een prepared, with which to
fill up the ditch and mount the wall; and since to carry these a
service of danger, requiring a corps well worthy of dependence,
the 44th was for that purpose selected, as a regiment of
sufficient numerical strength, and already accustomed to American
warfare. Thus were all things arranged on the night the 7th, for
the 8th was fixed upon as the day decisive of the fate of New Orleans.

ATTACK.

Whilst the rest of the army lay down to sleep till they should be
roused up to fight, Colonel Thornton, with the 85th, and a corps
of marines and seamen, amounting in all to 1400 men, moved down
to the brink of the river. As yet, however, no boats had
arrived; hour after hour elapsed before they came; and when they
did come, the misfortunes which I have stated above were
discovered, for out of all that had been ordered up, only a few
made their appearance. Still it was absolutely necessary that
this part of the plan should be carried into execution.
Dismissing, therefore, the rest of his followers, the Colonel
put himself at the head of his own regiment, about fifty seamen,
and as many marines, and with this small force, consisting of no
[on] 340 men, pushed off. But, unfortunately, the loss of time
nothing could repair. Instead of reaching the opposite bank at
latest by midnight, dawn was beginning to appear before the boats
quitted the canal. It was in vain that they rowed on in perfect
silence, and with oars muffled, gaining the point of debarkation
without being perceived. It was in vain that they made good
their landing and formed upon the beach, without opposition or
alarm; day had already broke, and the signal-rocket was seen in
the air, while they were yet four miles from the batteries, which
ought hours ago to have been taken.

In the mean time, the main body armed and moved forward some way
in front of the piquets. There they stood waiting for daylight,
and listening with the greatest anxiety for the firing which
ought now to be heard on the opposite bank. But their attention
was exerted in vain, and day dawned upon them long before they
desired its appearance. Nor was Sir Edward Pakenham disappointed
in this part of his plan alone. Instead of perceiving everything
in readiness for the assault, he saw his troops in battle array,
but not a ladder or fascine upon the field. The 44th, which was
appointed to carry them, had either misunderstood or neglected
their orders; and now