The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03

cor.inen,a. domain OF the United States
has never been subjected to a hostile
INVASION.
Tho hattie q New Orleans has not
-rp-e1 as prom nently in many o. our
histories a. 10 deserved from the mag
n..vdo o.. be victory simply because II
Was fought after peace was concluded
a. Chem and therefore IL was assumed
ma. f. could have had no effect in de-
..-u.uiug the conditions II that agree
,ra,- ks an orator said some years
',.er BUT what are treaties in the view
~ ne cabinets Of Europe? Treaties.
tslov items. are instruments OF which
convenience at once dictates the terms
and constitutes the obligation. The
,-oa.y ~ Client had been concluded
ro9er the pressure OF great difficulties
in experience. and greater still in appre-
henson The allies were much EN-
ha-rassed IN attempting to arrange the
new balance Of political power"
II short. they were fearful OF Ma
pn,e.r Punaparte. and England. as one
Of -hem was particularly anxious 10
withdraw her scattered forces from
Arler..a 20 array her fullest strength
uearar ID me- for the purpose OF crush
ing .he Corsican.
Had tie British succeeded in their
.,ts-np. on New Orleans. would they
have evacuated II before the battle "
Ts,er.ro would il ever have been
evprua 81 without a struggle In an
svs- We have the words OF a British
ca-er - great ability. written shortly
after The defeat Of Gen. Pakenhams
army
'7'aa, our failure Is 10 he lamented
n, one VII. deny, since the conquest Of
al comparison the most valuable ac-
QUESTION hat could have been made to
he British dominions throughout the
whole Western Hemisphere. In pos
session Of that point. we should have
KEEP, the entire Southern trade Of the
t'n!ted states in check and furnished
means ~ commerce to our own mer-
chan.s u incalculab!e value"
On November 90. 1874. Admiral Sir
Alexander Cochrane sailed away from
Jamaica with his expedition Of sixty
sags conveying Sir Edward Pakenham's
army OF more than 1900 seasoned
troops. with New orleans "a their oh
's-,!ve Al the battle Of the Nile. six
teen years before Admiral Nelson had
less formidable fleet at his comman nd
and the combined equipment OF ships
and army bound for the Gulf coast
cos. England a matter OF quite s40,-
900 900
Great Britain had spared no expense,
for she was bent upon laying her mailed
hand upon the richest section OF the
country Had she succeeded she might
srActually have barred on the Eastern
States from the rest of the c ntirent
living west OF the Appalachians. It was
bold strategic move and was aimed
AGAINST the section OF our shores where
Ne were least prepared to resist with
anything Ike commensurate force.
IN those days New Orleans was well
nigh an alien city. Most Of its In
lab'ants were French or OF French
extraction and their traditions foreign,
for :he city had come under our DOM
nance but twelve years before. There
vp-- no forts and hut few troops and
'ha best nava! force the United States
could muster were few gunbudts and
tenders ~ modest armament.
Happily Andrew jackson was not FAR
away. For the better part Of the two
Years preceding he had fought and de-
.eated the Creeks of Florida and later
had DR. ven the British away from PEN
sa.ola. the property of spain, where
they had sought To establish base for
operations against us. With his hand
frl Of seasoned troops Old Hickory was
able 90 whip into some sort Of shape
he militia and recruits that gathered
about him when the approach Of Io-d
C-.hrane's armada became known.
The British fee, came To anchor on
The Chandelier Islands on December
and SIR Edward Pakenham decided
10 strike toward New Orleans by way
o. Lake BorGne, thus avoiding the 100
mile Journey mp the Mississippi River
w.,h us grave perils TO the sail pro-
PEELED ships Of Admiral cochrane' :
equadrons. Along this route the Amer
cans under Lieut.. Thomas ap Cateshy
Jones could oppose but five SunboatS
and two tenders against a hotilla OF
les" ly armed launches forty-two IN
rsmh,r manned by $50 men picked
= ON among the ships OF the British
"eet ON December II the two naNa,
,rers mot and for nearv two hours
tie American fiotlla. mastering but 1871
mar NOT only held the enemy at bay
ts- inflicted large losses. In the end
our sailors were borne down by weight
- mon and metal.
Threading the bayOus, the barges
reached the ldvee be.ow New Orleans
6. point about nine miles from the
city, and there the troops OF Sir Edward
l5Renham were landed in the early
morn rg 81 December %, The British
flag was broken loose at the top OF
rec and the regimental bands played
'Gos save the King"
Tho defeat Of the American gun
boats lad cut Off our recommending
parties and Jackson was without knowl
dc" ~ the movement Of the enemy
H''I they landed below The city. Bu'
- days had not been idle. and he ha'
made every moment count In his prepa
Tstous His difficulties were many ano
would have daunted any one else les'
energetic and resourcefuL The nationa
Government was unprepared to giV'
N the help he needed, and OF som'
- ne soldiers sent him Jackson wrot'
'Ns Snaretary OF War; Hardly one
.''' OF the kentucky troops, So loni
'v0'otol are armed, and the arms the!
a." are barely iii for use
T." winter was an unusually seven
o"- for Louisiana. being season o
Of 4 han IA