The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-02-03
THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.
The Cotton-Bale Story OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
story of the Fight.

The COttOn-Baie story Exploded--Jaekson's
story of the Fight.
Washington Sunday Herald.I
Gen. Harvey has exploded one tradi
ton that was long connected with this
fight, which was that the Americans
fought from behind breastworks of cot
ton bales. 81 asked Gen. Jackson, Gen.
Adair and Gen. Coffee, the latter hav
ing the immediate command of a brig
ade of the Tennessee and Ken
lucky 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
constructed of fence rails and logs laid
twenty -four inches apart and the 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 infantry and sent to Nash
vile, Tenn, to recruit for my regiment
While there l met Gems. Jackson and
Coffee very often and obtained from the
former many details of the battle of
Chalmette that are not in print.
'''There was very heavy fog on the
river on the morning of the fight, "
said Gen. Jackson, and the British
troops were actually formed and NOV
ing before | had my arrangements
made. But the instant | saw their for
nation, | said to Coffee, 4" by G., they
are oursr' Coffee's part of our line was
on the flank, which extended into the
swamp. About a quarter OF mile
from it there was a huge plantation
drainage canal, such as are common IN
the Louisiana lOwlands. Here Gen.
Packenham formed his first attacking
column. His formation was column
in mass of about fifty files front. This
was formed under the fire of the few
regular artillerists / had in little re-
doubt in Coffee's front, and that of
some cannon taken from man war,
placed in battery on the river and
served by sailors. Coffee, seeing the di-
rection 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
! rifemen were formed in two ranks be-
| hind the works mentioned, and when
| the first rank fired the second was
| loaded and ready. There were about
| 1900 men behind this frail cover, all
| of whom were dead shots and each had
| 100 bullets in his pouch and the neces-
sary powder in his horn. The British
troops came up to within 100 yards OF
our works without firing musket. 1t
was beautiful sight to see. They
marched as steadily shoulder to shout,
| q6666 ava yards distance the order was
given them to charge. With a cheer
and a double quick they came forward
They were about sixty yards distant
when a long blazing fash ran al
along our line. 1t was as pretty volley
firing as | ever heard or saw
"'The smoke hung so heavy that TO
the moment could not make out JUS
what had happened, said Gen. Jackson
IN another instant there was anothe
sharp ringing volley that proved
came from the rifiemen. l called Ton
Overton and Duncan, of my staff, an
we galloped over to Coffee's line. Jus
then the smoke rose and | saw that tn
head of the British column had llterali
melted away. In front of our lines la
one writhing, CHASTITY mass of dea
, and diving red-coats. The column tt
coiled and fell back to the canal, wher
they had started from, and were the1
reformed This time the charge Wa
led by Gen. Packenham in person, ga
lantly mounted and riding as cooliy an
: gracefully as if he were on parad
| Just as he came within range OF N
l | riIemen | saw him reel and topple OF
l of his saddle MORALLY wounded.
, have always believed he fell by the bu
q LET of a free man of color IN the hgn
t who was a celebrated rihe-shot from Il
;. Attakapas country of Louisiana.