The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-02-17
IDOLS,
A Louisianian Saws Andrew jackson DID
Not Win The tIAIt.c 81 View Orleans.

SHAI Tered IDOLS.
A Louisianian Saws Andrew jackson DID
Not Win the Battle 81 New Orleans.
"Gen. Jackson" said an elderly gen
tleman who resides in New Orleans
and is well known there. did not win
the battle of New Orleans. lie did not
create the ambuscldc into which Gen.
Pakenham led his british troops with
such fatal result. That great victory
was really won, as the ~cotton-bale
breastworks were really conceived and
executed, by one of the greatest sol
diers of his N any other time"
70 .ly that this remark, made tenn
peratcly and without any show of feel
ing or prejudice. caused quite Il sensa-
ton among those who heard it ycster-
day J.. the st. James hotel would be
putting it mildly.
"On whose authority" asked one OF
the gentlemen present, do you ven
lure To deny on Gen. Jaci<son's proud
est anniversary that he won the great
victory celebrated to-day?"
What | say is this" resumed the
Louisianian, the cotton br~eastwork
which checked the British and resulted
in their practical demolition while
they tried in vain to scale il and sur-
mount it was not originated or con-
structed bv Gen. Andrew Jackson
who has for : LONG eniored ,bo crodi,
of it and the consequent laudation Of
most of his c~ountrymen."
II repeat" said the other, ION whose
authority do Won male sucb . fro
mendous statement?"
The gentleman from New Orleans re-
piled:
'.On the authority of the owner of
the cotton bales out Of which the
breastworks were constructed
The others present looked with nro.
found interest at the Iouis;,nian m.
went on: eft is no matter of MGR.
hearsay evidence, gentlemen. The i'm
pugnment Of Gen. Jackson's title to the
credit exists in print. and. though the
story was published over his own name
by the very rich and influential creole
gentleman who supplied the cotton and
though numbers of his contemporaries
really sustained his story, there has
never been a denial of the imputation
that the laurelst of the battle of New
orleans belonged not to Gen. jackson,
but to one Of the greatest soldiers of
modern times"
who" with one voice inquired all
the rest, was this unknown and un-
honored soldier?"
HE was Marshal Moreau, one of Ma
poleon's favorite and greatest lieuten-
ants. He was N of the greatest en-
ginecrs the world ever produced, and
he controlled all the work of that arm
of the French army under the Emperor
himself. Until they quarreled Napoleon
had more regard and respect for Moreau
than any of his marshals. 1t was this
man who devised, arranged. and exc.
cuted the battle of New Orleans-Mar
shall Moreau."
There was another short spell of in,
credulous silence. Some smiled, other.
testified their open unbelief by shaking
their heads. The Louisianian wa,
evidently irritated.
IF / were in New Orleans" he said
81 could show you, among published
evidence, a book entitled Fifty Year,
in Both Hemispheres.' 1t was writer
by Veto Nolte. Victor Nolte was tn,
man who owned the cotton bales uset
in constructing the breastwork which
the picked redcoats of Pakenham wer,
annihilated in trying to carry. II Is /,
chatty book of "reminiscences ant
diarylike personal notes. When it wa,
written all those involved were con
temporaries of the writer. He doe.
not try to promulgate a striking, no
to say startling, discovery.
He merely relates, as if he wcr,
stating the details Of n generally
known and ~undisputed fact, how
Moreau thought out the plan of tn,
breastworks: how a demand was mad,
upon himself Noltel for the inyaluabl,
bales; how he gladly complied with tn,
request of his compatriot, the marshal
and how that favorite engineer of tn,
great Napoleon himself constructe,
the b~reastworks. after conferring will
jackson and obtaining his consent. an,
how. finally. he directed the strategv n
the day.
Another thing" said the Louis
anian. ..You have believed all alon,
that the defense of the breastworks
the slaughter of the British and Tn,
killing of Gen. Pakenham were accom-
plished by Kentucky rilemen. Moth
ing of the kind, according to Nolte
who naturally had an oeute nersopa
""ss'e io"6"' vi" ooe'