Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 66

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 66

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The action began between eleven and twelve o'clock, with scarcely a breath of air to stir the bosom of the lake. Perry in the Lawrence, accompanied by two of the small vessels, bore down upon the enemy, but was not closely followed by lieuten- ant Elliot in the Niagara, and the rest of the small vessels. For two hours Perry remained exposed to the fire of the whole Brit- ish fleet, by which his vessel was cut to pieces, and three-fourths of his crew killed and wounded. Elliot during this time was never within less than half a mile of the enemy, and the residue of the fleet was not nearer than a mile and a half, save the two small vessels which accompanied him. By two o'clock Perry's vessel was totally disabled, but the rest of his fleet was but little injured. The lake was so smooth, that the distant gun boats, from their long twenty-four and thirty-two pounders, threw their shot with great precision, and had made themselves felt in the action ; but Elliot's brig, which formed so essential a part of the force, and which was armed almost exclusively with carronadey had as yet annoyed the enemy but little, and had fought princi- pally with two twelve pounders, the only long guns she had. At two o'clock, Perry left the Lawrence under command of her lieu- tenant, and in an open boat, rowed to the Niagara. Upon Perry's expressing dissatisfaction at the manner in which the gun boats were managed, Elliot volunteered to bring them up. He left the Niagara in a boat for that purpose, and passed swiftly down the line, ordering them to cease firing, and by the combined use of their sweeps and sails, to press forward into close action.

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Instantly a new impulse was given to the whole line. The well known signal for close action, was now seen flying from the Niagara, and after a delay of fifteen minutes, to enable the gun boats to come up, Perry bore down upon the British line, passed through it, and delivered a raking fire of grape and cannister, from both broadsides, at half pistol shot distance. The dreadful cries from the Queen Charlotte and Lady Prevost, which followed this close and murderous discharge, announced the fatal accuracy with which it had been delivered. The gun boats were now within pistol shot, and a tremendous cannonade, accompanied by the shrill clear notes of many bugles from the English vessels, announced that they expected to be boarded, and were summon- ing their boarders to repel the anticipated assault. No boarding, however, was attempted. The superior weight of the American mettle, was now telling, in close fight, when the full power of their carronades was felt, and in fifteen minutes the enemy sur- rendered, with the exception of two of their smallest vessels, which attempted to escape. The attempt proved fruitless, and the whole fleet of the enemy became the prize of- the captors. When the smoke cleared away, so that the hostile fleets could be distinctly seen, they were found intermingled, within half pis- tol shot. The signal for close action was still flying from the mast head of the American commodore, and the small vessels were still sternly wearing their answering flag of intelligence and obedience. The loss on both sides, owing to the dreadful slaughter on board the Lawrence, was nearly equal. The Ameri- can loss was twenty-seven killed and ninety-six wounded, con- siderably more than half of which was sustained by the crew of the Lawrence.

This victory, never surpassed in splendor, however it may have been in magnitude, was decisive of the fate of the campaign. It gave to Harrison the complete command of the lake, and the power of throwing an overwhelming force into the rear of Proctor, if he should attempt to maintain his position at Detroit and Malden. Such, however, was by no means his intention. No sooner did he learn that Harrison, at the head of a small regular force, and the powerful reinforcement of Kentuckians under Shelby, was crossing the lake, and about to operate upon his rear, than he abandoned his position with great precipitation, and commenced a rapid retreat, in the first stages of which he was deserted by more than one half of his Indian auxiliaries. The gallant Tecumseh, at the head of more than a thousand war- riors, however, remained faithful in adversity, and accompanied him, as is believed under a promise that the first favorable ground should be selected for a battle. 'No time was lost in avail- ing himself of his complete command of the lake. The horses of the Kentuckians were left upon the American shore, under a guard reluctantly draughted for that indispensable but inglorious service, and enclosed within an ample grazing ground, while their comrades were joyfully wafted to the hostile shore, where

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they debarked on the 27th of September. Proctor had retreated on the 24th of the same month.

After detaching General McArthur to resume possession of De- troit, which had now been under British dominion for thirteen months, General Harrison, at the head of the Kentucky infantry, about one hundred and twenty regulars, and Colonel Johnson's regiment of mounted gunmen, commenced pursuit of Proctor. He came up with him on the 5th of October, upon the banks of the Thames, near the old Moravian village, where a decisive bat- tle was fought. The ground occupied by the British, was the river bottom, about three hundred yards wide, and thickly set with beech trees. Their left rested upon the river and their right upon a swamp, which ran parallel to the river, and covered their right flank. Beyond this swamp their line was prolonged by their Indian allies under Tecumseh. There were probably about five hundred British regulars, rank and file, upon the ground, and from 1000 to 1500 Indians. The force of Harrison, including the hand- ful of regulars and friendly Indians, was probably 3500 men. The English, however, presented a narrow front, and were well secured upon each flank, and the ground was extremely favora- ble to their Indian allies. Harrison's line of battle was formed of five brigades of Kentucky volunteers, under the generals Trotter, King, Chiles, Allen and Caldwell, the three first composing the division of Major General Henry; the two last commanded by Major General Desha. The division of Henry was formed in three lines, fronting the British regulars-that of Desha was formed at right angles to Henry facing the swamp, from which the Indian torrent was expected to burst. The venerable Shelby took his station at the point where the lines intersected. Colonel Johnson's regiment had originally been intended to turn the flank of the Indians, and operate in the rear, as in Wayne's battle, but General Harrison was informed by Colonel Wood, of the engi- neers, that the British regulars were deployed as skirmishers in loose order, and he instantly determined to charge them with the mounted gun men.

Colonel Johnson, finding that the whole of his regiment could not act with effect upon the English troops, directed his brother to charge the English with one battalion, while he charged the In- dians with the other. The charge upon the British was completely successful, and the whole regiment threw down their arms and surrendered. The charge upon the Indians, from the nature of the ground, and the more vigorous resistance, proved unsuccessful. The horsemen recoiled in disorder, and dismounting, commenced an irregular skirmish with the Indians. Colonel Johnson, who had gallantly led a forlorn hope of twenty men, was desperately wounded, and borne off before the close of the action. A vigorous fire was kept up by the Indians for a considerable time after the English had surrendered, but the fall of the brave Tecumseh, and the overwhelming force opposed to them, soon compelled them to a flight. Proctor fled early in the engagement, and was pursued

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for several miles by several American officers-John Chambers and Charles S. Todd, aids to General Harrison, together with majors Wood and Payne. All was vain, however. The victory was decisive, and closed the hostilities, so long protracted, in the north-west. They continued with increasing fury upon the eas- tern and southern borders of the Union, but as Kentucky had no direct share in the campaign of 1814-15, save in the crowning victory at New Orleans, it is inconsistent with the plan of this sketch to notice any but the last event.

CHAPTER V.

THE battle of New Orleans was the most brilliant event of the last war. It created a deep sensation at the time, and the vast political consequences which have resulted from it, have en- graved it deeply and indelibly upon the minds of the American people. The overthrow of Napoleon in 1814, had rendered dis- posable a large part of that veteran British force, which had marched under Wellington, through six campaigns of uninter- rupted victory, in Spain. New Orleans at that time, contained about 17,000 inhabitants, and was then as now, the great empo- rium of the Mississippi valley, and its possession by a hostile force would inflict incalculable evil, upon the whole country west of the Alleghenies.

At the close of 1814, a force of from eight to twelve thousand veteran and incomparable British troops, was placed under the command of Sir Edward Packenham, the brother-in-law of Wel- lington, and an officer who in a subordinate station, had brilliantly distinguished himself at the battle of Salamanca. His orders were to seize and hold New Orleans, and in pursuance of that object he effected a landing at the mouth of the Mississippi on the 22d of December, after destroying a flotilla of six gun boats, which attempted to prevent the disembarkation of this mighty armament. Such was the principal maritime force, which the American gov- ernment had prepared to resist this invasion. The land forces were upon a similar beggarly scale. General Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee, since so celebrated throughout the civilized world, was the American commander-in-chief, and when the vanguard of the British force encamped a few miles below the city, he had only two regiments of regular troops, amounting to less than seven hundred men, and about 3000 citizens, without discipline, and poorly provided with arms, to meet the bronzed veterans of the Peninsula. A division of Kentucky militia was descending the Mississippi, under General Thomas, to aid in the defence, but had not yet arrived, and when it did come, was almost entirely

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without arms or ammunition, nor were there any adequate maga- zines in the city, from which they could be supplied. Several boat loads of arms and munitions of war had been shipped at Pittsburgh, and were then struggling through the shoals of the Ohio; but when they might be expected to arrive, if ever, was matter of conjecture. Such was the preparation for defence.

In the meantime their formidable enemy was upon them within two hours' march of the city, which was entirely unforti- fied, and filled with consternation. On the very night of their landing, Jackson promptly marched to meet them. The British force present under arms was about 4500 men. The force with which Jackson made the attack was about 2500, having left one brigade of Tennessee militia under General Carroll, and a corps of Louisiana militia under Governor Claiborne in the rear, to guard against any attempt which might be made by the residue of the British force. The American schooner Caroline, com- manded by Lieutenant Henly, of the navy, was ordered to drop down the river until abreast of the British camp, and co-operate with the land forces in the attack. The British troops were en- camped upon the very verge of the river, which was high at the time, and only prevented by the levee from overflowing the en- campment. The Caroline floated slowly down the river, and at- tracted no notice from the enemy, who had no suspicion of her character. When abreast of the encampment, which was lit up by numerous fires, the Caroline dropped her anchor and brought her broadside to bear. The enemy in crowded masses, were before her, their blood-red uniforms, and gilded accoutrements, glaring in the light of an hundred fires. Her guns loaded with grape and musket balls, were discharged within half range, upon this dense mass, with fatal accuracy. The enemy was completely surprised by this attack, and great confusion ensued. The Caro- line poured in repeated broadsides, in rapid succession, which was answered by vollies of musketry, quickly followed by show- ers of Congreve rockets, one of which exploded directly over her deck. A portion of the British force sought shelter behind the levee, while the residue were withdrawn from the bank, and the fires completely extinguished. A dense fog now settled over the river and encampment, which added to the darkness of the night.

For some time the silence was broken only by the regular broad- sides of the schooner, and the equally regular discharges of the mortar battery. But other sights and sounds quickly followed. A tremendous roar of musketry, was soon heard, about one half mile back from the river, and the horizon in that direction was lit up for a mile in extent by a stream of fire. Scarcely had this occurred, when another burst of musketry, intermingled with the sharper reports of rifles, in irregular but heavy vollies, upon the very verge of the river, and above the late encampment, an- nounced to the British commander that Jackson was upon him in two divisions, and that in the murky mist, where the fight was waged, discipline must yield to native daring. The British

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troops, accustomed to the regular battles, and splendid evolutions of the Peninsula, were entirely out of their clement in this wild- cat fight, in the mud and darkness, of the Mississippi. They were ignorant of the number of their enemies, and totally igno- rant of the ground. Great confusion on both sides ensued. The American troops occasionally fired upon each other, and the British did the same. An English officer who was present des- cribes it as a desperate and bloody struggle in the dark, where wounds were given by swords, knives, bayonets, butts of guns, musket and rifle balls in profusion, amidst shouts, cries, and curses, which might have awakened the dead.

After a vehement struggle of two hours, the parties separated as if by mutual consent, and sullenly retired to their respective camps. The British remained under arms until daylight, not knowing when or from what quarter the attack might be renewed, and during the long winter night, the silence was broken only by the cries of the miserable wounded, who were left in their blood, as they had fallen, over the whole theatre of the battle. The American loss, in killed, wounded and prisoners, was two hundred and thirteen. The English loss was nearly five hundred. The force present on the field, under Jackson, in this battle, was composed of Coffee's brigade of Tennesseeans, the seventh and forty-fourth regiments of regulars, a company of riflemen, a company of marines, two battalions of city volunteers, and a regiment of Mississippi volunteer dragoons, who were not actually engaged. Upon retiring from the British camp, Jackson instantly ordered up Carroll's brigade of Tennesseeans, directing Governor Claiborne alone to hold the position in the rear, intend- ing with this reinforcement to renew the attack. Carroll promptly obeyed the order, and in one hour after midnight was upon the ground ready for action.

Jackson in the meantime had ascertained the force of the enemy from the prisoners taken in the battle, and further learned that they would be reinforced in the morning by two additional regiments. He declined renewing the attack, therefore; and withdrawing his force from the immediate vicinity of the enemy, he formed them behind a shallow ditch, which crossed the bottom at right angles to the river, connecting the river with a swamp. The bottom was rather more than one thousand yards broad. The earth had been thrown out of the ditch upon the upper side and formed a natural, but low breast work. This was greatly strengthened by an additional quantity of earth thrown upon it, from the upper side, leaving a shallow trench on the upper side of the breastwork, in which the men stood, and which in rainy weather, was more than ankle deep in mud and water. The ditch was extended some distance into the swamp, which was nearly impassable beyond it. Coffee's brigade had charge of the flank resting upon the swamp. Carroll's brigade and the regulars were posted in the centre, and the Louisiana militia had charge of the river quarter. The troops were incessantly employed in

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strengthening the lines, and the arrival of the Kentucky militia was anxiously expected.

On the morning after the night skirmish, Sir Edward Packen- ham, with two more regiments of the British force arrived, and no good reason can be given for his tardiness and delay in availing himself of his overpowering superiority. He certainly had from five to seven thousand men present under arms, and it is equally certain that General Jackson had not much more than half that number, fit for duty. When Jackson retired behind the ditch, then offering no serious defence, there was nothing to pre- vent Packenham's advancing upon him. Kentucky had not then appeared, and the British were in full force, save two regiments which had not yet come up. Napoleon would have seized the golden opportunity, and would have pressed the retiring militia so closely as to have given no leisure for that formidable breast- work, against which courage and discipline toiled in vain.

No movement of consequence was made by the British from the 24th to the 28th of December, which precious interval was improved by Jackson in incessant labor upon his works, and in the most active exertions to procure arms from the city and neighborhood, and have them prepared by workmen, who were employed day and night, in fitting them for service. The right bank of the river also engaged Jackson's attention, which was completely open to the British, and as they had destroyed the schooner Caroline with hot shot, they had complete command of the river below. Jackson threw up some hasty works on the right bank, and manned them with a few hundred militia, badly armed; but there was nothing on the right bank capable of even delaying Packenham's march, so late as the 8th of January.

On the 28th, after the loss of four days, Packenham moved for ward, with a heavy mass against the front of the American lines, while a smaller column under Lieutenant Colonel Rennie, a gal- lant Scotch officer, attempted to turn the left of the line, where it rested upon the swamp. The demonstration in front under Packenham was repulsed by a converging fire of artillery from the whole line, for Jackson had availed himself of the ample time given him by the enemy, to mount some heavy guns taken from ships, along his line, and they were worked by the officers and seamen of the Caroline, with a skill and accuracy that told fearfully upon the advancing column. The demonstration of Rennie upon the left flank, if made with a large force and pro- perly supported, would probably have been successful. He found the swamp passable, although with difficulty, and succeeded in turning the left of the line. He was there met by a portion of Coffee's brigade, with whom he skirmished, until he was recalled by Packenham.

This demonstration called Jackson's attention more particu- larly to his left. The breastwork was extended farther into the swamp, and platforms were constructed in the water, upon which the men could stand, and by which they could readily pass to the

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extremity of the line. Baffled in this tardy and feeble effort to advance, Packenham then commenced regular approaches, as if he were attacking a Spanish town strongly fortified, and after several days' labor, opened a battery of heavy artillery against the earthen breastwork. His guns were ineffectual, however, and were quickly dismounted by the American artillery. It seems then suddenly to have occurred to Packenham, that the opposite bank of the river afforded a passage to the city, and was but slightly defended, and he instantly determined to employ his whole force, in deepening the canal that led from the British fleet to the Mississippi, in order to bring up the boats from the fleet, and thus command both banks of the river. This proved a herculean undertaking, and was not completed until the eve- ning of the 6th of January.

In the meantime a division of Kentucky militia, commanded by General Thomas, more than 2000 strong, arrived in camp, and two additional regiments of Louisiana militia arrived. The Ken- tucky troops could at first, only muster five hundred muskets, and the Louisiana reinforcements were miserably armed. But the men were hardy and brave, and immense exertions were made to arm them, which were partially successful. Even on the day of battle, however, there were six hundred men under Jackson ready and anxious to fight, who could not procure a musket, to defend their country. Never was there a more strik- ing contrast between the activity, energy, and inexhaustible re- sources of a general, and the imbecility of a government.

Having now allowed his enemy time to receive all his rein- forcements, to entrench himself behind formidable works, to manufacture and repair arms for his naked troops,-having first directed his enemy's attention to the vulnerable point in his line of defence, by a weak demonstration, and then given him ten days to strengthen it, Packenham at last determined to attack. Having now fifty boats at command, one would suppose that he would prefer advancing by the right bank, which was unfortified, rather than by the left, which bristled with entrenchments. Both would lead to within reach of the city, and by the former rout, he would turn those terrible lines, before which he had halted seventeen days, and render all Jackson's labor useless. With his ample corps of sappers and miners, he might have bridged the Mississippi, in the time employed in deepening the canal. Even after the boats arrived, twenty-four hours would have trans ported his whole force to the opposite shore. He determined, however, to make a demonstration with only 1400 on the right bank, and with the residue of his force, to assail the terrible lines in front. Orders were given to that effect, on the evening of the 7th. Colonel Thornton was to cross the river with 1400 men at midnight, and assail General Morgan, who commanded on the right bank, at day light. At the same time the main body, in three columns, on the left bank, was to assail Jackson's line. Pack- enham would lead the centre column in person. Lieutenant

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Colonel Rennie the left column, which was to assault the line upon the river ; and Lieutenant Colonel Jones, the right column, which was destined to turn the left of the line through the swamp, and attack the rear of the centre.

The preparation in the American lines, was of the most for- midable kind. The right of the line resting on the river, was strengthened by an advanced redoubt, and that whole quarter was defended by the Louisiana militia and the regulars. Car- roll's Tennessee brigade and about 1100 Kentucky militia, formed the centre; and Coffee's brigade of Tennesseeans guarded the left flank, extending far into the swamp. General Thomas being sick, General Adair commanded the Kentuckians, who formed a corps de reserve, and were directed to march to the assailed point, and strengthen the line there. It was well understood that an attack would be made on the morning of the 8th, and the Ken- tucky troops were marched to the lines before day, and halted about fifty yards in rear of the centre, until the grand point of attack should be disclosed. It was intended that the line should have a depth of ten files at the point of attack, so that the stream of fire should be incessant. The front rank alone would fire, as fast as the nine ranks behind could pass forward their loaded muskets, receiving those discharged, in their places. When the point of attack had been clearly disclosed, the Ken- tucky troops were ordered to close up, with Carroll's brigade of Tennesseeans, upon whom it was evident, the storm was about to burst.

Two rockets thrown into the air were the signals to move for- ward, and the three columns, the veterans of six glorious cam- paigns, covered with renown as with a garment, and hitherto victorious in every field, rushed against an earthern breastwork, defended by men who had hurried from the plough and the work- shop, to meet the invaders of their country. The fog lay thick and heavy upon the ground, but the measured step of the centre column was heard long before it became visible, and the artil- lery opened upon them, directed by the sound of the mighty host, which bore forward as one man to the assault. At the first burst of artillery, the fog slowly lifted, and disclosed the centre column advancing in deep silence, but with a swift and steady pace.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 66

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452