Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-04

Th4 eorssa- sat~ sssrs fksisa.s4 --J.e<-
soa's ,toss ~ th- ki<ht

-41tt - khr I = al
fwas5iHatou sauasy Heraa3
8eosral H4rnef h4s sxFlo.isi osls trait.
ti9R that - zs bag eguneers1 ~sta fsis
6ght. ~bicb sss that ths AHl ieAas fozsat
i1ou4 te1inl tFeast .soE IS ~ eottoa bales.
"a askei General "a kssa. Gsaerzl Atari
sat GeaeT4l cokss. lhe latter Aayiss ths
inlniedi4te command u brigade 9f ths
Tennessee aa1 K E-atacky sAar-.saoaders.
~h zoe ioay VA aaiaig dli the werk ~
desrh. Il there sers any cotton tales ased
as all aud yhey al ans y erei that The only
works the Americans kad Nere ~ earth.
atsat two anf 9us-half feet high "a i~ly
constructed ~ fe8ce-raiis All logs laid
tsseuty-four inches apart aud the srace
between them hllei with earth. aud II
there "a been a0r works Constructed from
cotton bales they must have knosa L. Ia
l~-3 | ~as promoted % Caps la 10 the
First Infantry aud seat . Naspv.lle.
Tenn, u recruit for nav regiment While
there met Generals Jackson sad Coffee
very often and obtsiaei from the former
many details Of tire battle Of chalmette
that are not ia print."
There was heavy fog on the river on
the morning of the hght,' said General
Jackson, aud the British troops were ac-
tnaIly formed and moving before | had
arrangements made. But the Instant
saw their formation said % Coffee. by
the Eternal, they are ourss' C0ffee's part
OF our line was on the flank, which extend
ed into the swamp. About quarter OF a
mile from II there was a huge plantation
drainage canal, such as are common IN the
Louisiana lOwiands. Here General Pack
enham formed his first attacking column.
His formation was a column in mass OF
about fiftY files front. This was formed
under the fire of the few regular artil-
lesists had in little redoubt in Cofee's
front, and that OF some cannon taken from
a man OF war, placed in battery on the
river and served by sailors. Coffee, see
ing the direction Of the attack, which was
intended 70 turn his flank. dashed
forward and said 10 hes men:
Hold your fire until you can
ses their belt buckles The ritiemen
were form~d in two ranks behisd the
works mentioned. and when the first rank
fired the second was loaded and rea dy.
There were about eighteen hundred men
behind this frail cover. all of whom were
dead shots and each had one hundred bull
lets in his pouch aud the necessary pow
der in his horn The British troops came
up % within one hundred yards OF our work
without firing a musket. II was a beanti-
full sight TO see. They marched as steadily
shoulder 10 shoulder as though they were
on review. At one hundred yards distance
the order was given them to charge. With
cheer and at double quick they came
forward. They were about sixty yards
distant when a long blazing fash ran all
along our line IL was as pretty volley
firing as sver heard or saw"
1.-THE smoke hun< 50 heavy that FIR the
moment | could not make out just what
had happened said General Jackson.
In ano'her instant there was another
sharp ringing volley that proved II
came from the rifemen. / called
Tom Overton and Duncan. of my staff, and
we gallopad over 10 CoFee's line. just
then the smoke rose, and | saw that the
head of the British column had literally
melted away. In front of our lines lay
one wrthing. CHASTITY mas Of dead and
dying red coats. The column recoiled and
fell back TO the canal, where thew had
start d from. and were there reformed
This time the charge was led by General
Packenham in person, gallantlv mounted
and riding IS coolly and gracefully if he
We're on parade. just as he came within
ran of my rihsmen | saw him reel and
topple ont of his saddle mortally wounded
have always believed be fell by the bull
let OF free man of color in the fight who
was celebrated rife-shot from the Alta
kanas country of Lonisiana.u