USA > Kentucky > The history of Kentucky, from its earliest discovery and settlement, to the present date, V. 2 > Part 9
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490
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
presently made an attempt to carry the nearest gunboat by boarding, and were repulsed with dreadful slaughter, two of them being sunk. The at- tempt was renewed by four others, with nearly the same result. The enemy, however, persevered, and finally succeeded in capturing the whole, having carried most of them by boarding. The action lasted about two hours, and was uncommonly severe and bloody. The loss of the enemy was estimated at three hundred killed and wounded, and several barges sunk. Our loss in killed and wounded was comparatively very small, being only five killed and thirty wounded. Both Jones and Lockyer were wounded severely. A resist- ance so obstinate and destructive to the enemy, against a force so superior, reflects the highest honor on the American officers and seamen. They had formerly been under the command of Captain Porter, who immortalized Val paraiso by the obstinate and desperate resistance which he made at that place against a superior force of the enemy, and they now proved themselves worthy pupils of that invincible naval hero.
On the day after the battle, intelligence of the result was brought to New Orleans by the commander of the schooner, who had escaped by land from the bay of St. Louis. The city already alarmed, distracted, and despairing, was thrown into consternation and confusion by the event. A powerful, well-disciplined, and well-appointed army was upon the coast, and the only feeble barrier which prevented its approach through the lakes, within a few miles of the city, was now entirely swept away. The whole force under Jackson, on which the salvation of the State depended, did not exceed four thousand, of which only one thousand were regulars. The greater part of this force was kept at the city, that it might be ready to meet the invaders in any pass which they might select for their approach. The mounted vol- unteers under Coffee had not yet arrived from Mobile.
At such a crisis and in such circumstances, the utmost exertions of every patriot, and the most vigorous and efficient measures for the public security became indispensable. The general had not forgotten the representations which he had previously received from the highest authority, concerning the general character of the population, the number of disaffected persons in the city, and particularly the want of confidence in the legislative repre- sentatives of the people, which their conduct in the present session had inspired. With a view, therefore, to supersede such civil powers, as in their operation might interfere with those which he would be obliged to exercise in pursuing the best measures for the safety of the country, and under a solemn conviction, after consulting with the best patriots in the place. that the measure was proper and required by the situation of our affairs, he de- termined to place, and on the 16th did proclaim, " the city and environs of New Orleans under strict martial law." This decisive measure received the approbation and cordial acquiescence of every friend to the safety of the country. It was accompanied by suitable regulations, which required every person entering the city to report himself at the office of the adjutant-gen-
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491
GENERAL JACKSON'S PROCLAMATION.
eral, and every person or vessel leaving it, to procure a passport from the general, one of his staff, or the commanding naval officer. The street lamps were to be extinguished at nine o'clock in the night, and every person after- ward found abroad, without permission in writing, was to be apprehended as a spy. The whole of the citizens-sojourners, passengers, and persons of every description, who were capable of bearing arms-were pressed into the land and naval service.
The general at the same time published the following address to the people :
"The major-general commanding has learned, with astonishment and regret, that great consternation and alarm pervade your city. It is true the enemy is on our coast, and threatens an invasion of our territory; but it is equally true, that with union, energy, and the approbation of Heaven, we will beat him at every point, where his temerity may induce him to set foot on our soil.
"The general, with still greater astonishment, has heard that British emis- saries have been permitted to propagate a seditious report among you, that the threatened invasion is with a view of restoring the country to Spain, from a supposition that some of you would be willing to return to your ancient government. Believe no such incredible tales. Your Government is at peace with Spain. It is the mortal enemy of your country, the com- mon enemy of mankind, the highway robber of the world, who threatens you, and has sent his hirelings among you with this false report, to put you off your guard, that you may fall an easy prey to his rapacity. Then look to your liberties, your property, and the chastity of your wives and daughters. Take a retrospect of the conduct of the British army at Hampton, and other places where it entered our country, and every bosom which glows with patriotism and virtue will be inspired with indignation, and pant for the arrival of the hour when we shall meet the enemy and revenge these out- rages against the laws of civilization and humanity.
"The general calls upon the inhabitants of the city to trace this unfounded report to its source, and bring the perpetrator to condign punishment. The rules and articles of war annex the punishment of death to the crime of holding secret correspondence with the enemy, supplying him with pro- visions, or creating false alarms : and the general announces his unalterable determination, rigidly to execute the martial law in all cases which may come within his province.
" The safety of the district entrusted to the protection of the general must and will be maintained with the best blood of the country; and he is confident that all good citizens will be found at their posts with arms in their hands, determined to dispute every inch of the ground with the enemy, and that unanimity will pervade the whole country. But should the general be disappointed in this expectation, he will separate our enemies from our friends. Those who are not for us are against us, and will be dealt with accordingly."
492
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
The traitors well knew from the character of General Jackson that the threatening parts of this proclamation were not mere sound and fury, but that they would be carried into execution with the utmost rigor and prompti- tude. Disaffection was thus awed into silence, and the friends of the country were inspired with unbounded confidence, harmony, and enthusiasm. The militia of the city and all its environs were armed, accoutered. and drilled twice every day. On the 18th, an address from the general was read to those of the city, by his volunteer aid, Mr. Livingston, the following extracts from which will exhibit the spirit of the times :
"The general commanding in chief would not do justice to the noble ardor that has animated you, in the hour of danger-he would not do jus- tice to his own feelings-if he suffered the example you have shown to pass without public notice. Inhabitants of an opulent and commercial town, you have, by a spontaneous effort, shaken off the habits which are created by wealth, and shown that you are resolved to deserve the blessings of fortune by bravely defending them. Long strangers to the perils of war. you have embodied yourselves to face them with the cool countenance of veterans; with motives to disunion, that might operate on weak minds, you have forgotten the difference of language, and the prejudices of national pride. and united with a cordiality that does honor to your understanding as well as to your patriotism."
Information was now received that the enemy, after the capture of our brave flotilla, was pressing to the westward, through the islands and passes of Lake Borgne, in his boats and light vessels; but the point at which he would attempt to debark, or the pass through which he would endeavor to reach the city, was still unknown. With a view to greater security, in guard- ing the numerous bayous and canals, which lead from the lake through the swampy district, to the high land on the margin of the river, the superinted- ence of that service was entrusted to Major-General Villere. who commanded the militia between the river and the lake, and who, being a native of the coun- try, was presumed to be best acquainted with its topography. He kept a picket guard stationed at the mouth of the bayou Bienvenue, which led into his own plantation on the bank of the river ; but contrary to the orders of Gen- eral Jackson, he left the navigation of the bayou unobstructed. On the 23d of December. the enemy having selected this pass for their approach. suc- ceeded in surprising the guard at the mouth of the bayou, and in capturing a company of militia, stationed on the plantation of General Villere. Their troops were then conveyed up the bayou to the number of three thousand, and an encampment formed between the river and the marsh, on the prem- ises of Major Lacoste. The intelligence of their approach was brought to headquarters at the city about one o'clock on that day, and General Jackson immediately determined to attack them, without delay, in their first position.
In the meantime. General Coffee had arrived with his brigade of mounted men from Mobile, and also General Carroll with part of his division of
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493
JACKSON ATTACKS THE BRITISH.
militia infantry from West Tennessee. The latter had descended the rivers with a degree of celerity unparalleled in the history of military movements. His troops had embarked on the 24th ultimo at Nashville, and on the even- ing of the 22d instant, it being the twenty-ninth day of their voyage, they arrived very opportunely near the city of New Orleans. They were now encamped with the mounted men, who had also recently arrived, about four miles above the city, and were all immediately ordered down by General Jackson, to anticipate the dangers of battle on the toils of the march. The general expected that the troops which the enemy were debarking by the pass of Bienvenue did not constitute their principal, or at least their only force, but that a simultaneous attack would be made by the way of Chef Mentiere. He, therefore, posted the division of General Carroll. with the city militia, on the Gentilly road leading to Chef Mentiere. to meet such an event. At five o'clock he was ready to march down against the enemy with the rest of his troops. The whole force was very much inferior to that of the enemy, which was commanded by General Keane.
About seven o'clock, General Jackson arrived near the British encamp- ment, where all was quiet, his advance upon them being concealed under cover of the night, while their fires in the camp fully exposed them to his view. Their right extended to the swamp, and their left, which was the strongest part of their lines, rested on the bank of the river. Arrangements were immediately made for the attack. General Coffee was ordered to turn their right, while Jackson. with the regulars, attacked their strongest posi- tion on the left. Commodore Patterson had been ordered to drop down the river in the schooner Carolina, and commence a fire on their camp, which was to be the signal for a general charge.
At half-past eight the commodore opened his fire. General Coffee's troops then rushed on the right of the enemy with great impetuosity, and entered their camp; while Jackson engaged their left with equal ardor, supported by the fire of the schooners and the two field pieces. The action soon be- came general, and was obstinately contested on both sides, the hostile troops being frequently intermixed with each other in the conflict. About ten o'clock, after the battle had raged more than an hour, a thick fog came over them, which caused some confusion among our troops, and rendered it necessary, in the opinion of our general. to desist from the contest. Had it not been for this unfortunate occurrence. he would no doubt have gained a decisive victory, and have blasted at once the presumptuous hopes of the invader. He lay on the field of battle, in the face of the enemy. till four o'clock in the morning, and then withdrew his army with so much address as to elude their vigilance, and conceal the weakness of the force by which they had been so boldly attacked. Having retired up the river about two miles, he encamped his troops on the firm, open ground between the river and the swamp, at a narrow point between the enemy and the city. where their progress could be arrested with less labor and fewer troops than at any
494
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
other position he could have selected. The instinctive qualities of general- ship Jackson never failed to show in every emergency.
When General Keane first reached the banks of the Mississippi, he felt supremely confident that the conquest of the city would be an easy achieve- ment for his Wellington invincibles; but the uncivil greeting which he re- ceived the first evening on our shores convinced him of his error, taught him to respect our prowess and enterprise, and made him contented with maintaining his first position, until the commander-in-chief, Lieutenant-Gen- eral Sir Edward Packenham, could arrive with the balance of the forces. The most important advantages were thus derived to our cause by this bold, decisive, and judicious movement of our general. The progress of the ene- my was arrested, which gave us time to fortify and entrench our lines in the most eligible position for defense; and our success in the battle inspired our troops with the confidence of veterans. The loss of the enemy was com- puted at four hundred killed, two hundred and thirty wounded, and seventy prisoners captured, including among them one major and several other offi- cers of less rank. Our loss was twenty-four killed, one hundred and fifteen wounded, and seventy-four missing. Among the dead were Lieutenant- Colonel Lauderdale, of the Tennessee mounted men. and Lieutenant Mc- Clelland, of the Seventh infantry, and several other officers were wounded.
General Jackson now determined to fortify his position, act on the de- fensive, and await the arrival of the Kentucky detachment. The interests committed to his care were too important to be exposed to any unnecessary hazard by offensive and premature operations against the enemy. The care of Chef Mentiere pass being entrusted to Colonel Morgan, of the city mili- tia, the division of General Carroll was brought down to the lines. and the fortifications commenced with the utmost vigor and dispatch. They con- sisted of a straight line of works extending from the river on the right of our troops to the swamp on their left. A breastwork was thrown up from four to five feet high, with a wet ditch close in front. about four feet deep and eight feet wide. Several heavy pieces of artillery were then mounted on the works, with their embrasures lined with bales of cotton. On the right. the works terminated in a bastion, with a battery calculated for raking the ditch. Such were the fortifications now completed with the utmost expedi- tion in the power of our troops. aided by the labor of a number of negroes from the plantations. The opening of the ditch was also facilitated by the presence of an old canal which had been dug to convey the water of the river, down to a mill at the edge of the swamp.
On the 20th, the ship Louisiana, Commodore Patterson, and the schooner Carolina, Captain Hunley. dropped down the river. took a position near the enemy's camp, and opened a brisk, destructive fire upon them, from the severity of which they were glad to shelter themselves by retiring into the swamp. In the night, however, they erected a furnace and battery at a con- venient distance on shore, and were ready at daylight on the 27th to com-
495
PACKENHAM ARRIVES ON THE SCENE.
mence a fire of red-hot shot on the assailing vessels. The ship was out of their reach, but the schooner being becalmed within the range of their guns, and prevented from ascending by the strength of the current, Captain Hunley was compelled to abandon her, and she soon afterward took fire and was blown up.
Sir Edward Packenham, commander-in-chief, having now arrived and brought up large re-enforcements to the British camp, they resolved on mak- ing a demonstration on our works, with a view to effect something important and decisive. On the 28th, they advanced with their whole force. and com- menced a tremendous cannonade and bombardment of our lines. Balls, shells, and congreve rockets were thrown in showers on the breastwork, and over the heads of our troops. Their columns were formed and brought up, apparently with the intention of storming our works on the left. But their fire was returned with great spirit and vivacity by our batteries, which compelled them, after three hours of incessant cannonading. and fruitless exposure of their lines, to retire with disappointment to their camp. Their expectations appeared to be that their tremendous cannonade and great quantity of com- bustibles thrown on our works would frighten away the militia, or throw them into confusion. and thus afford a favorable opportunity for making an assault. But the firmness and cool intrepidity of our troops, combined with the destructive fire of our batteries, kept them at a respectful distance. and at last compelled them to abandon the enterprise. Their loss on this occasion was considerable --- not less than one hundred and twenty killed, while ours was but seven killed and eight wounded. Lieutenant Henderson, of the Tennessee militia, was among the slain. For several days after this affair nothing important occurred. Skirmishes occasionally took place between the picket guards, and the enemy's camp was sometimes annoyed by the ship Louisiana.
Though disappointed in their expectations on the 28th, they did not abandon the project of forcing our lines, but prepared for a more formidable attack on Sunday morning. the Ist of January. Admiral Cochran, the naval commander, had sent us word, on his arrival off the coast. that he would eat his Christmas dinner in New Orleans; and General Packenham now resolved at least to spend his New Year in the city. Under cover of the night, and a heavy fog which continued until eight o'clock in the morn- ing, the enemy advanced within six hundred yards of our works, being con- siderably nearer than they had come before, and there erected three different batteries, mounting in all fifteen guns, from six to thirty-two pounders, and as soon as the fog had cleared away in the morning they commenced a heavy and incessant fire. throwing shot. bombs, and rockets in showers at our works. They also essayed again to advance to the assault in column, but the steady and skillful fire of our batteries soon arrested their progress and put them to flight. An incessant cannonading, however, was continued throughout the day, until late in the evening, when our balls had dismounted
496
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
and silenced nearly all of their guns. Under cover of the night, they again withdrew from the unprofitable contest. Our loss on this day was eleven killed and twenty-three wounded; while that of the enemy, from their very exposed situation, must have been-severely great.
The opposite side of the river, or the right bank, now became an object of attention with both armies. Commodore Patterson had landed some of the guns of the Louisiana. and erected a battery on the bank, opposite the main works on the left side, for the purpose of co-operating with the right of our lines, and flanking the enemy in his advance up the river to attack them. After the affair on the ist of January, the battery was enlarged by landing and mounting more guns, and a furnace was prepared to heat shot. with a view to fire the houses between the two armies, which were occupied by the British. The Louisiana militia and New Orleans contingent were also stationed at that place under General D. B. Morgan, for the purpose of repelling any attack on the battery, or any attempt to move up on that side and annoy the city across the river, which the enemy might make. On the 4th, General Morgan began to throw up a breastwork, and mounted three twelve-pounders for the defense of his troops. On the 4th, also, the Kentucky detachment under General Thomas arrived at the city. They were nearly destitute of arms, for they had brought but a few with them from home, and those which had been shipped in trading-boats at Pittsburgh had not yet arrived. They were ordered to encamp at the canal of Madame Piernass, one mile above the American lines, until they could be equipped for service. The city was now ransacked for arms to supply the Kentuck- ians. By the 7th, a sufficient number was collected and repaired. together with a loan obtained by General Adair from a corps of exempts, to arm the regiment commanded by Colonel Slaughter, and the battalion under Major Harrison. These corps, one thousand strong, were then marched down to the lines, under the command of General Adair, Major-General Thomas being unwell, and were posted immediately in the rear of General Carroll's division, to support the center of our works.
The enemy in the meantime were engaged, on the suggestion of Admiral Cochrane, in enlarging a canal which connected the Mississippi with bayou Bienvenue, to enable them to draw their boats through it into the river. and make an attack on our establishment under Patterson and Morgan. On the 7th, their operations were reconnoitered across the river by the commodore. who ascertained in the evening that they had nearly completed the under- taking. He immediately communicated this information to Jackson, with a request that re-enforcements might be sent over, to assist in the defense of his position. The general accordingly ordered four hundred of the unarmed Kentuckians, to go up to the city where they would be supplied with arms, and then come down on the opposite side to Morgan. It was in the night when they marched: and a supply of indifferent arms could be procured for no more than two hundred, who proceeded to their place of destination,
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497
THE ENEMY REPULSED.
while the balance returned to camp. About one o'clock in the morning of the 8th, the commodore discovered that the enemy had gotten their barges into the river, and that an uncommon stir was prevailing in their camp, of which the commanding general was duly notified.
No doubt now existed in the American camp, that another formidable attack was on the point of being carried into execution on both sides of the river. As the enemy had already been twice repulsed, it was reasonable to expect that his third attempt would be desperate and bloody. Our main army, however, was well prepared to receive him, and anxious for an assault to be made. The whole extent of our works, about eighteen hundred yards from the river to the swamp, was well finished, well manned with brave soldiers, and well defended with artillery. The regulars, with part of the militia from Louisiana, occupied six hundred yards on the right, next to the river ; General Carroll's division occupied eight hundred yards in the center, and General Coffee defended the balance of the works on the left. The Kentuckians, formed in two lines, occupied four hundred yards in the center, close in the rear of General Carroll's command.
As soon as the dawn of day enabled us to see some distance in front of our lines, the enemy were discovered advancing in great force, formed in two powerful columns on the right and left, and prepared with fascines and scaling-ladders to storm our works. Their left column, which was the least, was led up the bank of the river by General Keane, while their main col- umn was conducted against the center of our works by General Gibbs. A third column was held in reserve, under the command of General Lambert. The ground over which they had to march to the assault was a perfect level. beautifully overgrown with clover, and without any intervening obstruction whatever. The signal for the onset was the discharge of a rocket from the head of their column next the river, when their whole force rent the air with a shout, and advanced briskly to the charge. A tremendous cannonade was at the same time opened on our works from their mortars and field artillery, and from a battery of six eighteen-pounders, which they had erected within five hundred yards of our lines.
Their attack was received by our troops with the utmost firmness and bravery, and their fire immediately returned by the artillery on our works, under the direction of deliberate and skillful officers, who tore their columns, as they approached, with a frightful carnage. As soon as the heads of their columns had arrived within the range of our small arms, they were assailed in a manner still more destructive, by the steady, deliberate, well-aimed fire of our rifles and musketry. Though they advanced under this havoc with firmness and intrepidity, yet, ere they could reach our works, they were thrown into confusion and repulsed. But the brave officers who led them soon rallied their flying troops, reformed their shattered columns, and led them the second time to the charge. with renovated vigor and fury. In vain was their bravery, in vain the utmost exertion of their powers; they only
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