Stockmen Murdered and Bloody Revenge
Van Diemen's Land 1828.
Near a lonely sheep station in outback Van Diemen's Land a band of Tasmanian warriors watch some stockmen from a distance. They know that if they can get close enough they can kill the stockmen before they can reload their cumbersome muskets, they also know that sheep are good and tasty eating.
The stockmen see the distant figures and prepare for the worst, Roger Jameson and his three "ticket of leave" workers load their muskets.
Spears and musket balls fly, two Tasmanians are hit and two ex-convict stockmen are speared by very skillful warriors. The natives press home their attack and bring down the last worker, Mr Jameson is on his own, musket empty and all hope lost, he dies the death of many spears.
The once popular Roger Jameson was missed at the local sheep mart, and after a week or so Police Inspector Cresswell with a constable and several soldiers went to the station to investigate.
The scene they came across was horrific, the bodies were buried and a force was assembled to hunt for the perpetrators.
The military column searched the highlands for the band of warriors, just when they were about to return to Bothwell, figures were sighted.
The professionalism of the soldiers in delivering a steady fire was telling from the first instant, it was very hard for the native warriors to get close enough to engage, but they did manage to kill Constable Travers who strayed too far in their direction.
The withering fire took a terrible toll, the brave warriors soon escaped to fight another day leaving many dead, it will take the tribe many years to train and raise more warriors, time they do not have.
The march of a young colony does not rest, soon a convict road gang came through and opened up more land for development, an irresistible tide.
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