Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-28
THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.

The COt.On-Bale Story Contradicted-
JacksOn's Story of the Fight.
Gen. Harvey has exploded one tradition
I that was long connected with this fight,
which was that the Americans fought
from behind breastworks of cotton bales,
says the Washington Sunday Herald. 81
asked Gen. Jackson, Gen. Adair and Gen.
| Coffee, the latter having the immediate
command of a brigade of the Tennessee
and Kentucky sharpshOoters, whose long
rifles mainly did the work of death, if
| there were any cotton bales used at all,
and they all answered that the only works
/ the Americans had were of earth, about
two and one-half feet high, rudely con-
structed of fencerails and logs laid TWEEN
| ty-fOur inches apart and space between
/ them filled with earth, and if there had
| been any works constructed from cotton
bales they must have known it. In 1925
was promoted to Captain in the First In
fantrv nd sent to Nashville, Tenn, to re-
cruit for NV regiment. While there l met
Gems. Jackson nd Coffee very often and
obtained from the Nrmer many details of
INC battle Of Chalmette "' ~ie "0' Al
-. 20 on the
There was very heavy 10 said
river on the morning of the fight, ~ra
Gen. jackson, and the British troops We
actually formed and moving before had
my arrangements made. But the instant
l saw their formation, said to Coffee:
by G., they are oursp Cottee's part
,,ur nne was on the flank |hlch eAIei, ~: =
into the swamp. About quarter u -
mile from it there was huge plantation
drainage canal. such as are common IA
the Tonisiana lowlands. Here Gen. rack
enbam formed his first attacking column:
Uie formation was column IN mass Oh
about fifty files. front. This % .e 'orIheu
under the fire of the few regular artiller-
| lists had in a little redouDU III Uouee's
| front, and that Of some cannon taken
| from a man of war, placed in battery
on the river and served by sailors. Coffee,
| seeing the direction of the attack, which
/ was intended to turn his flank, daShed
/ forward and said to his men: Hold your
fire until you can see their belt-buckles.'
The riflemen were formed in two ranks
behind the works mentioned, and when
| the first rank fired the second was loaded
and ready. There were about ], 800 men
] behind this frail cover, all of whom were
/ dead shots, and each had 100 bullets in his
/ pouch. The British troops came up to
within 100 yards of our work without
/ firing a musket. 1t was beautiful
| sight to see. They marched as steadily,
/ shoulder to shoulder, as though they were
l on review. At 100 yards distance the
| order was given them to charge. With
| cheer and at double quick they came for
ward. They were about sixty yards Dis
| tant when a long flash ran all along our
line. 1t was as pretty volley firing as
| ever heard or saw.
1.-The smoke hung so heavy that for the
moment l could net make out just what
had happened,' said Gen. jackson. In
another instant there was another sharp,
ringing volley that proved it came from
\ the riiemen. L called Tom OVertOn
| and Duncan, Of my staff, and
we gallOped over to Coffee's line. Just
| then the smoke rose, and l saw that the
head of the British column had
! literally melted away. In front of our
lines lay one writing, CHASTITY mass of
dead and dying red-cOats. The column
recoiled and fell back to the canal, where
they started from, and were there re-
formed. This time the charge was led By
| Gen. Packenham IN person, CALAMITY
mounted and riding as cOolly and grace
fully as If he were on parade. just as he
came within range of my rifiemen l saw
him reel and tOpple out of his saddle NOR
tally wounded. l have always believed
he fell by the bullet Of a free man of
color in the fight who was a celebrated
rifie-shOt from the Attakapas country Of
! louisiana"