Flagstaff War - Flagstaff Falls Twice More

Flagstaff Falls Twice More

On 10 January 1845 the flagstaff was cut down a second time, this time by Heke. On the 17 January, a small detachment of a subaltern and 30 men of the 96th Regiment were landed. A new and stronger flagstaff sheathed in iron was erected on 18 January 1845 and the guard post built around it. Nene and his men provided guards for the flagstaff, but the next morning the flagstaff was felled for the third time. Governor FitzRoy sent over to New South Wales for reinforcements.

Early in February 1845 Kawiti's warriors begun to plunder the settlers a mile or two from Kororareka. The Hazard arrived from Auckland on 15 February with the materials to construct the block-house around the base of the flagstaff. Within a few day the block-house was completed and a guard of 20 soldiers was placed in it. Soon after this the officials purchased the mizzenmast from a foreign ship in the harbour and installed this as the fourth flagstaff.

The British force consisted of about 60 soldiers of the 96th Regiment and about 90 marines and sailors from the Hazard, plus colonists and sailors from the merchant ships provided about 200 armed men.