remarkable disparity of
losses, and the causes that led to such a signal victory for the
Americans and such a humiliating defeat for our enemies, it will be more
interesting to our readers to quote from English writers who were
participants in the battle, and eye-witnesses of the scenes they
describe with graphic pen. We are ever curious to know what others see
and say of us, especially if they honestly criticize us with a spice of
prejudice.

AN ENGLISH OFFICER'S ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE.

Gleig, in his "History of British Campaigns," says:

Dividing his troops into three columns, Sir Edward Pakenham directed
that General Keene, at the head of the Ninety-fifth, the light
companies of the Twenty-first, Fourth, and Forty-fourth Regiments,
and the two black corps, should make a demonstration on the right;
that General Gibbs, with the Fourth, Twenty-first, Forty-fourth, and
Ninety-third, should force the enemy's left; while General Lambert,
with the Seventh and Forty-third, remained in reserve. Our numbers
now amounted to a little short of eight thousand, a force which, in
any other part of America, would have been irresistible. The forces
of the enemy were reported at twenty-three to thirty thousand. I
suppose their whole force to have been twenty-five thousand. All
things were arranged on the night of the 7th, for the 8th was fixed
upon as the day decisive of the fate of New Orleans.

On the morning of the 8th, the entire army was in battle array. A
little after daylight, General Pakenham gave the word to advance The
troops on the right and the left, having the Forty-fourth to follow
with the fascines and ladders, rushed on to the assault. On the left,
next to the river, a detachment of the Ninety-fifth, Twenty-first and
Fourth, stormed a three-gun battery and took it. It was in advance of
the main line of works. The enemy, in overpowering numbers, repulsed
our attacking force and recaptured the battery _with immense
slaughter_. On our right again, the Twenty-first and Fourth being
almost cut to pieces, and thrown into some confusion by the enemy's
fire, the Ninety-third pushed up and took the lead. Hastening
forward, our troops soon reached the ditch; but to scale the parapet
without ladders was impossible. Some few indeed, by mounting upon
each others' shoulders, succeeded in entering the works; but these
were, most of them, instantl