Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1841-02-13

From the Ne,o York Evening Post Of Jan 8,
To day is the anniversary ola battle well fought
and gloriously won by our CONFERENCE.-THE battle
ofNew Orleans. We can present our readers with
nothing more seasonable, or which they will read
with more interest, than the following picturesque
and anlmaed narrative from an eyewitness OF the
engagement;
BATTLE OF THE SrH OF JANUARY.
The aspect Of our political relations towards
Great Britain no less than the date OF our paper,
makes il seasonahc 10 publish, on this auspcious
day, the following narrative Of the memora bic bat
tie which, TO use Napoeons words closed our Sec
ond war for independence of foreign dictalion "by
clap OF thunder" 1t now more opportune than
1t has ever been, to revive in he minds of Amcri-
cans, the ennohIng remembrance OF that unparalel-
ed triumph Of their arms, since during the excite
ment OF the last ton, attempts have been made
to dtvest that glorious anniversary oflhe grateful
associations which should ever connect lis commeno-
ration with the fame OF The Democratic chlc.an
who achieved thai great victory.
JsckSons hnes (f0r thus has history designated
the breastwork below New OrIeans,) were only
parapet hastily thrown up on the left bank Of a ca
nal, formerly used as a mill race and defended by
eight batteries mounting sixteen guns, OF various
cabre, from ihirty-lWo to six pounders-a deen-
sve position admirably chosen. Gen. Jackson,
while on his march to attack General Keen, saw at
one glance, all the advantages of this spot
The strip of high land between the river and the
woods is narrower there than any where else near
the city, and even then. while his mind was buoyed
up with the hope ofcutting of General ng's whole
detachment, he determined, the failed in this TO
take that position and forliiy il.
The breaswork was thrown up hastily by the &C.
vera companies, each on the front it occupied along
Ian of M. NJ iv
ablshed on it al irregular intervals from the river
to the woods. The portion Of the parapet that ran
through these TO impossible pralrlcs, or shaking
marshes, as they termed in Louisiana from Their
tremuous motion when troddCn upon, mounted no
guns,as no artillery could be brought to bear against
II. General jackson had been aware since The bh
Of January that Genera Packenham intended to ear
~ his works by a vigorous assault The distance
at which the enemy was encamped did not conceal
his movements altogether from the vlglant eye Of
our commander. On the 7h he spent the greater
part Of the day on the top Of the houses where he
had his head quarters. Thence with good tele-
scope he discovered the whole British armyas it lay
encamped upon the river 10 the wood through which
1t kept up lls communication with the fleet. He
saw distinctly canal newly dug, through the fields
and leading TO the Mississippi. Along the banks of
this large bodies OF men were observed bending for
ward as men towing heavy boats--arge pieces Of
artillery lay in various places and The tracks on
which they were to be wheeled were visible. All
was animation in that part ofthe field fronting our
| lines. Groups of soldiers were remarked engaged
| in making iascnes with sugar canes while others
! prepared scaling ladders. Officers on horseback
were described riding bout the deIds,sopplng some
time at different posts as to give orders and mark
/ positions Nor was the night, dark and rainy as it
proved, without rs signs and indcsto 10 the prac'
/ II. "A q 4 n
Indian wars; he watched and listened for them in
every light that gIared on the surrounding gloon, in
| every breeze that waited sound through the air
! The first sometimes borne rapidly along, and then
| becoming stationary, and again moving on quickly,
1 pointed out clearly from where he different heads
of columns would take their direction. The Liter
sometimes produced by blows Of the hammer, some
times by the stroke of the WHIP urging on stubborn
mules and Wearied oxen told plainly enough that
| platforms we're erecting, and the cannon slowly adj
vancing to be placed on them.
Being now satisfied by all he had observed that
an attack would be made on our lines early ID The
morning. and probably little before day ight, Jack
son walked along the whole line. stopping often 10
converse with The soldiers who sat around their
fires drinking Coffee for no brandy was used 10 keep
up the spirits OF that patriotic army. lie told them
that the batIe they had so often wished for would
be fought IN The morning that he believed the en-
envy would come TO it in good earnest this time -
that ne had done his part as Their gencral-placed
them IN the best position that soldiers could wish,
their tanks secured, one by mighty rver, the 9th
| er by an impossible morass, that what remained 10
do was their own task and would soon begin--he
euirealed them TO be, on the morrow, the men he
had seen them in Florida, to receive The onset OF
their foe as many did on the 23d and 25h Deem
ber and on the LIST of this year, which they ushefed
10 by glorious victory.
These winning words made the learts Of the
brave to papiiaie. Every man, while listening
looked al the printing OF his rife There was some