The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
TIE BATrLE on WV oRLEANs.
From the Viewpoint or n British Onicer
who Took Part I'm the Action.

Infantry OF the British army TOOK part In
the WGlcheren expedition of 1900. He served
in Spain in 1872 at the siege and stormlilg
OF Ciudad Rodrigo and of BRdajos. He was
engaged at the battle of Salamanca, at some
of those Of the Pyrenees. In France at Nj
Velle. Tarbes and ut the AFFAIR OF Toulouse,
and finally IN the attack on New Orleans.
1t is his account oil the last mentioned event,
printed in London in ls2S. that Will interest
Americans. II throws Il new light upon the
famous battle. The author shows how near
II came to being II victory instead OF a defeat
for the British. He gives facts hitherto
ignored by historians, even II they were ac-
uuainted with them. Capt. Cookies narrative
Is a human document of Importance lost in
the muck OF literature of which the nineteenth
oantury was so prolific. Tho authors text
IS burdened with details necessarily omitted
in a brief summary of his 2S0 octave pages.
On October 10. 1914. the first and sec
ond bottalions of the Forty-third Regi-
ment and the Royal Fusiieers of the British
army were embarked on transports in Ply
mouth Sound. They formed a portion OF the
force destined to attempt the capture of
New Orleans, On October 20 the ships
sailed with a fair wind. On December 81
the delta OF the Mississippi was sighted;
thence the transports laid their course
for the entrance of Lake Borgne. near the
Chandaleur Islands. the designated point
Of general rendezvous. A dense fog COW
cred the sea. when IL lifted a British fleet Of
at least sixty sail, including line of battle
chips, %frigates. sloops, transports and smaller
craft, were discovered at anchor. These
vessels, loaded with troops. had come some
from England. others from the Chesapeake;
a considerable number from the West Indies.
the latter brin ging a force OF some 1000
men, among them two regiments OF blacks
and a squadron of dragons with their sad
dies. brides and other cavalry gear ready
to place upon the backs of American horses
30 soon az they might be obtained" The
larger contingent had come from the Chesa-
peake after capturing Washington. where,
as Capt. Cooke says. they Indignantly set
fire to some of the public buildings, which
oonfia grafton in a military and civil point OF
view totally eclipsed all the honor and glory
gained by a handful OF British troops while
ascending the heights of Bladensburg."
The British fleet under the command of
Admiral Cochrane. which had arrived of the
Chandaleur Islands on December s. was re-
enforced three days later by Rear-Admiral
Malcolm with his squadron. On December IA
a boat expedition from the fleet entered Lake
Borgne. After a spirited engagement it cap
tured five American gunboats moored of
st. Joseph's Island. The taking Of these
vessels cleared the way for the landing OF
the English. On December II most OF the land
forces we're collected upon the Isle aux Polk.
situated about equidlstant from the anchorage
Of the fleet and the destined objective on
the mainland. The next morning zen
keane embarked from the Isle aux Polk with
2.4oO men. This officer and Admiral Malcolm
pushed on with the advance guard. After
dark they reached the mouth Of Bayou Cata-
Ian. Capt. Traver's company was in the
advance. Seeing a fire on the right hand
side of the creek, his rihemen landed, and
making a simultaneous rush contrived to
capture the whole Of the American picket.
without a single gun having been discharged
by either party. This spot was called Des
Pecheurs. about sixteen miles from New
Orleans.
Early in the day OF December 90 600
British troops were landed from boats within
seven miles of the city. They soon came
to solid ground at the head Of the bayou
and reached a house and plantation near the
bank of the Mississippi, where the same COM
pany OF rihemen which had taken the picket
the night before captured a Major and twenty
American militiamen without a shot being dis
charged on either side. Not a single indi-
vidual was left at liberty to carry intelligence
Of the arrival of armed visitors SO near New
Orleans. Later on, however. the captive
Major effected his escape and conveyed
to the city news Of the landing OF the British.
There had been no means OF communication
between the American fotilla and their look
out posts. which were SO far separated that
one detachment was entirely ignorant OF the
doings Of the other. Moreover, there was no
picket at the head OF the bayou. the only
place where a hostile force could land. and
where a handful of Americans from behind
trees might have annihilated the British In
their boats as they struggled up stream one
after. another. All the difficulties were now
overcome. There was a fiat, open plain with
a swampy cypress and pine wood on the
right; the river on the left and the entirely
unprotected city Of New Orleans five and a
half miles distant on the front. There was
not a single obstacle worthy of mention to
stop the march OF the invaders And here"
the author says, did 600 British troops halt.
with knapsacks on backs, arms in their hands.
at midday of December %, within sight
OF the outline OF a sham crescent battery
thrown up by the side OF the high road to New
Orleans, protected by a common ditch which
might have been easily crossed" 1t has not
been proved that there were gunners In this
battery ready to serve the two guns with
which it was supposed to be armed; nor was
there a ball or round of ammunition or even
d handspike In 1t at the time. Fortune fairly
beckoned to the British to capture a prize.
but these veterans of Wellin gton, these cap
tors of Washington, became suddenly. as inn
peared TO b. transformed into fixtures.
hypnotized or held in some magic spell;
t the ci9H Of New Orleans With lis rich mer-
Chandise which had been consigned TO his
protection, was within an ace OF encounter
ing a much more inglorious fate than Wash
ington had met with a few months before at
the hands of some OF the British troops now
standing spellbound at its doors. The author
says: THE fair fame of Andrew jackson was
not hanging OH a thread or on the turn Of u
straw, but merely on the caprice and pleasure
Of a British General. There was still five
hours OF light, but the whole day was lost and
the troops halted at the moment they should
have gone OIL. One staff officer urged that
immediate advantag &c should be taken Of the
opportunity. but his advice was not needed
he " as overruled by his seniors.
In the afternoon n few armed American
horsemen came up the main road from New
Orleans. A few shots we're fired at them by
a picket of Brit ish rihemen. The Americans
wore oolored clothes, broad beaver hats and
were armed with long duck guns. Night was
now coming on. The English force present
consisted of two regiments of infantry, five
companies of rihcmen, with two light three
Founders and some military artificers. The
soldiers we're lounging about, instead Of fell
ing trees for hreastworks IN case OF attack.
Fires were blazing all around Nillerey's house.
The British force, utterly careless of possible
attack, had their arms piled and were variously
employed, when an American sloop of war
that had been observed up the river dropped
silently down after dark and anchored un-
noticed directly opposite the English camp.
All being prepared on board the sloop and all
unprepared N shore, a sonorous voice was
heard to eSclaim, as if rising out of the waters
of tho river, Now. damn their ewes. give