he seventh, twenty-five ships
anchored in a crescent position extending from the island toward Mobile
Point, where stood the fort. On the morning of the eighth, the enemy
landed five thousand troops opposite the line of ships at anchor,
investing the fort by sea and land. The fortification was erected for
defense mainly on the sea side, to render it formidable to ships
attempting to enter the pass into Mobile Bay. On the land side was a
sandy plain, rendering it incapable of defense against a superior force
protected by extensive siege works. The enemy mounted a number of
batteries behind parapets and epaulements, which directed their fire
upon the weakest parts of the defense. The fort was gallantly defended
by a garrison of three hundred and fifty men, under command of Colonel
William Lawrence. Some losses were inflicted on the besiegers as they
continued to push their works to within short musket-range of the fort.
But the heavy cannonading and fire from small-arms encircled the
besieged from every direction, and further defense became hopeless.
Terms of surrender were agreed to on the eleventh, and on the twelfth
the garrison marched out with the honors of war, yielding possession to
the enemy.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE CONCLUDED ON THE 24TH OF DECEMBER, 1814.

The small victory at Mobile Bay was barren of any gain to the British
cause; for, on the fourteenth, two days after the surrender,
intelligence came from England to General Lambert that articles of peace
had been signed by the plenipotentiaries of the belligerent nations, in
session at Ghent. Gleig remarks, in his "Narrative": "With the reduction
of this trifling work ended all hostilities in this quarter of America;
for the army had scarcely reassembled, when intelligence arrived from
England of peace. The news reached us on the fourteenth, and I shall not
deny that it was received with much satisfaction."

On the nineteenth, General Jackson issued an address from headquarters,
from which we reproduce as follows: "The flag-vessel, which was sent to
the enemy's fleet at Mobile, has returned, and brings with it
intelligence, extracted from a London paper, that on the twenty-fourth
of December articles of peace were signed by the commissioners of the
two nations."

Thus, on the day after the first landing of the British army on
Louisiana soil, and after the first battle was fought at night, terms of
peace were agreed on. It was fifteen days after that auspi