The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-22
THEIR DEADLY FIRE.
THE AMERICAN RlFLEMEN AT THE
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.
A Description of the Engagement by Gen.
eral Jackson-A Letter From "Old Hick-
ory"-How Packenham's Veterans Were
Defeated by Frontiersmen.


ory"-How Psckenham's Veterans Were
Defeated by Frontiersmen.
In The Century William Hugh Rob-
arts has an article entitled "Napoleon's
Interest In the Battle of New Orleans.
In this is quoted hitherto unpublished
letter written by General Jackson to Mr..
James Monroe. A portion Of the letter
follows:
There was a very heavy fog on the |
river that morning, and the British had
formed and were moving before knew
it. The disposition Of the rifiemen was
very simple. They were told off in Nos.
and 2. No. 1 was to fire first, then
step back and let No. 2 shoot while he
reloaded. About 600 yards from the rifle
men there was great drainage canal
running back from the Mississippi river
to the swamp in the rear of the titled
land on which we were operating. Along
this canal the British formed, under the
fire of the few artillery pieces | had
near enough to them to get their range
But the instant | saw them l said to
Coffee, whom | directed to hurry to his
line, which was to be first attacked:
"By -, we have got them! They are
ours" Coffee dashed forward, and, rid
ing along bis line, called ont, "Don't
shoot till you can see their belt buckles!'
The British were formed in mass, well
closed up, and about two companies
front.
The British, thus formed, moved on
at quick STEP without firing shot, to
within 100 yards Of the kneelin9 rifle
men, who were holding their fire till
they could see the belt buckles of their
enemies. The British advance was exc
outed as Though they had been on pa
rade. They marched shoulder to shout
der, with the step of veterans, as they
were. At 100 yards distance from our
line the order was given: Extend col
umn 'front.' Double quick, march,
Charged With bayonets at the charge,
they came OH us at run. l own it was
an anxious moment. / well knew the
charging column was made up of the
picked troops of the British army. They
, had been trained by the duke himself,
, were commanded by his brother-in-law
and had successfully held off the ablest
of Napoleon marshals in the Spanish
, campaign. My rifiemen had never seen
, such an attack, nor had they ever before
fought white men. The morning, too,
, was damp. Their powder might not
|, burn we'll. "God help usl' l muttered,
) watching the rapidly advancing line.
. Seventy, go, 80. finally 40 yards, were
they from the silent kneeling rifiemen
All of my men that could see was theil
long rifles rested on the logs before
them. They obeyed their orders we'll
Not a shot was fired until the redcoat
were within 40 yards. heard Coffee
o voice as he roared out: "Now. men, ain
for the center of the cross belts! Fire!'
o A second after the order cracking
Il blazing flash ran all along our line. TIL
@ smoke hung so heavily in the mist
b morning air that 1 could not see wha
4 had happened. I called Tom Overto
;, and Abner Duncan of my staff, and W
/ galloped toward Coffee's line. In fey
IL seconds after the first fire there cam
h another sharp, ringing volley. AS
It came within $50 yards of Coffee tn
It smoke lifted enough for me to make on
a what was happening.
r. The British were falling back in
confused, disorderly mass, and the Oh
1f tire first ranks of their column wei
l. blown away. For 900 yards in our frol
re- the ground was covered with mass
IN writhing, wounded, dead and dying rec
IS coats By the time the rifles were wipe
N the British line was reformed, and
pa it came again. This time they were lie
If by General Pakenham in person. ga
10 lantly mounted and riding as though
no was on parade Just before he got with
es range of Coffee's line / heard sing
lie rifle shot from group of country car
we had been using, about 10 yards Oh
no tant, and moment thereafter l sa
n. Pakenham reel and pitch out of his sa
or die. have always believed he fell fro
Id the bullet of freeman OF color wi
g. was a famous rife shot and came fro
ch the Atakappas region of Louisiana. II
ho second advance was precisely like q
or first in it's ending. In five volleys &
ON 300 or more riflemen killed al
To- wounded ALT British soldiers, tw
he thirds of them killed dead or mortal
q. wounded. l did not know where Ge
,es eral Pakenham was lying, or l shou
al have sent to him or gone IN person
to offer any service in my power to rend'
he was told he lived two hours AFT
he was hit. His wound was direct
through the liver and bowels Gene'
Keene, hear, was killed. They sc
tly n flag to me, asking leave to gath
is up their wounded and bury their dea
of which, of course, granted. was tt
he by wounded officer that the rank a
int file absolutely refused to make thi
lly charge "We have no chance with So
I'VE shooting as these Americans do, til
M said.
Hereditary Suicide.
Ac- ..... 90 ho,o