The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-03-20
Cotton Bales at the battle of New Or

Cotton.B Bales at the battle OF New Or.
leans.
The question whether the breastworks
! for the protection of the American lines,
at the battle of New Orleans, were con-
structed Of cotton bales, as has been gen.
orally stated, is thus treated in Walkers
account of that action: .sz sarA..
son the other side the Americans were
equally unsuccessfulin attempting to en-
ploy one Of the great staples of the coun-
try for warlike purposes. A flatboat
which lay near the American camp had
in it some fifty bales of cotton, the prop
erty of that since famous cotton speculator,
Vincent Nolte, who had purchased them
from Major Plauche, commandant of the.
Orleans battalion. In the hurried con-
siruction of the embankment these bales
had been rolled out and thrown into the
pile of earth to increase its bulk. On this
day the enemy's ball striking one of these
bales knocked it out of the: mound, set
/ fire to the cotton, and sent it flying about
to the great danger of the ammunition
The bales were consequently removed,
and some of them falling on the outside of
the breastwork into the ditch, there issued
from them a heavy smoke, which blinded
the artillerists and seriously obstructed
their operations. Some of the men Of
Plauche's battalion volunteered to ex-
tinguish the burning cotton, and slipping
over the breastwork, succeeded in doing
$50, not, however, without injury, one of
the parties being seriously wounded. Af-
ter this no cotton bales were ever used in
the breast work. Yet vulgar error has
long prevailed that Jackson's defenses
were composed chiefly of this great staple
which, though modern science has discov-
cred to possess certain inflamable qualities
suited for some of the operations of war,
is, perhaps, one of the most insecure and
dangerous materials out of which breast
work to resist cannon balls, shells and
rockets could be constructed. The imag-
: finations of the British excited by avarice
by the prospect of sharing the immense
quantity of this valuable produce report
ed to be accumulated in the city of New.
Orleans, might be excused for seeing such
a vast heap Of it, lying, like the apple o.
Tantalu within their grasp, and alluring
chem to death and disgrace. But Amer
! ican writer's are scarcely pardonable for :
repetition of this absurdity that Jackson
: lines were composed, in whole orin part
of cotton bales. The experience of th
I. campaign demonstrated that sugar ant
cotton were intended for peaceful uses, fo
the nurture, conservation and.proiection o
$ humanity, and not as aids and appliance
: in promoting mans destruction and en-
couraging his passions. 1t. demonstrated
this other valuable truth, that the soil o
Louisiana is the best material out of which
G to construct its own defense. It was tn,
e sole material of Jackson's slight breast
work. The British balls were embedded
u in the soft, elastic earth. where they re
I mained, without shaking or weakening
u the embankment Indeed, they centribu
ted to render it more solid. The only in
lets through which they had access int
. the lines were through the embrasures fo
= the cannon, and nearly all these were pen
etrated severaltimes. But the Britishiwer,
not able to pursue these advantages
Their works were rapidly melting befor,
the FIRE of the Americans. Soon their re
doubt was completely silenced and thu
: parapets leyeled with the plain. Thel
> the Americans raised the most stentoria1
Il huzzas as the British artilerists were seel
It stealing out of their demolished works ant
running as fast as they could for the near
est ditch. The American batteries wax
: ed warmer and continued their fire at tn
: other retloubts. until they, too, were sool
S in a condition similar to that which ha'
been the first object Of their fury" 70
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