nner of their arrangement; the other, much
superior in numbers, covered a less extent of ground, were defended
by an excellent breastwork manned by several pieces of artillery; and
with this difference,--the loss of confidence of the former was not
without cause. Of these facts, Commodore Patterson was not apprised;
General Morgan was. Both reported that the disaster was owing to the
flight of the Kentucky militia. Upon this information, General
Jackson founded his report to the Secretary of War, by which these
troops were exposed to censures they did not merit. Had all the
circumstances as they existed, been disclosed, reproach would have
been prevented. At the mill-race no troops could have behaved better;
they bravely resisted the advance of the enemy. Until an order to
that effect was given, they entertained no thought of retreating.

Intelligence quickly came to General Jackson of the defeat and rout of
General Morgan's command, imperiling the safety of the city of New
Orleans, in the midst of the congratulations over the great victory of
the main army on the east bank. Naturally, a state of intense excitement
followed, bordering on consternation for a few hours. When the danger
was ended by the withdrawal of the British forces to recross the river,
the report of General Morgan, followed by that of Commodore Patterson,
came to headquarters, laying the blame of defeat and disaster to the
alleged cowardly retreat of the Kentucky militia. With General Jackson's
great personal regard for the authors of these reports, he took for
granted the correctness of the charge of censurable conduct. Amid the
tumult of emotions that must have been felt, rapidly succeeding the
changes of scenes and incidents and issues of strategy and battle during
that eventful twenty-four hours, the great commander yielded to the
impulse of the moment to write in his official report to the Secretary
of War, on the ninth, the day succeeding the battles, the following
words:

Simultaneously with his advance upon my lines, the enemy had thrown
over in his boats a considerable force to the other side of the
river. These having landed, were hardly enough to advance against the
works of General Morgan; and what is strange and difficult to
account for, at the very moment when their discomfiture was looked
for with a confidence approaching to certainty, the Kentucky
reinforcement, in whom so much