Year: 1859




A British officer who fought in the battle
ofNew Orleans, said:


at was a strange sight, that long range of
cotton bales-a new material for breastworks
with the crowd of human beings behind,
their heads only visible above the line of de-
fense. We could distinctly see their long
rifles lying over the bales, and the battery of
Gen. Coffee directly in 'front.' with its great
mouth gaping towards us, and the position
of Gen. jackson, with his staff around him
But what attracted our attention most, was
the figure of a tall man standing on the
breaseworks, dressed in linsey woolsey with
buckskin leggings, and broad brimmed felt
hat, that fell around his face, almost conceal
ing his features. He was standing in one of
those picturesque and graceful attitudes pc
culiar to those natural man-dwelers in the
forest. The body rested on the left leg, and
swayed with curved line upwards the
right arm was extended, the hand grasping
the rifle near the muzzle, the butt Of which
rested near the toe of his right foot, while
with his hand he raised the rim Of his hat
from his eyes, and seemed gazing from be-
meath intensely upon our advancing column.
The cannon of Gen Coffee had opened upon
u.s. and tore through our ranks with dreadful





waverng and cool, as if nothing threatened
our progress


"The roar of cannon seemed to have no eff
feet upon the figure standing on the cotton
bales At last he moved, threw back his hat
rim over the crown with his left hand, raised
the rifle to his shoulder and took aim at our
group Our eyes were riveted on him. At
whom had he leveled his piece? But the
distance was so great that We looked at each
other and smiled. We saw the rifle flash, and
my right hand companion, as nob'e a looking
fellow as ever rode at the head of a regi-
ment, fell from his saddle. The hunter paus-
ed for few moments, without moving his
gun from his shoulder. then reloaded and re-
sumed his former atti ude Throwing the
hat rim over his eyes, and again holding up
with his left hand, he fixed his piercing gaze
upon us, as if hunting out another victim
Once more the hat rim was thrown back
and the gun raised to his shoulder This time
We did not smile. but cast short glances at
each other, to see which Of us must die and
when the rifle again flashed, auother of us
dropped to the earth. There was something
awful in thus marching on to certain death.


Gen. Coffees battery and thousands of
musket balls played upon our ranks; we car
ed not for them-there. was chance of es-
Gaping unseathed. Most of us had walked
upon batteries hundred times more destruc-
tive without quailing; but to know that
every time that rifle was leveed towards us,
and its bullet sprang from the barrel, one of
US must surely fall To see the cleaning
sun FASH as the deadly iron came down, and
see it rest motioness, as if poised upon IA
rock. and know, when the hammer struck
the messenger of death drove unerringly to
its goal to know this, and still march on
was awful.


Il could see nothing but the tall figure
standing on the breastwork He seemed to
grow, phantom like, taller and taller. assum-
ing through the smoke the supernatural ap-
pearance of some great spirit. Agaid did he
reload and discharge his rifle. with the same
unfailing aim and it was with indiscribable
pleasure that beheld, as we neared the A
meriean lines, the sulphurous smoke gather
around us and shut that spectral hunter from
my gaze. We lost the battle; and to my
mind the Kentucky rifeman contributed
more to our defeat than ANYTHING else; for
while he remained to our sight our attention
was drawn from our duties ard when at
last we became enshrouded in the smoke the
work was complete; we were in utter confu-
sion and unable in the extremity to restore
order sufficient to make any successful at
tack"