Battle of New Orleans

--Richard Jensen 13:39, 3 May 2007 (CDT)Template:Sprotected2

For other uses of the name, see Battle of New Orleans (disambiguation)

The Battle of New Orleans, also known as the Battle of Chalmette Plantation, took place on January 8, 1815, at the end of the War of 1812, when the American forces under General Andrew Jackson decisively defeated an invading British army intent on seizing New Orleans and control of the Mississippi River. Both nations had agreed to peace but the news had not reached Louisiana.

Move to engagement

On December 13, 1814, a British fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane arrived off the Louisiana coast with 14,000 men. In a brief but violent battle on Lake Borgne, 53 British rowing boats armed with bow-chasers overwhelmed five American dinghies protecting the waters.

A few days later, the British forces under Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham landed along the lower Mississippi River. At first, they met with only minor resistance. The Americans, led by Major General Andrew Jackson, set up defensive positions at Chalmette, Louisiana, some five miles (8 km) downriver from New Orleans. Jackson, because he needed time to get his artillery into position, decided to immediately attack the British. When Jackson learned that the British had taken the plantation he said, "Gentlemen, the British are below us, we fight them tonight.".

On the night of December 23, Jackson led a three-pronged attack on the British Army camp which lasted until early morning. After capturing some equipment and supplies, the Americans withdrew to New Orleans suffering a reported 24 killed, 115 wounded and 74 missing or captured, while the British claimed their losses as 46 killed, 167 wounded, and 64 missing or captured.

This stalled the British advance long enough for the Americans to bring in their heavy artillery and establish earthworks along a portion of the east bank of the Mississippi River. On Christmas Day, Pakenham arrived on the battlefield and ordered a reconnaissance-in-force against the American earthworks protecting the roads to New Orleans. On December 28, groups of British troops made probing attacks against the American earthworks.

When the British troops withdrew, the Americans began construction of artillery batteries to protect the earthworks which were then christened “Line Jackson”. The Americans installed eight batteries, which included one 32-pound gun, three 24-pounders, one 18-pounder, three 12-pounders, three 6-pounders and a 6-inch howitzer. Jackson also sent a detachment of men to the west bank of the Mississippi to man two 24-pounders and two 12-pounders from the grounded warship Louisiana.

The main British army arrived on New Year's Day, and attacked the earthworks using their artillery. An exchange of artillery fire began that lasted for three hours. Several of the American guns were destroyed or knocked out, including the 32-pounder, a 24-pounder and a 12-pounder, and some damage was done to the earthworks. While the Americans held their ground, the British guns ran out of ammunition, which led Pakenham to cancel the attack. Pakenham decided to wait for his entire force of over 8,000 men (a force that included Native American members of the Hitchiti tribe, led by Kinache, and several hundred black soldiers from the British West Indies colonies) to assemble before launching his attack.

Battle

Map of the battle.

In the early morning of January 8, Pakenham ordered a two pronged assault on the American position: one attacking the west flank across the Mississippi, and one directly against the main American line.

The attack began under a heavy fog, but as the British neared the main enemy line, the fog suddenly lifted, exposing them to withering artillery fire. The British, armed only with muskets effective at close range, tried to close the gap, but discovered that the ladders needed to cross a canal and scale the earthworks had been forgotten; it did not matter because the soldiers did not reach the canal. Most of the senior officers were killed or wounded, and the British infantry could do nothing but stand in the open and be mown down by a combination of musket fire and grapeshot from the Americans.

There were three large, direct assaults on the American positions, but all were repulsed. Pakenham was fatally wounded in the third attack, when he was hit by grapeshot on horseback while 500 yards from the earthworks. General John Lambert assumed command upon Pakenham's death and ordered a withdrawal.

At the main battle on January 8 the British suffered 2,037 casualties, (291 dead including the three senior generals, 1,262 wounded and 484 captured or missing). The Americans had 13 dead 39 wounded and 19 missing . The only British success was on the west bank of the Mississippi River, where a 700-man detachment attacked and overwhelmed the American line. But when they saw the defeat and withdrawal of their main army on the east bank, they decided to withdraw also, taking some American prisoners and a few cannon with them.

United States forces at the time of the battle were between 3,500 and 4,500. This force was composed of U.S. Army troops (Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Louisiana Militia), U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy sailors, Barataria Bay pirates, Choctaw Indian warriors, and free black soldiers. Major Gabriel Villeré commanded the Louisiana Militia, and Major Jean-Baptiste Plauché headed the New Orleans uniformed militia companies.

Aftermath

Andrew Jackson commanding American troops. Engraving by H. B. Hall after W. Momberger.

With the defeat of the British Army and the death of Pakenham, Lambert decided that despite reinforcements and the arrival of a siege train to besiege New Orleans, continuing the battle would be too costly. Within a week, all of the British troops had redeployed onto the ships and sailed away to Biloxi, Mississippi, where the British army attacked and captured Fort Bowyer on February 12. The British army was making preparations to attack Mobile when news arrived of the peace treaty. Even though it had not been ratified the British realized the war was over and they sailed home.

Americans had believed that a vastly powerful British fleet and army sailed for New Orleans (Jackson himself thought 25,000 troops were coming), and most expected the worst. The news of victory, one man recalled, "came upon the country like a clap of thunder in the clear azure vault of the firmament, and traveled with electromagnetic velocity, throughout the confines of the land." (Ward p 4-5) The news turned a frustrating war into a triumph and created a surge of American nationalism. Andrew Jackson won the reputation that propelled him to the White House.

A federal park was established in 1907 to preserve the battlefield; today it features a monument and is part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

Pop/Culture Reference

Johnny Horton sang a song documenting and hyperbolizing the Battle of New Orleans, entitled 'The Battle of New Orleans.'

See also

• Jackson's Military Road
• Chalmette National Cemetery
• Our Lady of Prompt Succor

References

• Owsley, Frank. Struggle for the Gulf borderlands: the Creek War and the battle of New Orleans 1812-1815 (1981)
• Pickles, Tim New Orleans 1815; Osprey Campaign Series, #28. Osprey Publishing, 1993.
• Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, 1767-1821 (1977)
• Remini, Robert V. The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson and America's First Military Victory. Viking Penguin, 1999. ISBN 0-670-88551-7
• Dunbar Rowland; Andrew Jackson's Campaign against the British, or, the Mississippi Territory in the War of 1812, concerning the Military Operations of the Americans, Creek Indians, British, and Spanish, 1813-1815 (1926), online version
• John William Ward, Andrew Jackson, Symbol for an Age. 1962.

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External links

• Map
• The Battle of New Orleans — summary account by the Louisiana State Museum, with photographs
• History of Louisiana, Vol. 5, Chapter 10 — detailed account by Charles Gayarré
• The Battle of New Orleans — detailed account by John Smith Kendall
• The Glorious Eighth of January — colorful account by Grace King
• Battle of New Orleans - song lyrics by Jimmy Driftwood, which won two 1959 Grammy Awards