Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-29
BATTLE or sew oRLEANs.
A Rare Relic for the Museum of the st.
Louis Academy of Science.

Louis Academy of Science.
DR.. P. s. O'Reilly, during his recent
visit to New Orleans, says the st. Louis
Republican, obtained an interesting relic
of the memorable battle fought on the Sth
of January, 1915, in which the British
General, Edward Packenham, was killed.
The relic win be deposited in the museum
of the Missouri Historical Society, of
which the Doctor is Corresponding Secre-
tary. 1t is simply atwelye-pound cannon
bail, but the peculiar interest attached to
it is that for many years it, with four
other similar balls, was used as a weight
covering the intestines of Gen. Packen-
ham. which were dissected from the body
of the British commander, placed in a box
and carefully buried in a trench dug be-
tween the roots of a large pecan tree.
The cannon balls were placed over the
box as weight to prevent dissertation
from dogs and wild beasts. Above the
balls cement of clay was placed as a
protection to still further secure the relics
from m0lestation. After the removal of
the entrails, the body was embalmed.
doubled up into a cask of LIQUOR and
shipped to England for interment. 1t has
been stated, the truth of which depends
upon tradition, that upon the arrival of
the barrel in England it was found that
the cask had been tapped by the sailors,
who drank up the liquor. Gen. Paeken-
ham was brother-in-law Of the Duke of
Wellington, and had served on his staff in
the Peninsular war. A monument was
erected to HIM in Westminster Abbey.
and to his second in command, Gen.
Gibbs, who also fell at New Orleans.
While in New Orleans. DR.. O'Reilly was
the guest OF Col. j. q. Bienvenu, and to-
gether they visited the Yillere mansion.
some ten miles below the city, which had
been occupied by Gen. Paekenham as his
headquarters after landing from Lake
Borgne, and, where his body was received
and embalmed after death. The mansion
is now owned BY Col. F. b. Fleitos, WIN
whUm the doctor and his friends took
dinner. The dinner was set in the very
same room in which sixty-nine wears
before, as stated by their host, similar
party was seated at the table when
negro servant rushed in and in great
alarm announced that the 'sred coats''
had landed. "Massa, | seed 'em with
my own eyes; dey are come shure,v
shouted the negro. The guests, it is
stated, were thrown into CONSERVATION
and the colOred wench who was waiting
on the table dropped a dish In her fright
The son of Gen. Where, who was seated
at the table, quietly slipped out of the
room, mounted horse, and making quick
speed to New Orleans, notified Gen.
jackson and his own father, who was
then in command of the militia. of the
arrival and Decentralization of the British
in the Canal Where and Bayou Bienvenu,
which was so named after Col. BienYenu's
grandfather. The British effected their
landing in small boats from their fleet so
miles distant at 10 O'clock in the morning
OF Dee. %, 1914. The first detachment
was commanded by Gen. Keane, and the
landing was effected with great secrecy.
A picket guard of young planters had
been intfusted by the American CON-
mander with the charge Of watching the
entrance to this small canal, although no
one had thought it likely that the enemy
would attempt to land there. These
young gentlemen, persuaded that there
was nothing to apprehend, meanwhile
amused themselves in hunting through
the neighboring woods, so that during
their absence the English boats were
enabled to pass unperceived up the
channel and land their troops.
This last statement is given by Mr..
Vincent Nolte, cotton speculatOr who
was forced into the ranks by Gen. Jackson
to defend his cotton, and who, with our
Mr.. Mullanphy of st. Louis, made a good
speculation, after the British were re-
pulsed, in buying cotton and sending it to
Europe.
The Villere house is Of one-story,
elevated six feet above the ground and
surrounded with a piazza and covered
gallery. DIR. O'Reilly was shown the
room occupied by Packenham, while his
headquarters were there, before the
battle, and it was in the same room that
his body was disemboweled by the sur
geons and embalmed. The Duke of Sake
Weimar was visitor at the mansion in
1862, the guest Of Gen. Where, who was
then still alive. The Duke describes the
mansion as situated at the end of an
avenue of laurel trees, which are cut III a
pyramidal form, and pride of China trees,
which lead TO the door. Back of the
elegant mansion house stands the negro
cabins like q camp, and behind the sugar
cane fields, which extend to the marshy
cypress woods about a mile back called
the Cypress swamp.
The Duke states in his book, that after
dinner they walked in the yard, ''Where
we remarked several guinea fowls, which
are common here, pair of Mexican
pheasants and tame faWn. Before the
house stood number of lofty nut-trees,
called pecan trees. At the foot of one,
Sir Edward Packenham's bowels are
inferred; his body was embalmed and
sent to England. In the field there are
number of English buried, and place
was shown to me, where forty officers
alone were laid"