382 
MINUTES OF PEQCEEDINGS OF 
Col. Williams arrived at Te Rore, where the head quarters of the army 
were posted, on the night of the 28th January 1864, and appointed Lieut. 
Pickard acting-adjutant. 
About four miles from Te Rore, inland from the Waipa river, was a strong 
Maori position called Paterangi. A post was established about 1500 yds. 
from this pah, and two 12-prs. were sent there under Captain Betty and 
Lieut. Carre. The guns were occasionally fired and with good effect. 
Colonel Barstow with half of “ 1 99 Battery, was ordered from Auckland to 
Ngaruawahia, in charge of three 6-prs,, and three N.P. 12-pr. Armstrong’s. 
No horses were handed over to the battery, and every gunner and driver 
was armed with a carbine or rifle, and learnt gun-drill. 
About 20th Pebruary, Colonel Barstow left Ngaruawahia, having been 
ordered to join the head quarters atTe Rore with the three 6-pr. guns; the 
12-prs. remained at Ngaruawahia in charge of Lieut Toogood, R.A. 
On the 21st Pebruary, a night march was made to Rangiawhia (about 
eight miles in rear of Paterangi), and the 6-pr. guns drawn by two horses 
each, accompanied the expedition. 
An engagement took place on the 22nd Pebruary, at Rangiawhia, in which 
the natives’ entrenchments were assaulted and taken by the 50th Regiment, 
whose advance was covered by the firing of the two 6-pr. Armstrong’s, 
manned by detachments of “ I ” Battery. The practice was very good, but 
the uneven ground, the height of the fern, and the difficulty of getting a 
view of the natives in their pits, were great obstacles to rapid firing. 
Just after the assault on the Maori entrenchments at Rangiawhia had 
succeeded, and while the natives were dispersing in all directions, they were 
charged by the mounted corps of Royal Artillery, under Lieut. Rait, R.A., 
and good service was done, though the difficulties of the ground were very 
great. One driver and one horse were killed, and three or four men and 
horses, including Lieut. Bait’s horse, were wounded during the charge. The 
high fern was found most difficult for cavalry to act in. It concealed holes, 
pits, and other inequalities of ground, and by tilting up the scabbards, 
swords used often to be dropped. The latter objection was removed, how¬ 
ever, by detaching the scabbards from the slings of the sword-belt and 
fastening them to the saddle instead. The carbine was w r orn in a bucket 
in front of the right leg until required for use. The pistol was worn 
buckled round the waist in a leathern case, and a small strap fastened to the 
trigger guard attached the pistol to the body. 
The uniform worn by all the troops was a blue serge “jumper” or short 
frock with shoulder-straps. The drivers were supplied with long boots and 
hunting-spurs. 
The three 12-prs. of “C” Battery were afterwards forwarded to Te 
Awamutu (two miles from Rangiawhia) from Te Rore, and one was placed in 
each redoubt built there. 
Six 12-pr. Armstrong’s were bought by the New Zealand government from 
the colony of Victoria, and were in charge of the Principal Military Store¬ 
keeper at Auckland. Two of these were drawn out of store by the Royal 
Artillery in January 1864, and sent down with detachments of “ C ” Battery 
under Lieut. Greer, R.A. to Tauranga, on the east coast of New Zealand, 
to join the force stationed there under Colonel Carey, 2nd battalion, 18th 
Regiment. 
