coveted prize, from the British. The two
battalions numbered four hundred and thirty men, and were commanded by
Maj. Lacoste and Maj. Savory. Great Britain also had her negro soldiers
there,--a regiment imported from the West Indies which headed the
attacking column against Jackson's right,--they led her van in the
battle; their failure, with that of the Irish regiment which formed also
a part of the advance column, lost the British the battle. The conduct
of the negro soldiers in Gen. Jackson's army on that occasion has ever
been applauded by the American people. Mr. Day, in Nell's "Colored
Patriots of the American Revolution," says:

"From an authenticated chart, belonging to a soldier friend,
I find that, in the battle of New Orleans, Major-General
Andrew Jackson, Commander-in-Chief, and his staff, were just
at the right of the advancing left column of the British,
and that very near him were stationed the colored soldiers.
He is numbered 6, and the position of the colored soldiers
8. The chart explanation of No. 8 reads thus:--'8. Captains
Dominique and Bluche, two 24 pounders; Major Lacoste's
battalion, formed of the men of color of New Orleans and,
Major Daquin's battalion, formed of the men of color of St.
Domingo, under Major Savary, second in command.'

"They occupied no mean place, and did no mean service.

"From other documents in my possession, I am able to state
the number of the 'battalion of St. Domingo men of color' to
have been one hundred and fifty; and of 'Major Lacoste's
battalion of Louisiana men of color,' two hundred and
eighty.

"Thus were over four hundred 'men of color' in that battle.
When it is remembered that the whole number of soldiers
claimed by Americans to have been in that battle reached
only 3600, it will be seen that the 'men of color' were
present in much larger proportion than their numbers in the
country warranted.

"Neither was there colorphobia then. Major Planche's
battalion of uniformed volunteer companies, and Major
Lacoste's 'men of color,' fought together; so, also, did
Major Daquin's 'men of color,' and the 44th, under Captain
Baker."

Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, in his speech in Congress on the Imprisonment
of Colored Seamen, September, 1850, bore this testimony to their gallant
conduct:

"I have an impression, that, not,