The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-01-21
WHOLE NO. 143.
/ RATTLE OF NEW oRLKANs.

4 British officer, who was q the bassle of
New Orleans. mentions an incident Of thrill
liug strangeness, and very descriptive Of the
Western hunters, many Of whom marched
to the defence Of New Orleans - volunteers
in the army under the renowned General
Jackson:
We marched, said the officer, in solid
column Of twelve thousand men in direct
line upon the American dsfeDces. lbelong-
ed to the staff, and as we advanced, watched
thraUgh our glass the position Of ouT enemy
with that intensity an officer only feels when
marching into the jaws Of death, with the
assurance that while he thus offered him
self 40 sacrifice to the causs Of his country
every action, be il sneoessful OF ethefwise,
will be judged with most heartless scrutiny.
Il Was = strange sight, thas long range sf
cotton bales-s new material Tor breast
work-with their crowd Of human beings
behind their heads only visible shove The
linz Of defence. We could distinetly -
their long rides lying over the bales, ord
the entire battery of Gen. Coffee directly IN
front, with its great mouth gapiDg towards
10, and the position Of Gen. Jsekseu, with
his staff around him. But what attfscted
our attentiou most was the figure ofa aail
man standing ON the breastworks, drssseA
in linsey woolsey, with buckskin leekinss
and broad brim felt hat, that fell around
his face, almost concealinE his features.-
He wss standing in one 81 those graceful at
titddso rseuaiar tekhose eUafarat 9sn sdWSll.3
srs in the forest. The body rested . ~
left leg, and swayed with a curved line up-
ward the right arm vas extended, the hand
grasping the rifle near the muxzle, the butts
Of which rested near the toe Of the right
foot, while with his hand he raised the rim
Of bis hnt from is eyes, and seemed gazing
beneath intensely upon our advancing col
umn. The cannon Of Gen. Coffee mad open.
ed upon US, and tore through our ranks
with dreadful slaughter but We continued
to advance, unwayeriDg snd cool, ~ il
nothing threatened our progress.
The roar Of the cannon seemed to have
no effect upon the figure standing upon the
cotton bales, but be seemed Fixed motionless
as a statute. At last he moved, threw back
the hat rim over the croyn with his left
hand raised the rife 70 his shoulder, and
took aim at our group. Our eyes were rvs
eted upon him. At whom had be lsvelei
his piece2 But the distance was SO great
that We looked at each other and smiled
We saw the rifle flash, and my right hand
companion, as noble looking fellow a ev-
er rode at the head Of q regiment, fell from
his saddle. The hunter paused few mo-
ments without moving his rife from bis
shoulder, then reloaded and resumed his
former position. Throwing his hat rim over
his eyes, and holding it up with the leis
hand, he fixed his piercing gaze upon Us as
If hunting out another victim. Once more
that hat rim was thrown back and the gun
raised to the shoulder. This time We did
NOT smile, but cast short glances at each 9TH
er to see which of US must die and xhrn
the rife again flashed another Of Us dropped
to the earth. There was something awful
in this masching on to certain death.
Gen. Coffes's battery, and thousands Of
muskct balls played upon our ranks. We
cared not for them; there was chance Of
escaping unscathed. Most Of rs had walk
ed upon batteries hundred times more de-,
structiye without quailing, but to know thas
rife was leyeled towards us, and as the bull
let sprang from its barrel, one Of US must
surely fall!-to see the cleaning gun aash
a. the iron came down, and see IT rest mo-
tionlsss, as if poised upon rock, and know
when the hammer struck and the sparks flew
to the full primcd pan, that the. messenger
Of death drove unerrinly to its goal-te
know this and still march ON was awful'! IS
could see nothing but the tall figure
standing on the breastwork. He seemed to
grow phantom like; taller and taller, as
suning through the smoke the supernatural
appearance of some giantstirit. Again did
be reload and discharge his rifle with the
same unsrring aim; and it was with indie
cribable pleasure that beheld rs We neared
the American lines, the sulphurus smoke
gather around US and shut that spectral
hunter from my gaze. We lost the battle,
and to my mind the Kentucky riaeman con-
tributed more to our defeat than anything
else, for while he remained to our sight our
attention was drawn from our, duties !; and
whom, at last We became enshrouded il. the
smoke, the work was oomplete-ws were in
utter confusion, and unable, in the extremi-
| ty to restore order sufficiently to make any
successful attack. sa tstsa}nB1f
cT When the late Gabriel Ralston, Of
4