by Captain Fisher, Captain Heaphy, and Captain
Jackson, marched rapidly on the left a considerable distance towards the
old pah, to cut off the retreat of the natives who had formed the
ambush, or to intercept any others who might come from Paterangi to
their relief. At the narrow end of the loop there was a deep gully,
with an old canoe thrown over it as a bridge.
While Major Bowdler's party were attacking the natives who had taken
post in the old pah on one side, Captain Fisher led a few men across the
bridge on the opposite side, followed by Captain Heaphy, who had
collected some men of the 40th and 50th Regiments. Large numbers of
natives now came rushing up from Paterangi pah, and the fight became
general over a wide extent of woody ground, the English soldiers often
dashing forward incautiously at the enemy, and suffering considerably;
Captain Fisher recrossing the bridge to repel the Maori reinforcements.
Colonel Havelock, who had no arms, and Captain Heaphy were left with a
few men in the midst of the enemy. Captain Heaphy now shot a Maori,
and, having secured his gun and pouch, gave Colonel Havelock his own
breechloader and a few cartridges, continuing the fight himself with the
Maori gun and ammunition. Captain Jackson, when wading the river, shot
a Maori who had snapped both barrels at him, and then, hauling the man
to the bank, secured his gun and pouch.
Meantime, Captain Fisher being hotly engaged and somewhat pressed by a
large body of natives coming from Paterangi, Captain Heaphy collected a
party of stragglers under fire, told them off into front and rear ranks,
and, placing them under cover, directed their fire on the
above-mentioned natives, who, receiving thus a cross fire, made no
further headway.
A series of hand-to-hand encounters took place during the fight about
the old tree-covered pah, between the Maories, crouching in the thick
bush, and the British, who showed a keen eagerness to dart at and close
with their lurking enemies. A private, Cassan of the 50th, having been
desperately wounded, fell into one of the deep overgrown ditches near
the pah, within reach of many Maories concealed there. Captain Heaphy,
on hearing of this, called for volunteers and hastened down for the
purpose of bringing off the wounded soldier, though exposed to a hot
fire from the enemy directly above him. Two of his followers were shot
dead, while five balls pierced his cap and clothes, and he was wounded
in three places, providentially but slightly. He remained by the man,
to defend him from the enemy, till Assistant-Surgeon Stiles of the 40th
Regiment joined him, when the poor fellow was brought off, though he
died directly after. Dr Stiles greatly exposed himself, and took great
pains to get the wounded removed to the camp.
When wounded, Captain Heaphy was urged by Colonel Havelock to go back to
camp, but he remained in the skirmish to the end, after aiding Dr
Stiles in attending to other wounded. When the troops withdrew to camp
after dark, while ten files of Major Von Tempsky's Rangers were covering
the rear of the stretcher parties, he remained with them, only crossing
the river with the last men. At the very moment of fording the stream,
a ball, passing between him and Colonel Havelock, struck a man of the
40th farther in advance through the wrist, thus proving that the gallant
Heaphy was under fire to the very end of the fight. Few will dispute
that this brave officer of the Auckland Volunteer Rifles, in addition to
the majority he forthwith obtained, deserved as much as any man the
honour of the Victoria Cross.