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

sstpn between the chief aud the soldiers lh-re
was ease. even AmuanJy. bu, 40 hcentiou> iarrrt-
fitness o. the high rank o, their leader. Some oI the
veterans ct Napoleon, who witnessed these en3etr-
Ing communications, exclaimed that jackson rryuiu
dcj them of the corporalS walks among his jrunpS
on tIr eve 81 sime at las great battles
Hal Of the troops speat the night at the breast
work, dueutNe.y watching 10 discover the approach
OF Zoe enemy, should ghty have Determined
night attack, the companies relieving each other &c.
caSiuualy thar all should have had Some resi- pre-
Nious To the coming CAV.
Ii was YET hsil an hour before daylight when our
oul-puSH came IN they had uoi>cicSSv recedci he
lore the enemy, who they sand was advancing very
>o" y ans m great afce. Al last, Just as day was
dW-S dswuiug through lhsck mist that hung over
the hcd We lad distinctly perceived the British army
spread ayer twn-thirdS otihc ground between the
Mississippi and the forest \ congrcve rocket rose
from Tue skirts @ the wood 1t was iuar'cd los one
ascending tom the centre, aud by another again
blazing over the right These were the signals of
attack 10 this we responded by shot iron
twelve FOUNDER fired from our lett. The two ar
mes, As Il reused at once by the sound, gave three
spontaneous cheers; 10 the cheering on out side Vas
Joncd the mJsIe OF a tui band, playing Had Column
bla aud tie Marse,aise- exciting hymn, OF
American aud French warriors
The frs, shot fired from the British batteries went
through the room where jackson was sitting hy the
hire drinking cup Of warm coffee; he had heeuun-
well the preceding day and ihC whole night but the
noise OF The cannon, the sound Of the martial music
seemed at once 10 rouse HIM TO the ul yiyor of
hesh Graspn NJ his sword that laid ON chair hy
hlm-"N Shall hayea warm day said he. ocnm,
on--hut stop, see 10 Chiutard,' am afraid h. is
badly wounded" brick struck from the wall hy
tile cannon bull had laid that brave officer PROSTATE
on the ground but II was only severe confusion;
he promptly rose aud followed US to the line.
hide breeze when we reached the parapet Swte
ping the mist from the field, showed ~ the British
army formed into columns of about sixty men in
front, advancing in fine order in the dlreetian of
our lett; many Of the soldiers carried ascnts, and
Others bore along sealing ladders. All their runs
and congrcve batteries poured IN advance Of their
column shower Of grape and rockets The fire
was returned by all our batteries moi with 50
mcessant IA roar, but with deadhcr certainty Of aim
as was visible by the irghtluI gaps our shots and
grapes made IN the advancing columns: and vel
these could not be checked; they still rush on their
steps less rapid yet still borne onward by the Grst
impetus; but at last they reached the impervous
though invisible grdc that breasted our lines, the
IRON and lead dcIuge OF Shot poured necessarily hy
the Tennessee and Kentucky rlfcmen M power
OF discipline could make men advance IN The face
lost its magic eilect-the spell of command was dis
sOIved~nSnct Of nature broke asuuder the shackes
Of habnal obedicnce,h columns stopped short,wa.
veted moment then breaking IN wild disorder dis
pered, every man ODE, ing only the dictate Of self
preservation. And yet, such was the vigpr OF British
discipline; such, too the native vaOr of the saxon
race that the troops rallied again o, soon as thew
had receded from the full force aud effect ol our
muskstry, and forming in line, instead of columns
began that constant rolling fire whose tremendous
nose was heard in the city like rafting pcns of dis
tanl thunder. The presence Of General Packenham
who CALAMITY rode IN front Of the troops, urging
them again to advance ol General Gibbs, who
marched al the head ut a regiment; Gen. Keen
who on that occasion showed the same gallanry that
had saved the Army on the 2id OF December
sustained for some time longer the courage 81 the
troops against the most deadly FIRE ever witnessed
by the veterans of IaIavera and Badalos; bur when
Packenham Tell from his horse mortaly won,dcd-
when Glib, expired 10 The arms ul the soldiers who
were carrying him from the field, when Keen also
severely wounded by rife ball, was to leave the
ground, that column finally dispersed IN ureemedi-
lie confusion.
It was now the turn Of the other two columns, to
make an effort 10 retrieve the day. The troop,
composing them were seen forming behind ditch,
laying down their knapsacks that they might rush
on the assault with greater speed. This was an
awful moment for both armies. Jackson, followed
ny his staff went along the whole line. To The A.
merCans by birth, he sad that they must not prove
themselves the degenerate sons Of their ancestors,
who had defeated the same enemy that now CON
lronted them. To the French lie recalled the high
deeds Of their armies under NopoIeon; to The Spun
ards he invoked The remembrance Of their cities
given up TO plumber by the,e very armies, in The
war Of the Peninsula; % the men Of color he said
they mgst show themselves worthy Of the conf
dcnCe he had placed in their vaor when he put
arms in their bands; 10 the artlferSts he said they
must depress their guns a lte, and not hurry their
firing. Where the General appcrcd loud cheers OF
the troops proca med The presence There was Wa
time lor words; deeds responded 10 bis animated
address.
The last onset was the most vigorous that We
had yet sustained Some platoons Of the Scotch
regiments advanced to the very edge Of the dlcb
before the troops that had attacked our left dis
persed and sought shelter among the bushes on
the right, or retired to the d,cn where they had
formed the columns Of attack, about six hundred
yards from our lines.
Our right aud the greater portion Of our cen
Ire had as yet sustained no effort Of the enemy
The corps destined for this attack had been kept
out OF view under the shelter o some large bud
lngs near the road. These troop. IN order 70 a
void the FIRE Of the Louisiana, whose guns swep
the highway, siezcd moment when a th'ct
smoke hung over the river TO creep nnprcceIyeC
between the bank ard the water hue, until The,
had got very near our extreme right and lhef
rushing with resistless Impotuosty to the unGnlsh
ed redoubt, they eaped into the ditch, and enter
[ al =, tbYntoh tho eo,bragurps nutttuo a., tle
sword all who attempted to resist.
| When IN possession ofthe bastion, to lhet nj.
ter dismay, they preceIyed that it was dlsiinc
| from and unconDected with the main 5reastwork
| which in the rear Of It ran into the rlyer itself
where it was more than five feet deep. The cap
/ tured work was open on the water side, anC
1 Commudore Patterson, as soon as he saw Tho
1 British there, poured INTO the bastion heavy anC
destructive fire. Several daring officers, thougt
| already wounded, were seen cheering their mer