70 DEFEAT OF JONES' FLOTILLA. chartrain, a strong battery and a garrison were placed at the mouth of the Bayou St. John, and a flotilla consisting of five gunboats, a schooner, and a sloop was stationed at the bay of St. Louis, 60 miles to the northeast of New Orleans. Meanwhile the British expedition was approaching the coast. This consisted of 50 of the finest ships of the English navy, armed with 1,000 guns and carrying nearly 20,000 soldiers and sailors. On the transports were some of the regiments that had fought at Bladenburg, Washington and Baltimore, two negro regiments from the West Indies, four regiments that had served under Wellington in the Peninsular campaign, and some Highlanders from the Cape of Good Hope, all under the command of Sir Edward Pakenham.* After landing at Chandeleur Island at the entrance of Lake Borgne on December 10, the troops were at once transferred from the heavy ships to the light ones, and, under convoy of some gunboats, entered the lake, where they beheld six American gunboats drawn up as if to meet them. Lieutenant Thomas A. C. Jones, the commander of the flotilla, decided it best to retire and oppose the entrance of the invaders into Lake Pontchartrain.t On the 12th the schooner Sea Horse, in the bay of St. Louis, finding it impossible to escape, was set on fire and blown up.* The other vessels then retired. On the night of December 12 about 980 seamen and marines were embarked on 45 launches and barges to search for the American gunboats. The latter had become becalmed and were compelled by the tide to anchor. On December 14 the British boats overtook the American vessels and, after a sanguinary contest, captured and destroyed them with a loss to themselves of only 17 men killed and 77 wounded.† The American lost 6 killed and 35 wounded. ‡ There were now only two public vessels left to dispute the passage of the British up the river the Louisiana (16 long 24's) and the Carolina (12 12pound carronades and 2 long 12's), commanded by Captain Daniel T. Patterson.|| Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 142; Latour, War in West Florida and Louisiana, pp. 59-60; Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 40-41; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 343-344; Frost, Life of Jackson, p. 308. Lossing (War of 1812, p. 1026) gives the British force as 1,200 and their loss as about 300 killed and wounded. Frost (Life of Jackson, pp. 308-310) also gives these numbers. Wilkinson's Memoirs, vol. i., p. 535; Latour, War in West Florida and Louisiana, pp. 57-62 and app. xix.; Jones' report in Fay, Official Accounts, pp. 293–295; Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 41-42; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 344-346, 459-460; Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., pp. 143-144; Spears, History of the Navy, vol. iii., pp. 232–238; Gleig, Campaigns, pp. 261– 264; James, Military Occurrences, vol. ii., P. 349 and app. lxxviii.-lxxxii. Phelps, Louisiana, p. 267; King, New Orleans, pp. 222-223; Adams, United States, vol. viii., pp. 335-336; McMaster, vol. iv., p. 183; the accounts from the Subaltern and Jones quoted in Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 41 et seq. MARTIAL LAW DECLARED; THE BRITISH ADVANCE. News of the disaster reached Jackson as he was returning from his tour of inspection down the river. Within a few hours riders with orders were speeding over the country in every direction. The officer in charge of Fort St. Phillip was directed to hold the fort while a man lived to point a gun. Expresses were sent to Coffee at Baton Rouge and to Carroll and General John Thomas wherever they might be found on the river, urging them to hasten with all possible speed to New Orleans. General James Winchester was cautioned to be watchful, to guard the route to Fort Jackson, and to defend Mobile at all hazards. A proclamation to the people of New Orleans was issued asserting that the district must and would be defended, and that every man who did not appear with arms in his hands to dispute the British would be dealt with accordingly. At the same time Jackson recommended that the Legislature suspend the writ of habeas corpus, but, finding the Legislature dilatory and inactive, he declared the city under martial law.§ The expresses sent out by Jackson to the * Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 56. Latour, War in West Florida and Louisiana, p. 65. Frost, Life of Jackson, p. 311. Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., pp. 57-58. § Frost, Life of Jackson, pp. 317-318; Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., pp. 377-378; McMaster, vol. iv., pp. 183-184; Adams, United States, vol. viii., pp. 336-337; Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 1026-1027; Latour, War in West Florida and Louisiana, app. xxi. 71 various commanders soon brought results. Coffee received the summons on December 17 and set out the next morning with 1,250 men. In two days he had made 120 miles, on the night of December 19 camping with 800 men' within 15 miles of New Orleans having been forced to leave behind those who could not stand the rapid pace.t On November 27 Carroll with the Tennessee brigade left Nashville and arrived at New Orleans on December 21. A battalion of Mississippi volunteers likewise hurried down.t Meanwhile the British had lost no time. Their advance had disembarked on the Isle aux Poix in Lake Borgne on the night of December 14, and during the following week 7,000 troops with their equipment were transported in small boats over the 30 miles between the ships and the island. As soon as the troops on Isle aux Poix were ready to move, 1,688§ under Colonel William Thornton were dispatched toward the Mis sissippi. Crossing the lake and passing five miles up the Bayou Bienvenu, they attacked the plantation of Major Gabriel Villeré, capturing the major, his militia and all his family. Villeré, however, escaped to New Orleans and announced the arrival of the enemy, Eaton, Life of Jackson, p. 290. Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 65. Gleig, Campaigns, pp. 265-267. § James, Military Occurrences, vol. ii., p. 355. Gleig (Campaigns, p. 274) says 1,600; Lossing (War of 1812, p. 1028) says 1,800. JACKSON'S ATTACK ON THORNTON. who were then but six miles from that city.** It is a mooted question whether the British might not have captured the city if they had attacked it immediately. But, instead of venturing upon such an attempt, Major-General John Keane, the commanding officer, halted his men within pistol-shot of the river and bivouacked in the open. This afforded Jackson an opportunity to show his mettle. At about 2 o'clock on the afternoon of December 23 Major Latour, who had approached within rifle-shot of the British force, reported to Jackson the position and numbers of the enemy,† and on this information the general decided to attack. For this purpose he had about 5,000 regulars, volunteers, and militia, with two 6-pound field-pieces. Besides, at New Orleans lay the Carolina, armed with 1 long 12-pounder and 6 12-pound carronades on her broadside. The 16-gun sloop of war Louisiana was also at New Orleans, but not ready for immediate action. Thus Jackson had an immense advantage over the 1,700 British troops, since they had only two 3-pounders and rockets.|| Aware of his superiority, Jackson * Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 69 et seq.; Gleig, Campaigns, pp. 278-279. Lossing (War of 1812, p. 1029), however, says that a young Creole had already warned Jackson. Latour, War in West Florida and Louisiana, p. 88; James, Military Occurrences, vol. ii., p. 361. Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 347. Buell (History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., p. 388) gives different statistics. Adams, United States, vol. viii., pp. 343-345. 73 left about half of the force to guard the town and with 2,131 men started at 5 o'clock to annihilate the British detachment.* Jackson was obliged to make his main attack in narrow column along the road. To gain the advantage, therefore, he detached Coffee with over 700 men to skirt the edge of the cypress swamp, wheel to the right, and attack the British flank and rear, while he himself, with 1,400 men and the two guns, struck the British advance on the levee.† The signal for the land attack was to be given by the guns of the Carolina, which, as darkness came on, had dropped down the river and anchored close in shore abreast of the British camp. She was to fire seven broadsides and then send up three rockets as the signal for attack.‡ As soon as she was anchored, shortly after 7 o'clock, the Carolina discharged a deadly shower of grape among the British soldiers,|| and 10 minutes later Jackson, who was waiting two miles above, began *Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., pp. 74-75. In his official letter Jackson says he had only 1,500, but Latour (p. 105) in a detailed statement makes the total 2,024, besides which Jackson had 107 Mississippi dragoons, who, because they were on horseback, took no part in the action. Buell (History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., p. 376) gives slightly different figures. He says also that altogether the British had 7,000 troops within two hours' march of the scene of battle. Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 1030-1031; Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 85. Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., pp. 387-388. Gleig, Campaigns, p. 286; Frost, Life of Jackson, pp. 228-329; Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., pp. 389-390. 74 JACKSON'S ATTACK ON THORNTON. the advance.* Moving down the road with his regulars and New Orleans volunteers, Jackson struck the British outposts a few minutes before 8 o'clock and drove them back.† Thornton then ordered up the 85th and 95th regiments, 800 rank and file, to support the outposts and thus to check Jackson's advance. In his official report of December 27 Jackson says that a heavy fog arose about 8 o'clock and occasioned some confusion among the different corps. Fearing the consequences of the further prosecution of a night attack with troops then acting together for the first time, he contented himself with lying on the field that night.|| Although the battle was severest where Jackson commanded, it was most successful where Coffee attacked. When the Carolina opened fire, Coffee advanced on the British flank, striking it nearly opposite the Carolina's position. The British were thus surrounded, and so great became the confusion that at times Coffee found nothing but squads of men gathered about their officers to Little by little the oppose him.§ * King, New Orleans, p. 231; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 347, 465-466; Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 145; Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 42-44. Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., pp. 85-91. Gleig, Campaigns, p. 288; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 1031. See the report in Fay, Official Accounts, pp. 279-281. See also Frost, Life of Jackson, pp. 336338; Latour, War in West Florida and Louisiana, p. 100. § Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 467; Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 91 et seq. British were forced back toward the river, finally taking refuge behind a low levee about 300 yards from the river. The thickening fog, the smoke of the battle, and the darkness contributed to the confusion and knots of men in great disorder swept over the field, here advancing, there retreating, firing into friend and foe, and fighting with clubbed weapons, fists and knives.* At last, under the protection of the levee, the British made a stand. At the same time several divisions of the 21st and 93d regiments arrived on the field, whereupon, despairing of further success, Coffee withdrew his men from the scene of conflict.† Keane reported his loss as 46 killed, 167 wounded, and 64 missing, a total of 277. Jackson reported a loss of 24 killed, 115 wounded, and 74 missing, a total of 213.|| General Jackson, as we have seen, lay on the field that night, but at 4 o'clock the next morning, fell back to a position about two miles nearer the city, where the swamp and the Mississippi converged and converged most Mississippi where his line of advance would, Gleig, Campaigns, p. 291 et seq.; King, New Orleans, pp. 232-233; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 1032; Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., pp. 392-393. Frost, Life of Jackson, pp. 333-335. James, Military Occurrences, vol. ii., pp. 529533. See, however, Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, vol. i., p. 398. Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 468; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 1032 note; Parton, Life of Jackson, vol. ii., p. 103. |