Flagstaff War

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Flagstaff War
Hone Heke drops the UK flagpole on Flagstaff Hill.
Hone Heke drops the UK flagpole on Flagstaff Hill.
date March 11, 1845 to January 11, 1846
place Northland , New Zealand
exit draw
Parties to the conflict

United Kingdom and Allied Māori

Māori

Commander

William Hulme
Tāmati Wāka Nene
Lieutenant Colonel Despard

Hone Heke
Te Ruki Kawiti

Troop strength
approx. 400, 2 ships about 500
losses

82 dead
164 injured (no casualties among the allied Māori)

60–94 dead,
80–148 injured

The Flagstaff War , also known as Hone Heke ’s Rebellion , Northern War or First Māori War , was a military conflict in New Zealand . It took place from March 11, 1845 to January 11, 1846 in the Bay of Islands region. The conflict represents the challenge of British authority by Hone Heke , in which the British flagpole was felled four times on Flagstaff Hill ( Maiki Hill ) near Kororareka , now Russell . The flagpole was once a gift fromHone Heke to the first British resident, James Busby .

The war spanned several skirmishes, including the Battle of Kororareka near Russell on March 11, 1845, the Battle of Ohaeawai on June 23, 1845, and the Siege of the Pā in Ruapekapeka from December 27, 1845 to January 11, 1846.

causes

The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on February 6, 1840, and a conflict between the British Crown and the Iwi was inevitable as a result. On the face of it, the treaty created a legal basis for the British presence in New Zealand. It is still regarded today as the actual founding document of New Zealand. However, both parties - and indeed most of the individual signatories - understood the contract differently. The Māori believed that the treaty guaranteed them continued ownership of their land and the protection of their customs. Many British people thought that he opened the country to mass immigration and settlement. On May 21, 1840, New Zealand was formally annexed to the British Crown. In 1841 the capital was moved to Auckland , just over 200 km south of Waitangi .

In the Bay of Islands, Hone Heke, one of the first to sign the Waitangi Treaty, was increasingly dissatisfied with the outcome of the signing. Among other things, Heke disrupted the relocation of the capital to Auckland. The governor in council had also introduced a tariff on everyday goods. This led to a drastic decline in whalers heading for Kororareka. Before that, up to 20 whaling ships were constantly moored in the Bay of Islands. The decline in ships caused a sharp drop in the income of the Ngā Puhi . Heke and his cousin Titore shared a levy of £ 5 they had levied on every ship that entered the bay. Pomare's problem was that he was no longer getting revenue from the American ships that docked at Otuihu across from Opua.

Heke and the chief of the Ngā Puhi, Pomare II, had heard reports from the consul of the United States, William Mayhew, who had been acting since 1840. This and other Americans spoke of the successful revolt of the American colonies against England on matters of taxation. Heke obtained a US flag from Henry Green Smith, a shopkeeper in Wahapu who had succeeded Mayhew as executive consul. After Heke felled the flagpole for the second time, Heke put the Stars and Stripes on the carved stern post of his war canoe.

Sensitivities of the Ngāpuhi

There was a vague but widespread belief in the Bay of Islands that the Waitangi Treaty was just a trick of the Pākehā . It is the intention of the whites to take possession of the entire Māori land when they become strong enough. Then there are Heke's views on the tariffs levied. It was believed that the British flag on the flagpole on Flagstaff Hill above Kororareka settlement indicated that the Māori had become taurekareka (slaves) of Queen Victoria . Discussions with American dealers seem to have fueled this discontent. William Colenso , printer for the mission company CMS, wrote in his note on the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi that “after a while Te Kemara came to the table and signed the parchment, noting that the Roman Catholic Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier (who had already left the meeting before the chiefs signed the contract) told him not to write on the paper, otherwise he would be made a slave. "

Memorial in Russell to the HMS Hazard crew members killed in the Kororareka pillage

The trial and execution of Wiremu Kingi Maketu for murder in 1842 marked the beginning of Heke's opposition to the colonial administration , according to Archdeacon Henry Williams . Heke began to rally support for a rebellion among the Ngāpuhi. It was not until 1844 that Hone Heke officially sought the support of Te Ruki Kawiti and other Ngāpuhi leaders by handing them a "ngākau", following the custom of asking for help in tribal disputes. This can e.g. B. be done by handing over an object such as a stone.

Hone Heke draws against Kororareka

Hone Heke and Te Ruki Kawiti worked out plans to pull the colonial forces into battle. For this purpose, targeted provocations should take place against the flagpole on Maiki Hill at the north end of Kororareka (Russell).

In July 1844, Kotiro, a former slave of Heke, publicly insulted him. Kotiro had been captured by a southern tribe 15 years earlier and was now living with her English husband named Lord, the local butcher. There are different versions of the event. Cowan writes in 1922 that Kotiro bathed with other women. During a heated discussion about Heke, she is said to have referred to him as upoko poaka or pig's head. Heke found out about this and used it as a pretext for the planned attack on the site.

Carleton presented it in 1874 in such a way that the presence of Kotiro and her status as an escaped slave was the pretext. Heke reclaimed his property. The messenger Hekes had brought the news to the butcher's shop, where several fat pigs were hanging. The woman had vehemently denied Heke's claims, pointed to one of the pigs and said "this is Heke".

In any case, Heke used the insult as an excuse to invade the place and to demand payment from Lord as compensation for the insult. This was refused, so Heke and his warriors stayed in the village for several days. Ostensibly to insist on payment, but in reality to test the reaction of the pākehā.

The Auckland Chronicle reported that Heke and his warriors waved their axes in front of the whites' faces, molested some white women, exposed themselves and pulled everything out of Lord's house.

The flagpole falls for the first time

Depiction of the hill around 1840

On July 8, 1844, the flagpole on Flagstaff Hill (Maiki Hill) at the north end of Kororareka (now Russell) was felled for the first time by the Pakaraka chief , Te Haratua. Heke wanted to cut the mast himself, but was persuaded by Archdeacon William Williams not to do so.

The Auckland Chronicle reported: "[They] then moved on to the flagpole, which they deliberately felled, with the intention of insulting the government and expressing their dissatisfaction with British authority."

In the second week of August 1844, the barque Sydney from New South Wales arrived in the Bay of Islands. It had 160 officers and men from the 99th regiment on board. On August 24, 1844, Governor Robert FitzRoy of Auckland arrived on the HMS Hazard in the Bay. She was accompanied by the Government Brigade Victoria , which included troops from the 96th Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel William Hulme . FitzRoy called the Ngāpuhi chiefs for a meeting at the Te Waimate Mission on September 2 and apparently defused the situation. Tāmati Wāka Nene asked the governor to withdraw the troops and to do something about the tariffs introduced in 1841, which led to economic disadvantages. Tāmati Wāka Nene and other Ngāpuhi chiefs tried to keep Heke at bay and protect the Europeans in the bay. Hone Heke did not attend the meeting, but sent a letter of apology offering to replace the flagpole. The soldiers were sent back to Sydney . The agreement did not last long. Ngāpuhi warriors led by Te Ruki Kawiti and Hone Heke decided to challenge the Europeans in Kororareka.

The flagpole falls two more times

On January 10, 1845, the flagpole was lowered a second time, this time by Heke. On January 17th, a NCO and 30 men were landed to protect the mast. A new, stronger flagpole, studded with iron below, was erected on January 18th and a sentry was erected around it. Nene and his men posted guards for the flagpole, but the next day the mast was felled again. Governor Fitz Roy asked again for reinforcements in New South Wales.

In early February 1845, Kawiti's warriors began pillaging the settlers a mile or two from Kororareka. The Hazard arrived from Auckland on February 15 and had material to build a log cabin on board. Within a few days it was erected around the base of the mast and manned by 20 soldiers as guards. Shortly afterwards, the government bought the mast of a foreign ship lying in port and installed it as the fourth flagpole.

The British forces included 60 soldiers from the 96th Regiment and about 90 Royal Marines and Hazard seamen , as well as colonists and seamen from the merchant ships, which provided about 200 armed men.

Kororareka is sacked, the mast is felled for the fourth time

The next attack on the flagpole on March 11, 1845 was a more serious matter. On March 7th and 8th there were clashes between Ngāpuhi warriors under Hone Heke, Kawiti and Kapotai. A ceasefire was declared for the next day, a Sunday. On that day, the Archdeacon of the Protestant mission station, Brown, visited the camp in Heke and celebrated a service with him and his people. A Catholic priest celebrated mass for the Kawiti warriors who were Christians. Ngāpuhi warriors approached Kororareka on Monday but were shot at. A later report on the preparations for the attack by missionaries of the CMS states that on Monday the plans of Heke became known to the dealer Gilbert Mair , who informed the police judge Beckham. This informed Lieutenant Phillpotts on the Hazard , but the message is said to have been received "with indifference, mixed with contempt".

At dawn on Tuesday, March 11, around 600 Māori attacked Kororareka with muskets, double-barreled shotguns and axes. Hone Heke's warriors attacked the sentry, killing all defenders, and cutting the flagpole a fourth time. At the same time, possibly as a red herring , Te Ruki Kawiti and his men attacked the Kororareka settlement. In the early afternoon, the powder magazine at Polack's palisade exploded and surrounding buildings caught fire. The garrison of about 100 Hazard men and sailors was able to hold out until the inhabitants were evacuated to the ships anchored in the bay. Lieutenant Phillpotts of HMS Hazard ordered that Kororareka be fired with cannons. The Māori looted the buildings and most of the buildings in the north of the town were burned down. Heke had ordered that the southern end of the ward, where the church and the missionaries' houses were located, should not be touched. Tāmati Wāka Nene and his warriors did not take part in this attack. 19 or 20 Europeans were killed and about 23 were wounded.

The next morning the survivors sailed to Auckland on the Hazard , the 21-gun corvette of the United States USS St. Louis , the government brigantine Victoria and the schooner Dolphin . Heke and Kawiti were victorious and the Europeans were first humiliated.

Attack on Pomares Pā

HMS North Star destroys Pomares Pā, 1845. Painting by John Williams.

The British had native allies, especially Tāmati Wāka Nene and his men. He had assured the British that the Ngāpuhi would behave well in the future and saw that Hone Heke had betrayed his trust. Pomare II remained neutral.

The colonial government tried to restore its authority over the Bay of Islands. On March 28, 1845, troops from the 58th, 96th and 99th regiments of the Royal Marines and a Congreve missile unit under the command of Lt. Col. William Hulme arrived . The following day, the colonial forces attacked Pomares Pā, disregarding his neutral position. The occasion were letters from Pomare to Pōtatau Te Wherowhero , which had been intercepted and which were regarded as "treasonous".

Since the Pā was on the coast, the HMS North Star fired at him with cannons. The colonial forces were able to take the Pā without a fight. When Pomare came to see what was going on, he was captured. He ordered his men to stop the resistance and they escaped into the bush. The British looted the Pā and burned it down. This action met with considerable incomprehension, as Pomare was viewed as neutral by almost everyone. In the Pā also burned down two pubs that Pomare had set up to attract and trade with settlers, sailors and whalers. Pomare was taken to Auckland on the North Star and later released after intervention by Tamati Waka Nene.

"Battle of the Sticks"

After the attack on Kororareka, Heke and Kawiti and the warriors moved inland to Lake Omapere near Kaikohe , about 20 miles or two days' journey from the Bay of Islands . Tāmati Wāka Nene built a Pā near the lake shore. Hekes Pā called Puketutu was about 3 km away, sometimes he is also called "Te Mawhe", but the hill with that name is a little further northeast. In April 1845, the colonial forces rallied in the Bay of Islands. During this time there were numerous small skirmishes between the warriors of Heke and von Nene on the small hill Taumata-Karamu between the Pā and on the open land between Okaihau and Te Ahuahu . Heke had about 300 warriors available. Kawiti joined Heke in late April with another 150 warriors. There were around 400 warriors under Tamati Waka Nene, including his brother Eruera Maihi Patuone and the chiefs Makoare Te Taonui (and his son Aperahama Taonui ), Mohi Tawhai, Arama Karaka Pi and Nopera Pana-kareao . FE Maning , Jacky Marmon and John Webster from Opononi were three Pākehā Māori (native Europeans) who fought alongside Nene and the warriors of Hokianga Harbor . Webster used a rifled barrel rifle - a novelty at the time - and fired two hundred rounds.

Attack on Hekes Pā in Puketutu

After the destruction of Pomares Pā, the colonial forces attacked Hekes Pā. They used a footpath from the Bay of Islands instead of a wider cart lane that led from Kerikeri through Waimate , but past Hekes Pā. The desire to keep the missionaries in the Te Waimate Mission out of the conflict may have contributed to this . Therefore no cannons could be taken. After a difficult overland march, the British reached the Puketutu Pā on May 7, 1845.

Lieutenant Colonel Hulme and his deputy, Major Cyprian Bridge, visited the Pā and found it to be fairly well developed. In the absence of better ideas, it was decided to launch a frontal attack the next day.

The British had no heavy cannons, but had a dozen Congreve missiles. The Māori had never seen missiles in use before. The first two missiles completely missed their target, the third hit the palisade, but did not seem to cause any damage. This gave the Māori considerable encouragement. Soon all the rockets were fired and the palisade was still intact.

The stormtroopers began to move forward. To do this, they first had to cross a narrow gorge between the lake and the one on Pā. Here they came under heavy fire from the palisade and the surrounding bush. Kawiti and his warriors arrived and attacked the colonial forces in the bush and the ravines around the Pā. It became clear that there were as many enemies outside the Pā as there were inside. A fierce and confused battle ensued. Eventually the British, with their discipline and cohesion, got the upper hand and drove the Māori back into the Pā. However, they were by no means defeated. Without artillery, the British had no way of capturing the Pā. Hulme retired to the Bay of Islands.

During the battle, 13 dead and 39 wounded were counted on the British side, and there were also deaths on the side of Heke and Kawiti.

The battle is sometimes called the "Battle of Okaihau," but Okaihau is 3 miles to the west.

Assault on Kapotais Pā

The return was made without incident. A week later, on May 15, Major Bridge with three companies and warriors from Tāmati Wāka Nene launched a surprise attack on Kapotais Pā on Waikare Inlet , which was easily accessible from the sea. The defenders withdrew from the Pā. Fighting broke out between the Kapotai and Nene warriors in the surrounding forests. The Pā was burned down.

Lt. Col. Hulme returned to Auckland and was replaced by Lt. Col. Despard, who did little to instill confidence in his troops.

Battle of Ahuahu

Te Ahuahu as seen from Waimate North

Until the 1980s, the history of the First Māori War tended to ignore the poorly documented Battle of Te Ahuahu . Still, in some ways, it was the most intense combat of the war. There is no detailed record of the battle. It was fought between the Māori of Hone Heke on the one hand and Tāmati Wāka Nene and his warriors on the other. As there was no British involvement, the battle is mentioned in few contemporary British works.

After successfully defending the Puketutu Pā on Lake Omapere, Hone Heke returned to his Pā Te Ahuahu (also Puke-nui ), on an extinct volcano. Te Ahuahu was not far from Puketutu and the site of the later Battle of Ohaeawai. A few days later he moved to Kaikohe to gather food. During his absence, one of Tāmati Wāka Nene's allies, chief Makoare Te Taonui (the father of Aperahama Taonui ), captured Te Ahuahu . That was a heavy blow to Heke's mana or prestige, so he had to be retaken as soon as possible.

The resulting battle followed traditional Māori rules of war with previous challenges and answers. It was a great battle by Māori standards. Heke had between 400 and 500 warriors, Tāmati Wāka Nene around 300. Hone Heke lost at least 30 warriors. There are no detailed records of the battle fought on June 12, 1845 near Te Ahuahu at Pukenui. Hugh Carleton (1874) gives a brief description. In it he writes that Heke, against the advice of Pene Taui, made the mistake of attacking "Walker" (Tāmati Wāka Nene), who had advanced to Pukenui. With 400 men he would have surprised 150 of Nene's men, but was repulsed with losses. Kahakaha was killed and Haratua was shot in the lung.

The Reverend Richard Davis wrote that on the 12th there was a violent battle between the loyal and renegade natives. Despite their strength of 500 men, the renegades were kept in check all day by a force of only 100 loyalists and were eventually driven off the field. Two warriors on Hekes and one on Nene's side had fallen. One of the fallen was a chief of great standing and courage, so he was laid out in front of the fence in front of Nenes Pā before he was buried. The British troops in the Bay of Islands had been asked for reinforcement by Nene, but their movements were so slow that they did not arrive at the scene of the incident until the 24th. Tāmati Wāka Nene remained in the possession of Hekes Pā. Heke was seriously wounded and did not intervene again until a few months later, in the final phase of the Battle of Ruapekapeka. In a letter to Lieutenant Colonel Despard, the battle of Tāmati Wāka Nene was described as a total victory over Heke.

Battle of Ohaeawai

Wooden tombstone for two of the British soldiers killed at Ohaewai in the Te Waimate Mission

There was a debate between and the Ngatirangi chief Pene Taui about the location of the next battle. Kawiti ultimately agreed that Pene Tauis Pā should be reinforced in Ohaeawai .

Although it was now the middle of winter, Despard insisted on continuing the campaign. With troops of the 58th and 99th regiments, marines and an artillery detachment, he sailed across the bay to the mouth of the Kerikeri River and marched to Ohaeawai, where Kawiti had built strong fortifications around Pene Tauis Pā. The three meter high inner palisade consisted of extremely hard Puriri trunks. In front of it was a trench in which the warriors could safely load their muskets and then fire through the gaps in the two outer palisades. The weather conditions were bad: constant wind and rain, plus a soggy, muddy ground. It took several days for the entire expedition to assemble at the Waimate Mission. At the time Despard was apoplectic, so much so that he arrived as Tāmati Wāka Nene with 250 men, said that if he had wanted the assistance of savages, he would have asked for it. Fortunately, the translator translated the message completely differently.

The British arrived in front of the Ohaeawai Pā on June 23 and set up camp 500 meters away. On the nearby Puketapu Hill , they built a battery of four cannons. They opened fire the next day, but did little damage to the palisade by evening. The next day, they pulled the cannons within 200 meters of the Pā. The bombardment lasted two more days, but did little damage. This was partly due to the elastic flat padding of the palisade. The main mistake, however, was that the cannon fire was not concentrated on a specific part of the fortification.

After the unsuccessful bombardment, Despard ordered another frontal attack. With difficulty he could be persuaded to await the arrival of a 32-pounder ship's cannon, which was due to arrive the next day, July 1st. An unexpected failure from the Pā led to the fact that the hill on which Tāmati Wāka Nene had his camp was temporarily occupied and Nene's flag, the Union Jack, fell into the hands of the opponents and was brought into the Pā. There he was hoisted upside down at half mast under the "Māori flag", a kākahu (Māori coat). This provocation led to a loss-making attack by the British. Out of anger at the insult, Despard ordered an attack on the Pā that same day. The attack was carried out on a section of the Pā where the defenders could fire at the attackers from both sides from the flank. The attack was therefore a negligent venture. Five to seven minutes after the attack on the intact stockade, the British had lost 33 dead and 66 wounded. Among the victims were Captain Grant of the 58th Regiment and Lieutenant Phillpotts of HMS Hazard.

Shaken by his losses, Despard wanted to break off his siege. The allied Māori were against it. Tāmati Wāka Nene convinced Despard to wait a few more days. More ammunition and supplies were brought in and the bombardment continued. On the morning of July 8th, the Pā was found empty; the enemy had left him that night. When the British officers inspected the fortification, they found it even stronger than feared. It was thoroughly destroyed and the British returned to the Bay of Islands. Te Ruki Kawiti and his warriors escaped, Hone Heke recovered from his injuries, and a new, even stronger Pā was built in Ruapekapeka .

The Battle of Ohaeawai was hailed as a victory by the British, although a third of the soldiers had died. In reality, Kawiti and his warriors escaped in a tactical retreat. The Ngāpuhi fortified the Ruapekapeka Pā in order to attack the British from there on a battlefield chosen by Te Ruki Kawiti.

A report by Reverend Richard Davis of the Te Waimate Mission , who saw the Pā during the siege, led Despard to complain about the missionary's interference in the military action against Hone Heke. Davis commented, “The natives, I know, are perfectly able to take care of themselves. It was a lucky thing for the troops that they failed to get inside the pa. Had they achieved their goal, the poor guys would all have fallen because of the construction of the pa. It was a sad sacrifice of human life that was unnecessary. The commander-in-chief had every opportunity to see the interior of the fort from heights only 500 yards away. People were pretty clear about the matter. The courage of the poor fellows who led the attack was beyond reproach. But the wisdom of their commanding officer has been questioned. May wiser heads than mine judge it. "

Battle of Ruapekapeka

A destroyed cannon in central Pā points to the British advanced position (grassy area in the center of the picture)

After the Battle of Ohaeawai, the troops stayed in Waimate until mid-October, during which time they destroyed Te Haratuas Pā in Pakaraka on July 16, 1845. The newly elected governor George Edward Gray tried to make a peace. The Māori rebels wanted to test the strength of their new Pā in Ruapekapeka against the British and showed no interest. A sizeable force was concentrated in the Bay of Islands. Between December 7 and 11, 1845, she moved to the upper reaches of the Kawakawa River , one of the rivers that flow into the Bay of Islands. They then had to cross 15 to 20 kilometers of very difficult terrain before they reached Kawiti's new Pā, "Ruapekapeka" ("bat nest"). This Pā, built by Te Ruki Kawiti , was optimized according to the construction used in the Ohaeawai Pā. Lieutenant Balneavis, who took part in the siege, described Ruapekapeka in his diary as “a model of engineering, with a triple palisade and fortified huts inside. A large earth wall at its rear with shelters in which the men lived, connecting lines with underground passages that crisscrossed the moat ”.

It took two weeks to get heavy cannons. Shelling began on December 27, 1845. The siege lasted a little over two weeks, with enough patrols and raids from the Pā to keep both sides alert. Then, on the morning of Sunday January 11th, 1846, Tāmati Wāka Nene's men discovered that the Pā had apparently been abandoned. Although Te Ruki Kawiti and a few of his warriors stayed behind, they appeared to have been taken by surprise by the ensuing British attack. The attackers drove Kawiti and his warriors from the Pā. Fighting ensued after the Pā and most of the casualties were at this stage of the battle.

The reason why the defenders appear to have left the Pā and then re-entered is the subject of discussion. It was later stated that most of the Māori had attended worship (many of them were devout Christians). They had not expected an attack on a Sunday from their opponents, who were also Christian. The Reverend Richard Davis wrote in his diary for January 14th, 1846: “Yesterday came the news that the Pa was taken by the sailors on Sunday and that twelve Europeans were killed and thirty wounded. The loss among the natives is uncertain. It seems that the natives did not expect a fight on the Sabbath and most of them were outside the pa, smoking and playing. It was also reported that the troops gathered for worship. The tar jackets had made a major breach with their cannon on Saturday and took advantage of the indigenous carelessness. They went to the Pa, but did not come into its possession without hard hand-to-hand fighting. "

Later commentators doubt this version as the battle of Ohaeawai also continued on a Sunday. They cite the explanation that Heke deliberately gave up the Pā to ambush the persecutors in the surrounding bush. The good coverage would have given Heke a considerable advantage. If this is true, Heke's ambush was only partially successful as Kawiti's men, fearing that their chief had fallen, returned towards Pā and the battle between them and the British took place just behind the Pā.

It was a Māori custom that the location of a battle where blood had flowed became taboo. So the Ngāpuhi left the Ruapekapeka Pā. After the battle, Kawiti and his warriors and their soldiers moved about 6.5 km northwest to Waiomio , the historic seat of the Ngatihine. The British remained in possession of the Pā. Despard claimed a "brilliant success" for himself. British casualties amounted to 2 dead in the 58th regiment, 1 dead and 11 injured in the 99th regiment; 2 marines were killed and 10 injured, 9 dead and 12 injured seamen.

Preserved earthworks in Ruapekapeka

Later research on the Pā indicated that it was very well designed and very strongly built. Under other circumstances it could have been a long and sacrificing siege. The earthworks are preserved south of Kawakawa . The ingenious design of the Ohaeawai Pā and Ruapekapeka Pā became known to other Māori tribes. These constructions were the basis of the Gunfighter Pā , which were built in the final stages of the New Zealand Wars.

The Battle of Ruapekapeka Pā marks the end of the Flagstaff War. Kawiti and Heke suffered no direct military defeat, but the war had negative effects on the Ngāpuhi - such as the disruption of agriculture, diseases brought by the British and the disruption of society. Although Kawiti expressed the will to continue fighting, Kawiti and Heke announced that they would end the rebellion if the colonial forces left the Ngāpuhi land. They asked Tāmati Wāka Nene to act as a mediator in the negotiations with Gray. The governor realized that leniency was the best way to ensure peace in the north. Heke and Kawiti were given amnesties and none of their land was confiscated. This prompted Wāka to promise Governor Gray, "You have saved us all" ("You saved us all").

During the war the British mourned 82 dead and 164 wounded. Heke and Kawiti put their losses at 60 dead and 80 injured, the British estimated 94 dead and 148 injured. There is no information about the losses of the Māori, allied with the British.

Outcome of the war

After the fall of Ruapekapeka, Kawiti and Heke approached Tāmati Wāka Nene with a desire for a truce . This does not mean that they wished to bow to the demands of the British, but rather reflects the economic pressures on the Ngāpuhi and the disruption of their food supplies, as well as epidemics that claimed a significant number. The war lasted exceptionally long by Māori standards, and their losses, while not devastating, were serious. The British, who are more used to long armed conflicts, might have had the resources to continue the war had it not been for new unrest in the south of the North Island around Wellington due to the beginning of the New Zealand Wars.

The outcome of the Flagstaff War is controversial. Although the British celebrated it as their own victory, the result is a little more nuanced. To some extent the government had achieved its goal: the Kawiti and Heke rebellion had ended.

The taking of the Ruapekapeka Pā can be seen as a tactical victory for the British. However, the Pā was a purpose-built structure built as a target for the British. His loss wasn't particularly bad. Heke and Kawiti escaped with their force intact.

Kawiti and Heke took considerable advantage of the war. Heke saw a surge in popularity and authority. Missionary Richard Davis wrote in August 1848 that Heke had raised himself to the highest honors and that the tribes around him deeply honored him.

Both opponents of the war found the prospect of peace attractive because of the considerable losses.

The fifth flagpole on Flagstaff Hill in 2007

In a military sense, the outcome of the war can be seen as a tie: both sides wanted it to end, both won something, and the situation remained more or less the same as before the fighting began. At the political level, it meant that under Governors Gray and Thomas Gore Browne, the colonial administration was obliged to seek the opinion of the Ngāpuhi before activities at Hokianga Harbor and the Bay of Islands were started. The Waitangi Tribunal stated in The Te Roroa Report 1992 (Wai 38) that the government's strategy after the war in the north was to create a European-populated buffer zone between the Ngapuhi and Auckland.

The flagpole that sparked the controversy has not been rebuilt by the government. Although the region nominally remained under British influence, this fact was symbolically very significant.

In January 1858 a new flagpole was erected on Flagstaff Hill. Kawiti's son, Maihi Paraone Kawiti , had it erected by Ngāpuhi warriors who were involved in the war as a token of goodwill. The warriors of Tāmati Wāka Nene were admitted as former opponents only as spectators.

literature

  • Huge Carleton : The Life of Henry Williams, Archdeacon of Waimate . Volume II . Wilson & Horton , Auckland 1874, p. 110 ff . (English, online [accessed September 20, 2018]).
  • James Cowan : A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period: Volume I: 1845–1864 . In: The New Zealand Wars . Volume I . RE Owen , Wellington 1955 (English, online [accessed September 20, 2018]).
  • Tawai Kawiti: Hekes War in the North . No. 16 Ao Hou, Te / The New World, National Library of New Zealand Library, October 1956, pp. 38-46.
  • Robert Ritchie Alexander : Heke Pokai, Hone . In: Alexander Hare McLintock (Ed.): An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . Wellington 1966 ( online [accessed December 18, 2015]).
  • Michael Barthorp : To face the daring Maoris: soldiers' impressions of the First Maori War, 1845-47 . Hodder and Stoughton , London 1979, ISBN 0-340-22719-2 (English).
  • James Belich : The New Zealand Wars and the Victorian Interpretation of Racial Conflict . Auckland University Press , Auckland 1986, doi : 10.1177 / 003231878804000208 (English).
  • Tom Brooking : Milestones - Turning Points in New Zealand History . Mills Publications , Pennsylvania 1988, ISBN 978-0-908722-30-3 (English).
  • Tim Rya, Bill Parham : The Colonial New Zealand Wars . Grantham House , Wellington 2002, ISBN 978-1-86934-082-7 (English).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Cowan : Scenes of Engagements, Bay of Islands District, 1845-46 . In: The New Zealand Wars . 1955 ( online [accessed September 20, 2018]).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Cowan : A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period: Volume I: 1845–1864 . In: The New Zealand Wars . 1955, p.  73-144 ( online [accessed September 20, 2018]).
  3. ↑ Tawai Kawiti: Hekes War in the North . No. 16 Ao Hou, Te / The New World, National Library of New Zealand. P. 46 October 1956. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  4. ↑ Hugh Carleton: Vol. II . In: The Life of Henry Williams: "Early Recollections" written by Henry Williams . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874, pp. 11-15.
  5. ^ A b c Hugh Carleton: Vol. II, The Life of Henry Williams . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874, pp. 76-84.
  6. ^ William Colenso : The Authentic and Genuine History of the Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi . By Authority of George Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington 1890 (accessed September 16, 2011).
  7. ↑ Hugh Carleton: Vol. II . In: The Life of Henry Williams . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874, pp. 35-43.
  8. ↑ ngākau . In: Māori Dictionary . John C. Moorfield , accessed April 10, 2018 .
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g Tawai Kawiti: Hekes War in the North . No. 16 Ao Hou, Te / The New World, National Library of New Zealand. Pp. 38-43. October 1956. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  10. ↑ a b c Carleton, Hugh, (1874) The Life of Henry Williams , Vol. II, pp. 81-82:

    “It happened that a slave girl belonging to Heke, Kotiro by name, was living at Kororareka with a butcher named Lord. Heke, having a colorable right to recover his slave. A karere [messenger] was sent ahead, to announce the intention; the message was delivered to the woman in the butcher's shop, where several fat hogs were hanging up. Kotiro answering contemptuously of their power to take her away, pointing to one of the hogs, said, ina a Heke [that is Heke]. "

  11. ↑ Auckland Chronicle:

    “[Heke and his warriors] brandished their tomohawks in the faces of the white people, indecently treated some white females, and exposed their persons; they took everything out of [Lord's, the husband of Kotiro] house .... ”

  12. ^ Moon, Paul and Biggs, Peter (2004) The Treaty and Its Times , Resource Books, Auckland
  13. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j The Northern War - The sacking of Kororāreka . In: New Zealand History . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , August 21, 2017, accessed September 20, 2018 .
  14. ↑ James Cowan: Chapter 3: Heke and the Flagstaff . In: The New Zealand Wars: a history of the Maori campaigns and the pioneering period, Volume I: 1845–1864 . RE Owen, Wellington 1922, p. 19.
  15. ↑ a b c d e Hugh Carleton: Appendix to Vol. II, The Life of Henry Williams . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874.
  16. ^ New Zealand Electronic Text Center The New Zealand Wars: A History of the Maori Campaigns and the pioneering Period: Volume I (1845-64). Chapter 4: The fall of Korarareka.
  17. ↑ Blackley Roger: Lance-Sergeant John Williams: Military Topographer of the Northern War . Art New Zealand no.32. Pp. 50-53. 1984. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  18. ↑ a b c Angela Ballara : Pomare II . In: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , October 30, 2012, accessed December 18, 2015 .
  19. ↑ a b c d e f Harold E. Raugh: The Victorians at war, 1815-1914: an encyclopedia of British military history . ABC-CLIO, 2004, ISBN 1-57607-925-2 , pp. 225-226.
  20. ↑ James Cowan: Chapter 5: The First British March Inland . In: The New Zealand Wars: a history of the Maori campaigns and the pioneering period, Volume I: 1845–1864 . RE Owen, Wellington 1922, p. 42.
  21. ↑ a b c James Cowan: Chapter 5: The First British March Inland . In: The New Zealand Wars: a history of the Maori campaigns and the pioneering period, Volume I: 1845–1864 . RE Owen, Wellington 1922, p. 38.
  22. ↑ a b c d James Cowan: Chapter 6: The Fighting at Omapere . In: The New Zealand Wars: a history of the Maori campaigns and the pioneering period, Volume I: 1845–1864 . RE Owen, Wellington 1922, p. 39.
  23. ↑ NZ Herald (November 13, 1863)
  24. ↑ a b c William Pember Reeves: FE Maning "Heke's War ... told by an Old Chief" . In: The New Zealand Reader . Samuel Costall, Wellington, 1895, pp. 173-179.
  25. ^ A b c d Marie King: A Most Noble Anchorage - The Story of Russell & The Bay of Islands . The Northland Publications Society, Inc., The Northlander No 14 (1974). 1992. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  26. ↑ Okaihau NZ Wars memorial cross - Inscription: A memorial / to the brave men who fell / in the assault on Heke's Pah / Okaihau, on May 8, 1845. / Erected by the NZ Govt. 1891. . New Zealand History Online. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  27. ↑ William Pember Reeves: FE Maning "Heke's War ... told by an Old Chief" . In: The New Zealand Reader . Samuel Costall, Wellington, 1895, pp. 180-184.
  28. ↑ Alexander: Heke Pokai, Hone . In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . 1966.
  29. ↑ a b The Northern War - Puketutu and Te Ahuahu . In: New Zealand History . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , August 21, 2017, accessed September 28, 2018 .
  30. ↑ H. Carleton (1874) The Life of Henry Williams , Vol. II. Pp. 110-111. "Thomas Walker was a name adopted by Tāmati Wāka Nene".
  31. ^ John Noble Coleman: IX . In: Memoir of the Rev. Richard Davis . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1865, p. 293.
  32. ↑ Freda Rankin Kawharu : Heke Pokai, Hone Wiremu . In: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , October 30, 2012, accessed December 18, 2015 .
  33. ↑ James Belich: I - Te Ahuahu: The Forgotten Battle . In: The New Zealand Wars and the Victorian Interpretation of Racial Conflict . Auckland University Press, 2013.
  34. ^ A b Hugh Carleton: Vol. II, The Life of Henry Williams - Letter of Mrs. Williams to Mrs. Heathcote, July 5, 1845 . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874, p. 115.
  35. ↑ James Cowan: Chapter 8: The Storming Party at Ohaeawai . In: The New Zealand Wars: a history of the Maori campaigns and the pioneering period, Volume I: 1845–1864 . RE Owen, Wellington 1922, p. 60.
  36. ^ New Zealand - Has the Work Died Out? . In: The Church Missionary Gleaner . 20, 1870, p. 115. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  37. ^ "Chapter 8: The Storming-Party at Ohaeawai," The New Zealand Wars: A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period, James Cowan, 1955
  38. ^ John Noble Coleman: IX . In: Memoir of the Rev. Richard Davis . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1865, pp. 293-299.
  39. ^ John Noble Coleman: IX . In: Memoir of the Rev. Richard Davis . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1865, p. 303.
  40. ^ Hugh Carleton, Ruapekapeka, footnote 16, quoting Lieutenant Balneavis' diary . In: Vol. II, The Life of Henry Williams . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874.
  41. ↑ a b c d Tim Ryan and Bill Parham: The Colonial New Zealand Wars . Grantham House, Wellington NZ, 1986, pp. 27-28.
  42. ↑ a b Tawai Kawiti: Hekes War in the North . No. 16 Ao Hou, Te / The New World, National Library of New Zealand. Pp. 45-46. October 1956. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  43. ^ John Noble Coleman: IX . In: Memoir of the Rev. Richard Davis . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1865, pp. 308-309.
  44. ^ Tom Brooking: Milestones - Turning Points in New Zealand History . Mills Publications, 1988, p. 69.
  45. ↑ Tim Ryan & Bill Parham, The Colonial New Zealand Wars, p. 27.
  46. ↑ Tawai Kawiti: Hekes War in the North . No. 16 Ao Hou, Te / The New World, National Library of New Zealand. P. 43 October 1956. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  47. ↑ a b c Official Despatches . In: New Zealander . Volume 1, Issue 34 , January 24, 1846 (English, online [accessed July 26, 2018] Source: Andrew Sinclair , Colonial Secretary, Colonial Secretary's Office ).
  48. ↑ Hugh Carleton: RUAPEKAPEKA . In: Vol. II, The Life of Henry Williams . Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library, 1874, pp. 121-127.
  49. ^ "The Battle for Kawiti's Ohaeawai Pa" , James Graham, HistoryOrb.com
  50. ↑ The Modern Gun-Fighter's Pa (From notes supplied by the late Tuta Nihoniho) . New Zealand Electronic Text Collection (NZETC). Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  51. ↑ Gunfighter PA, c1845 . New Zealand history online. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  52. ^ "Gunfighter Pa" (Tolaga Bay) , Historic Places Trust website
  53. ↑ a b Lawrence M. Rogers: Te Wiremu: A Biography of Henry Williams . Pegasus Press, 1973, pp. 215-6.
  54. ↑ James Belich , The New Zealand Wars, p. 67.
  55. ^ A b Ian McGibbon, The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History, p. 373
  56. ↑ The Te Roroa Report 1992 (Wai 38), Waitangi Tribunal (1992) Chapter 1, Section 1.1. P. 8