Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-02-08
Selected 3flistellanp.
TIE BITTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.

The following incident in the battle of
New Orleans has been described before,
but never more wildly than In this bret
sketch from the lips OF q Brush officer:
/" We marched" said the officer, - In
a solid column of twelve thousand men,
ia direct line upon The American defen-
ses. | belonged TO the staff; and as we
advanced, we watched through our glass
es the position and arrangement OF the
enemy with that intensity an officer only
feels when marching into the Jaws OF
death, with the assurance that while he
thus offers himself as a sacrifice to the
demands of his country, every action, be
Il successful or otherwise, Will be Judged
W'th Tie most heartless scaulIny. Ii was
a strange sight, that long range Of cotton
Iales-a new material for breast works !;
with the crowd Of human beings behind
their heads only visible above the line of
defense. We could distinctly see their
long rifles lying over the bales, and the
bauerv Of Gen. Coffee directly in front,
with its great mouth gaping towards US,
ard the position Of Gen. jackson with his
staff around 1t.
But " hat attracted our attention most,
was the figure Of tall man standing on
The breast-works, dressed IN linsey-wool-
sew. with buckskin legglns, and a broad
trimmed felt hat that fell around his face,
almost conceaIirg his features. He was
standing IN one OF those picturesque and
graceful attitudes peculiar 10 those natur-
al men, dwellers IN the forest. The
body rested on the left leg, and swayed
with a curved line upward the right arm
was extended, the hand graspins the rifle
near the muzZle, the butt OF which rested
near the toe of the right foot, while with
his hand he raised the rim of his hal from
his eyes, and seemed gazing from be-
meath intensely upon our advancing col
nmns. The cannon of Coffee had opened
upon US, and tore through our ranks with
dreadful slaughter; but we continued TO
advance unwavering and cool, as If moth
ING threatened our progress.
The roar of The cannon seemed TO have
no effeC- upon the figure standing upon
The cotton bales, but be seemed fixed and
moiIonless as 4 statue. At last he moved,
threw back the hat rim over the crown
wiki his left hand, raised the rifle 10 his
shoulder, and took aim al our group. OuT
eyes were rIvIted upon him. AT whom
had he leveled hs plecel But the dis
tence was so great that we locked at each
other uad smiled. We saw the rifle flash
aud my right hand companion, as noble a
looking fellow as ever rode al ,he head OF
his regiment, fell from his saddle. The
hunter paused for I fey moments. with
\ out moving the gun from his shoulder
then reloaded and resumed his former al
utude. Throwing the hat rim over hl:
eyes, and again holding II up with his lef
hand, he fixed his piercing gaze upon US
as if hunting out another victim. Once
more the hat-rim was thrown back, ant
the gun raised 10 the shoulder. Thu
time we did not smile, but cast shor
rlances al each other, 10 see which of u
must die; and when the rifle again flashes
another of US dropped 10 the earth Their
was something awful in thus marching o.
to certain death. Gen. Coffee's batter
and thousand of musket balls played upo
our ranks we cared not for them-ther