War of 1812. It was one of the most
conclusive battles in history, and a brilliant demonstration of the
military ability of Andrew Jackson. General Jackson believed in
preparedness. During the second year of the War of 1812 he learned that
the British planned to invade Louisiana, so he concentrated troops four
miles below New Orleans in a line of entrenchments a mile in length,
extending from the Mississippi River far into the swamp, making both
ends impassable. Jackson had 3,500 expert marksmen at his command. They
were a strange mixture of men, including long-limbed, hard-faced
backwoodsmen, Portuguese and Norwegian seamen, dark-skinned Spaniards
and swarthy Frenchmen, besides about 1,000 militiamen selected from the
Creoles of Louisiana. They were a rough and violent lot. Theodore
Roosevelt characterizes them as: "Soldiers who, under an ordinary
commander, would have been fully as dangerous to themselves and their
leaders as to their foes. But," he adds, "Andrew Jackson was of all men
the one best fitted to manage such troops. Even their fierce natures
quailed before the ungovernable fury of a spirit greater than their own;
and their sullen, stubborn wills were bent before his unyielding temper
and iron hand."

* * * * *

On the morning of the 8th of January, 1815, General Pakenham advanced
upon New Orleans with a force of about 6,000 trained and experienced
fighting men. Jackson knew that the British would have to cross his
entrenchments before entering the city. So he placed his force of fierce
and deadly fighters within the trenches and opened upon the enemy with
volley after volley. The mortality on the British side was frightful.
The lines wavered and General Pakenham fell in front of his troops.
Utterly demoralized by the withering blast of the American muskets,
these hardy British veterans hurried to their camp and escaped to ships.
The British lost about 2,000 men killed, wounded and prisoners, while in
the American lines there were only about seventy casualties.

So weak and ineffective had been the showing of the American forces in
several of the battles of this war that they had incurred the contempt
of the enemy. In one final, brilliant blow General Jackson restored the
prestige of American arms.

[Illustration: [Signature of] W.D. Moffat]

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