Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-01-28
The Battle Of New Orleans.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGAGE
MENT BY GENERAL JACKSON.

n DESChlfIlON OF THE ENG f.
MENT BY GENERAL JACKSON.
In the January Century, William
Hugh Robarts has an article entitled
NapoleOn's Interest in the Battle
of New Orleans" In this is quoteC
a hitherto unpublished letter writ
ten 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 NOV.
ing before l knew it. The DISPOSE
ton of the rifiemen was very simple
They were told off in Nos. and =.
No. was to fire first, then step back
and let No. 2 shoot while he reloaded
About 600 yards from the riflemen
| there was great drainage canal run
ming 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 | 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 to be first attacked: BY -,
we have got them; they are ours 20
Coffee dashed forward, and, riding
| along his line, called out: Don't
shoot till you can see their belt buck
les." The British were formed in
mass, we'll closed up and about two
companies front.
The British, thus formed, moved
on at a quick step, without firing a
shot, to within one hundred yards of
the kneeling riflemen, who were
holding 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 100 yards distance from
our line the order was given: Ex-
tend column; 'front.'" Double
quick march! Charge" With
bayonets at the charge, they came
on us at run. | own it was an anX-
ious moment; | well knew the charg-
Ing column was made up of the
picked troops of the British army.
They had been trained by the Duke
himself, were commanded by his
law, and had successfully
held off the ablest of NapOleon's
marshals in the Spanish campaign.
My ritiemen 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. "God help US" l
muttered, watching the rapidly-ad-
vancing line. Seventy, sixty, fifty,
forty yards, they were from the ST.
lent kneeling ritiemen.
All of my men / could see was
their long rifles, rested on the logs
before them. They obeyed their or.
ders we'll not shot was fired until
the red-coats were within forty
yards. heard Coffee's voice as he
roared out: "Now, men, aim fol
the center of the cross-belts Fire ~
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 could not
see what happened. / called Tom
Overton and Abner Duncan, of my
staff, and we galloped towards Cof:
fees line. In few seconds after
the first fire there came another
sharp, ringing volley. AS | came
within $50 yards Of Coffee, the smoke
lifted enough for me to make ou
what was happening.
The British were falling back in ,
confused, disorderly mass, and the
entire first ranks of their column
were blown away. For 200 yards in
our front the ground was covered
with a mass of writhing, wounded
dead and dying red. coats. By tht
time the rifles were wiped the Brit
ish line was reformed, and on i
came again. This time they were
led by General Pakenham in person
gallantly mounted, and riding a.
though he was on parade. Just be
fore he got within range of Coffee
line, / heard single rifle-shot from
a group of country carts we had beer
using about l75 yards distant, and
moment thereafter l saw Pakenhan
reel and pitch out of his saddle.
have always believed that he fel
from a bullet of free man of color
who was famous riflle-shot, ant
came from the Atakappas region o
Louisiana. The second advance wa
precisely like the first in its ending
In five volleys the 800 or more ri
fiemen killed and wounded 2,11
British, two-thirds Of them kille,
dead or mortally wounded. | di,
not know where General Pakenhan
was lying, or ! would have sent t
him, or gone in person, to offer an,
service in my power to render.
was told he lived two hours al
ter he was hit. His wound was di
rectly through the liver and bowels
General Keene, hear, was killed
They sent a flag to me, asking leav
to gather up their wounded and bur.
their dead, which, of course,
granted. was told by a wounde,
officer that the rank and file absO
lutely refused to make third charge
"We have no chance with sue
shooting as these Americans do,
they said.
A -. S.$e-
Il l. l. 4