Te Kooti, after mounting a raid on 10 November that saw a number of Māori and European settlers and farmers murdered, retreated to a strong defensive "pā" at Ngatapa. Ropata and his men, at Wairoa, went north to Gisborne (known at the time as Tūranga) and onto Ngatapa. The "pa" contained about 200 Ringatū warriors and around 300 other Māori, many of who were prisoners taken in Te Kooti's raids. The first assault on 4 December, led by Ropata, Hōtene Porourangi, another "rangatira" of Ngāti Porou, and Lieutenants Mair and Preece of the Armed Constabulary, was unsuccessful. The "pā" was up on the peak of a ridge, and had strong fortifications including entrenchments and pallisaded. Although Ropata led a party in capturing a defensive trench, it had to be abandoned in the evening for they ran out of ammunition. Ropata pulled his men, tired by the march from Wairoa and the subsequent fighting, back to Tūranga. Despite this Ropata was awarded the New Zealand Cross (NZC) for his bravery and leading role in this action. The NZC had recently been established as a gallantry award for colonial personnel, and was regarded as being equivalent to a Victoria Cross (VC); those serving in New Zealand's colonial militia were ineligible for the VC unless they were under the command of British officers. Ropata was also made a major in the Armed Constabulary.