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

would be a victorious march in the
morning. The British hailed the Car
oline, but got no answer and in the
uncertain light for a time thought heI
one Of their own craft.
Becoming fearful however, they tir.
ed some muskets at her, and then, al
s o'clock, voice from the schooner
called out: give them this for the
honor of America" and a broadside OF
grape followed which threw the in
vaders' camp into confusion, The best
the foe could do was 10 hide below the
crest of the levee while listening impO-
tcntly ain painful silence to the iron
hail among the boats and to shrieks
and groans Of those that were wound.
ed" At the same time a detachment
of Jackson's soldiers added to the con-
fusion among the British forces.
As has been said, the attack pro.
duced in fact all the advantages thai
could possibly have been expected
from II, and no doubt decided the fate
Of the campaign, Had the British re-
NAMED uamolested on the night Of the
landing they would have commenced
their march the next day in good order
upon a high road unprotected by the
slightest defensive work, nor would ii
have been possible for General jack
son with the troops under his com
mand to resist their progress. The at
tack of the 23d for the time disabled
them completely, compelled them to
suspend their operations, and afforded
leisure for the construction Of lines
across the levee which insured success
in the final action
Five days later the invaders, re
paired by. repose and reenforcements
that had since arrived" decided to at
tack the Americans, but when turn
in the road brought them within sight
and reach of Jaeksons batteries a ire
was opened upon the British that threw
them into disorder and forced them To
retire in haste and confusion. This
resolution on the part of the Aneri ].
cans decided Sir Edward Pakenha'a
to make the attempt to silence the de-
Tending batteries by means of SUI
perior force of the same sort,
He set about erecting three batter
les for that purpose, one upon the high
road and two in front of Jackson's
lines at a distance of about 600 yards.
With these the British commander
opened fire on New Years day, and
the Vigor of that assault was such that
more than 100 balls and shell struck
the house in which General Jacks IN
had established his headquarters and
which he was actually occupying at
the beginning of the artillery attack
| Interior as their own guns were in
some particulars, the Americans re-
piled with 50 much skill and effect that
in loss than an hour the British fire
slackened and not long afterward wa
completely silenced. An English Off
Ger present at the time sa,d We
soon found that it was in vain tc
think of surprising the Americans ii
this kind of lighting"
Sir Edward Pakenham was in 8
predicament Finally he elected, as
the only remaining course to pursue
to attempt to carry the American lines
by storm and superior numbers u
the details we are told by an orator Q,
long ago: His plan was to send {
detachment of 1900 men across Tho
river to take possession of battery
which had been erected by order o
General jackson and to turn it asdins
the line while at the same time tht
rest of the army were to attack II II
the front. In order to carry into olfec
the former part Of the plan it vas ne
cessary to bring the barges into ih'
river and for this purpose to cut {
canal across the levee behind The
British camp. This the British with
immense labor and indefatigabln per-
severance finally accomplished IN thC
evening of the 9Th of January, Mean
while General Lambert had arrived il
camp with another reinforcement Of
two regiments, which inspired all viii
fresh confidence
on the Sth of January daylight broke
at o'clock and then dimly the Ameri-
cans saw the oncoming British, about
$4,000 strong marching in three col
umns and covering nearly two-thirds
/ of the breadth of the levee between
the woods and the Mississippi river
Jackson had behind his earthworks
less than 1000 men to engage the foe
and many of these lacked that train
ing and experience which promised tc
make the British veterans all the more
formidable. quite apart from their
numbers.
Despite the battery fire of jack
sons guns the British columns preserv-
ed pretty good order until they got
within reach Of the frontiersmen's
rifles. Then the muskets Of the Ten
nesseeans and the Kentuckians snap
ped angrily and most Of the bullets
found billets in the bodies of the foe
The British were first staggered and
then thrown into confusion. The AM
erican artillery and small arms now