The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-05
Narrative Of the Battle Of Nsv or,s...

son, aud examined and corrected by him, and pub
lished IN the Quarterly Review. No. 80. October
1888, Art Nv as Review of a Narrative OF Events iu
the south Of France, and oil the Attack New Orleans
in 1914 and 1915. BY Captain Jons HENRY Cooks, late
Of the 4sd regiment ofinfanty. London. 1854
Ertraets. u
"We not about TO dissect this work for the bsnsH
OF our readers We have merely the title 10
our that agreeaby 10 the approved canons OF crit
csm, may tell own story OF the eventful inroad
which II describes. rather than make journal vsh
Gle Tor The narrative OF another Yet the work Is not
sThe defence of New Orleans is prominent object ip
our military history. II closed. with the most brilliaat
success. undertaken in selfdefence. and whose
progress had been marked by signal DISASTERS as well
ny signal victories gave tone to the national feeling
anu elevation TO the national character But has other
claims 10 consideration sill greater than these wss
defensive victory, achieved principally by militia
orce; and altogether by force recently and hastily
raised, with little discipline and less experience. The
assailanis were among the best troops OF tho age, and
flushed by And they excelled their al
versares as much in numbers in practical discipline
epuse. under such circumstances furnishes useful
and cheering lesson Whatever tends check the pride
OF conquest and TO give stability to nations interesting
TO all who look 10 human happiness the object OF
government and as the great end OF social Institutions
"Tbe geographical features of Louisiana are peculiar
and interesting, and il the nature Of the country presents
some uncommon difficulties TO invading foe, offers
others which are not less TO defensive operation The
region raversed by the lower Mississippi has been gain
ed from the ocean by the deposits borne down by the
current OF that river During it's annual nundatons its
surface when AT the greatest elevation, 10 considerably
higher Than Ills natural banks; and these. in their turn,
are higher than the land in their Contrary, there
fore 10 the usual uval foundations there inclined
plane, highest at the river, and extending 10 the swamps,
which serve as reservoir Tor the water that escapes in
the period OF The inundaon Human labor and ingenu-
ny have counteaced the operations OF Nature, and dixie
or evee has been formed along the river for great dis
lance, which protects the land between the stream and
the swamp from the periodical freshets Occasioned by
the falling Of the ran and by the dissolution OF the snow
a lay IN Ua
This dixie or evee. trail as il apparently is in ito
structure, has yet been found sufficient guard the hab
hangs them. 1t is, indeed liable to occasional
breaches but these are generally repaired without de-
ay Or not the water passes in considerable stream
through the inclined plane to the swamp, making indeed
channel for ITSELF but extending its ravages further
From this very general view Of the country, II may
well be supposed that there are various routes by which
may be approached and entered from the Pla
cling ourselves at New Orleans, the key Of this whole
region, we shall take coup d4a of these avenues OF
communication, without sketch of which neither the
plans OF operation the merits of the contendnG par
ties can be understood or appreciated" AL
III will thus be seen, that from the peculiar nature o.
the country there were several approaches to the CITY
New Orleans by which invading army might advab..
and that great vigilance the part Of its defenders,
well as the occupation OF proper positions along These
lines could alone guard against surprise dispersion
OF the troops the necessary consequence OF this state
OF things, as well as general ncertude respecting the
operations"
:. During the summer and part Of the autumn Of
1914 General Jackson had been engaged the necessary
measures Tor the defence OF the military district inrust
ed TO him. which included the southwestern part OF the
the Spanish cowu was 50 situated with 1esaon q ii.
command as to interrupt his communications and 10 en-
bsrass bis operations. II had proved itself place OF
refuge, where his enemies, both white and red bad
sought safety and whence they had issued to overcome
and devaslae the country. Fst t.ne,s
"The neutral duties OF the Spanish local authorities
were openly neglected They had certainly not the in
cinaon, perhaps not the power to the British
and Their allies to respect their territory The cOnse
quences already felt, and those anticipated led General
Jackson 10 the adoption OF OF those decisive meas
which have characterized his through life
= be determined, upon his own responsibility, 10 enter
Florida and, in expelng the British, to teach the local
with equal promptude and success. Pensacola was
taken the hostile expedition driven from the province.
and the upon which they had relied led Tor t d.
indications which gave warning OF the danger to others
were not uaheeded by him. and there some which
reached him confdentially confirming the belief that
serious attempt against that part OF the country was
medliaed by the British cabinet. eeats4 sy6l
These be had communicated to the government and he
now felt that the time come when prompt measuyes
must be adopted 10 meet the impending danger After
making all the necessary arrangements 10 bis power for
the defence OF Mobile, and Tor The security OF that part
OF the country be commenced his journey to New Or
leans, and reached that city the st OF December, 1914
AT this period Louisiana deienceess a. it was
exposed Both in The PERSONAL and mstsri there was an
appalling deficiency OF the means necessary Tor the uh
male safety OF the country He had under his command
the skeletons of two regiments OF new-raised regular
troops bu, The rest of his force were militia drawn from
the invaded district, from Mississippi, Tennessee, and
Kentucky. s1.ss4. ~
"Of arms and OF ordnance generally the supply
was wholly inadequate TO the exigency. quantity had
been time before demanded and ordered, but from
administrative these yet slowly descend
ing the Ohio, the lowest stage OF its water. and in
fact did not reach their place OF destination till The sug
gle Had il not been for the provdsnt fore
sight of General Carroll in ,ranshppng into his boats
part OF these equp menis, which he accidentally passed.
the whole Kentucky reinforcement would have bean
weaponless the day oil trial and it not lees than
from Twelve fifteen hundred OF them were mere spec
ators OF the combat not being able 10 minEe IN Tor
the oil arms As another example OF the defective
state OF the military supplies, 1t may be remarked that
General Jackson, report TO the Secretary Of War; OF
February 49, 1918, informs that fnnchonary that when
the enemy landed he had not flint except what was
procured from the Baraiarans.'"
Battle Of he 23d
The enemy upon the Mississippi, and their imme
date designs unk nown As General Jack
arrived in their vicinity he proceeded forward 10 make
OF attack The light OF their fires enabled him 10 ascer
tain where they stationed, and 10 perceive that
they extended from the river into the plain, and That
strong plcqne' guards were posted At intervals between
their right flank and the swamp, which is here about
usual routine of military duties observed in the gen:
era disposition Of the troops and in the arrangement OF
the guards there still evident impression among
the British troops that they had little to apprehend from
an enemy. The men apparently enjoying them
selves by full indulgence N the good things winch
fortune had given tbem-sucb, says one OF them, ~
hams fowls and wines of varioas descriptions"-and
the eht of their fires rendered distinctly visible their
whole arrange ment and operations.
General Jacksons plan instantly formed and
municated 10 his officers His right flank rested on the
sAnI ,xS,