Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-01-26
Jackscn's Hili'ary Achievements



The anniversary ofJackson' : victory
of New Orleans recalls the fact that
Jackson's military fame first elected
him president. Examined in the cold
light of history Jack-on's military
performances secn n slight basis for Il
military reputation that lasted from
1915 to is2S. The battle OF New
Orleans involved no military capacity
beyond courage and the kind of skill
that any old Indian fighter possesses
Jackson had 5000 Kentucky and Ten.
nesscc riiIemen behind a breastwork Of
cotton bales. Had the British com
manler been anything better than "a
brave English baillo,. who s.upiily
butted his head against Jackson :
entrenchnents. he could not have
been beaten. for his troops were the
flower of Welin.ton's vr.crans, the
best infantry ia the world. II Pack
enham had ilankei JACKSON sposi;ion
with his whole force instead ol sending
feeble detachment for this work.
while he marched his main boiy up to
certain death at the han L. of.iackson' =
sharpshooters shielded by entrench-
nents. he could not have been beaten,
but he de>pi>ed his enemy and met the
same fate that ,he British regulars
did under Bradiock and ut Bunker
Hill. Jackson's victories over the
Creeks were not renlarkale, since IN
every engagement he Outnumberel he
Indians more than two to one. Jack
sons report of the battle OF the Horse
shoe. fought March -. 1914, has
recently been Published for the first
time In this battle he had over 2ooO
rilenen besides the 3Jth regiment oi
L. :. Infantry. u battery oi artillery,
anl II number of Chcctaws, Cherokees.
Chicasaws and friendly Greeks. while
| the Creeks. IA thousand strong, fought
behind "a wooden biea stwoik or pail
SADIE from five to EIGHT feet high.
pierced with double rows OF loopholes.
jackson planted his artillery on IA
small emnence distant from the near
est front of this breast work but eight Y
yards. and from its frlrthe-t not more
than ESQ yards. His artillery bat
tered the wooden breast work Of the
! Indians for two hours. aud then when
! it was preached the L. :. regulars
stormed the position. Eight hundred
ana sixteen Indian worriors were
slain. and oi the :3no prisoners taken
all were women and children save
three or four The battle LASTED five
! hours. Jackson lost 26 white men
| killed and loT wounded; 23 friendly
! Inliana kIlIc1 and z. V00ffTTf. ri
! Jackson's white killel and wounded
| the l.. :. REGULAR. lost I Z killed and 81
wounded. The fact that some of the
! Indians were found killed by grape
! shot indicated that their wooden
/ breaStwork was not very formidable
defense against artillery. Jackson IN
/ his report says: II lament that two
/ or three women were killed by ac-
cident," which inspires the belief that
/ killing Indian women and children was
considered more eprrhensible lSll
/ than it has been III lndian warfar,
/ during our day. At all events, takinl
( his own statement OF the fight, it wa
not ~ remarkable military exploit
| with $500 regulars. riilemen, friendly
Indians AMI artillery to dislodge less
/ than 800 Indians fighting behind n
wooden paisade. Our troops during
the past twenty-five years have more
than once beaten the Sioux Indians
under more liilirnlt circumstances
when they did not ontnumber tllerei-
skins and could not u-c artillery, and
/ the Creek warrior was never ras iormd-
able IA ii litter rs the Sioux. nor gifted
with as much aturai talent for war.