Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-12-24
Incident Of the Battle of New Orleans.


A British officer who was in the battle of New Or
leans, mentions an incident of thrilling strangeness.
and very descriptive of the western hunter, many of
whom marched to the defence Of New Orleans as
volunteers in the army under the renowned Andrew
Jackson .t
We marched, said the officer in solid column of
twelve thousand men, in direct line upon the Amer
ican defenses. ] belonged to the staff and as we
advanced, watched through glasses the posi-
ton and arrangements of our enemy with that nten-
sty an officer only feels when marching into the
jaws OF death, with the assurance that, while he
thus offers himself as sacrifice to the demands of
his country every action to be successful or other
wise, will be judged with the most heartless scrutiny
1t was strange sight, that long range of cotton
bales-a new material for breastworks with the
crowd of human beings behind, their heads only Wis.,
ble above the line of defense We could distinctly
see their long rifles laying the bales. and the
battery OF Cen Coffee directly in 'front.' with its great
mouth gaping towards they waited to devour
u.s. and the position of Gen. Jackson with his staff
around him. But what attracted our attention most
was the figure of tall man standing the breast
work. dressed in lnsey woollend, with buckskn leg
gngs and broad brimmed felt hat that fell around
the face, almost concealing his features. He was
standing liz of those picturesque and graceful at
titudes peculiar to those natural dwelers in the
forest. The body rested on the leg and swaTed with
curved line upwards; the right arm was extended
the hand grasping the rifle the muzzle the butt
of which rested the toe of his right fot while
with his hand he raised the rim of the hat from, his
our advancing column. The cannon of Gen Coffee
had opened US and tore through ranks with dread
fu slaughter; but we continued to advance unwa-
verlng and COOL as if nothing threatended our pro-
gress.
The roar of cannon seemed to have no effect upon
the figure standing the cotton bales, but he seem
ed fixed and motioness a statue. At last he mo-
we'd threw back the hat rim the crown with his
left hand raised the rife to his shoulder and tcok
aim at our group. Our eyes were rveted on him
At whom had he leyeiled his piece But the dis
tance was so great that looked at each other and
smiled. We saw the rife fash. and my right hand
companion, as noble looking fellow as ever rode
at the head of his regiment fell from his saddle
The hunter paused few moments without mo-
wing the gun from his shoulders, then reloaded and
assumed bis former attitude Throwing the hat rim,
over his eyes, and again holding it up with the left
hand: he fixed his piercing gaze upon u.s. as If bnn
ting out another victim Once more the batrim
was thrown back, and the gun raised to the shoul
der This time we did not smile, but cast short
gances at each other. to which of us must die
and when again the rifle flashed another of ns
dropped to the earth. There was sometime awfnI
IN thus marching on to certain death
Cen Cohees battery. and thousand of musket
balls playing upon our ranks we cared not for
there was a chance of escaping unscathcd. Most of
us had walked upon batteries hundred times more
destructive without quailing; but to know that evn
ry time that rifle was leveled towards u.s. and its bu
let sprang from the BARREL one of us must as surely
iall to see the cleaning sun flash as the adeadly
'i'0 uo"ii' sthu see IL rest, motlanlesS, as f
poised upon rock, and know, when the hammer
struck and the sparks flew to the full-primed nan
that the messenger of death drove unerr;nelv 10 n;
goal-to know this and still march on was auf,i
could see nothing but the tall figure STANDING an
tho breast-work. He seemed to grow phantom IiLo
taller and taller assuming through the smoke the
supernatural appearance of some great sprit ga;n
did he reload and discharge his rife with the sam
untalIing aim and it was with indescribabe pleas
nre that behed, as we neared the Amefr;ear, fa,,
nne, the sulphurous smoke gathered around as .nd
shut that spectral hunter from my gaze. We lost
the battle and, to my mind, the Kentucky r;fIama
contributed more to our defeat than apvthinc aso .
lor while he remained to our sight our attention -
drawn from our duties and when at last We beco
enshrouded IN the smoke, the work was eonnletaN
we were IN utter confusion, and unable. in the ev
eessful attack. J sue
so long as thousands of rifles remain in tbo bona,
OF the people so long men come un fron, ,ha;s
ehiiahood able, ere the down appears on the eb;,
70 nlt the centre of mark, or strike tbe door -
hundred and hfty yards in the most vital noat W
long as there is great proportion of thn RannhI:
VINO ive as free as the wild Indian KNOWING NJ ~.
er but their own choosing knowing no law bnt shu
% rign' ana the honorable observance cf friendI :;
america Is nnconquerable and ali the ~.
| mics o. the combined world though tbev sr,;ah.
drive them from the sea coast and ac-oss y H.gns
gnany Mountains would not be able to snhd,a az
ee.souled nunter among the mountains anA "1 I
P'arles ana mighty rivers of the West. 5'e'''
DRY GOODS iMpoRTs.-A statement of tbo - ia.
ment IN the dry goods trade of New Yarl 'aose
lor louf weeks ending the 25th inst, and far ~
months ending the period shows sbst - sie'en
eepts for the mouth are 81 1872 46s lne re-
tue same period last year. and S77 35 .an Tor
for the same period in 1850 Tba G 8. 9sssr snans