The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-01-06

ence, which ultimately found its way
into print.
The force which Pakenham formed
for the actual assault on the morning
of January s, 1875, was officially
stated at $3.50, and comprised six
! battalions Of infantry, two field batter
les, one rocket battery, a battery of
howitzers manned from the fleet, and
detachment of marines. This force
was all more or less engaged. But
besides these General Pakenham had
three battalions of infantry, another
field battery and a small siege train
which remained at Laronde's planta-
tion and took no part in the action,
except to furnish details tor a small
demonstration on the other bank of
the river; also two more infantry
battalions holding the road to Lake
Borgue and the landing place.
The British infantry regiments en-
gagged In the main attacks were as
follows: In the first attack the
Forty-fourth Essex, the Twenty first
Royal Scots Fusiliers and tine Fourth
Kings Own, in column order as
named. In the second attack the
Ninety-third Sutherland Highlanders,
the Seventh Royal Fusliers and the
Forty-third Monmouth Light Infantry,
in order as named.
EVFRy RITJIET TOOK IIEE
The Essex Regiment led the first
attack, going in with So4 of all ranks
and losing GA, of whom 500 were
killed. The Royal Scots Fuslliers fol-
lowed the Essex with 776 OF all ranks
and lost $50, of whom 1876 were kill
ed. The Kings Own brought up the
rear of this column, with 100 of all
ranks, and though not so much ex-
posed as the others, lost aS7, of whom
I2o were killed. 1t is thus seen that
the first attack was 234o strong, or
about equal to Jackson's entire force.
According to Richard Oslesby, of the
Kentucky line, the column 'was not
actually under fire more than fifteen
or twenty minutes! y But it lost 1883
officers and men, of whom 63I were
killed.
The second attack was led bv the
Sutherland Highlanders, with $50 of
all ranks, of whom 522 were killed
and 900 wounded. The Royal Fusll-
iers followed the Highlanders, SI2
strong, and lost 1913 killed and a36
wounded. The Monmouth Light In
tantry brought up the rear Of the sec
ond attack, with S14 of all ranks.
They would probably have escaped
with comparatively small loss had
they kept their place IN the column;
but when the HIghlanders and the
Royal Fusiliers halted General Gibbs
tried to oblique the Monmouth Regi-
ment past their flank to the front.
This maneuver cost General Gibbs
his life and the ''butcher's bill' of the
regiment was 232 killed and 276
wounded. Thus we see that the
second attack was 25I2 strong, and
that it lost 75a killed and 872 wound
ed, or 1924 in all.
The total infantry force employed
in both attacks was 1882, and the
total loss was a9o7, of whom 1883
were killed outright.
The remainder of the British force
actually on the field, consisting of ar
tillery and some seamen and marines
from the fleet, did not suffer so much,
though their loss must have brought
the total up to 5000.
FOUR HUNDRED SHOT IN THE HEAD.
Major Burroughs, who was acting
assistant inspector general, says in his
narrative:
sit was my painful duty to go over
the nominal lists of casualties and
compile them for the general return.
In these ghastiy documents l count
ed more than 400 cases where the
location of the wound was stated to
be the head. Nearly all the other
wounds were of the abdomen or
breast, comparatively few being re-
corded as of the limbs"
The American loss was officially
reported as seven killed and six
wounded; two of the former by acci-
dental discharge of their own or
comrades rifle.
Naturally, when men accomplish
such things as they did, the reader of
history desires to know of what stuff
they were made. Let one of their
number describe them.
In 1898, when Jackson was run.
ming for the Presidency, Judge Ball
ard, of Kentucky, published a pamph-
let entitled "Kentucky at New
Orleans" This was the same Ballard