The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-07

fully convinced from the movements of the officers
and the apathy afterward in the attack that
General Packenham was certainly killed at that
time, and that he was shot by one of our I'M
erring marksmen In fact, he stated that he
afteward learned from some British soldiers who
were pulled off the breastworks by our own men
that the commoton in their lines was produced
by General Packenhams death. If that was so.
and Colonel McCutchen says there could not be a
doubt OF 1t, General Packenham was killed at
least 800 yards from our line of works, and con-
sequently could not have been killed in hand
to-hand encounter by Laftte, the pirate" as
stated by "Secretarion The truth is Iafitte was
stationed to the left of Colonel McCutchen's
position, and Packenham was killed immediately
IN front of Colonel McCutchen's line of sharn-
shooters Our own hero stated that the ditch in
his front was so full of dead soldiers that the
attacking column had no difficulty in crossing
over, as they lay as thick on the ground as one
ever saw stones a very stony field. I asked
him if many of the British soldiers got on the
breastworks He replied, only a few, and they
were Immediately killed or jerked over the cot
ton bales and made prisoners of war. During
the lull in the battle spoken of above one
Colonel McCutchen's best ri1emen begged him
to let him shoot a soldier struggling across the
ditch, as no officers were in sight. Colonel
McCutchen said " l looked and saw that the
soldier had on beautiful canteen and that it
was particularly bright and attractive l said
Yes, you may shoot him, but shoot him
through his canteen'" The riheman raised his
gun and took deliberate aim, and at the crack of
his piece his game tumbled over dead. After
the battle, the soldier asked Colonel McCutchep
to let him 90 over and see where he shot that
blasted Britisher." Says he went, and in a few
moments returned with the canteen, having sent
ball directly through it, and consequently
through the heart of its unfortunate owner On
the canteen was painted this interesting vet
wicked couplet
William Wye is my name
And Old England is my nation;
To whip the ID Yankees
And take New Orleans, is our destination"
Then followed several other crude rbvmes OF
similar inport-something about Beauty and
Booty "-but they were so broken up by the
passage of the ball as to be almost entirely I'M
Ineligible. While I am thus repeating this
interesting Renaissance from the lips of living
participant in the battle of New Orleans. l crave
your pardon and space to repeat a few others
learned from the same source
Just before the battle commenced Colonel Me-
Cutchen said he was walking over to his right
and near the levee, when he saw Gen Jackson
ride up under considerable excitement and order
an officer to furnish al orderly sergeant and
twentyfour men to report Immediately, and
armed with pick-axes and shoyels Being very
unusual proceeding, Col. Nee. said he followed
CD to see what Old Hickory was going to do:
says he stopped near the levee, under a little
tree, and thus addressed these men; says he
heard him distinctly say Men, if we are driven
from those breast-worksn pointing at them with
his sword, then raising up in his stirrups the
old man said fiercely: Which God forbid-but
if ne are do you cut this tree and dro,ra the
whole British army. Then the men mounted
the levee and commenced TO cut it away, and did
cut it within three Or four inches Of the water for
space of seyenty-five yards or more Col Nee
shrugged his shoulders and said: Several times
during the battle became uneasy and looked in
the direction OF that sergeant and his men. fear
full they would cut the leyee and let in the Mis-
sississippi River and drown US, too; but sir they
stood like stone wall, dark, and immovabie. and
felt treasured" Col McCutchen ended by say
ing: dared not tell my officers or men for fear
OF panic, but | tell you, in ten minutes after
We were driven from those works the whole Brit
ish army would have been drowned
THINGS TO MAKE A NOTE OF.