The South Taranaki War 1868-69

'Titokowaru's War' The war fought in South Taranaki between 1868 and 1869 is sometimes given a name like 'Titokowaru's War.' For example, in the 1920s, historian James Cowan called it 'Titokowaru's campaign'.
Labels like 'Titokowaru's campaign' name the conflict after Titokowaru, who led the Maori in their fight against the Armed Constabulary and settler Volunteer Units. However, these days, the tendancy is not to name such wars after one or other of the sometimes many protagonists involved.

How did the war start? On 19 June, 1867, during a short skirmish, two surveyors and a military settler were killed by Maori at Ketemarae, a large bush clearing near Normanby. These days, the Ketemarae Marae of Ngati Ruanui stands near the site of the killings.
The Maori involved in the skirmish fled to Te Ngutu O Te Manu, the bush stronghold of Titokowaru. At the time, Titokowaru was well known to settlers, though he had given them little cause to think that, one day, he might lead a war of Maori against them. But tensions were high in the area. Titokowaru refused to hand over the Maori involved in the killings to the authorities. War was the result

Why were tensions so high in South Taranaki in 1868?
To answer this, we need to go back by about 8 years. Following the earlier war in North Taranaki of 1860/61, the lands of Maori 'deemed to have been in armed rebellion against the Crown' were confiscated. Titokowaru's war was substantially a war fought against the enforcement of these land confiscations.
Titokowaru's fighting force mainly came from Ngati Ruanui and Nga Ruahine, two southern Taranaki tribes.

On the 12 July 1868, the Redoubt at Turuturumokai was attacked by a taua (war Party) from Titokowaru's base camp. About 26 men were stationed there, at the time of the attack.
The attack was launched at dawn, in very wet and cold conditions. Some of the younger Maori who took part would later speak of crouching for most of the night in the freezing cold, under soaking ferns nearby, waiting for the order to attack. They were only lightly clad, which was ideal for fighting but not for sitting still throughout a very cold July evening in Taranaki.
The attack was a complete surprise to the garrison.

On 21 August 1868, the first Armed Constabulary retaliatory attack was launched on the base camp of Titokowaru.
On 7 September the second attack on Te Ngutu O Te Manu was launched. This attack ended in chaos for the Armed Constabulary; and a major defeat resulted. Among those killed was Major Gustavus Von Tempsky.