PROGRESS OF THE WAR IN THE SOUTH.

733 raw militia, repulsed the most powerful force of British veterans that had been collected in America during the war: while, at the same moment, the American squadron captured a British squadron superior both in guns and men. The killed and wounded in the enemy's ships, amounted to one hundred and ninety-four, including Commodore Downie, the commander. The American loss was one hundred and ten. The prisoners amounted to eight hundred and fifty-six, a greater number than that of the American crews when they commenced the action. Thus closed the campaign in the north.

While the war in the north was thus drawing to a termination, with such brilliant success on the part of the United States, the last hostile expedition of the British was in progress at the southern extremity of the union, and the result was equally glorious to the American arms. The capture of New Orleans and the conquest of Louisiana had been determined on by the enemy at an early day in the season; but the design was necessarily deferred till the latter part of the year, to avoid the heats and insalubrity of the summer months in that unwholesome climate. Toward the end of August, three British armed vessels arrived at Pensacola, with a body of troops, and a quantity of military stores sufficient for a large army. They took possession of the place, although it was neutral territory belonging to Spain. Intelligence was received that ten thousand troops and thirteen ships of the line were expected there. The British commander at Pensacola, Colonel Nichols, issued a proclamation, calling upon the inhabitants of Louisiana and Tennessee to throw off their allegiance to the government of the United States, and join the British standard. This had the same effect as the proclamation of Sir George Prevost. The militia took up arms to repel the invaders; and Nichols, finding that none of the inhabitants joined him, turned to the pirates of Barataria, an island on the coast of Louisiana, then occupied by a band of buccaneers. These men, under a bold and dexterous leader, of the name of Lafitte, had hitherto eluded all the attempts of the American government to suppress them, and continued to carry on their trade of smuggling and picarooning, in defiance of law. Nichols communicated the whole plan of the British expedition to Lafitte, soliciting his alliance; but the piratical chieftain rejected the proposal at once; and although a price had been set upon his head, immediately disclosed the whole to Claiborne, the governor of Louisiana. This singular conduct was followed by important consequences to the Baratarians. The governor, struck with the romantic behavior of Lafitte, promised him a full pardon for his whole band, on

condition of their abandoning their lawless habits, and engaging in defence of the country. This was agreed to, and these outlaws rendered important services in the sequel.

On the 15th of September, the British made an attack, by sea and land, upon Fort Bowyer, at the entrance of Mobile Bay; but the garrison of one hundred and twenty men, under Major Lawrence, defeated them after they had persisted in the assault for three hours. The commodore's frigate, the Hermes, lost nearly all her crew, drifted ashore, and was burnt. The garrison lost but nine killed and wounded. The British retreated to Pensacola, and General Jackson, the American commander-in-chief, having now received a reinforcement of two thousand volunteer militia from Tennessee, marched upon Pensacola, to demand redress of the Spanish authorities for their violation of neutrality, in allowing a hostile expedition to be fitted out from that place against the United States. On the 6th of November, he reached the neighborhood of Pensacola, and sent a flag to the governor, which was fired upon and driven back. Nevertheless, he contrived by other means to convey a communication to the governor, demanding that the forts on the harbor should be put under the protection of the United States, till the Spanish government were able to enforce their neutrality. This being refused, Jackson made an attack on Pensacola the next day. Both the Spaniards and British defended the place; but the Americans speedily made their way into the town, and brought the Spanish commander to a parley, which ended by a complete surrender of Pensacola to the Americans.

The British destroyed the fortifications, and abandoned the place with their squadron. Jackson proceeded to New Orleans on the 1st of December, and took measures for the defence of that city. Batteries were constructed on all the approaches toward the place, and troops collected from the neighboring states. By this time, upwards of sixty sail of the enemy's vessels, with troops and military stores, had arrived at Ship Island, at the entrance of Lake Borgne, by which the city was menaced with an attack. A flotilla of small vessels had been collected by the Americans, to defend the passage of Lake Pontchartrain; these were attacked on the 13th, by an overwhelming force of the enemy, while becalmed in an unfavorable position, and all cap tured. This disaster caused a necessity for the most prompt and energetic measures for the defence of the city. Martial law was proclaimed by Jackson, an embargo laid on all vessels, and the negroes were impressed and set to work upon the fortifications.

BATTLE OF NEW-ORLEANS.

735

On the 21st, four thousand Tennessee militia, under General Carrol, arrived at New Orleans.

The enemy proceeded up Lake Borgne, and on the 22d, surprised a small body of Americans posted to defend the Bayou Bienvenu, an inlet leading directly towards the city. Jackson advanced the next day with a force of about two thousand men, and made an attempt to drive them from this position, but the enemy being three thousand strong, the attempt proved abortive, and the Americans took post higher up the river. Their line of defence extended from the Mississippi on the right, to a thick and impassable wood on the left. On the opposite bank of the river was a battery of fifteen cannon; the ship Louisiana and the schooner Caroline lay in the stream.

The British army, amounting to ten thousand men, under Sir Edward Packenham, well equipped, with a heavy train of artillery, were now concentrated near the American lines. By the arrival of the Kentucky militia, Jackson's force was augmented. to about eight thousand men, but their equipment was bad. The fate of New Orleans was now completely at stake, and the odds were decidedly in favor of the British. No battle hitherto fought between the contending parties, equalled in importance the one now at hand, for on this depended the possession of the entrance of the great river Mississippi, and perhaps the permanent command of the stream. The British began their operations by erecting a battery against the Caroline, whose fire gave them great annoyance; and they succeeded in blowing her up on the 27th. The next day, Packenham advanced with his whole force within half a mile of the American works, and began a furious cannonade, bombardment and discharge of rockets. The American batteries, with the Louisiana, opened so heavy a fire upon the assailants, that they drew off with considerable loss. The British then threw up batteries in front of the American lines, and at daylight, on the 1st of January, renewed their cannonade, but with no better effect. An attack was then made upon the left flank of the Americans, but this was repulsed, and the British decamped in the evening, leaving behind their ammunition and the cannon spiked.

The British had suffered severely from the batteries on the opposite bank of the Mississippi, which they were unable to cross for want of boats. With immense labor, a canal was dug from the Bayou Bienvenu, to the river, through which the boats of the fleet were brought on the 7th. Everything being now prepared on the part of the invading force, the grand attack was fixed for the next day. Troops were transported across the Mississippi to attack the battery on that side simultaneously with the main assault.

On the 8th of January, early in the morning, the British army moved in two columns to the attack of Jackson's line. Generals Gibbs and Keane led the assault; and a body of reserve, under General Lambert, kept in the rear of the attacking columns. The troops advanced slowly and firmly, bearing fascines and scaling ladders to facilitate their passage over the ditch and rampart. The American batteries opened upon them as soon as they came within cannon shot. The sharp-eyed marksmen of the West stood behind the entrenchments, awaiting the close approach of the enemy; and no sooner had their columns arrived within fair reach of their rifles, than a shower of bullets was discharged

upon them with such unerring aim, that they were immediately brought to a stand. Sir Edward Packenham, observing his troops to falter, galloped to the head of the column, and while in the act of cheering them on, was struck by a rifle ball, and fell dead from his horse. The columns broke and retreated in confusion, but their officers rallied them and urged them onward nearly to the ditch. The deadly fire of the musketry again drove them back. A third assault was made, and a third time were the assailants put to flight in the greatest confusion. Gibbs and Keane were both severely wounded, and the plain was covered with the bodies of the dead. General Lambert now took the command, and collecting together the fragments of the army, drew them off into the camp. In the meantime, the detachment under Colonel

BATTLE OF NEW-ORLEANS.

737

Thornton had succeeded in capturing the American battery on the opposite bank of the river, in consequence of the panic of the militia, who imagined the enemy had turned their flank; but this had no influence upon the result of the day, which was a most decided victory for the Americans.

Never had a British army experienced such dreadfu. siaughter as on this occasion. More than two thousand of their men, including almost all their chief officers, were killed or wounded. The prisoners amounted to eight hundred. The disproportion too, between the loss of the victorious and that of the defeated army, renders this one of the most remarkable battles ever fought. The Americans had but seven killed and six wounded. The whole British scheme of invasion was at once brought to an end by this overwhelming disaster. A part of the fleet had entered the Mississippi and attacked Fort St. Philip, but after bombarding it for a week, they retreated. Lambert, immediately after the battle of the 8th of January, withdrew his troops from the Mississippi, and embarked for Fort Bowyer, which place he succeeded in capturing, but this was all they gained by the expedition to New Orleans. The defence of that city reflects the highest credit on the skill and firmness of General Jackson, and the courage of the American militia. With this brilliant success closed the hostilities between Great Britain and the United States.

During the interval between the repulse of the British and the arrival of the news of peace, their fleet still hung about the coast, and it was found necessary to detain the militia at New Orleans, where martial law was still in force. The militia, imagining all the danger passed, were eager to return to their homes, and many complaints were the consequence. A paragraph in one of the New Orleans newspapers, was thought by General Jackson calculated to excite mutiny in the army, and he arrested the writer. A writ of habeas corpus was issued to liberate him. The general, instead of obeying the writ, caused the judge who granted it to be arrested and conveyed out of the city. Before this occurrence, an un-official account of the signing of the treaty of Ghent had reached New Orleans, but it was thought prudent not to abandon any of the measures that had been taken for the defence of the country. On the 13th of March, however, two days after the arrest of the judge, a despatch from the secretary of war arrived at head-quarters, announcing the peace, and ordering a cessation of hostilities. Military operations on both sides ceased on the 19th. The judge, after his liberation, cited General Jackson before him, and fined him a thousand dollars for contempt of