Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-02-01
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGAGE
MENT BY GENERAL. JACKSON.
A Hitherto Unpublished Letter From
"Old Hickory Telling How the
American Frontiersmen Won.

7 N the Century William Hugh Ro-
barts has an article entitled
"Napoleon's Interest in the Bat"
tie 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quoted hitherto unpublished letter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 very heavy fog on the
river that morning, and the British
had formed and were moving before
knew it. The disposition of the rifle
men was very simple. They were told
oft in numbers one and two. Number
one was to fire first, then step back
and let number two shoot while he re-
loaded. About six hundred yards
from the ridemen 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 the 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 1 said to Coffee,
whom directed to hurry to his line,
which was first to be attacked: by
-, we have got them; they are ours !
Coffee dashed forward, 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 at quick step, without firing
shot, to within one hundred yards of
the kneeling rihemen, who were hold
ing their fire until they could see the
belt-buckles of their enemies. The
British advance Was executed as
though they had been on parade.
They marched shoulder to shoulder,
with the step of veterans, as they were.
At one hundred yards distance from
our line the order was given, Extend
column 'front.' Double quick, march
Charged With bayonets.at tho charge
they came on US ut run. / own it
was an anxious moment; 1 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 Mar
shals in the Spanish campaign. Ny
rifiemen 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
we'll. God help usl' 1 muttered,
watching the rapidly advancing line.
Seventy, sixty, fifty, finally forty
yards, were they from the silent
kneeling rihemen. All of my men 1
could see was their long rifles rested
on the logs before them, They obeyed
their orders well I; not shot was fired
until the redcoats were within forty
yards. I heard Coffee's voice as he
roared out: Now, men, aim for the
centre of the cross-beltsl Fire!' A
second after the order cracking,
blazing flash ran all along our line.
The smoke hung so heavily in the
misty morning air that | could not see
what had happened. l 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
volley. As | came within one hun
dred and fifty yards of Coffee, the
smoke lifted enough for me to make
out what was happening,
''The British were falling back in
confused, disorderly mass, and the
entire first ranks of their column were
blown away. For two hundred yards
in our trout the ground was covered
with mass of writhing wounded,
lead, and dying redcoats. By tho
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, gallantly
mounted, and riding as though he was
on parade. Just before he got within
range of Coffee's line heard single
rifle shot from n group OF country
carts we had been using, about one
hundred and seventy-five yards dis
tant. and moment thereafter [ saw
PAX kenham reel and pitch out of his
saddle. I have always believed he
! tell from inc Dulleb OF 1fSe man or
color, who was famous riae-shot,
and came from the Atakappas region
Of Louisiana. The second advance
was precisely like tine first in it's end
ing. In five volleys the 1909 or more
ridemen killed and wounded 2117
British soldiers, two-thirds of them
killed dead or mortally wounded. I
did not know where General Paken.
ham was lying, or 1 should have sent
to him, or gone in person, to offer any
service in my power to render.
81 was told he lived two hours after
he was hit. His wound was directly
through the liver and bowels. Gen.
eral Keene, / hear, was killed dead.
They sent flag to me, asking leave to
gather up their wounded and bury
their dead, which, OF course, grant
ed. l was told by wounded officer
that the rank and file absolutely re
fused to make third charge. 'Wt
have no chance with such shooting q.
these Americans do, they said"
,