Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-03-15
AN INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE OF
NEW ORLEANS.
BIZ WILLIAM wA1cUT.

NEW ORLEANS.
BT WILLIAM wAIoUT.
A British officer, who was in the Bat
tie of New Orleans, mentions an Incl
dent of thrilling strangeness, and on
very descriptive of the Western hunter
many of whom marched to the defenc,
of New Orleans, as volunteers in tn,
army under the renowned Andrew Jack
son.
I'VE marched said the officer, in {
solid column of twelve thousand men
in direct line upon the American de
fenses. 1 belonged to the staff; and
as we advanced, we watched through
our glasses the position and arrange
ments of our enemy, with that intensi
ty an officer only feels when marching
into the jaws of death, with the assu
rance that, while he thus offers himself
sacrifice to the demands of his coun'
try, every action, be he successful OIL
otherwise, will be judged with the mos
heartless scrutiny.
1T was a strange sight, that long
range of cotton bales-a new material
for breast works, with the crowd oi
beings behind, their heads only visible
above the line of defence. We could
distinctly see their hong rifles laying over
the bales, and the battery of General
Coffee directly in front with its great
mouth gaping towards US, as they
waited to devour US, and the position of
General Jackson, with his staff around
him. But what attracted our attention
most, was the figure of a tall man,
standing on the breast works, dressed
in linsey-woolen, with buckskin leggings,
and broad brimmed felt hat, that fell
around the face, almost concealing his
features. He was standing in one of
those picturesque, and graceful atti-
tudes, peculiar to those natural men,
dwellers in forests. The body rested on
the left leg, and swayed with curved
line upwards; the right arm was ex-
tended, the hand grasping the rifle near
the muzzle, the butt of which rested
near the toe of his right foot, while with
his left hand he raised the rim of the
hat from his eyes, and seemed gazing
from beneath intensely upon our ad
column. The cannon of Gem
eral Coffee had opened upon US, and
tore through our ranks with dreadful
but we continued to advance,
and cool, as if nothing
our progress.
The roar of cannon seemed to have
no effect upon the figure standing on the
cotton bales, but he seemed fixed and
motionless as a statue At last he
threw back the hat rim over
the crown with his left hand, raised the
rifle to his shoulder and took aim at our
group. Our eyes were riveted upon
him; at whom had he leveled his piece?
But the distance was so great, that we
ooked at each other and smiled. We
saw the rifle flash, and my right hand
as noble looking fellow as
ever rode at the head of aregiment, fell
rom his saddle. The hunter paused
ew moments, without moving the gun
rom his shoulder, then reloaded, and
his former attitude. Throw-
ng the hat rim over his eyes, and again
lolding it up with the left hand. he fixed
lis piercing gaze upon us; as if hunting
,ut another victim. Once more the hat
i'm was thrown back, the gun raised to
he shoulder. This time we did not
mile, but cast short glances at each |
,ther, to see which of us must die; and
yhen again the rifle flashed, another
me of us dropped to the earth. There
vas something most awful in thus
on to certain death.
Gen. Coffee's battery, and thousands
# musket balls playing upon our ranks,
We cared not for-there was a chance
# escaping unscathed; most of us had
walked upon batteries hundred times
nore destructive without quailing; but
o know that every time that rifle was
eveled towards us and its bullet sprang
rom the barrel, one of us must as sure
= fall; to see the cleaning sun flash as
be deadly iron came down, and see it
est, motionless, as if poised upon
ock, and know when the hammer
truck, and the spark few to the full
rimed pan, that the messenger Of death
rove unerringly to its goal-to know
his, and still march on was awful.
ould see nothing but the tall figure
tanding on the breastworks; he seemed
0 grow, phantom-like higher and high
r, assuming through the smoke, the
upernatural appearance of some great
pirit of death; again did he reload and
ischarge his rifle with the same unfail-
ng aim, and with the same unfailing re-
ult; and it was with indescribable ,
lessure that I beheld, as we neared
be American lines, the sulphurous cloud
,athered around US, and shut that spec
raj hunter from my gaze. We lost the
'attle, and to my mind, the Kentucky
if1eman contributed more to our defeat
han anything else; for while he re-
NAMED to our sight, our attention was ,
rawn from our duties, and when, at
ast we became enshrouded in the
moke, the work was complete; we were
4 utter confusion and unable. in the ex- /
remity, to restore order sufficient to
nake any successful attack" ~ |,
So long as thousand and thousands
f rifles remain in the hands Of the