New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-03
An Interesting Reminiscence Of the War
of 1912


of 1912.
The death of Mr.. E. NJ. Brank, of Green.
Vile, Kentucky-fatber of the Rev. DR..
BraDk, the pastor of the Central Presby.
terian Church OF this city-was announced
in our paper two weeks ago.. Mf. Brank
was noted for bis stately proportions, great
strength, dauDtless courage, and unerring
skilltwith the rifle.
At the battle of New Orleans, when he
was about twenty. four years old, be held
the co.mssion of lieutenant in company
OF kentucky volunteers. As the British
army advanced upon the American de-
lenses, seiziDg the gun of one of his men,
named Michael Sewers, Mr.. Br INK mounted
the breastworks directly in front of the ap-
preaching enemy, and, taking deliberate
aim at the officers, fred nun ber of telling
shots. This incident was fully authen-
ticated, but the effect of the daring act was
not known until many years aiterward.
when the following graphic account was
published by British officer:
A British officer who was at the battle of
New Orleans menti rs an incident of thrill
ing strangeness, and very descriptive Of
the Western hunters. many of whom
marched to the defense of New Orleans as
volunteers under the renowned Andrew
Jackson.
We marched, said the officer, in solid
column Of $4,000 men, in direct line for
the American defebses. belonged to ne
staff, and as we advanced watched through
our glass the position and arrangements of
our 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 de-
mands of his country, every action, be it
successful or otherwise, will be Judged with
most hear tless scrutiny
1t was strange sight, that long range of
cotton bales-a new material for breast
work-with the crowd of human beings
above the line of defense. We
could distinctly see the long rifles
living over the bales, and the battery of
General Coffee directly in front. with its
great mouth gaping toward us, and the
position OF General jackson, with his staff
around him. But what attracted out at
tentiOn most was the figure of a man stand
ing on the breastw0rks, dressed in linsey-
woolsey, with buckskin leggings and a
broad brimmed felt hat that fell around his
face, almost concealing his features. He
was standing in one of those picturesque
and graceful attitudes peculiar to those
natural mend welers in the forest. The
body rested on the left leg, and swayed
with curved line upward; the right arm
was extended, the hand grasping the rifle
near the muzzle, the butt of which rested
near the toe of the right foot, while with
his left hand he raised the rim of the hat
from his eyes, and seemed gazing from be-
meath intensely upon our advancing column.
The cannon of General Coffee had opened
upon us, and tore through our ranks with
dreadful slaughter; but we continued to
advance unwavering and cool, as if nothing
threatened our progress.
The roar of cannon seemed to have no
effect upon the figure sanding upon the
cotton bales, but he seemed fixed and mo-
tionless as statue. At last he moved.
threw back the hat rim over the crown with
his left hand, raised the rifle to his shoulder
and aimed at our group. Our eyes were
riveted upon him. At whom had he lev
eled his piecel We saw the rifle flash and
nay right hand companion, as noble fellow
as ever rode at the head of a regiment, fell
from his saddle. The hunter paused tor
few moments, without moving his rifle from
bis shoulder, then reloaded and resumed
his former attitude. Throwing the hat rim
over his eyes and again holding it up with
the left hand, he fixed his piercing gaze
upon us as if bunting out another victim.
Once more the hat rim was thrown back,
and the gun raised to the shoulder. This
time We did not smile but cast short glances
at each other, to see which OF us must die;
and when the rifle again flashed, another of
us dropped to the earth. There was some
thing awful in marching on to certain death
Generai ConeeS battery anu thousands
of musket balls played among our ranks.
We cared not for them; there, was chance
of escaping unscathed. Most OF us had
walked upon batteries hundred times as
destructive without guaiing; but to know
that every time that rifle was leveled to-
ward US and the bullet sprang from its bar
rel one of us must surely fall; to see the
cleaning sun flash as the iron came down.
and see it rest motionless as If poised upon
q rock. and know when hammer struck and
the sparks flew to the iuil-primed pan, that
the messenger of death drove unerringly to
it's goal-to know this and still march on
was awful.
l could see nothing but the tall figure
standing on the breast work. He seemed to
grow phantom-like, taller and taller, assum-
ing through the smoke the supernatural ap-
pearance of some giant spirit. Again did
he reload and discharge his rife with the
same unerring aim; and it was with indie.
scribable pleasure that | beheld, as we
neared the American lines the sulphurous
smoke gather around us and shut that spec
tral hunter from my gaze. We lost the bat
tie, and to my mind that Kentucky rifle
man contributed more to our defeat than
anything else, for while he remained in our
sight our attention was drawn from our du-
ties, and when at last we became enshrOuded
in the smoke, the work was complete-we
were in utter confusion, and unable, in the
extremity, to restore order sufficiently to
make any successful attack.-S Louis
Presbyterian.