years, I hope to be enabled to correct some errors and omissions that may be observed in this history. Such as it is, however, whether for good or for evil, with all its faults and deficiencies, I now present it to the American public, to sink or swim on its own merits.

THE AUTHOR.

Brooklyn, New York, May, 1856.

HISTORICAL FACTS AND REMINISCENCES

CONNECTED WITH OUR WAR WITH ENGLAND, IN 1812, '13, AND '14, AND ITS GLORIOUS TERMINATION IN THE EARLY PART OF 1815.

IN March, 1814, the allied armies entered Paris, when a general peace was concluded between the European nations for a short period. Louis XVIII. was placed on the throne of France, and the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte sent, by mutual agreement, to the Island of Elba; so that after a general and sanguinary war had convulsed Europe from its centre to its utmost boundaries, for a period of twenty-four years, a general peace was suddenly proclaimed, and the old Bourbon dynasty again restored to power.

In consequence of these arrangements, the United States of America were left alone and single-handed to wage war against England, with her immense fleets and armies to assail us on every side, both by sea and land. It was presumed by the nations of Europe that the United States would fall an easy prey to her powerful enemy.

At this period, the writer of these pages was at La Rochelle, where many a worthy Frenchman, friendly to the United States and her institutions, said to him: "What now will become of your unfortunate country, thus left without the aid of any other friendly nation to fight England?. Will she not with her immense power crush and destroy you without mercy ?" I replied that I had no fear for the final result; and it was my opinion, that if England sent an army to invade the United States, very few of those composing it would ever live to return

home again; that notwithstanding her immense navy, covering almost every sea, our little navy and privateers would so harass and annoy her trade and commerce that she would very soon be glad to make peace with us for her own interest. I was persuaded that the merchants of Great Britain, if compelled to pay such enormous rates of premium on their ships, while at war with the United States, could not carry on trade to any advantage and compete with the rest of Europe.

They dreaded the policy of the American Government to burn, sink, and destroy every capture made from the enemy, and her instructions to every national vessel not to attempt to send a single British captured vessel into port for fear of recapture.

To carry out this plan of destruction, the American Government had determined to send to sea twenty swift vessels. This fleet was to be called the Flying Squadron. The Government had also decided to augment the bounty allowed to privateers, to act upon the same principle. This system enraged the English almost to madness, which evinced itself against the Americans in the massacre perpetrated on unarmed seamen at Dartmoor prison.

As the general peace in Europe was supposed to be permanently established, it was obvious that the British Government had no further use for its fleets and armies in that quarter of the globe. It, therefore, resolved to send a large fleet and army to the United States, to humble the Americans, and make them sue for peace, by laying waste the cities along the Atlantic board. For this purpose, the British formed a grand plan of concentrating all their disposable force at Jamaica, after the battle of Toulouse. Lord Wellington's veteran troops had been, for several years, campaigning in Spain and Por

tugal, under the immediate eye of him whom the English familiarly called the Grand Duke. These soldiers had been trained and drilled by Marshal Beresford, Lord Hill, General Packenham, and other veteran chiefs, and often boasted of having gained numerous victories over the French in almost every part of the Peninsula. These troops came from Toulouse to Bordeaux, where the writer of these pages saw them reposing on their laurels previous to their departure for Jamaica. Here they quietly remained until ordered to resume their wonted occupation of war and bloodshed. After a few months' relaxation, they were embarked on board men-of-war and transports for Jamaica. In combination with this fleet, a small squadron of men-of-war with two thousand troops, sailed from Portsmouth, Spithead, on or about the 1st of October, 1814. In the frigate Statira, belonging to this fleet, the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Edward Packenham. took passage. On their way out they touched at Barbadoes, took a few more soldiers from that garrison, and then proceeded down to Jamaica, where they were joined by another fleet with troops from the Chesapeake Bay, after their defeat at Baltimore. On their arrival at Jamaica, they all landed, and were reorganized and drilled, to accomplish their grand plan of capturing New Orleans. To make success doubly sure, and sweep everything before them, they augmented their numbers by taking with them two regiments of black soldiers, making together about fifteen or sixteen hundred men.

This army consisted of seven thousand soldiers, exclusive of seamen and marines, which probably swelled their numbers to nine or ten thousand men. There were in this army four Generals, viz.: Lambert, Gibbs, Keane and Sir Edward Packenham. The last-named

brother-in-law to the Iron Duke, and with him a great favorite. The whole of this army being placed under the command of Sir Edward Packenham, embarked on board forty ships and vessels of various sizes, and sailed from Jamaica, about the 1st of December, 1814, on their destined expedition to capture New Orleans.

They proceeded to Ship Island, in St. Louis Bay. This Island is situated at the entrance of sundry lakes, lying North and East of New Orleans. The design of the invaders was to attack that city in the rear. Besides the fleet containing the troops, which entered the lakes, the British Admiral sent into the Mississippi a small squadron, composed of two bomb-vessels, one sloop, one brig and a schooner, to co-operate with the land forces in the destruction of New Orleans, and subjugation of Louisiana. This marine force proceeded up the river to their anchorage, near Fort St. Philip, or Plaquemine, which fortification is located about forty-three miles below New Orleans, on the left bank of the river. At this place the channel is narrow while the forts are strong and efficient, having more than thirty-five pieces of heavy cannon, and a garrison of five hundred men.

On the 9th of January, 1815, the enemy commenced firing from their heavy sea mortars, prudently keeping out of the range of the shot from the fort, which they dared not attempt to pass, and thus contented themselves with cannonading the fort with bombshells. They continued their fire from the 9th to the 18th of January, a period of nine days, without doing the Americans any material damage, considering the length of the siege. The enemy threw in and about the fort more than a thousand heavy shells, besides shot and shells from howitzers, with round and grape. These they discharged from their boats under cover of night, when the Ameri