El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-09

Sth Of January the battle OF
- Newt orleans was fought and
won bv the American troops under An
drew Jackson. Since then the CONT
mental domain Of the United States has
never been subjected to hostile IN
vasion. saws the New York sun 49,.
on November Is, 1914, admiral olr
Alexander Cochrane sailed away from
Jamaica with his expedition Of 90 Sans
convovfnr Sir Edward Pakenham
army of more than l2,OOO seasoISu
troops. with New Orleans as their on
iective At the battle Of the Nile, 10
wears before admiral Nelson had less
Formidable fleet at his command anu
the combined equipment of ships ana
army bound for the gulI COSY do EHs
land matter of quite $4O,OOO,OOV
Great Britain had spared no expense
for she was bent upon laying EeI
mailed hand upon the richest section
Of the country. Had she succeeded
she might effectually have barred OH
the Eastern states from the rest OF the
continent lying west OF the AppaIacH
ians. It was a bold strategic move and
was aimed against the section OF our
shores least prepared to resist win
ANYTHING like commensurate force.
The Attack Begins. -
The British fleet came to anchor OIL
the Chandelier Islands on DecempeI
& and Sir Edward Pakenham decided
TO strike toward New orleans by wa!
Of Lake Borgne thus avoiding the lUO
mile journey up the MISSISSIPPI river
with its grave perils to the san pro-
PEELED ships of admiral Cocht2Il me ,
souadrons Along this route the Amer
leans under Lieut. Thomas Catesoy
Jones could oppose but five Eunboats
and two tenders against flotiila Oh
heavily armed launches, AZ IN NUMBER,
manned by $50 men picked from among
TurHH fen
cember IA the two naval forces met
and for nearly two hours the American
flotflIa mastering but 1914 men, not
only held the enemy at bay out IN
flicted large losses. In the END our
sailors were borne down by weight OF
men and metal 1850
Threading the bayous, the barges
reached the levee below New orleans
at a point about nine miles from me
CITY. and there the troops Of Sir Ed
ward Pakenham were LANDED IN In IN
early morning of December %. me
British flag was broken loose at the
ton of a tree and the regimental bands
played God Save the King.
Jackson Keeps Busy.
The defeat Of the American gun
boats had cut off our reconnoiterlng
parties. and Jackson was without
knowledge Of the movement OF the en-
emv until they landed below the city.
But his DAYS had not been idle, ana
he had made every movement count
ir his preparations. His difficulties
were many and would have daunted
any one else less energetic ana re
sourcefuL The national government
was unDrepared to give him the neIp
he needed, and Of some Of the soldiers
sent him Jackson wrote the secretary
of war: Hardly one half Of the Ken
lucky troops, so long expected, are
armed, and the arms they have are
barely fit for use.'
The winter was an unusually severe
one The legislature of Louisiana, IN
session promptly voted $4,000 for re-
lief to which generous citizens ADDED
$4,000. With these funds materials
we're purchased. The women Of New
Orleans almost without exception, de-
voted themselves day and night 10
making up the materials into suitable
garments. In one weeks time the des-
tirute soldiers were supplied and made
comfortable.
BackvvOOds Fighters.
AS it turned out, these backwoods-
men bore the brunt of the British at
tack and, by their marvellous marks
rnonsbip. crumpIed I'D the British col
umhs as they swept on confidently to-
ward the American breastworks
According to one historian, New Or
leans at that time contained 10000 m
habitants. They were animated by tho
best spirit, but the men capable OF
bearing arms. including the reinforce
ments of militia from Tennessee ana
Kentucky part of which arrived
after the landing of the Br1ush-dld
not exceed 1000 They were all, OH
GERS and men alike, inexperienced IN
regular warfare
con the high road, nine miles off,
with no obstruction or defenslble point
between, was a British regular army
consisting, with the reiufOrcements
which came in before the final action
%
manded by veteran Officers-amply
provided, flushed with victory and fun
Of the confidence which itself so often
insures success
jackson An Inspiration.
Andrew Jackson's inspiring presence
rendered that little corps of undiscl-
plined. raw, unprOvided American mill
tia an effective and invincible body OF
fighting men. It was rot until Decem-
Der that Old Hickory reached New
Orleans, and this is the picture OF him
handed down by a contemporary. At
that time Gen. Jackson was little
less than As years old:
a tall. gaunt man, of very erect car
rage, with a COuntenance full of stern
decision and fearless energy. but fur
rowed with care and anxiety. His
complexion was sallow and unhealthy;
his hair was iron gray, and his body
thin and emaciated like that Of one
who had Just recovered from a -linger-
ing and painful illness. But the tlerce
glare Of his bright and haWklike gray
eve betrayed a soIl and spirit which
trfumphed over all the lnfirmitieS OF
the body. His dress was simple, al
most threadbare. A small leather cap
protected his head and a short Span
ish blue cloak his body. while his feet
and legs were encased in high dragon
boots. long ignorant of polish or black
ing. which reached to the knee"
Immediately upon his arrival Gen.
Jackson declared martial law, proceed
ed to review and organize his troops,
and set about rearing defences with
the least possible delay. The defences
consisted of earthworks supported by
double rows of logs covering dis
lance Of 1000 yards inland from the
river and terminating at the inner edge
of the levee in a forest thanked by an
impossible swamp. The levee was the
only line of land approach for the Brit
ish; upon it ran the public highrOad,
and such was the narrow battlefield
available Part of the ground to be
defended by Jackson's men was so
miry that 1t could not support the
weight Of guns, and here it was that
the Tennesseeans and Keutuckians
were distributed in the hour Of final
trial. 1t was this portion Of the earth
works that the enemy sought to carry
by sheer numbers, and Jackson had
expected this and accordingly placed
there the cream Of his riflemen.