The Press., 1897-12-02
THEIR DEADLY FIRE.
rtE AMERICAN E.FLEMEN AT THE
BATH G. lew ORLEANS.

Il Description of the Engagement by GEN.
eraI j cison-A Letter from ssOld Hick-
ory"-How Fackcnham's Veterans Were
Defeated by Fronticralnen.
In The Century William Hugh Rob-
arts has an article entitled Napoleon
Interest III the Battle of New Orleans. -
In this is qHnted bit, erto unpublished
letter written by General Jackson to Mr..
James Monroe. A portion of the letter
follows:
There was very heavy fog on the
river that morning, and the British had
formed and were moving before knew
it. The disposition of the rifemen was
very simple. They were told off in Nos.
/ and 3. No. l was to fire first then
step back and let No. 2 shoot while he
reloaded. About 600 yards from the rife
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 1 had
near enough to them to get their range.
But the instant | saw them / said to
Coffee, whom directed to hurry to his
line, which was to be first attacked
"By -, we have got theml They are
oursl" Coffee dashed forward, and, rid
ing along his line, called out, "Don t
shoot till you can see their belt bucklesl'
The British were formed in mass, we'll
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 kneeling rife
men, who were holding their fire till
they could see the belt buckles of their
enemies The British advance was exc
cuted 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 on us at run. own it was
an anxious moment. I we'll 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's marshals in the Spanish
campaign. My riflemen 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. Good help usl'' muttered,
watching the rapidly advancing line.
Seventy, so, so, finally 40 yards, were
they from the silent kneeling rifemen
All of my men that could see was their
long rifles rested on the logs before
them. They obeyed their orders WE'LL
Not a shot was fired until the redooats
were within 40 yards. I heard Coffee's
voice as he roared out: 'Now, men, aim
for the center of the cross belts Fire''
A second after the order q cracking,
blazing flash ran all along our line. The
smoke hung so heavily in the misty
air that I could not see what
had happened I called Tom Overton
and Abner Duncan of my staff, and we
galloped toward Coffee's line. In few
after the first fire there came
another sharp, ringing volley. As
came within $50 yards of Coffee the
smoke lifted enough for me to make out
what was happening.
The British were falling back in a
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
wounded, dead and dying red
coats. By the time the rifles were wiped
the British line was reformed, and on
it came again. This time they were led
by General Pakenham in person, gal
lantly mounted and riding as though he
was on parade. Just before he got within
range of Coffee's line ] heard a single
rife shot from a group of country carts
we had been using, about 175 yards dis.
tant, and moment thereafter / saw
Pakenham reel and pitch out of his sad.
die. have always believed he fell from
the bullet of a freeman of color who
was famous rife shot and came from
The Atakappas region of Louisiana. The
second advance was precisely like the
first i'll its ending. In five yolleys the
!, 800 or more riflemen killed and
wounded 2,117 British soldiers, two.
thirds of them killed dead or mortally
wounded. l did not know where Gen
eral Pakenham was lying, or / should
have sent to him or gone in person to
offer any service in my lower to render.
was told he lived two hours after |
be was hit. His wound was directly |
through the liver and bowels General |
Aeene, / hear, was killed. They sent
l flag to me, asking leave to gather
Up their wounded and bury their dead,
which, of course, | granted ] was told
" wounded officer that the rank and
lie absolutely refused to make third
harge. "We have no chance with such
hooting as these Americans do,'' they
aid.