Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-01-15
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.
HOW LOUISIANA WAS SAVED FROM
BRITISH CONQUEST.


This is the seventy-Grst anniver.
sary of the battle Of New Orleans,
which was fought on the 9Th of
January, 1915, by the immortal
Gen. Andrew Jackson, whose vic
tory over the British forces was
the most signal Of our last war with
England. 1t was the second decla-
ration OF independence from Eng
lands tyranny and oppression on
the high seas, which ever after
made our ships free from search
and our sailors tree from impress.
ment.
In the bitterness of partisan feel.
ing, after the fate of the confede.
rate war, men like Robert ToOmbs,
and others refused to celebrate the
ith OF July while those ofthe north
seemed to have forgotten to Ob.
serve the anniversary of the battle
of New Orleans because it was
fought on southern soil. But time,
with its sweet balm, has softened
all rancOrOus animosites, and once
again today, as one people, the
new generation rises to add it's
voice to the old in paying its tri.
butte OF honor to the memory OF
that herOice valOr which won for us
such noble deeds of glory. This
day should be made national
holiday, and universally kept as a
day Of rejoicing.
by this great victory, while but
three states, Louisiana, Arkansas,
and Missouri, were added to the
south, six states, Kansas, Nebraska,
Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota. aud
DakOtO, all of which were formerly
a part of the "Territory af Orleans"
were added to the galaxy of the
north. England had for a hundred
years been trying to disposses
France of this wealth of vast ter
ritory, which, finally, Napoleon,
before declaring war against Eng
land, in 1903, sold to the United
States for the small sum ofSl4,OOO
600.
In April, 1914, triumphant entry
of the allied sOvcreigns in Paris
and the browning of Louis XVIII
completed the downfall of Napo.
leon. England once more breath
ed free. Now that her immense
fleets and veteran troops, who
fought at Waterloo, were no longer
needed, she cast her wistful eyes
on Louisiana. The expeditions for
the burning Of Washington city
and the conquest of Louisiana we're
secretly planned at the same time
by Lord Castlereagh, then prime
minister, and the British cabinet.
The former expedition was intend.
ed to conceal the real design of the
British government from the peo.
pie Of the United States. The ex.
ecution Of these plans was conhd.
ed to Sir Admiral COchrane and
Gems. Keane and Packenham.
Washington was burnt on the oath
of August, 1914. The British fleet
of fifty sail, under Admiral Coch.
rane, sailed from the Chesapeake
on the 9th October, giving out that
they were going to Halifax, when
their real destination was the is.
land of Jamaica; there to await
re.enforcements rom England be.
fore proceeding to New Orleans.
The fleet reached Jamaica Oh the
I'd of November, with the transports
and troOp-ships of Gems. Keane
and Packenham and impa.
tiently awaited the expected
reinforcement Of large squadron
under Commodore Lloyd, which,
fortunately for Gen. Jackson, did
not arrive until the oath of Noyem-
Der. On the Goth OF November the
whole fleet got under way, and ar
rived off the Chandelier islands,
near the entrance Of Lake Borgne,
on the 9th of December, 1914.
In the meantime Gen. Jackson,
at the head of 5000 men, had at
tackled a British force at Pensacola
Florida being then a Spanish prov
ince-and captured the place on
the 9th of November. lie then re.
turned to Mobile, where he re-
NAMED until the 22d of November,
having despatched the greater por.
ton of bis troops to New Orleans,
where he arrived on the I'd of De-
cember, 1914, just four days before
the arrival of the British fleet. On
the 10th Of December, the British
troops effected a landing, and on
the 23d marched within nine miles
of New Orleans. With only about
1000 troops Gen. Jackson attack
ed the enemy with such force and
fury that the British, suppOsing he
must be at the head of a grand army,
fell back, and although heavily re-
enforced during the night, they
made no attempt to renew the con-
ilict, This gave Jackson time to
construct his line Of defense and
receive re-enforcemeuts, when the
decisive battle of the 9Th Of JAN
uary was fought, resulting in a
glorious victory.
1t has been shown that the Brit !
ish fleet and troops.ships were de.
tanned at Jamaica from the I'd to
the 10Th of November, awaiting the |
arrival of the squadron of Commo.
dore Lloyd. This delay enabled !
Gen. Jackson to reach New Orleans
just four days before the arrival of
the British feet, and was the actu-
al cause of saving Louisiana from
the grasp of the British lion.
The detention of Lloyd's squad
ron was occasioned by his stopping
at tayal, one of the Azore islands,
to capture the United States pri.
vate armed brig-ofwar Gen. Arms.
trong, then commanded by Capt.
Samuel g. Reid, with the object OF
her to the expedition. On
the night of the Goth Of September,
1914, after the burning of Washing
ton, and while Admiral Cochrane's
fleet was still lying at anchor in
the Chesapeake, q fearful retribu-
ton was being wreaked upon the
British foe. A terrible and bloody
conflict ensued, the most desperate
and heroic naval engagement ever
fought on the seas, by which the
a