Thomas Mullins ( British Army officer ) Thomas Mullins ( died 1823 ) was a British Army officer of the 44th Regiment of Foot , best known for his misconduct at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 . While he performed well during the Chesapeake campaign , his failure to check on the regiment ' s engineering supplies at New Orleans played a key role in the disorganization and subsequent defeat of the British there . Birth and early career . Mullins was the third son of Thomas Mullins , 1st Baron Ventry and his second wife Christabella . On 22 February 1791 , he exchanged from half - pay in the Independent Companies of the 24th Regiment of Foot to become a lieutenant in the 45th Regiment of Foot . He was promoted to captain on 20 July 1794 . He joined the 44th when its second battalion was raised in Dublin in 1803 . In 1810 , he married Parnell , the widow of Major - General Archer . Chesapeake campaign . When Colonel Arthur Brooke , lieutenant colonel of the 44th Regiment of Foot assumed the command of a brigade during the Chesapeake campaign , Mullins was brevet ed lieutenant - colonel and assumed command of that regiment . He was mentioned in despatches by General Ross for his leadership at the Battle of Bladensburg . Mullins was also commended for his conduct during the Battle of North Point by Brooke , who succeeded Ross when the latter fell to a skirmisher ' s bullet . New Orleans campaign . During the New Orleans campaign , Brooke continued to command a brigade including the 44th during the initial landing , and Mullins retained command of that regiment . The 44th was assigned by General Edward Pakenham to be the advance guard for the first column of attack on 8 January 1815 , and to carry the ladders and fascine s which would enable the British troops to cross the ditch and scale the American ramparts . Mullins was not pleased , viewing the regiment ' s role as that of a forlorn hope . Perhaps due to his bad temper , he failed to personally locate the ladders and fascines on the evening of the 7th , as Pakenham had ordered him to do . The officer he assigned to do so inquired their location from an engineer officer , and reported they were in the advanced redoubt . During the night , a battery was set up about forward of the advanced redoubt . Mullins , thinking this to be the location of the materiel , passed the advanced redoubt and halted the regiment at the battery . Upon discovering his mistake , he sent 300 men back to the redoubt at the double - quick to pick up the fascines and ladders , but it was too late . The other regiments were already advancing behind the 44th , the party of 300 lost formation as they struggled to reach the redoubt , and as day dawned , the attack commenced before the supplies could be brought forward . The British column had already been disordered by the passage of the 300 returning to the redoubt , and they advanced into a storm of American fire . Without the fascines and ladders , they were unable to scale and storm the American position . Major - General Gibbs encouraged them with cries of " Here come the 44th ! " , while vowing , in an undertone , to hang Mullins on the highest tree in the swamp if he lived until tomorrow . It was to no avail . The British attacks on the east side of the Mississippi River failed in bloody confusion , with Pakenham and Gibbs among the casualties . Aftermath . Upon the return of the 44th to Dublin at the close of the campaign , Mullins was tried by a court - martial between 11 July 1815 and 1 August 1815 , on the charges of having neglected orders to collect fascines and ladders , having allowed the regiment to pass the redoubt containing the fascines and ladders , and for having engaged in " scandalous conduct " , in remarking to an officer of his regiment that the 44th was a " forlorn hope . . . and must be sacrificed " after receiving orders that the regiment should carry fascines . While he was acquitted of the latter charge , he was convicted of the first two and cashiered from the Army . He died in 1823 , leaving no children .