CAMERON, SIR DUNCAN ALEXANDER (1808-88) was the son of Sir J. Cameron and obtained his first commission in the 42nd Highlanders in 1825. (Lieutenant, 1826; colonel 1854.) On the outbreak of the Crimean war he was made a local major-general in Turkey, and he commanded the 42nd regiment at the Alma and the Highland brigade at Balaklava. He was present at Kertch and the fall of Sebastopol.

Promoted major-general and appointed to command in Scotland (1860), he came in the following year to New Zealand to succeed General Pratt (q.v.). On landing here Cameron found that the Imperial troops had been withdrawn from Taranaki and were working on the construction of military roads from Auckland to Waikato. He represented to the Governor (Grey) in 1862 that his force was insufficient for the forthcoming campaign. On hostilities being resumed over the Tataraimaka block he advanced with a force including the 57th and 70th regiments towards the enemy position at Katikara, which was carried on 4 Jun 1863.

On 12 Jul he initiated the advance from winter quarters at Pokeno and crossed the Mangatawhiri river, thereby opening the Waikato campaign. He personally led the 14th Regiment at Koheroa. After defeating the King forces at Meremere he was repulsed with severe loss at Rangiriri, where he ordered repeated assaults by military and naval detachments on an almost impregnable trench. On the following day (21 Jun) the defenders, under Tioriori, surrendered. The flag was hoisted at Ngaruawahia on 8 Dec and with a force of 3,000 men Cameron took possession of an important part of the Waikato, with headquarters at Tuhikaramea. The strong enemy position at Paterangi was cleverly outflanked by engagements at Rangiaowhia and Hairini. Cameron was not present when the operations against Orakau commenced, and he made an effort to induce the defenders to surrender but had to carry on the assault. After the fall of that place he conducted the assault on the enemy position at the Gate Pa. Though he had a force of 1,650 of all ranks, naval and military, the works were not destroyed by the artillery preparation and he was severely repulsed, with the loss of 31 killed and 80 wounded (29 Apr). He inflicted heavy losses on the enemy at Te Ranga (21 Jun), but the defenders withdrew under cover of night and escaped.

Early in 1865 Cameron opened the campaign to take possession of the Waitotara block. Advancing cautiously along the coast he left the strong position of Weraroa in his rear. Attacked in broad daylight at Nukumaru, he suffered some losses. Thereafter he kept away from the bush, but again the natives drove in his pickets. He moved northward with 2,300 of all arms, crossed the Waitotara river, and built redoubts to hold the country. Governor Grey pointed out the danger of leaving the Hauhau post at Weraroa in his rear, but Cameron protested he had not sufficient force to reduce it. After an acrimonious correspondence the Wanganui native contingent offered to assault the pa, Colonel Waddy moved 400 troops up in support and colonial troops outflanked the pa, which was abandoned and captured. Cameron inflicted some losses on the rearguard of the enemy at Kakaramea and continued his march to the Waingongoro river. There he deemed it advisable to turn back owing to the difficulty of provisioning the force on an open coast. He accordingly stationed 750 troops at Patea and, having garrisoned the redoubts, left for Auckland.

Cameron disliked the field tactics of the Hauhau and disapproved of the war, which he believed was being deliberately waged for the benefit of the settlers. In Feb 1865 he resigned and returned to England, with the approval of the War Office and the thanks of the Legislative Council of New Zealand. He became lieut.-general 1868; general 1874; governor of Sandhurst College 1868-75; G.C.B. 1873. He died on 7 Jun 1888.

D.N.B.; App. H.R., 1861-66; Cowan; Rusden; Gudgeon (p); Rees; Gisborne; Gorton.

Reference: Volume 1, page 83

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