Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-09-17
THEIR DEADLY FIRE.
THE AMERICAN RlFLEMEN AT THs
 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

] Description of the Engagement by Gas
 era1 Jackson-A Letter From "old Hieky
 ory"-How Packenhan's Veterans wess
 Defeated ty Frentiersmen.
 In The Century William Hugh Rot. arts has an article entitled Napoleon 's Interest In the Battle of New Orleans. E ln this lsqnoted hitherto unpublished letter written by General Jackson to Mr. James Monroe. A portion of the lettlw 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 rifiemen wss sery simple. They were told off in NoA l and 2. No. was to fire first. thea step back and let No. 2 shoot while h2 reloaded. About 500 yards from the rife. men there was great drainage canal running back from the Mississippi riyss 10 the swamp in the rear of the titled land on which we were operating. Along this canal the British formed, under tt. aTe of the few artillery pieces ! had near enough to them to get their range. But the instant I saw them said to Ooffee, whom directed to hurry to his hne, which was to be first attackp6, i,
 by -, we have got them They are eursP' Coffee dashed forward, and, lid. Ing along his line, called out, "Don't ahoot till you Gan see their belt buckiesi't The British were formed ill mass. we'll closed up, and about two companiss front.
 The British, thus formed, moved cn Ai 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 aamles. The British advance was exc, eu.ed as though they had been on pa. race. They marched shoulder to shout der. with the step of veterans, as they weis. At 100 yards distance from ouz liGe the order was given: Extend col. umA frontl Double quick, marchl Chasgep' With bayonsts at the charge, they came on us at run. I own it was sn anxious moment. 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.l law and tad successfully held off the ablest Of Napoleon s marshals in the Spanish campaign. My rihemen had never seen such an attack, nor had they ever before fought white men. The morning. too, was damp. Their powder might not burn well. 'fGod help usl'' I muttered, watching the rapidly advancing line. Seventy, 60, 90 finally 40 yards, were they from the silent kneeling rifemen. All of 1ny men that could see was their long rifles rested on the logs before them. They ebeyed their orders we'll. Not shot was fired until the redcoats were within 40 yards. I heard Coffee's voice as he roared out: "Now. men, aim for the center of the cross belts! FireP' A second after the order cracking, blazing flash ran all along our line. The smoke hung so heavily in the misty morning air that I could not see what had happened. I called Tom Overton and AbneF Duncan of my staff, and we gailoped toward Coffee's Iirn 'ooonds after the first fir v,u
 another s-4.-P, 4lngIng yolley. As came within 150 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 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 lins was reformed, and on it came again. This time they were led by General Pakenham in person, gal lantly mounted and riding as though hs was on parade. Just before he got within range of Coffee's line I heard a single rife shot from group of country carts VIC had been using, about 175 yards dis tant, and moment thereafter I 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 rife shot and came from the Atakappas region of Louisiana. Ths second advance was precisely like the first in it's ending. In five volleys the l.500 or more riflemen killed and wounded 2,117 British soldiers, two. thirds of them killed dead or mortally wounded I did not know where Gen. eral Pakenham was lying, or l should have sent to him or gone in 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 I hear, was killed. They sent flag to me. asking leave to gather up their wounded and bury their dead, which, of course, 1 granted. 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 do. they