Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-06-28
THEIR DEADLY FIRE.
THE AMERICAN RlFLEMEN AT TIE
 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS


 arts has all article entitled 'eNapoleon' "a Interest h the Battle of New Orleans !, ln this isquoted hitherto uiipublshed l letter written by General Jackson to Mr I James Monroe. 4 portion of the lettey | follows:
 There was very heavy fog on the rlVer that morning, and the British had formed and were moving before knew It. The disposition of the rifemen waa very simple. They were told off in Nos and 2. No. 1 was to fire first, then step back and let No. , shoot while he reloaded. About GOO yards from the rife men there was q great drainage canal running back from the Mississippi river to the swamp ill the rear of the tiled land on which we were operating. Along thls canal the British formed, under the lire of the few artillery pieces 1 had near enough to them to get their range. But the instant 1 saw them l said to Coffee, whom directed to hurry to his line, which was to be first attaekedl By -. we have got themi They are oursP' Coffee dashed forward, and, rid 1 ing along his line, called out, "DonT shoot till you can see their belt buckles!' The British were formed in mass, well closed up, and about two oompanieE 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 sec the belt buckles of their enemies. The British advance was exc. cuted as though they had been on pa rade. They marched shoulder to shoul. 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. marchi Chargel" With bayonets at the charge, they came on us at run. I own it was an anxious moment. l we'll knew the charging column was made up of the i picked troops of the British army. They had been trained by tie duke himself, were commanded hy his brother-in law and had successfully held off the ablest of Napoleon's marshals in the Spanish campaign. My rifemen had never seen such an attack, HOT had they ever before 1 fought white men. The morning, too, was damp. Their powder might nos burn we'll. "God help us!" [ muttered, watching the rapidly advancing line, Seventy, 50, 90, finally 40 yards, were they from the silent kneeling ri1iemen. 1 All of my men that could see was their long rifles rested OH the logs before l them. They obeyed their orders well. l Not shot was fired until the redcoata were within 40 yards I heard Colfee's voice as he roared out Now, men, aim for the center of the cross beltsl FireP' A second after the order cracking, blazing flash ran all along cur line The smoke hung so heavily ill the misty morning air that 1 could not see what had happened called Tom Overton and Abner Duncan of my staff, and we galloped toward Coffee $ line. In few seconds after the first fire there came another sharp, ringing yolley As l came within 150 yards of Coffee tho smoke lifted enough for me to make out what was happening.
 The British were falling back in q confused, disorderly mass, and the en- tire first ranks of their column were blown away For 200 yards in our front the ground was covered with a mass of writhing, 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 inc 1 heard n single rife shot from group of country carts we had been using, about l5 yards dis tant, and moment thereafter l saw Pakenham reel and pitch out of his sad dle. have always believed he fell from the bullet of freeman of color who was famous rifle shot and came from the Atakappas region of Louisiana. The second advance was precisely like the first in Its ending In five yolieys the 1, 300 or more rifemen killed and wounded 2,1l7 British soldiers, two. thirds of them killed dead CT mertally wounded I did not know where Gen. eraI Pakenham was lying, or l should have sent to him or gone ill person to offer any service in my power to render.
 was told he lived two hours after he was hit. His wound was directly through the liver and bowels. General Keene, hear, was killed. They sent flag to me, asking leave to gather ID their wounded and bury their dead, which, of course, granted. I was told by wounded officer that the rank and file absolutely refused to make third charge. We have no chance with such shooting as these Americans dc" they said.
 Hereditary Suicide.