Born: 20 May 1808.
Died: 8 June 1888.
Duncan Cameron was probably the most capable general in the British army during the New Zealand Wars. A veteran of the Crimean War, he came from a distinguished family who had served in the British army since 1745. Although his enemies criticised him for his cautious approach to conducting military campaigns, he was among the first to admit that he had no real solution to the problem of the modern pa. Ultimately, he would come to realise that the New Zealand Wars were really about the acquisition of Maori land by European settlers: a truth which caused him to become disillusioned with Governor George Grey and eventually leave the country.
Historical Background
Duncan Alexander Cameron was born on 20 May 1808 to Scottish parents John and Brock Cameron. He was commissioned into the British army in 1825, where he rapidly rose up the ranks, becoming lieutenant (1826), captain (1833), major (1839), and lieutenant colonel (1843). During the Crimean War (1853-1856), Cameron served with distinction in the battles of Alma and Balaclava before being promoted to major general in 1855. Between 1857 and 1860, he helped reform the Royal Military College and Sandhurst Staff College before being posted to New Zealand in 1861. During the New Zealand Wars, Cameron led British forces in the Waikato (1863-64), Tauranga (1864) and South Taranaki (1865) campaigns before resigning and returning to England on 1 August 1865. From 1868 until his retirement in 1875, he served as governor at the Royal Military College, during which time he married Louisa Flora Maclean in 1873. Sadly, she died two years later without children. Beset by illness and criticisms of his generalship during the New Zealand Wars, Duncan Cameron died on 8 June 1888, aged 80 years old.
Historical Influences
Duncan Cameron was primarily influenced by his experiences in the Crimean War and the New Zealand Wars. During the Battle of Balaclava, Cameron had served in the Highland Brigade against the Russians, and his cautious approach during his time in New Zealand was partly influenced by the high casualties he had experienced in Crimea. Indeed, during the New Zealand Wars, his enemies nicknamed him “The Lame Seagull” due to his laboured, slow, and careful pace at which he conducted his military campaigns. However, this was because Cameron and other British generals had found no effective way to assault Maori pa successfully. During the Waikato Campaign, Cameron had tried a river-borne assault at Meremere, frontal infantry assaults at Rangiriri, an outflanking manoeuvre at Paterangi, and encirclement at Orakau. After the Battle of Gate Pa, he had become disillusioned with assaulting Maori fortifications and wrote to Governor George Grey, “Experience has shown me that it is not generally desirable to attack such positions” (Dalley & McLean, 2005, p.139).
Key Battle
Duncan Cameron’s signature battle during the New Zealand Wars was the Battle of Gate Pa (1864). At 8am on 29 April, Cameron ordered a heavy artillery bombardment of the pa for the next eight hours. At 4pm, he ordered 300 British soldiers to attack the pa. As the British entered the pa, the full Maori force emerged from their underground bunkers and fired upon the British soldiers with their muskets, killing and wounding many within the confined space. As a second British force of 200 soldiers entered the pa, increasing the density of combatants, the British lost many of their officers before the remaining troops fled in disorder. According to contemporary accounts, Cameron “dashed his field-glass on the ground, turned his back on the fugitives, and retired to his tent to conceal his emotion” (Dalley & McLean, 2005, p.139).
Historical Significance
Duncan Cameron was probably the best general the British Empire fielded during the New Zealand Wars. A good tactician and strategist, he inspired loyalty and devotion among those closest to him and personally led the 14th Regiment forward to attack the Maori at the Battle of Koheroa on 17 July 1863. He was also strong-willed and willing to stand up to George Grey and later realised that the Waikato Campaign “was not about defeating an enemy but more about furthering the acquisition of land by settlers and the politicians that represented their interests” (Mikaere & Simons, 2018, p.52). Nevertheless, Cameron had helped Grey turn the balance of power between the Maori and the British in favour of the latter. As stated by James Belich, “it was Duncan Cameron at Paterangi, not William Hobson at Waitangi, who sounded the death-knell of Maori independence” (Belich, 2010).
Bibliography
Belich, James. “Cameron, Duncan Alexander.” Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Last revised 2010. www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1c2/cameron-duncan-alexander
Dalley, Bronwyn. & McLean, Gavin. Frontier of Dreams: The Story of New Zealand. Auckland, Hodder Moa, 2005.
Mikaere, Buddy. & Simons, Cliff. Victory at Gate Pa? The Battle of Pukehinahina-Gate Pa: 1864. Auckland, New Holland Publishers, 2018.
Stephens, Tainui. The New Zealand Wars: The Invasion of Waikato. New Zealand, Landmark Productions, 1998. DVD.
Webster, Hartley. “Duncan Cameron.” New Zealand History. Last revised June 20, 2014. www.nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/duncan-cameron