Battle of Rangiriri
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Rangiriri (1863) occurred during the New Zealand land wars
(1845–1872), which were fought between the rebel Waikato Kingitanga forces and the British colonial forces. The Battle of Rangiriri is regarded as one of the most important battle in the New Zealand Wars. The Maori incorporated many techniques into its construction which had ben used in the northern wars, in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the Colonial Government advance. Rangiriri, while uncompleted, was still a formidable position when the British attacked it on 20 November 1863. More British were killed at 'Bloody Rangiriri' than in any other battle of the New Zealand Wars. But the British success opened the Waikato basin to the Imperial forces. Rewi Maniapoto and the Maniapoto iwi, after being soundly beaten in a number of previous conflicts, argued with the Waikato chiefs such as Te Wharepu, about the wisdom of defending Rangiriri.
The wars were sparked by a number of issues, but at its core was the establishment of the rebel Maori King Movement as an alternative to the British government; its main policy was to stop Maori selling land to the government. In Taranaki this had meant the killing of Maori who had attempted to sell land. Most Maori did not support the rebellion,either remining neutral or actively fighting with the government.
During the New Zealand Wars rebel Kingitanga forces enjoyed only one victory in battle,in Tauranga, as they were overwhelmed in terms of manpower and resources. But Maori rebels did surprise and kill isolated civilians around Auckland. Following the Kingitanga defeats in Auckland and at Meremere
in November 1863, the Māori retreated south to Rangiriri. In Rangiriri Te Wharepu designed a line of fortifications, stretching from the Waikato River
to Lake Waikare
, in preparation for a British attack.
The British force totaled 1400 men and the Kingitanga rebels about 500.
On November 20, 1863 around 860 British forces, led by General Duncan Alexander Cameron, attacked the fortifications at 4.45pm, after a bombardment that began at 3.00pm. Gunboats on the river attacked the ridge, while land troops, who had marched south from Meremere, attacked the main Māori position from the north. The attack from the north was supported by artillery fire from the newly invented Armstrong gun which was breech loading with a rifled barrel and had explosive shells. The effect of the shells was ameliorated by the defenders placing Kingitanga flags to the rear of the central fortification. As these were being used as shot markers, many of the shells landed to the rear of the compact and heavily constructed bunker system which measured 63 ft x 63 ft (19m²).The defence work had no pallisades. The 65th regiment attacked on the river side of the central redoubt with the 12th and the 14th Regiments attacking the line to the east of the redoubt. Maori warriors in the outlying trenches were quickly defeated and the survivors fled east to the lake and swamps,throwing away their guns as they ran. These 2 regiments were under orders to fire from cover to keep the rebels heads down. Troops attacking from the north were temporarily held up by the 17 ft (5m) high earth parapet. Royal Engineers with the 65th bought up ladders so that the 64th could enter the central trench system.The gunboat attack, and a barrage from Armstrong guns on a ridge at a range of about 700 yards (640m), lasted for about two hours. The 40th regiment that landed to the south of the fort in the morning, were held up for over an hour trying to get ashore by the muddy banks of the river to the south and the strong wind which blew the slow moving barges about and did not see action until the afternoon. While doing this they were sniped at by defenders who had rushed to enter the partly completed trenches in the rear.
The land troops, consisting of four companies of the 65th Regiment, a detachment of Royal Engineers
and the 14th Regiment, attacked the first line of defences and a party of 36 artilliarymen under Capt Mercer attacked the central redoubt armed with swords and revolvers. The Māori fiercely fought back, but by nightfall their fortifications were almost surrounded. Capt Mercer was shot dead. At dusk the British wounded were carried to the river boats for treatment. During the night, the bulk of the defenders led by the mortally wounded Chief Te Wharepu, Tamihana and the King quietly retreated down the trench system to the east. During the night the British intermittently fired at the Maori and threw hand grenades into the central stronghold where the survivors held out. Tainui sources say the chief retreated to go and help with the harvesting but this was 3 months after the planting season and seems unlikely. James Cowan interviewed survivors who told him they had run out of ammunition but Colonel Gamble found 182 firearms and large supplies of ammunition in the pa the day after the attack. In the morning,the British attempted to set off a mine under the redoubt but the fuses could not be located. The Maori remaining showed a white flag. Lt Pennefather entered the redoubt with his men mingling with the Maori for 10 minutes and shaking hands. He then demanded their arms which they gave up in surrender.
Ngati Koroki chief Tioriori who lead the negotiations for the maori surrender, had sustained three wounds when chivalrously attempting to remove a wounded British officer out of the line of fire. About this time Wirimu Tamihana, the king maker,approached the occupied pa from the east with 400 warriors. Deeply dispirited by the series of defeats in Auckland and the Waikato he wanted to surrender but he was prevented from doing so.
After the defeat of the Kingites, an officer, Captain E.Brooke R.E., surveyed the site, including measurements of the extensive fortifications and Major Charles Heaphy VC drew sketches (used by the NZ Herald) showing the British troops attacking the parapet. 41 Maori corpses were recovered, including 5 women and children.
The Battle of Rangiriri resulted in another major defeat for the Waikato Kingitanga. At least 41 Māori were killed including 6 chiefs and 183 were taken prisoner.It is possible that many more died in the surrounding lake and swamps. The British losses were 39 killed and 92 wounded. The British dead were mainly buried in a small graveyard in the township which is open to the public Two Victoria Crosses were won. This was the battle that broke the back of the Waikato resistance and for which Cameron was knighted. Even Governor Grey,writing to Newcastle the next day-stressed his pleasure at the successful outcome. The 183 Maori captives were taken north to Kawau Island. Months later, nearly all managed to escape after the war was over.
After the battle a loyal Waikato chief, Wiremu Te Wheoro, was installed in a wooden redoubt constructed on a high point 500m east of the main earth redoubt. This was much larger than the original earthworks on the site and had a splendid view in all directions.Te Wheoro,chief of the Ngati Naho,who was magistrate in the local court and about 30 of his men manned the wooden redoubt until 1868 to prevent any disruption by kingites to the British supply line.Te Wheoro later became one of the first Maori MPs.
In 1995, the Crown formally and publically apologised to Waikato-Tainui and the Kingitanga for unjustly invading Waikato-Tainui lands and for sending imperial forces across the Mangataawhiri; for the loss of life and the devastation of property that ensured. The Crown expressed profound regret and apologised unreservedly for the invasion and the crippling effects it had on the welfare of the Waikato-Tainui people. Her Majestry Queen Elizabeth II affirmed the apology of the Crown by signing the Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlements Act 1995 in the presences of the then head of the Kingitanga, the late Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu. As a result of this Settlement, the Crown settled the land confiscation grievances of Waikato-Tainui with compensation; and has sought on behalf of all New Zealanders to atone for those injustices it caused and began a process of healing and entered into a new age of co-operation with the Kingitanga and the Waikato-Tainui peoples.
In 2009 the New Zealand Transport Agency which is responsible for the construction of the Waikato Expressway Rangiriri Bypass roading project began working in partnership with Waikato-Tainui to restore the Rangiriri Pa site and to remove the exsiting state highway that currently runs through the central redoubt. It is hoped the Rangiriri Bypass and restoration works will be completed by the 150th anniverseary of the Battle of Rangiriri in 2013.
As part of the Rangiriri Bypass Project, the site was the subject of an archeological dig in Mid 2011.
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
(1845–1872), which were fought between the rebel Waikato Kingitanga forces and the British colonial forces. The Battle of Rangiriri is regarded as one of the most important battle in the New Zealand Wars. The Maori incorporated many techniques into its construction which had ben used in the northern wars, in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the Colonial Government advance. Rangiriri, while uncompleted, was still a formidable position when the British attacked it on 20 November 1863. More British were killed at 'Bloody Rangiriri' than in any other battle of the New Zealand Wars. But the British success opened the Waikato basin to the Imperial forces. Rewi Maniapoto and the Maniapoto iwi, after being soundly beaten in a number of previous conflicts, argued with the Waikato chiefs such as Te Wharepu, about the wisdom of defending Rangiriri.
The wars were sparked by a number of issues, but at its core was the establishment of the rebel Maori King Movement as an alternative to the British government; its main policy was to stop Maori selling land to the government. In Taranaki this had meant the killing of Maori who had attempted to sell land. Most Maori did not support the rebellion,either remining neutral or actively fighting with the government.
During the New Zealand Wars rebel Kingitanga forces enjoyed only one victory in battle,in Tauranga, as they were overwhelmed in terms of manpower and resources. But Maori rebels did surprise and kill isolated civilians around Auckland. Following the Kingitanga defeats in Auckland and at Meremere
Meremere
Meremere is a small town in the northern Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the east bank of the Waikato River, 50 kilometres north of Hamilton....
in November 1863, the Māori retreated south to Rangiriri. In Rangiriri Te Wharepu designed a line of fortifications, stretching from the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
to Lake Waikare
Lake Waikare
Lake Waikare is the largest of several shallow lakes in the upper floodplain of the Waikato River in New Zealand's North Island. It is a riverine lake, located to the east of Te Kauwhata and 40 kilometres north of Hamilton...
, in preparation for a British attack.
The British force totaled 1400 men and the Kingitanga rebels about 500.
On November 20, 1863 around 860 British forces, led by General Duncan Alexander Cameron, attacked the fortifications at 4.45pm, after a bombardment that began at 3.00pm. Gunboats on the river attacked the ridge, while land troops, who had marched south from Meremere, attacked the main Māori position from the north. The attack from the north was supported by artillery fire from the newly invented Armstrong gun which was breech loading with a rifled barrel and had explosive shells. The effect of the shells was ameliorated by the defenders placing Kingitanga flags to the rear of the central fortification. As these were being used as shot markers, many of the shells landed to the rear of the compact and heavily constructed bunker system which measured 63 ft x 63 ft (19m²).The defence work had no pallisades. The 65th regiment attacked on the river side of the central redoubt with the 12th and the 14th Regiments attacking the line to the east of the redoubt. Maori warriors in the outlying trenches were quickly defeated and the survivors fled east to the lake and swamps,throwing away their guns as they ran. These 2 regiments were under orders to fire from cover to keep the rebels heads down. Troops attacking from the north were temporarily held up by the 17 ft (5m) high earth parapet. Royal Engineers with the 65th bought up ladders so that the 64th could enter the central trench system.The gunboat attack, and a barrage from Armstrong guns on a ridge at a range of about 700 yards (640m), lasted for about two hours. The 40th regiment that landed to the south of the fort in the morning, were held up for over an hour trying to get ashore by the muddy banks of the river to the south and the strong wind which blew the slow moving barges about and did not see action until the afternoon. While doing this they were sniped at by defenders who had rushed to enter the partly completed trenches in the rear.
The land troops, consisting of four companies of the 65th Regiment, a detachment of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and the 14th Regiment, attacked the first line of defences and a party of 36 artilliarymen under Capt Mercer attacked the central redoubt armed with swords and revolvers. The Māori fiercely fought back, but by nightfall their fortifications were almost surrounded. Capt Mercer was shot dead. At dusk the British wounded were carried to the river boats for treatment. During the night, the bulk of the defenders led by the mortally wounded Chief Te Wharepu, Tamihana and the King quietly retreated down the trench system to the east. During the night the British intermittently fired at the Maori and threw hand grenades into the central stronghold where the survivors held out. Tainui sources say the chief retreated to go and help with the harvesting but this was 3 months after the planting season and seems unlikely. James Cowan interviewed survivors who told him they had run out of ammunition but Colonel Gamble found 182 firearms and large supplies of ammunition in the pa the day after the attack. In the morning,the British attempted to set off a mine under the redoubt but the fuses could not be located. The Maori remaining showed a white flag. Lt Pennefather entered the redoubt with his men mingling with the Maori for 10 minutes and shaking hands. He then demanded their arms which they gave up in surrender.
Ngati Koroki chief Tioriori who lead the negotiations for the maori surrender, had sustained three wounds when chivalrously attempting to remove a wounded British officer out of the line of fire. About this time Wirimu Tamihana, the king maker,approached the occupied pa from the east with 400 warriors. Deeply dispirited by the series of defeats in Auckland and the Waikato he wanted to surrender but he was prevented from doing so.
After the defeat of the Kingites, an officer, Captain E.Brooke R.E., surveyed the site, including measurements of the extensive fortifications and Major Charles Heaphy VC drew sketches (used by the NZ Herald) showing the British troops attacking the parapet. 41 Maori corpses were recovered, including 5 women and children.
The Battle of Rangiriri resulted in another major defeat for the Waikato Kingitanga. At least 41 Māori were killed including 6 chiefs and 183 were taken prisoner.It is possible that many more died in the surrounding lake and swamps. The British losses were 39 killed and 92 wounded. The British dead were mainly buried in a small graveyard in the township which is open to the public Two Victoria Crosses were won. This was the battle that broke the back of the Waikato resistance and for which Cameron was knighted. Even Governor Grey,writing to Newcastle the next day-stressed his pleasure at the successful outcome. The 183 Maori captives were taken north to Kawau Island. Months later, nearly all managed to escape after the war was over.
After the battle a loyal Waikato chief, Wiremu Te Wheoro, was installed in a wooden redoubt constructed on a high point 500m east of the main earth redoubt. This was much larger than the original earthworks on the site and had a splendid view in all directions.Te Wheoro,chief of the Ngati Naho,who was magistrate in the local court and about 30 of his men manned the wooden redoubt until 1868 to prevent any disruption by kingites to the British supply line.Te Wheoro later became one of the first Maori MPs.
In 1995, the Crown formally and publically apologised to Waikato-Tainui and the Kingitanga for unjustly invading Waikato-Tainui lands and for sending imperial forces across the Mangataawhiri; for the loss of life and the devastation of property that ensured. The Crown expressed profound regret and apologised unreservedly for the invasion and the crippling effects it had on the welfare of the Waikato-Tainui people. Her Majestry Queen Elizabeth II affirmed the apology of the Crown by signing the Waikato Raupatu Claims Settlements Act 1995 in the presences of the then head of the Kingitanga, the late Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu. As a result of this Settlement, the Crown settled the land confiscation grievances of Waikato-Tainui with compensation; and has sought on behalf of all New Zealanders to atone for those injustices it caused and began a process of healing and entered into a new age of co-operation with the Kingitanga and the Waikato-Tainui peoples.
In 2009 the New Zealand Transport Agency which is responsible for the construction of the Waikato Expressway Rangiriri Bypass roading project began working in partnership with Waikato-Tainui to restore the Rangiriri Pa site and to remove the exsiting state highway that currently runs through the central redoubt. It is hoped the Rangiriri Bypass and restoration works will be completed by the 150th anniverseary of the Battle of Rangiriri in 2013.
As part of the Rangiriri Bypass Project, the site was the subject of an archeological dig in Mid 2011.
See also
- Invasion of Waikato
- New Zealand land warsNew Zealand land warsThe New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
- New Zealand land confiscationsNew Zealand land confiscationsThe New Zealand land confiscations took place during the 1860s to punish the Kingitanga movement for attempting to set up an alternative, Māori, form of government that forbade the selling of land. The confiscation law targeted Kingitanga Māori against whom the government had waged war to restore...
- Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of WaitangiThe Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
- Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlementsTreaty of Waitangi claims and settlementsTreaty of Waitangi claims and settlements have been a significant feature of New Zealand race relations and politics since 1975. Over the last 30 years, New Zealand governments have increasingly provided formal legal and political opportunity for Māori to seek redress for breaches by the Crown of...