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Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
14-Nov-2013
Lot No.
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Description:
Further Unpublished manuscripts of various Accounts written by private John P Ward Who Served in thirty one engagements of battle in the New Zealand wars. Amongst the hand written papers is a 63 page narrative of the various skirmishes involved in the campaign against Titokowaru 'After our big licking at Okotuku', the whole country from the Kai-Iwi stream some 15 miles from the town of Wanganui, right up to the Wanganui river some 70 miles from that town had been abandoned by our forces and given up to Tetoko who had beaten US badly at every point of this vast area of the country' Also many descriptive passages of the various engagements 'The Dago's came out of the bush and were chopping US down with tomahawks! I had four rifles smashed in my hand that morning by the rebel fire, with only some 60 of US left as a rear guard to oppose some 300 Dagos it was a bit tough, the Dago's all around US and only sheer grit got US out of it, all our officers were knocked over and I was placed in charge of the left wing of our division by Capt. Roberts'. Also mentioned is the engagement at Ruatahuna with Col St Johns column, mentions of early Wanganui Settlers Churton, Hubbard etc. Another 10 page article entitled 'How Dr brown saved the occasion', describes the Chief Surgeon of the field force attending to the sick after the Ngatapa engagement and before the battle at Tauranga-ika against Fitokowaru 'Like a flash the foul men seized an arm and leg of the patient, whilst the doctor beckoned me to hold his head. The patient (Sullivan) was not thoroughly pinioned. Dr brown now took hold of the almost red hot sand iron by an extempore 'Holder' made a couple of old Forage caps, and with two rapid strokes up and down the strip of brown paper spread over Sullivan's buttock and thigh almost made the flesh sizzle and with one terrific yell, and gathering a sort of super human strength in his intense pain, bounded up from the table, scattering the four orderlies and myself and making a vicious left hand blow at the doctor, who dodged it and in doing so upset the can of live coals, thereby nearly setting fire to the hospital marquee!!' various other manuscripts describe a despatch run from their camp at Cambridge. A 26 page manuscript entailing other engagements under Capt. James MacIntosh Roberts, 1867, mentions of general chute, Von Tempsky, the Taranaki field force etc another 29 page hand written group entitled 'A pretty tough ordeal' describes the Forest Rangers breaking camp at Te Aramoho and crossing the river and marching with a lot of other troops to Wereroa via St Johns bush and Westmere 'I watched them the rangers as they passed the Rutland Stockade.' Also included is 'The fight at Dutahi' along with 2 sepia photographs entitled in pencil to verso 'Mokau Inlet, Waikaremoana' and 'Head of Wairau Moana'. Plus correspondence from an Auckland assay office regarding samples of quartz which Ward hoped was to be gold bearing
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified