Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-02-22
THEIR DEADLY FIRE.
TaE AMERICAN RIFEEMEN AT THE
 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.

inscription of the Engagement by Gen szar 5ackson-A Letter From "oId flick arve-IEoW paolsenhain's Veterans Were Defeated by Frontiersmon.
 In Tho Century William Hugh Rob- orts has an article entitled fNapoleon's Tntorest In the Battle of New Orleans ! Tn this is quoted a hitherto unpublished letter written by Genera Jackson to Mir Tamos Monroe. 4 portion of the letter follows
 There was Q very heavy fog on the river that morning, and the British had 4ornod and were moving before l knew g The disposition of the rihemen was very simple. They were told off in Nos. and }. No. WAS to fire first, then atan back and lot No. , shoot while he reloaded. About GOO yards from tho rifo- man there was a gr0at drainage canal rppninp back from the Mississippi river Ia the swamp in tho rear of tho tiled land on which we were operating. Along t6is canal the British formed under the A4a of the few artillery pieces I had near enough to them to get their range. pat tho instant ] saw them ! said to eaffoe. whom l directed to hurry to his fine. which was to be first attacked: aBv , WIG have got them They are aarsr Coffee dashed forward, and, rid mo along his line, called out. ''Don,t shoot fill you can see their belt bueklesln The British were formed in mass, well elosod up, and about two companies front
 The British, thus formed, moved on :. at quick step without firing a shot, to within 100 yards Of the kneeling rife men, who were holding their fire till tbey could sec tho belt buckles of their enemies Inc British advance was exc cated as though they had been on pa. fade They marched shoulder to shouI- der with Hbe step of veterans, IS they Wora. Al LOO yards distance from our line the order was given: Extend col. umn 2re Baehle quick, maroh Cbarge With Dayonets a6 the charge, they came on Is at run. own 1t was al anxious moment well knew the charging column was made Up of tho picked troops of the British army. They had been trained by the duke himself, were commanded by his brother -in=law md had successfully held off tho ablest of Napoleon g mafshals in the Spanish 2 campaign Ny rilemen had never seen such aa attack. nor had they ever before fought white men The morning, too, vas damp. Their powder might not bum well God help usr3 I muttorod. watching the rapidly advancing line. Seventy. 50, 50. finally 40 yards, were they from the silont knaeIng riflemen. Allof my men that could see was their long riaes rested on che logs before them. They obeyea their orders WolI Not a shot was fred until the redcoats Woze within 10 yards ! heard Goffee's voice as he 1aared ont: Now, men, aim for the center of the cross baltsi Firel9 4 second after tho order q cracking, blazing flash raa all along our line The smoke hung 50 heavily in the misty morning air that 1 could not see what had happened. ] called Tom 0verton and Abnar Duncan of my staff, and we gailoped toward Coffee s line. In few seconds after the first fire there came another sharp, ringing volloy As came within loo yards of Coffee the smoke lifted enough for me to make ont what was happening
 Tho British were falling back in confused, disorderiy mass, and the en- tire first ranks of their column were blown away For 900 yards in our front the ground was covered with q mass of whining, wounded, dead and dying red coats. By tAa time the rifles wore wiped the British line was reformed, and on U came again. This time they were led by General Pakanham in person, gal iaftiy mounted and riding as though be Was on parade. Just before he got within fango of Coffee's limo heard single Iiii2 shot from group of country carts Ne had been using, about 175 yards dis tailE and moment thereafter l saw Fakenhan reel and pitch out of his sad eie have always believed he fell from 5ae bullet of freeman of color who 'eas famous rifle shot and came from she Atakappas region of Louisiana. The second advance was precisely like the 4gs5 m 5s ending. In five volleys the 1'oVV or moro Tidemen killed and wounded 2,117 British soldiers, two 'alIds of them killed dead or mortally wounded. l did not know where Gen sfai Pakenham was lying, or I should nave sent to him or gone in person to oHef any service in my power to render.
 Nas 5old he lived two hours after ne was hit His wound was directly ,lsoogh tho liver and bowels General ne6no, ] hear, was killed They sent nag to me, asking leave to gather up tleif wounded and bury their dead, %nloh, of course, I granted. l was told ,sS " wounded officer that the rank and '4le aa absolutely refused to make a third sh.ise sb We have no chance with such sa;a s.l99siug as these Americans do. <" they