The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-01-14

Jackson's troops
The enemy reformed for a second as
saut and Zacharia Smith gives this
graphic account of what then happen
ed THE defeated column was rallied
by heroic efforts of the officers, reen-
forced with fresh troops and led to
second attempt at assault, but the car
mage and destruction were as great as
in the first attempt, while almost no
Impression was made upon the defen-
slve line of the Americans But the
English again were compelled TO re-
treat in disorder, leaving great num-
bers of dead or wounded on the ground
or prisoners to the Americans.
Hope of victory had now become
forlorn one 10 the British They were
broken i'm numbers. broken in order,
and discipline and in prestige, yet the
brave officers, led by their commander
in chief. determined not TO give up the
contest without a last desperate eff
fort In vain did they call upon the
men to rally and form again for an
other advance, striking some with the
flat of their swords and appealing TO
them by every incentive
"They would not move from their
shelter in the ditch. The ground over
which they had twice advanced and
Iretreated was strewn thicltly with their
dead and wounded, and such slaughter
was enough to appal the bravest OF
mankind" In this fashion the effort to
turn Jackson's right flank was frus-
Itrated.
NEARLY 100 of the enemy reached
the ditch in front of the American
|breastworks, but half were killed and
the others captured" This, in effect,
was virtually the story at every point
Iof attack. While some of@the British
even gained the crest Of the parapet'
their advantage was but momentarily'
for they were soon cut down, captured
or driven back in great disorder, SIT
Edward Pakenham lost has life leading
the Forty fourth regiment which had
returned to the fray without its col"
onel, and his second in command was
also MORALLY wounded short while
lafterward Indeed, so many or the or
ncers had fallen that the British SOL
dlcrs failed of leaders and were utterly
dismayed and incapable of continuing
the action
AT half past s, two hours and half
from the beginning of the battle, the
conflict was over and the victory OF
the Americans amazingly decisive,
General Jackson lost but six killed ana
seven wounded, while the toll exact
ed of the enemy amounted to 700 Kill
ed and 400 wounded-not counting
500 prisoners taken, British ofncer
who rode over the field under the tenn
porary truce that followed said:
within a space of 800 yards wide ana
extending out 200 yards from the AM
erican breastworis-an area Of about
no acres--I saw before me In THIS
small compass not less than 1000 men
dead or disabled, all in the British uni
form. There was not one American
soldier among them"
This climax would not have been
POSSIBLE but for the confidence nspW-
ed by Andrew Jackson and the Won
derful response made by the men under
him. In these days when we read So
much about the battle trenches in Eur
ope it is interesting to recall what
happened in Louisiana when our little
army halted Great Blltain's scheme OF
conquest,
I'm the woods the ground was so low
) that the troops were literally encamp-
ed in the water, walking often in mire
a foot in depth, their few tents beng
pitched on small mounds surrounded
by water or mud Amid these discom-
forts, in this ague breeding masm,
the Tennesseeans under Generals COL
fee and Carroll and the Kentuckians
under General Adair for days endur-
ed the dangers of battle and privations
OF camp and campaign. They gave an
Iexample of the rarest military virtues,
Though constantly living and sleeping
lin mire, these patriotic men never ut
tered a complaint or showed the least
symptoms of impatience."
Truly, the historian of 1856 may be
pardoned in saying: There is no cam
paign in modern military history which
for its extent was more complete IN
all its parts and more brilliant in its
results than that conducted by Andrew
jackson in 1S14-1S15 in the defense OF
New Orleans" Inside Of rs days
Jackson reared his earthworks across
the enemy's line of advance, whipped
his Ill armed and badly accoutred lit
Tile army into shape and by his indom-
liable will guided his men so that they
might deal crushing blow to re-
doubtable and superior force OF sea-
soned soldiers, and this with triflng
loss.
Such, in short, is the story of the
last hostile effort to invade our soil