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General Andrew Jackson's "Brilliant Victory at New-Orleans"
General Andrew Jackson's "Brilliant Victory at New-Orleans"
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Jackson Andrew

General Andrew Jackson’s “Brilliant Victory at New-Orleans”

 

This issue of a New Hampshire newspaper includes extensive coverage of General Andrew Jackson’s victory in the Battle of New Orleans.


 

[WAR OF 1812]. Portsmouth Oracle, February 11, 1815. Portsmouth, N.H.: Charles Turell. 4 pp., 13.25" x 19.5"  This copy was sent to “Jacob Ashton Esq.” of Salem, Massachusetts. His name is written in the top margin of the first page. Some wrinkles and marginal tears, involving a small loss of text on p3/4.


 

Excerpts


General Andrew Jackson to Secretary of War James Monroe, December 26, 1814:


“The enemy having, by the capture of our gun-boats, obtained command of the lakes, were enabled to effect a passage to the Mississippi at a point on the side of New-Orleans, and about 9 miles below it. The moment I received the intelligence I hastened to attack him in his first position. It was brought on in the night, and resulted very honorably to our arms.” (p1/c4)

 

Andrew Jackson to James Monroe, December 27, 1814:


“I arrived near the enemy’s encampment about seven and immediately made my dispositions for the attack. His forces amounting at that time on land to about 2000, extended half a mile on the river, and in the rear nearly to the wood. Gen. Coffee was ordered to turn their right, while, with the residue of the force, I attacked his strongest position on the left, near the river. Com. Patterson having dropped down the river in the sch. Caroline, was directed to open a fire upon their camp, which he executed at about half after seven. This being the signal of attack; Gen. Coffee’s men with their usual impetuosity rushed, on the enemy’s right, and entered their camp, while our right advanced with equal order. There can be but little doubt, that we should have succeeded on that occasion with our inferior force in destroying or capturing the enemy, had not a thick fog which arose about 8 o’clock, occasioned some confusion among the different corps. Fearing the consequences, under the circumstances, of the further prosecution of a night attack with troops then acting together for the first time, I contented myself with lying on the field that night, and at four in the morning assumed a stronger position about two miles nearer to the city.” (p1/c4)

 

Andrew Jackson to James Monroe, December 29, 1814:


“The enemy succeeded on the 27th in blowing up the Caroline, (she being becalmed) by means of hot shot from a land battery which he had erected in the night. Emboldened by this event, he marched his whole force the next day up the levee, in the hope of driving us from our position, and with this view opened upon us, at the distance of about half a mile his bombs and rockets. He was repulsed, however, with considerable loss—not less, it is believed, than 120 in killed.” (p1/c5)

 

Letter from Camp near New Orleans, January 6, 1815:


“We all remained perfectly quiet until the morning of the 1st January, when they had advanced within 60 yards of our breast-works, under cover of night and a heavy fog, and erected three different batteries, mounting in all 15 guns, from 6s to 32s. About 8 o’clock, when the fog cleared, they commenced a most tremendous fire upon us, but it was amply returned by us, and a heavy cannonading was kept up without the least interval on either side, except that occasioned by the explosion of my magazine in the rear of my battery, and the magazine of my captain in the night, owing to their Congreve rockets.” (p1/c5)

 

“Since our last fight, the Kentucky troops have arrived—near 3000 men---which makes our force better than 8000; so that New-Orleans, I believe, is pretty safe.” (p1/c5)

 

“Brilliant Victory at New-Orleans”

Letter from New Orleans, January 13, 1815:


“On Sunday the 8th January, the enemy made a very bold attempt, by advancing in three columns; one on the levee, one in the centre, and the other on the left. Their advance was discovered when it was sufficiently light in the morning to distinguish a man from a horse at the distance of 100 yards, when two rockets gave the alarm. Their troops on the levee reached and had possession of our right bastion; but, fortunately, not to hold it long. Their officer, Col. Reine [Robert Rennie], who had mounted the ramparts, was ordering the d—d Yankees to surrender, when one of our riflemen shot him dead; and all his men shared his fate, or were made prisoners. The centre and left column (the latter flanked by woods) were halted within 400 yards of our lines. As soon as they were discovered, our artillery opened the most destructive fire perhaps ever witnessed. The British then attempted to charge, but as soon as they came within reach of our sharpshooters, were obliged to retire. They made two other attempts to carry their point, but were equally unsuccessful.” (p2/c4)

 

“Their whole loss cannot be estimated at less than 1500 to 2000 men, which has weakened their force very much since their first arrival, when it was computed at 8000. They cannot have now more than half this number ready to take the field. Our loss was SIX men killed, and TWELVE wounded.” (p2/c4)

 

Andrew Jackson to James Monroe, January 18, 1815:

“Early on the morning of the 8th the enemy, having been actively employed the two preceding days in making preparations for a storm, advanced in two strong columns on my right and left. They were received, however, with a firmness which, it seems, they little expected, and which defeated all their hopes. My men, undisturbed by their approach, which indeed they had long anxiously wished for, opened upon them a fire so deliberate and certain, as rendered their scaling ladders and facines, as well as their more direct implements of warfare, perfectly useless. For upwards of an hour it was continued with a briskness of which there have been but few instances, perhaps, in any country.” (p3/c1)

 

“Their loss was immense. I had at first computed it at 1500; but it is since ascertained to have been much greater.... My loss was inconsiderable; being only seven killed and six wounded. Such a disproportion in loss, when we consider the number and the kind of troops engaged, must, I know, excite astonishment, and may not, every where, be fully credited; yet I am perfectly satisfied that the account is not exaggerated on the one part, nor underrated on the other.” (p3/c1)

 

“The enemy having hastily quitted a post which they had gained possession of, on the other side of the river, and we having immediately returned to it; both armies at present, occupy their former positions. Whether, after the severe losses he has sustained, he is preparing to return to his shipping, or to make still mightier efforts to attain his first object, I do not pretend to determine.” (p3/c1)

 

Historical Background


By mid-December 1814, sixty British ships with nearly 14,500 soldiers and sailors aboard had anchored in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. On December 14, British sailors and Royal Marines captured the five American gunboats guarding the lakes east of New-Orleans. With access to the lakes, the British established a garrison about 30 miles east of New Orleans.

 

On December 23, General John Keane and approximately 1,800 British soldiers reached the Mississippi River but halted nine miles south of New Orleans to await reinforcements. That night, Jackson led 2,100 men in a night assault on the British camp, then withdrew to the Rodriguez Canal, about four miles south of the city. There, Jackson’s men created a heavily fortified earthwork. British General Edward Pakenham arrived on the battlefield on Christmas Day and ordered an assault on December 28, which the Americans repulsed. The Americans continued fortifying their position, and the main British army arrived on January 1, 1815, and began an artillery bombardment that lasted for three hours and destroyed several American guns.

 

Early on the morning of January 8, the British forces attacked the American lines. The fog that had concealed their approach lifted, exposing them to withering artillery fire. Although they briefly captured the redoubt on the American right along the river, the British could not hold it and most were either killed or captured. Both main British assaults were repulsed, and the British commanding general Edward Pakenham was mortally wounded.

 

The best historical estimates of casualties for the battle on January 8 are approximately 62 American casualties, of whom 13 were killed, and just over 2,000 British casualties, of whom 285 were killed. British casualties for the entire campaign totaled 2,459 with 386 killed, 1,521 wounded, and 552 missing, while American casualties totaled only 333, with 55 killed, 185 wounded, and 93 missing.

 

On January 11, the British commander agreed with his officers to withdraw. On February 4, 1815, the fleet with all of the British troops aboard set sail for Mobile Bay, Alabama, where it captured Fort Bowyer at the mouth of the bay on February 12. The following day, while making preparations to attack Mobile, the fleet received news of the Treaty of Ghent. The British abandoned Fort Bowyer and returned to their base in the British West Indies.

 

Additional Content


This issue also includes a scorching anti-administration editorial reprinted from the Examiner (p1/c1-2); President Madison’s entire veto message on the National Bank bill (p1/c2-3); the latest news from Europe, including the Congress of Vienna’s attempts to develop a peace plan for Europe by settling issues arising out of the Napoleonic Wars and “the COMMISSIONERS AT GHENT still continued their negotiations for peace between England and America.” (p2/c1); and an endorsement of Federalist incumbent John Taylor Gilman for governor (Gilman refused to run for another three-year term) (p3/c1).

 

Portsmouth Oracle (1801-1821) was a weekly newspaper published in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by William Treadwell. His brother Daniel Treadwell joined him in publishing the newspaper from 1801 to 1803. William Treadwell sold the newspaper in September 1813 to Charles Turell, who continued the Oracle until 1821.

 

 



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