Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-17
THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.
A Description of the Engagement by
General Jackson.


In the January Century, William Hugh
Robarts has an article entitled 'Napo-
Icons Interest in the Battle OF New Or
leans" In this is quoted hitherto I'M
published letter written by General Jack
son TO Mr.. James Monroe. a porton 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. Inc
disposition of the riflemen was very SIM
ple They were told off in Nos. and z.
No 1 was TO fire first, then step back
and let No. shoot while he reloaded.
About Coo yards from the rihemen there
was a great drainage canal running back
from the Mississippi river TO the swamp
i'm the rear OF the TILED 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 10 Coffee, whom / d.
rected TO hurry to his line, which was 10
be first attacked: by -, we have got
them: they are oursp' Coffee dashed for
word. and. riding along his line, called
out: Don't shoot till you can see their
belt buckles" The British were formed
in mass. we'll closed up, and about TWO
companies front
The British, thus formed. moved on al
n quick step without firing shot. 10
within 1GO yards 81 the ineeling ritlemen.
who were holding their fire till they
could see the belt-buckles of their enc
mics. The British advance was exc
cuted as though they had been on parade.
They marched shoulder TO shoulder, with
the step Of veterans, as they were. At
100 yards distance from our line the Order
was given; Extend column front"
"Double-quick; march! Charge" With
bayonet at the charge, they came on US
at q run. I own 1t was an anxious mo-
ment; 1 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 success
fully held off the ablest OF Napoleon's
marshals in the Spanish campaign. My
rihemen had never seen such an at
tack, nor had they ever before fought
white men. The morning, too. was
damp: their powder might not burn well.
"God help usr' 1 muttered, watching
the rapidly-advanclng line. Seventy,
sixty. fifty, forty yards, were they from
the silent kneeing rinemen.
All OF my men / could see was their
long rifles, rested on the logs before
them. Tfey obeyed their orders well;
not q shot was nred untll the red-coats
were within forty yards. l heard Cof-
fees voice as he roared out: Now.
men. aim for the centre of the cross
belts, Firew A second after the order
a cracking, blazing flash ran all along
our line. The smoke hung so heavily in
the misty. morning air. that l could not
see what had happened l called Tom
Oyerton and Abner Duncan, OF my stan,
and we gaIloped toward Coffees line.
In a few seconds after the first fire there
came another sharp, ringing volley AS
| came within 80 yards or Coffee the
smoke lifted enough for me to make out
what was happening.
The British were falling back In
confused, disorderly mass. and the en-
tire first ranks Of. their column were
blown away. For 900 yards In our front
the ground was covered with a mass of
writing, wounded. dead. and dying red
coats. BY the time the rifles were
wiped tho British line was reformed.
and on Il came again. This time they
were led by General Pakenham in per-
son, CALAMITY mounted, and riding as
though he was on parade. Just before