Battle of New Orleans

The **Battle of New Orleans** was the last battle fought in the War of 1812 between the British and the Americans. It involved a series of smaller battles leading up to the main engagement on January 8, 1815. The British had 8,000 infantry in the line out of a total strength of 11,000. The British force was commanded by General Edward Pakenham. The Americans were under the command of General Andrew Jackson. The battle took place at the Plains of Chalmette a few miles from New Orleans.

## Background

After the Treaty of Paris (1783), which officially ended the American Revolutionary War, the British were still present in North America. They traded with the Native Americans and at times incited them against the Americans. The British blockaded American ships, captured American seamen, and forced them into the Royal Navy to fight against Napoleon.

On June 18, 1812, U.S. President James Madison signed the formal declaration of war against the United Kingdom. The fighting began in Canada in an attempt to cut off the British supply lines. Meanwhile, the British were fighting Napoleon, but after they had won, skilled troops were sent to Canada. The Americans did not have a standing army as such and still had only individual militias, men who signed up for short periods of time. By 1813, the British had won nearly every major battle in the war. On August 24, 1814, he British entered Washington D.C., and burned the Capitol and other buildings to the ground.

## Treaty of Ghent

On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed,which ended the War of 1812. The treaty called for returning all borders to where they had been before the war. Because of the distances involved and the delay in communications, neither side at the time of the battles knew that a peace treaty had been signed.

As the negotiations at Ghent suggested, the real causes of the War of 1812 were not merely commerce and neutral rights. They were also the issues of western expansion of the United States, relations with Native Americans, and control of the
territory of North America.

## Prelude to battle

The British fleet of some 30 warships sailed out of Negril Bay, Jamaica, on November 26, 1814. The fleet under command of Admiral Alexander Cochrane moved into the Gulf of Mexico and was ready to attack New Orleans. The fleet transported 14,450 British troops, who had recently been fighting in the Napoleonic Wars in France and Spain. The first the Americans learned of this was through the leader of the Baratarian pirates, Jean Lafitte. The British had offered him several thousand dollars if he would join them since they wanted him to guide them through the swamps in and around New Orleans. Asking for time to consider, Lafitte contacted the American governor of Louisiana, William C. C. Claiborne, and told him of their plans. Claiborne contacted General Andrew Jackson. At first, the Americans were wary of Lafitte, but they later accepted his help. Lafitte offered much-needed gunpowder, fuzes, and cannonballs, as well as his men's artillery expertise. The pirates knew the swamps around New Orleans and helped guide the Americans to outmaneuver the British.

Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 2, 1814. He declared martial law and rallied the formerly-reluctant citizens to fight the British. Jackson told the people of New Orleans that every citizen was needed to protect the city. He also told them, "All those who are not for us are against us." He then blocked all approaches to the city by water.

## Lake Borgne

On December 22, the British moved in barges toward the narrow opening at Lake Borgne. They soon found their way blocked by five American gunboats, commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Jones. The British, guided by Spanish and Portuguese fisherman from the area, had an assault force of 45 boats under the command of Captain Nicholas Lockyer. In the engagement that followed, the British prevailed but suffered about 100 casualties. Jones lost about 40 killed and wounded. The rest of his men were captured. One man escaped and warned the Americans. The British moved in barges from Lake Borgne to land seven miles below New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Their fishermen guides landed them at Villere Plantation.

## Villere Plantation

When Jackson learned of the landing at Villere Plantation. he immediately planned an attack that night. British General John Keene had about 1,900 men when he landed at the plantation. More British soldiers landed, and by evening, about 2,300 had arrived there. Under the cover of darkness, the Americans surprised the British in their camp. Over 2,100 Americans began firing on the British, many of whom were still being landed in boats. The American schooner _Carolina_ had anchored in the Mississippi near the plantation and opened a murderous fire on the British camp. Even after the Americans withdrew, the _Carolina_ kept up the bombardment until it was blown up by heated shot and sunk on December 27. The battle had no clear winner, but the British were delayed in their attempt to capture New Orleans. The Americans lost about 200 men while the British losses were fixed at about 300.

After the battle, Jackson began building his defenses at the Rodriguez Canal, an abandoned millrace that was approximately 20 feet wide and 3-5 feet deep. It was in a swampy area, which gave the Americans a clear advantage. The defensive mill earthworks blocked the British approach to New Orleans. They could attack only from the front, as the swamps and river protected the flank. The American position was two miles from the British camp and about five miles below New Orleans. A body of mounted American riflemen kept track of all British movements.

On December 25, General Edward Pakenham landed at Villere Plantation and took charge of all British forces. The British began moving on December 27 but encountered the American earthworks and halted.

The British were surprised to see the American earthworks. Apparently, they had not thought enough of the Americans even to keep an eye on them. In addition to the fortifications in front of them, the American cutter _Louisiana_ was anchored in the river. As soon as the British appeared, the Americans' guns drove them back. However, the British boldly stated constructing their own earthworks and setting up their artillery positions.

The British brought up guns from their ships and built earthworks for them under cover of darkness to counter the American guns, which were mounted on their earthworks and those on the anchored cutter in the river. On the morning of January 1, 1815, the British opened up with their artillery and rockets. The surprised Americans quickly returned fire but with greater accuracy. Jackson’s line lost two of their guns in the exchange, but one by one, the cannon fire from the American line took out all 14 of the British guns. By noon, the British had been driven back from their artillery emplacements, and the artillery duel was over for the time.

Both the Americans and the British had placed artillery on the opposite bank of the Mississippi, and those batteries exchanged fire most of the afternoon. At night, Jackson’s backwoodsmen kept shooting sentries, drove back the pickets, and gave the British camp no peace.

Early on the morning of January 8, the British attacked Jackson’s earthworks. Pakenham’s infantry numbered about 8,000 out of a total force of 11,000. He moved his columns forward while it was still dark to get close to the Americans without being seen. However, the element of surprise was lost when a junior officer forgot to bring scaling ladders. When he returned with the ladders, it was too late since the Americans could see them. The brigade, commanded by General Samuel Gibbs, attacked the left and the center of Jackson’s line, but the American artillery tore large holes in the British line.

A regiment of Scottish Highlanders was sent to help Gibbs but suffered tremendous casualties under the American rifle and musket fire. Gibbs, the British second-in-command, was killed on the battlefield. Pakenham, the overall commander, was shot and killed as he rallied his soldiers. The British third-in-command of British forces, General John Lambert, finally called off the assault. The British lost 2,057 men,and the Americans lost only 71. The British were well-experienced veterans of the Napoleonic Wars and fought bravely but could not break the American defense system.

## Fort St. Philip

Fort St. Philip was located on the east bank of the Mississippi and protected New Orleans from any river approach to the city. The Americans took over the fort, which had originally been built by the Spanish, in 1808. It was rebuilt with bricks and had two bastions facing the river. At the bastions, most of the fort's 20 guns were mounted.

The fort was attacked at the same time as Pakenham led his infantry attack on Jackson's earthworks. The fort was bombarded by five British warships for over a week. Finally, on January 18, 1815, the British fleet withdrew. The warships had been damaged but had been unable to do much damage to the fort.

## Aftermath

As the gunships retreated on January 18, the British soldiers were recalled to their transport ships. They were required to leave 18 badly-wounded men, two of whom were officers. In their haste, they left 14artillery pieces and a large quantity of cannon shot. One of the two medical personnel who were left to take care of the British wounded gave Jackson a letter from Lambert. In his letter, Lambert stated he had given up all further operations against New Orleans. He asked too that his men be protected and cared for. Jackson had given thought to pursuing the retreating British. However, he decided not to risk any of his men's lives needlessly, and he thought that the lives of 10 British soldiers were not worth the loss of one of his own men.

As Jackson stated in his letter to the Secretary of War, he was not convinced the British had given up on trying to take Louisiana Territory by force. By Jackson's estimations, the British had lost over 4000,who were men, who were dead or wounded or had deserted. Jackson left infantry units to guard the earthworks and the Villere Plantation in case the British returned. He brought the rest of his army back to New Orleans on January 20, 1815.