. He and
his staff immediately left the house, and in the meantime he had opened
his heavy guns on the assailants.

"The British were amazed to find heavy artillery thundering along the
whole line, and wondered how and where the Americans had got their guns
and gunners.

"It was a terrible fight. Packenham sent a detachment of infantry to
turn the American left, but they were driven back in terror by the
Tennesseeans under Coffee. After that, the conflict was between the
batteries alone, and before noon the fire of the British had sensibly
abated. Then they abandoned their works and fled helter-skelter to the
ditches for safety; for their demi-lunes were crushed and broken, the
hogsheads, of which they were largely composed, having been reduced to
splinters and the sugar that had filled them mixed with the earth. Some
of their guns were dismounted, others careened so that it was very
difficult to work them, while the fire of the Americans was still
unceasing. At noon, as I have said, they gave up the contest. That night
they crawled back and carried away some of their cannon, dragging them
with difficulty over the wet ground, and leaving five of them a spoil to
the Americans.

"They (the British) were deeply chagrined by their repulse, had eaten
nothing for sixty hours, nor had any sleep in all that time, so that
their New Year's Day was even gloomier than their Christmas had been.

"The Americans, on the other hand, were full of joy that they had been
able to repulse their own and their country's foes; and their happiness
was increased by the news that they were soon to have a re-enforcement,
Brigadier-General John Adair arriving with the glad tidings that 2000
drafted militia from Kentucky were coming to their assistance. These
arrived on the 4th of the month, and 700 of them were sent to the front
under Adair.

"Packenham had lost some of his confidence in the ability of himself and
his troops to conquer the Americans, but hoped to be more successful in
a new effort. He decided to try to carry Jackson's lines on both sides
of the river. He resolved to rebuild his two batteries near the levee,
which had been destroyed by the Americans, mount them well, and employ
them in assailing the American right, while Keane, with his corps, was
to advance with fascines to fill the ditches, and scaling ladders with
which to mount the embankments.

"But first 1500 infantry, with some artillery, were to be sent under
cover o