Middletown transcript., 1874-01-10
4istorita1.
THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.


The suspense was soon over. Day
light struggled through the mist. About
six O'clock both columns were advancing
at the steady, solid, British pace to the
attack tho forty-fourth nowhere, strag-
Cling in the rear with the fascinss aud
ladders. Tho column soon came up with
the American outposts, who at first re-
treated slowly before it, but soon quick
ened their pace and ran ip, bearing their
great news, and putting every man in the
works intensely on the alert; each CON-
mander anxious for the honor Of first
gettinga glimpse Of the foe, and openisg
fire upon him. te sa l's. *ee l-u
Lieutenant SPOTS, Of battery number
six, was the first man in the American
liuss who deserted through the fog the
dim red line Of General Gibbs advancing
column, far away down the plain, close to
the forest The thunder Of his great gun
broke the dread stiffness. Then there was
silence again for the shifting fog, or tho
altered position of tho enemy concealed
him from view once more. The fog lifted
again, and soon revealed both divisions,
which, with their detached, companies,
secmedto cover tvo.thirds of the plain,
and gave tho Americana a repetition Of
the splendid military spectacle which they
had witnessed on the 2Sth Of December.
Three cheers from Carrsll's men. Three
cheers from the Kentuskians behind them.
Cheers continued from the advancing COL
umn. not heard yet in the American lines.
Steadily and fast the column Of Gene raj
Gibbs marched toward batteries numbered
six, seven and eight. which played upon
it, at first with but occasional effect, often
missing, sometimes throwing ball right
into its midst, and causing it to reel and
pause just for moment. Promptly were
the gaps filed up; bravely the column
came on. As they nearsd the lines the
well aimed shot made more dreadful havee,
"cutting great lanes in the column from
front to rear" and tossing men and parts
Of mon aloft, or hurling them far on one
side. AT length still steady and unbrok-
en-, they came within range of the small
arms, the rifles Of Carrolrs Tsnnssseans,
the muskets of Adair's Kentuckians, four
lines Of sharpshooters. ono behind the
other General Carroll. coolly waiting
for the right moment, held his fire till the
enemy were within two hundred yards,
and then gays'the word, al1a /
81 .fFirev' sL;q ....35N nsy 49,,
AT .6rst with certain deliberation. af-
wards. in hottest haste. always with dead-
ly effect, the riAemen piled their terrible
weapon. 4 The summitlof the an bankinent
was aflipe Of squirting FIRE. except where
the great guns showed their liquid, bslch-
ing fash. The noise was peculiar. and
altogether indescribable /; rolling. burst
ing, eehoings noise, never to be forgotten
by man that heard it. Along the whole
line it blazed aud rolled tho British bat
tories showering rockets over the scene !;
Pattsrsor's batteries on the other side Of
the river joining in the hellish concert.
Imagine il. Ask no one to describe it !.
Our words we're mostly made before such
a, scene had become possible 1928
The column Of Gibbs. moved BY the
fire Of the rifemcn. still advaAcsd, Gibbs
at it's head. As they caught sight Of the
ditch, some of the officers cried out:
Where are the 44th I? II We got to- the
ditch, We have no means of crossing and
scaling the lines |! s5i5no4 s. 15e,
"Heres come the a44th Here: come
the 44th y shouted iths General; adding
in an undertone, for his own private so
lace. that if he lived till to-morrsw he
would hang Mullens on the highest tree
in the cypress wood. .se .i;
Reassured, these heroic men again
pressed on, in the face Of that murderous,
siaughtsrihg FIRE, but this could not last
With half its number fallen and its COM
mandihg officers disabled except the gen.
erai. 'itsipathway stfswed with dead and
wounded, and the men filling ever faster
and faster the column waversd and reeled
ESQ the Amerisass sridemcndthougbD like a