Death of Private Connachton - Newcastle
13 May 1817
Deposition of George Little, Prisoner of the Crown per Fortune, sworn before James Wallis Esquire one of His Majesty’s justices of the Peace.
'George Little deposeth and saith that he accompanied by the late Peter Connachton, private soldier in the 46th regt on the 21 April last went into the interior for the purpose of hunting kangaroo, on same evening deponent and deceased arrived at the Sugar Loaf and were joined by two natives named Babaloe and Obero.
On the following day the 22 April last deponent and deceased were joined by several other natives. On the 20 April last deponent and deceased determined to return to Newcastle and commenced their route accompanied by six native blacks namely Gorman, Young Crodgie, Obero, David Lowe and Temiraire. That suspecting the designs of the natives were not good deponent and deceased kept walking during the night and early on the morning of the 24th April deponent and deceased aroused the aforesaid natives to proceed with them to Newcastle and assist in carrying the Kangaroo killed the preceding day.
Deceased desired aforesaid natives first to warm themselves and gave his jacket to Gorman, deponent at same time lending his jacket to Babaloe who took a kangaroo on his shoulder that the remaining five native blacks namely Gorman, Young Crodgie, Obero, David Lowe and Tamiraire of a sudden, discharged their spears and wounded deponent in left arm and breast and the deceased in the left breast when the before-mentioned native blacks immediately retired carrying with them the kangaroo and jackets.
That on the deceased receiving the wound he fired his musquet and fell lifeless to the ground. Deponent then took the spear from the breast of the deceased Peter Connachton who never spoke afterwards as deponent supposed he had received a mortal wound. On deponent taking deceased's musquet and pretending to re-load it the natives retired and deponent immediately proceeded into Newcastle to give information and procure assistance for the deceased.'
Colonial Secretary's Correspondence Reel 6066; 4/1806 p.76