Book: The Eureka Stockade

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You may rely upon this simple statement, and submit it if you approve of it,
to your readers.

I am, Sir.




Chapter LXI.



Ab Initio Usque Ad Finem Horribile Dictu.

-----

Avanit Il Tuo Cospetto, Dio Potente! Grida Vendetta Il Sangue Innocente.


I. Document.

As I want to be believed, so I transcribed the following document
from 'The Argus' of Friday, December 15th, 1854.--Gordon Evans,
one of H.M. Captains in the Eureka massacre, now acts in the capacity
of magistrate!--

DEPOSITION OF HENRY POWELL.

The deceased deposed to the following effect:--My name
is Henry Powell, I am a digger residing at Creswick-creek.
I left Creswick-creek about noon on Saturday, December 2nd.
I said to my mates, 'You'll get the slabs ready. I will
just go over to see Cox and his family at Ballaarat.'
I arrived at Ballaarat about half-past four, or thereabouts.
I saw armed men walking about in parties of twenty or
thirty; went to Cox's tent; put on another pair of
trousers, and walked down the diggings. Looked in the
ring (the stockade). After that, went home, went to bed
in the tent at the back of Cox's tent, about half-past
nine. On Sunday morning about four or half-past,
was awoke by the noise of firing. Got up soon after,
and walked about twenty yards, when some trooper rode
up to me. The foremost one was a young man whom I knew
as the Clerk of the Peace. He was of a light, fair
complexion, with reddish hair. He told me to "stand in
the Queen's name! You are my prisoner." I said "Very good,
Sir." Up came more troopers. I cannot say how many.
Believe about twenty or thirty. I said, "Very well,
gentlemen (!) don't be in a hurry, there are plenty of
you," and then the young man struck me on the head with
a crooked knife, about three feet and a half long,
in a sheath. I fell to the ground. They then fired
at me, and rode over me several times. I never had
any hand in the disturbance. There, that's all.

Ballaarat, Dec. 11, 1854.

-----

FIRST CASE of an inquest which has taken place since
the massacre of the memorable 3rd. The evidence as to
the murder of Powell (writes 'The Argus' express
correspondent) is but a specimen of the recitals heard
on every hand of the reckless brutality of the troopers
that morning.

VERDICT OF THE JURY.

The death of deceased, Henry Powell, gold-digger, was
caused by sabre cuts and gun shot wounds, wilfully
and feloniously, and of their malice aforethought
inflicted and fired by ARTHUR PURCELL AKEHURST, Clerk
of the Peace, Ballaarat bench, and other persons unknown.

The jury return a verdict of Wilful Murder against
A. P. Akehurst and other persons unknown.

The jury express their condemnation of the conduct of
Captain Evans, in not swearing deceased at the time
of taking his statement after having been cautioned
by Dr. Wills of his immediate danger. The jury
view with extreme horror the brutal conduct of the
mounted police in firing at and cutting down unarmed
and innocent persons of both sexes, at a distance from
the scene of disturbance, on December 3rd, 1854.

WILLIAMS, Coroner.

-----

Mind, good reader, the above is a legal document.

After my trial, on my way to Ballaarat, I met in Geelong the identical
Akehurst, cracking some nuts with (I mean, speaking to) some young ladies.

I DESPAIR OF THIS COLONY.

May it please HER MAJESTY to cause inquiry to be made into the character
of such that have branded the miners of Ballaarat as disloyal to their QUEEN.




Chapter LXII.



Tempora Nostra.


The following documents are put in here as evidence of 'our times.'


II. Document.

BALLAARAT.
THE STATEMENT OF FRANK ARTHUR HASLEHAM.
(Now lying wounded at Ballaarat.)

"Whereas I, Frank Arthur Hasleham, a native of the good town of Bedford,
and son of a military officer, to wit, William Gale Hasleham, who bore
His Majesty's commission in the 48th Foot at Talavera, and afterwards
retired from the 6th veteran battallion:

"Whereas I, the aforesaid, having, in my capacity of newspaper correspondent
at Ballaarat, shown, on all proper occasions in general, so especially
during the late insurrectionary movement here, a strong instinctive leaning
to the side of law, authority, and loyalty, was, on the morning of the
3rd instant, fired at and wounded at a time when the affray was over,
and the forces with their prisoners were on the point of returning to the camp,
and in a place whence the scene of action was invisible, and when
no other bloodshed had taken place;

"On these considerations I desire to make on oath the following statements
of facts as they occurred, and as witnessed by others:-

"Shortly after daybreak in the morning mentioned, my three mates and myself
were aroused from sleep by the fire of musketry, a great proportion
of the balls whistling over our tents. The tent is pitched on a rising ground
about 500 yards south of the stockade; the tent and stockade, each situated
on an eminence, are separated by a large gully running east and west,
and comprising in its breadth nearly the whole of the distance above specified.
Considerably alarmed at the continuance of the firing, we at last got up
and went outside, thinking to find a place of shelter of comparative security.
After I had gone outside the firing gradually fell off, the stockade
was unoccupied, the insurgents' flag was struck, and whatever fighting
was then going on was confined to the further slope of the hill on which
the stockade was situated. As some desultory firing was still going on,
I advanced about fifty yards down the gully, in order to insure safety
by getting upon lower ground; by this time, with the exception of
an occasional cheer from the military or police, everything was perfectly
quiet, and from where I stood neither soldier nor trooper was to be seen.
A few minutes after a small detachment of mounted police made its appearance
on the hill, and drew up in a line on the either side of the stockade,
the officer in command appeared to be haranguing them. I was standing
about three hundred yards from them, several other people being near at hand.
I saw three troopers leave the ranks and advance towards me; when one of them
who rode considerably ahead of the other two arrived within hailing distance,
he hailed me as a friend. Having no reason to think otherwise of him,
I walked forward to meet him. After he had lured me within safe distance,
namely about four paces, he levelled his holster pistol at my breast
and shot me. Previous to this, and while advancing towards each other,
he asked me if I wished to join his force; I told him I was unarmed,
and in a weak state of health, which must have been plain to him at the time,
but added that I hoped this madness on the part of the diggers would soon
be over; upon that he fired."

-----

The trooper be d----d; but I congratulate poor Frank, of the good town
of Bedford, for 'this madness on the part of the diggers' procuring him 400
pounds sterling from Toorak; so that he can afford to spare me the trouble
of encroaching any further into his 'statement.' Great works!


III. Document more important, by far.

On the 28th November, when some military and ammunition came on the ground,
the detachment was set on at Eureka, near the site of the stockade,
and in the hubbub consequent the troops were somewhat at fault,
and the officer in command called at the London Hotel to inquire the way
to the Camp. The owner of the hotel, Mr. Hassall, on being asked,
came out of his establishment to point out the way to the officer in command
of the detachment, while so doing he received a ball in his leg, and was
for a while laid up by the wound. After a long time of suffering,
and a great loss of money directly and indirectly, he applied
for compensation--with what success may be seen from the following letter
just come to hand:-

-----

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Melbourne, 26th October, 1855.

Gentlemen.--The memorial of the miners on behalf of Mr. B. S. Hassall,
wounded during the disturbances at Ballaarat, having been by the governor's
directions referred to the board appointed to investigate such claims,
the board reported, that from the evidence, it appears impossible Mr. Hassall
could have received his wound from the military, and that they could not see
anything to justify their recommending any compensation for him.
His Excellency cannot therefore entertain the petition as he has not power
to award compensation except on the recommendation of the board.

I have the honour to be, gentlemen,
Your most obedient servant,
J. MOORE, A.C.S.
(To) SAMUEL IRWIN, and
A. C. BRUNNING, Esqrs.


-----

'Great works' this time at Toorak, eh! oh! dear.

So far so good, for the present; because spy 'Goodenough' wants me
in the next chapter.




Chapter LXIII.



Et Scias Quia Nihil Impium Fecerim.


It was now between eight and nine o'clock. A patrol of troopers and traps
stopped before the London Hotel.

Spy Goodenough, entered panting, a cocked pistol in his hand, looking as wild
as a raven. He instantly pounced on me as his prey, and poking the pistol
at my face, said in his rage, "I want you."

"What for?"

"None of your d----d nonsense, or I shoot you down like a rat."

"My good fellow don't you see? I am assisting Dr. Carr to dress the wounds
of my friends!"--I was actually helping to bandage the thigh of an American
digger, whose name, if I recollected it, I should now write down with pleasure,
because he was a brave fellow. He had on his body at least half-a-dozen shots,
all in front, an evident proof, he had stood his ground like a man.

Spy Goodenough would not listen to me. Dr. Carr. spoke not a word
in my behalf, though I naturally enough had appealed to him, who knew me
these two years, to do so. This circumstance, and his being the very first
to enter the stockade, after the military job was over, though he had
never before been on the Eureka during the agitation, his appointment
to attend the wounded diggers that were brought up to the Camp, and especially
his absence at my trial, were and are still a mystery to me.

I was instantly dragged out, and hobbled to a dozen more of prisoners outside,
and we were marched to the Camp. The main road was clear, and the diggers
crawled among the holes at the simple bidding of any of the troopers
who rode at our side.




Chapter LXIV.



Sic Sinuerunt Fata.


On reaching the Camp, I recognized there the identical American Kenworthy.
I gave him a fearful look. I suspected my doom to be sealed.

The soldiers were drinking 'ad libitum' from a pannikin which they dipped
into a pail-bucket full of brandy. I shall not prostitute my hand,
and write down the vile exultations of a mob of drunkards. It was of the
ordinary colonial sort, whenever in a fight the 'ring' is over.

Inspector Foster, commanded us to strip to the bare shirt. They did not
know how to spell my name. I pulled out a little bag containing some
Eureka gold-dust, and my licence; Mr. Foster took care of my bag, and just
as my name was copied from my licence; a fresh batch of prisoners
had arrived, and Mr. Foster was called outside the room where I was
stripping. Now, some accursed trooper pretended to recognize me as one
of the 'spouts' at the monster meeting. I wanted to keep my waistcoat
on account of some money, and papers I had in the breast pocket;
my clothes were literally torn into rags. I attempted to remonstrate,
but I was kicked for my pains, knocked down in the bargain, and thrown
naked and senseless into the lock-up.

The prison was crammed to suffocation. We had not space enough to lie
down, and so it was taken in turns to stand or lie down. Some kind friend
sent me some clothes, and my good angel had directed him to bury
my hand-writings he had found in my tent, under a tent in Gravel-pits.

Fleas, lice, horse-stealers, and low thieves soon introduced themselves
to my notice. This vermin, and the heat of the season, and the stench
of the place, and the horror at my situation, had rendered life
intolerable to me. Towards midnight of that Sunday I was delirious.
Our growls and howling reached Commissioner Rede, and about two o'clock
in the morning the doors were opened, and all the prisoners from
the Eureka stockade, were removed between two files of soldiers
to the Camp store-house a spacious room, well ventilated and clean.
Commissioner Rede came in person to visit us. Far from any air of
exultation, he appeared to me to feel for our situation. As he passed
before me, I addressed him in French, to call his attention to my misery.
He answered very kindly, and concluded thus:-

"'Je ne manquerai pas de parler au Docteur Carr, et si ce que vous venez
de me dire e trouve vrai, je veux bien m'interesser pour vous.'

"'Vous etez bien bon, Monsieur le Commissionaire, repondis-je.'

"'Il faut donc que j'aie eu des ennemis bien cruels au Camp! Avaient-ils
soif de mon sang, ou etaient-ils de mercenaires? Voila bien un secret,
et je donnerai de coeur ma vie pour le percer. Dieu leur pardonne, moi,
je le voudrais bien! mais je ne saurai les pardonner jamais.'"




Chapter LXV.



Ecce Homo.


On Monday morning, the fresh air had restored me a little strength.
We had an important arrival among us. It was the Editor of 'The Times'
newspaper, arrested for sedition. All silver and gold lace, blue and red
coats in the Camp rushed in to gaze on this wild elephant, whose trunk
it was supposed, had stirred up the hell on Ballaarat.

Henry Seekamp is a short, thick, rare sort of man, of quick and precise
movements, sardonic countenance; and one look from his sharp round set
of eyes, tells you at once that you must not trifle with him. Of a temper
that must have cost him some pains to keep under control, he hates humbug
and all sort of yabber-yabber. His round head of tolerable size,
is of German mould, for the earnestness of his forehead is corrected
by the fullness of his cheeks, and a set of moustachios is the padlock
of his mouth, whose key is kept safe in his head, and his heart is the
turn-key. When his breast is full, and he must make it clean, its gall
will burn wherever it falls, and set the place a blazing. To keep friends
with such a cast of mind, whose motto is Nelson's, you must do your duty;
never mind if you sink a shicer, bottom your shaft any how. You are
his enemy if you are or play the flunky; he will call you a 'thing,'
and has a decided contempt for 'incapables.' Hence, his energy was never
abated, though the whole legion of Victorian red-tape wanted to dry
his inkstand, and smother his lamp in gaol. That there are too many fools
at large, he knows, because he has travelled half the world, what he can
not put up with, is their royal cant, religious bosh, Toorak small-beer,
and first and foremost, their money-grubbing expertness. Hence, now
and then, his ink turns sour, and thereby its vitriol burns stronger.
'The Times', of which he is the founder, is the Overseer of Ballaarat,
and the 'Dolce far niente' will not prosper.

Our literary prisoner was literally insulted, and could not look with
enough contempt on all those accursed asses braying (at him)
'The Times!' 'The Times!'

I felt for him very much, and joined conversation with him in French.
I state it as a matter of fact, that there and then I had the presentiment
that all the spies pointed me out there, and only there and then as his
accomplice. Towards ten o'clock we were ordered to fall in, in four rows.
Now the Camp officials and their myrmidons were in their glory.
They came to number their prey, and mark out a score of heads to make
an 'example' of, for the better conduct of future generations.
Unfortunately for my red hair, fizzing red beard, and fizzing red
moustachios, my name was taken down after the armed ruffian and the
anonymous scribbler, and followed by that of the nigger-rebel.

It was odious to see honourable, honest, hard-working men made the gazing
stock of a parcel of pampered perverted fools, for the fun of `a change'
to gratify their contempt for the blue-shirt and thick boots who had
dared, mucky and muddy, to come out of their deep wet holes to hamper
these gods of the land in their dog's game of licence-hunting!




Chapter LXVI.



Then the following document was shown for our edification:-


VICTORIA GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.
(Published by Authority.)
MARTIAL LAW
DECLARED IN THE DISTRICT OF BUNINYONG
PROCLAMATION
By his Excellency Sir Charles Hotham, Knight-Commander of the Most
Honourable Military Order of the Bath Lieutenant--Governor
of Victoria, &c., &c., &c.

WHEREAS bodies of armed men have arrayed themselves against Her Majesty's
forces and the constituted authorities, and have committed acts of open
rebellion: and whereas, for the effectual suppression thereof it is
imperatively necessary that Martial Law should be administered and
executed within the limits hereinafter described; now I,
the Lieutenant-Governor of the said Colony with the advice of the
Executive Council thereof, do hereby command and Proclaim that
MARTIAL LAW from and after twelve of the clock at noon on Wednesday,
the sixth day of December instant, shall and may be administered against
every person and persons within the said limits, who shall at any time
after the said hour commit any act of rebellion, any treason, treasonable
or seditious practices, or other outrage or misdemeanor whatsoever within
the following limits, that is to say: arrowee...Lal Lal...Moorabool...
Ran Rip...Yarrowee aforesaid. And I do hereby, with the advice
aforesaid, order and authorize all officers commanding Her Majesty's
forces to employ them with the utmost vigour and decision for the
immediate suppression of the said rebellion and offences, and to proceed
against and punish every person and persons acting, aiding, or in any
manner assisting in the said rebellion and offences, according to
Martial Law, as to them shall seem expedient for the punishment of all
such persons: And I do hereby especially declare and proclaim, that no
sentence of death shall be carried into execution against any such person
without my express consent thereto: ['Great works!'] And I do hereby
with the advice aforesaid, notify this my Proclamation to all subjects
of Her Majesty in the Colony of Victoria.

Given under my Hand and the Seal of the Colony, at Melbourne, this fourth
day of December, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four, and in the eighteenth year of Her Majesty's Reign.

(L.S.) CHARLES HOTHAM,
By His Excellency's Command,
JOHN FOSTER.
God save the Queen!

-----

Great works!




Chapter LXVII.



Ecce Amaritudo Mea Amarissima.


We were frightened by the report that a gang of red-coats were sinking
a large pit in the Camp.

"Are they going to bury us alive without any flogging? That's not half
so merciful as Haynau's rule in Austria;" was my observation to a mate
prisoner--a shrewd Irishman.

"Where did you read in history that the British Lion was ever merciful
to a fallen foe?" was his sorrowfully earnest reply.

Oh! days and nights of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th of December, 1854,
your remembrance will not end, no, not even in my grave.

They were happy days in my youth, when I thought with Rousseau, that
the heart of man is from nature good. It was a sad fatality now that
compelled me to feel the truth from the prophet Isaiah, that the heart
of man is desperately wicked.

I was really thunderstruck at the savage eagerness with which spies and
red-coats sprang out of their ranks to point me out. Though a British
soldier was not ashamed to swear and confess his cowardice of running away
from before my pike, which I never had on the stockade, where the fellow
never could have seen me; I shall not prostitute my intelligence and
comment on the 'evidence' against me from a gang of bloodthirsty mercenary
spies. The printer will copy my trial from the public newspaper,
'The Age'.




Chapter LXVIII.



Condemn The Wicked, And Bring His Way Upon His Head, Oh,
Lord God Of Israel!


The first witness against me was such a rum sort of old colonial bird of
the jackass tribe, and made such a fool of himself for Her Majesty's dear
sake, about the monster meeting, where as it appeared, he had volunteered
as reporter of the Camp; that now God has given him his reward. He is a
gouty cripple, still on 'Her Majesty's fodder' at the Camp, Ballaarat.

Who will sharpen my quill and poison my inkstand, that I may put to
confusion the horrible brood of red-tape that ruled on Ballaarat at the
time. To administer justice in the sacred name of Her Most Gracious
Majesty, they squandered the sweat of self-over-working diggers, on a set
of devils, such that they actually competed with one another, in vomiting
like sick dogs! Their multitude was taken as a test of their veracity,
on the Mosaical ground, that 'out of the mouth of two witnesses shall the
guilty be condemned;' and yet, with the exception of spy Goodenough,
and spy Peters, none other to my knowledge ever did see my face before.

I assert and declare as an honest man and a Christian, that my eyes never
did see the witnesses against me, before I was under arrest at the Camp.
My soul was drowned in an ocean of bitterness when of that brood of Satan,
one did swear he had run from before my pike; another had fired at me,
but his pistol 'snapped;' a third made me prisoner within the stockade;
a fourth took me up chained to other prisoners who had surrendered,
from the stockade to the Camp.

Such, then, is the perversity of the human heart! In vain did I point out
to the sitting magistrate the absurdness of their evidence, and the fact
that Sub-inspector Carter and Dr. Carr could prove the contradiction.
I was so embittered and broken-hearted at the wickedness of so many
infuriated mercenary rascals, that had made up their mind to sell the
blood of an honest man, in as much as I had repeatedly told each and all
of them, when they came to 'recognize' in our prison, that they must
mistake me for another as I was not within the stockade that Sunday
morning; that I...but it is too humiliating to say any more.

Mr. Sturt, with an odious face, whose plumpness told me at once he was no
friend to fasting, strutted to the magisterial chair, and committeed me
and the nigger-rebel, to whom I was kindly hobbled, to take our trial
for high treason!




Chapter LXIX.



Vox Populi, Vox Dei.


In the course of the day (December 7th), in spite of all the bayonets and
blunderbusses, the report reached us that the Melbourne people had had
a Monster Meeting of their own, equal to ours of November 29th, and that
Mr. Foster, the 'Jesuit,' had been dismissed from office.

The tragical act on Ballaarat was over; the scenery changed; and the
comedy now proceeded to end in the farce of the State Trials in Melbourne.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, all the 160 prisoners were liberated,
with the necessary exception of thirteen, reserved to confirm the title
of this book.

I do not wish to omit one significant circumstance. On Tuesday night,
December 5th, I was hobbled for the night to young Fergusson, an American,
and shared with him his blankets. I felt very much for this young man,
for he suffered from consumption; and as I do respect him, so I shall not
disclose our private conversation. This, however, is to the purpose.
He was among us, and with us at four o'clock on Saturday, at one and the
same time when spy Peters was within the stockade.

No spy, no trap, no trooper appeared against young Fergusson. Doctor
Kenworthy, his countryman, had the management of getting him off. I was
glad at his obtaining his liberty, because he was a brave, kind-hearted,
republican-minded young American, and I intend to keep his blue blankets
he left to me in prison for my comfort, in his remembrance.




Chapter LXX.



Audi Alteram Partem.
'Fair Play'.


As I wish to be believed, so I transcribe the following from 'The Argus',
Friday, December 15, 1854;

MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER.

The Lieutenant-Governor received a deputation from, with an address signed
by, five hundred bankers, merchants, and other classes resident in
Melbourne, placing themselves, their services, and their influence
unreservedly at His Excellency's disposal, for the maintenance or order
and upholding of the paramount authority of existing (!) law.

His Excellency listened with marked attention to the address, to which he
gave the following answer:--

"Gentlemen...

"...It is necessary to look its (the Colony's) difficulty full in the face.

"Here we have persons from all parts of the globe,--men who come to look
for gold and gold alone; men of adventurous spirit, of resolution, and of
firm purpose to carry out the principles which actuate them. If gold
fails, or the season is unfavourable, we must expect such outbreaks and
such dangers as have given rise to the most loyal and valuable address
which you present to me. ['Pardon, Monsiegneur, apres lecture des versets
28, 29, du chap. I., et versets 17, 18, 19, du chap. III., de la Genese,
favorisez s'il vous plait l'exploitation de l'activite de tous ces
gaillards la, par la Charrue: l n'y a pas mal de terres ici, et bien
pour tout le monde. Audaces fortuna juvat.']

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