Battle of The Sticks
The sacking of Kororareka was the beginning of the Flagstaff War. After this battle the warriors retired to Okaihau north of Kaikohe some 30 kilometres, or two days travel, from the Bay of Islands. When the Colonial forces eventually moved to attack Okaihau they chose to travel by walking track from the Bay of Islands rather than via a cart track that ran from Kerikeri and passed nearby Okaihau, this choice meant that cannon were not taken to this battle.
The battle of Okaihau, in April 1845, was the first test of strength between Māori and Pakeha. The formidable defences of a Māori war pā became apparent to the Colonial forces, as they suffered casualties of 39 wounded and 13 dead; warriors of Heke and Kawiti were also killed.
Read more about this topic: Hone Heke
Famous quotes containing the words battle of, battle and/or sticks:
“Joshua fit de battle ob Jerico, Jerico, Jerico,
Joshua fit de battle ob Jerico,
An’ de walls come tumblin’ down.”
—Unknown. Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho (l. 1–3)
“That civilisation may not sink,
Its great battle lost,”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“A man is like a suntan: at first he sticks to a woman, then he fades away.”
—Russian saying, trans. by Vladimir Ivanovich Shlyakov (1993)