The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-05
and pass on 10 The progress and result, Of the campaign

ary operations but by It's moral influence upon the
vaders and invaded Il is evident, IN taking retro
spective view OF the incidents OF that PERIOD that the
British army made its descent on Louisiana with a |
high. perhaps not too high, confidence IN lis own
proves but with thorough contempt for its adver-
sares. They forgot the cautious maxim. not to un-
derdte opponents The author OF the Subaltern
in America, who was an officer IN the expedition. /
says, We held them, the Americans, in too much
contempt 10 fear their attack Another Journalist, an
officer OF the British army, observes that upon this
intelligence our wonted confidence returned, and we be-
took ourselves TO our former occupations, rsmarktng
that the Amsficans had yet dared to attack there
is no great probability n their doing the present
sion And Captain Cooke alter slightly hn.,ns con
jons in the OF his narrative, this remark, OF
which he thinks the result OF the campaign furnished
practical usration that insig ni6ean objects not
10 be despised and left 10 be captured the will aud
pleasure OF the daiory' Had the American army shut
themselves up in New Orleans. or taken position below
the city, and awaited the onset OF the invaders, in the
ordinary of events, skill, discipline, and expe
rence have done their work, and sealed the fate oil
the country The great object therefore. OF the Amer
general was 10 teach his adversary caution, and
thus 10 retard his advance, while his own troops
might gradually acquire confidence in themselves and
their leader. That the plan successful, is evident
from the fact that during four previous days. between
the 23d and the 2sth, the British army kept within their
lines. and were employed in the necessary commun-
cations with their fleet, whence heavy guns were brought
10 destroy or drive off the little brig, which continued TO
annoy them with its iron messengers.
This action cost the Americans two hundred and thir-
teen in killed, wounded, and prisoners and La Tour
that the British official report acknowledges loss
Of three hundred and five The return we have moi o.
seen" /" For a lew days
subsequent to this PERIOD both parties were busiy en-
gagged in their respective preparations for attack and de-
fence as il obvious that some decisive event would
soon bring the campaign 10 close. RentoTcemens
were received BY each OF The combaan,s. Without enter
ing into numerical details. little satisfactory 10 the gene
raj reader, we content ourselves with stating as the best
estimate we have been able 10 make from the data
within our reach, that the British army was finally
sweled to about nine thousand men on the LETT Dank OF
the river and that the number OF combatans n the
Aror urTpv WAS hefDr
hundred and sixty The official returns, WHICH are
annexed to this article, furnish all necessary nforma-
ton on the subject Of The defensive force"
aOn the Sd Of January General Jackson Informed the
Secretary Of War that arms had then arrived They
yet upon the river, having left Pttsbnrg the pre-
ceding autumn. He adds, Hardly one third OF me
Kentucky troops SO long expected, are armed and the
arms they have not tit tor use.
II lamentable that a, this luncue some defect OF
inferior administration should have left unarDed large
portion Of the force assembled at this point from so great
But it and the anxously expected army
did not arrive till the British were driven discounted
from the attack
I'VE shall net stop 10 dwell upon the other defective
arrangements for supplies particularly OF proper clothing
of which the distant militia almost destitute Ha-
hs bu hey did like he
want of arms, vitality affect the operations. Without
arms the troops could not fights but suffering and priva
This duty came down 10 them like an inheritance from
their revolutionary fathers, and well was performed
Battle of The sG January
Captain Cooke has portrayed with much feeling his
impressions upon this eventiul night; and whether his
thoughts took their hue from the circumstances around
him, the latter from the former, certain II ls from his
description, that sinister augury was as natural IN Itself
as proved in the end TO be but too true He states that
he wandered through the camp the scenes
around, and comparing the confusion at the headquarters
and the noise and revery and hires at the lines win he
silence and order which appeared to prevail in the Amer
lean army on both sides OF the river
he w Al enp
singularly impressive to Englishman-to native
of the Older world, who bad never seen the works OF
Nature spread out in that magn6cence which marks her
operations upon this continent Before him is that mighty
river, of which he had heard from his infancy rolling It's
endless floods to the ocean, and seeking lis supply IN the
fountains of the North raversng regions OF boundless
forests and perpetual solitude, and overlapping the nch
but plain which had gained from It's domin
ion. High up on its trunk and tributaries those nomades
wander, whose origin is mysiery-whose condition,
habits, Institutions and history, have arrested the alien
ton OF Christendom since the veil which insulated them
and their world has been wiihdnwnwboee fierce pas
sions have always been graed in the blood OF friend
and foe-who have been stationary not in position, but
IN improvement while everything around them has peen
changing, and whose destiny we have no pleasure IN
anticipating Around him is the primeval forest, bid
ding defiance 10 the slow progress OF human industry,
shown and scarcely shown, The little fertile tract II has
taken century Of labor reclaim. The promised city,
the object OF his hopes and ois is within his sphere OF
vision, though shrouded from his view by the obscury
of the night and guarded against his approach BY an
enemy he to conquer without an effort, but whom,
he now fears, effort conquer The river Is send
ing lis dense canopy OF fog, which gradually encr
cles ali Objects animate and nanmae, and circnmscrbes
the lonely spectator within his narrow world. His
companions had fought in many foreign clme-at Co
TunnA says Captain Cooke, at Bnsaco, at Cludad 10
drso at Badaoz at Salamanca Vi,ora, at Toulouse,
al Martinique and at other famous battles which he emu
meraies, and where they had the elite OF Europe
flee before Them and its proudest foresses yield to their
mpetuous vaor. Now they had been fooled by band
of husbandmen, posse comiaius dressed in eotored
eiolks uesrtng broad beavers 'ormed tcih long duck
gu~s,' 'bv Jumps and croiods Of american miG, and
10y yovndhsted Ameruons' but who, with praciised
weapons with stout hearts, sharp eyes, and steady hands,
had planted themselves in the path between them and
their prey
Here was, indeed. food for reflection and recollection
and the reader OF the two military authors who parc
pated in these events will be struck with The sombre
OF their remarks when depicting their situation and pros
poets the Of the battle There was an evident
want OF confidence in the British army-a vague present
ment OF some approaching disastera scepuclsm as TO
the abilities Of their leaders and the military policy OF their
arrangements, .. ,.,o.. IT,.
approximations easily accounted for from be OF
events. and from the promptness, decision, and conf
dence sde and the want OF these military virtues
the other.
Bot the work OF preparation went on in the British
camp The troops embarked IN the boats the fas
cinss and scaling ladders prepared the columns
to open their FIRE. and the necessary orders communl
Gated. according tosmitay usage, through such chan
nes a. would insure their reception and proper cxecs
hon Thus psssed the night
ooeo was The relative situation Of the hostile forces,
wnen' me dawn OF day, the morning OF The sih OF
January signal rocket, thrown up from the left oil the
BRUSH nee ana immediately succeeded by another from