d trusting to the bayonet alone.
At last, about 3 a.m. on the 24th, the enemy retired, beaten off at all
points.

The losses in the night's engagement, and the deaths from cold and
exposure that had occurred during the passage from Pine Island, had so
thinned the already attenuated ranks of the 1st West India Regiment,
that on the morning of the 24th, only 16 sergeants and 240 rank and
file were available for duty. The officers serving with them were Major
Weston, Captains Isles and Collins, Lieutenants McDonald, Morgan,
Miller, Magee, Pilkington, McKenzie, and Dalomel.

Notwithstanding the repulse which the Americans had experienced, the
schooner continued to annoy our troops. She had anchored in the river
beyond musket range, and, from that safe distance, continued to pour
round-shot and grape into the camp, which had been increased on the
evening of the 24th by the arrival of the 3rd Brigade, consisting of the
93rd and the 5th West India Regiment. On December 25th, Captain Collins,
1st West India Regiment, was killed by a shot from one of her guns, and
there were several other casualties in the regiment. On that day,
however, Sir Edward Pakenham, who had been sent out from England to
assume the command, arrived, bringing some guns with him. During the
night a battery was quietly thrown up opposite the schooner, and at
daybreak a heavy cannonade was opened on her with red-hot shot. Before
long she was set on fire, and blew up, while another vessel, which had
come to her assistance, was compelled to cut and run up the river.

The main obstacle to an advance being now removed, Sir Edward Pakenham
divided the army into two columns. The right column, commanded by
Major-General Gibbs, consisted of the 4th, 21st, 44th, and 1st West
India Regiments; the left, under Major-General Keane, was composed of
the 85th, 93rd, 95th, and 5th West India Regiments.

In the meantime the American general had occupied a position facing the
British, with the Mississippi on his right, and an impenetrable morass
on his left, covering New Orleans, and rendering an advance on that town
impossible, until his position had been carried by a front attack. The
ground thus occupied, about 1000 yards in breadth, had been fortified so
as to be almost impregnable. Three deep parallel ditches had been dug
across the whole front; in rear of these was a strong loop-holed
palisade, and several batteries had been erected so as to bring a
cross-fire to bea