USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II > Part 72
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ish falling back to their camp. The men wanted to charge with the bayonet and Plauche gave an order to that effect, but it was countermanded by Col. Ross. Latour, in his memoir, says that if this charge had been made the enemy would have been compelled to surrender. The fight continued until nearly 10 o'clock, when Jackson, secing it was too dark to carry on the attack with cer- tainty, fell back to De La Ronde's plantation. The British loss in this engagement in killed. wounded and missing was 305 men- that of the Americans 213. When the militia under Gen. Morgan at the English Turn heard that the British had reached Villere's plantation, they asked their commander to lead them against the enemy. Morgan at first refused, but when the firing commenced the impatience of the men could not be restrained and he ordered an advance. A slight skirmish occurred on Jumonville's planta- tion, but the position of Jackson's men could not be ascertained in the darkness and, fearing an ambush, Morgan halted his men in a field until about 3 a. m. of the 24th, when they marched back to the English Turn. At daylight it was discovered that they had passed the night within a few hundred yards of some 600 British, who, probably believing the Americans to outnumber them, had refrained from making an attack.
After this action Jackson decided to act on the defensive. He fell back about 2 miles and fortified a position along the left bank of the Rodriguez canal-an old mill-race forming the boundary of the Rodriguez and Chalmette plantations-where a line of breast- works was thrown up and artillery planted. Jackson ordered the levee to be cut for the purpose of overflowing the ground in his front. The levee was also cut at Jumonville's plantation below the enemy, in the hope of making an island out of his camp, but in the end this proved an advantage to the British. The antici- pated rise of the river failed to come, but enough water flowed through the opening at Jumonville's to fill up the canals and bayous leading to Lake Borgne, thus enabling the enemy to bring up his heavy artillery. In the meantime the two American boats, the Carolina and the Louisiana. harassed the British constantly from the river. Sir Edward M. Pakenham arrived on Dec. 25, and as- sumed command of the British forces, which were divided into three divisions with Gen. Gibbs commanding the 1st, Gen. Lam- bert the 2nd, and Gen. Keane the 3d. Pakenham's first object was to get rid of the two vessels. and at daylight of the 27th he con- centrated the fire of 5 guns on the Carolina, throwing hot shot. the second of which lodged in the hold and set the ship on fire. The aim of the English gunners was remarkably accurate, and fear- ing an explosion of the powder on board. Capt. Henley ordered the men to the shore. Soon after being abandoned the Carolina blew up, and the British then directed their fire to the Louisiana, which was fortunately towed beyond the range of the guns. Late that evening Pakenham occupied Bienvenn and Chalmette planta- tions and the next morning he advanced against Jackson's lines, but the well directed fire of the American batteries, aided by the
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guns of the Louisiana, compelled him to fall back with some loss. The British afterward claimed that the movement was intended merely as a demonstration to feel the American position.
On the 30th about 300 men from the Acadian coast joined Jack- son ; Gen. Philemon Thomas arrived on Jan. 1, 1815, with 500 militia from Baton Rouge, and on the 4th Gen. John Thomas reached New Orleans with 2,250 Kentuckians. Of these only 550 were armed, and under command of Gen. John Adair they marched to the Amer- ican lines. To procure more arms Jackson directed the mayor of New Orleans to visit the homes of the citizens and find out what arms they possessed. During the night of Dec. 31 the British suc- ceeded in planting two batteries on the Chalmette plantation, one of which commanded the house in which Jackson had his head- quarters. About 10 a. m. on New Year's day these batteries- 28 guns in all-opened fire. In less than 10 minutes over 100 shots struck the house, though not a man was hurt. Of the American batteries only 10 guns could reply, but these did so with animation and for some time the artillery duel was kept up, the British in- fantry being drawn up ready to advance as soon as the American guns were silenced. A detachment of sharpshooters was sent into the woods to see if Jackson's left could be turned, but Coffee's "squirrel hunters" soon convinced . them that nothing could be ac- complished in that direction. Some of Jackson's cotton bale de- fenses were knocked down and set on fire. 3 guns were slightly disabled and 2 caissons exploded, but the Americans stood man- fully to their work and by 2 p. m. the enemy ceased firing and returned to his camp.
Reinforcements came to the British a few days after this engage- . ment and a general attack was planned for Jan. 8. Pakenham's army now numbered over 14,000 men, most of them well-seasoned veterans, well equipped with arms and munitions of war. Opposed to this force Jackson had 3.200 men, 800 having been detached to guard camp and for other purposes. Thompson, in his Story of Louisiana, says: "It was a motley line that lay behind those rude earthworks on the 8th of Jan., 1815, and such weapons of war as the men had would make a soldier of today laugh to see. Okt fire- lock fowling-pieces. bell-muzzled blunderbusses, long backwoods rifles, rusty muskets, old horse-pistols-anything that could be . made to fire either ball or shot was clutched by a resolute hand and held to be aimed by a steady eye."
The American line was defended by 13 pieces of artillery divided into eight batteries. No. 1, near the river, was under command of Capt. Humphreys of the regular U. S. artillery, and was served by regular artillerymen and Maj. St. Geme's dragoons. Nos. 2 and 4, were commanded by Lieuts. Norris and Crawley of the navy. and were manned by the old crew of the Carolina. No. 3 was com- manded by Capts. You and Beluche of the Baratarians and was manned by French marines. Nos. 5 and 7, commanded by Col. Perry, Lients. Kerr, Chauveau and Spotts, were served by gun- ners from the regular artillery. No. 6, Gen. de Flaujac command-
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ing, was handled by the company of Francs. No. 8, commanded by a corporal of artillery and manned by volunteers from Carroll's brigade, did but little service as the guns were not in good condi- tion. Gen. Morgan had been ordered up from the English Turn to the right bank of the river, where Maj. Latour had begun an intrenchment, but had not completed it. During the night of the 7th Commodore Patterson observed a line of British soldiers on the levee opposite Morgan and sent word to Jackson, who ordered Gen. Adair to send 500 Kentuckians to Morgan's support.
Pakenham's plan was for Col. Thornton to attack Morgan with 600 men and + pieces of artillery, while the main assault was to be made against Jackson's left near the wood. Thornton was delayed in crossing the river and did not begin his attack at the appointed time, but Packenham did not wait. A little while before daybreak he began his advance, the American pickets falling back without noise and reporting that the enemy was coming. Just at daybreak a Congreve rocket was sent up near the wood. This was the signal for attack. The first column, commanded by Gen. Gibbs, moved toward the wood, but were met by a withering fire from Batteries No. 6 and 7 and the unerring markmanship of the Tennesseeans and Kentuckians, "who shot at will with such rapidity that their whole line seemed to be but one sheet of fire." Col. Mullens, who had been intrusted with the work of providing fascines and ladders, failed to carry out the order, and his regiment was sent back to get them. This occasioned some confusion in the British ranks, but they steadily advanced until an oblique movement became neces- sary in order to avoid the destructive fire of Flaujac's battery, when again some disorder occurred. Just then a detachment of Mullens' regiment, led by Pakenham in person. arrived with the fascines and ladders, and a few platoons succeeded in reaching the ditch, only to be met by the fatal bullets of the "squirrel hunters," whose aim never wavered. After an ineffectual struggle of 25 minutes the column broke and retired in confusion. Keane hurried his High- landers to the support of Gibbs, the men were rallied after an effort, and throwing aside their knapsacks they again advanced, but again they were met by that infallible, merciless fire and repulsed with heavy loss. Pakenham, who had been wounded in the arm during the first assault, was again wounded and died on the field shortly after. Gibbs was mortally wounded and Keane severely wounded, and the command of the column devolved upon Maj. Wilkinson. He succeeded in reaching the top of the works, but met his death on the summit. Consternation prevailed among the assailants, who again broke and this time fled in the utmost dis- order, in spite of the efforts of the officers to rally them. Appeals to honor and love of country, threats, reproaches, and even blows with the flat of swords, were alike powerless to check the fugitives who refused to stop until they were beyond the range of the American guns.
Farther to the right another assault was made by a column under Col. Rennie. The outposts were driven in and so closely followed
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that the British entered an unfinished redoubt through the em- brasures before more than one or two volleys could be fired upon them. For a brief time it looked as if this attack would be a suc- cess, but the coolness of the 7th infantry and Beale's Orleans rifle- men, with the steady fire of Batteries 1, 2 and 3, finally won the day. Rennie and two of his officers were killed on the top of the parapet while cheering on their men, and the column was then forced to retreat in disorder. Thornton, on the right bank of the river, had met with better success. By a flank movement of the British, Morgan was dislodged, and Patterson, who had established a marine battery on that side of the river, was forced to spike and abandon his guns. This victory of the enemy was of short dura- tion. Thornton was wounded and Col. Gubbins, who succeeded to the command, soon received orders to recross the river and join the shattered and disheartened army on the left bank. The order was. obeyed that night. Gen. Lambert, now in command, sent a flag of truce to Jackson, asking permission to bury his dead and care for the wounded. The request was granted, and the American soldiers even assisted the British in the work. The American loss on both sides of the river was 71 ; that of the British was 2,036. On the left bank Jackson's loss was but 7 killed and 6 wounded, according to his report of Jan. 13, 1815.
The battle of New Orleans-the bloodiest and virtually the last battle of the War of 1812-was fought nearly a month after the conclusion of the treaty of peace, which was signed at Ghent on Dec. 24, 1814. Had the magnetic telegraph and the Atlantic cable been in existence then as now, the slaughter of 2,000 English sol- diers could have been averted. A British fleet bombarded Fort St. Philip in a desultory way from Jan. 9 to 17. and on the 19th the British camp was found to have been evacuated during the preced- ing night. On Feb. 12 Fort Bowyer surrendered to Gen. Lambert. but soon after the news of the treaty was received it was restored to the Americans. (See also the articles on Andrew Jackson, Louis Louallier and Claiborne's State Administration.)
War with Mexico .- In 1835, after a struggle of several years' duration, Texas became an independent republic. Her indepen- dence was acknowledged by the United States in 1837, and by France, England and Belgium in 1840. Soon after the latter date. agitation was begun for the annexation of Texas to the United States. The people of Louisiana, as the nearest state of the Union to the "Lone Star Republic," as Texas was called, took a deep interest in the question, and Gov. Mouton, in his message to the general assembly on Jan. 6, 1845, recommended "such action on the part of the legislature as will be expressive of the wishes and feel- ings of the people of the state concerning this measure." After much discussion a resolution was adopted expressing "the desire of the people for the immediate annexation of Texas by all lawful and constitutional means." On March 1. 1845, three days before he retired from office. President Tyler approved a joint resolution of Congress annexing the territory to the United States, and in July
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Gen. Zachary Taylor, with the "AArmy of Occupation," numbering about 1,800 men, took possession of Corpus Christi, Tex. This action was resented by Mexico, which nation had never acknowl- edged the independence of Texas, and as Gen. Taylor had no mounted artillery, he called upon Gen. Gaines, then commanding at New Orleans, for a body of skilled artillerists. This was the first call upon the State of Louisiana for troops, and it met with a hearty response. Every uniformed battery in New Orleans and the immediate vicinity promptly tendered its services and begged that it might be permitted to go to Taylor's relief. From the vol- unteers Gen. Gaines selected two batteries-one under Capt. Forno and one under Capt. Bercier-and despatched them under the com- mand of Maj. Gally on the steamer "Alabama" to Corpus Christi. The timely arrival of the Louisianians enabled Taylor to hold his position, but about three months later the regular U. S. mounted batteries arrived and the volunteers from New Orleans returned to their homes.
On Dec. 29, 1845. Texas was admitted into the Union and early in 1846 Taylor's orders carried him to the Rio Grande, where he became engaged with the Mexicans, and on April 26 he made a requisition on Louisiana for four regiments "to be sent at the earli- est moment possible." The manner in which this request was an- swered is thus described by Gov. Johnson, who had succeeded Gov. Mouton in February, in a letter to the secretary of war, dated June 12, 1846: "The call upon the patriotism of Louisiana presented a startling view of the critical and perilous situation of the army and of Point Isabel, and left no time for calculating reflection, and none for delay. An absorbing, energetic sentiment of duty to the coun- try possessed the minds and hearts of this entire community. The judge deserted the bench, the lawyer his clients, the physician his patients, the merchant his counting-house, the mechanic his work- shop, and the minister of the Gospel his pulpit, to respond to the proclamation for volunteers ; and, though we had severe difficulties to encounter, by union and decision of action they were speedily overcome. In an incredibly short space of time several thousand brave and devoted men were forwarded to the seat of war. where they happily arrived in time to enable Gen. Taylor more confidently to assume an offensive attitude against the enemy."
Taylor's requisition was received by the governor on May 2. The legislature, which happened to be then in session, promptly in- structed him to rush forward the regiments and appropriated $100,- 000 to cover the expenses of raising and equipping the troops. On the 12th the Ist, or Washington regiment, leit by steamer for the Rio Grande under command of Col. James B. Walton. About this time came the news of the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma and the recruiting went forward with enthusiasm. Addi- tional appropriations, amounting to about $200.000, were made by the general assembly, and in a short time five more regiments started for the front. They were the 2nd. Col. J. H. Dakin : the 3d, Col. S. T. Marks : the 4th, Col. Horatio Davis; the 5th, Col. Bailie
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Peyton : and the 6th, Col. Edward Featherstone. Upon reaching the Rio Grande they were consolidated into the Louisiana battalion under command of Brig .- Gen. Persifer F. Smith. In Dec., 1846, a regiment was raised and despatched to Tampico under command of Col. De Russy, and in May, 1847, a battalion of five companies was added to the Louisiana troops in the field. Later in the year a battalion of mounted volunteers under Lieut .- Col. W. F. Biscoe entered the service and was engaged about Vera Cruz and on the campaign leading up to the capture of the City of Mexico. Alto- gether about 6,000 men from Louisiana participated in the stirring scenes of the war, and probably as many more were raised in the state that were not permitted to enter the service, though they were held in readiness to answer any call that might come. Several regi- ments of militia were mustered into the United States service, but saw no duty outside of the state.
While these brave sons of the Pelican State were engaged in carrying the war into the enemy's country those at home were not unmindful nor unappreciative of their heroic services, nor of the gallant commanders who led them to victory after victory. On June 1, 1846, the governor was authorized by legislative resolution to procure a sword to present to Gen. Taylor for his brilliant suc- cesses at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and an appropriation of $500 was made to carry the resolution into effect. Early in Jan., 1847, two sums of $300 each were placed at the governor's disposal to purchase stands of colors for the Louisiana regiments, and an appropriation of not exceeding $8,000 was made for raising an- other regiment. On April 29 the general assembly passed a reso- lution extending thanks and gratitude to Gen. Taylor, the officers and soldiers under his command, for skill, bravery and patriotic conduct in the capture of Monterey. The resolution specially men- tioned Gen. Persifer F. Smith, Col. Bailie Peyton, Capts. Blanch- ard. Graham and Musson, Lieut. Ten Brook, the two brothers Nicholls, lieutenants of the Phoenix company. and privates Ken- dall, Hays, Lilly and Lewis, "officers and soldiers of the State of Louisiana, present at the storming of Monterey." On the same date the governor was directed to procure a sword for presentation to Brig .- Gen. W. S. Worth in the name of the state, "in testimony of respect and admiration of the citizens of the state for his actions on carrying several redoubts and fortifications at the city of Mon- terey, on the 21st and 22d days of Sept., 1846." To.carry out these resolutions the sum of $500 was placed in the governor's hands. On May 4, 1847, an appropriation of $500 was made for the purpose of purchasing a sword for Gen. Winfield Scott, and the governor was authorized to procure the same and have it engraved with the inscription : "Presented by the people of the State of Louisiana to Gen. Winfield Scott for his gallantry and generalship at the siege of Vera Cruz and the battle of Cerro Gordo." At the same time $1.000 were appropriated for the purpose of having a gold medal struck for presentation to Gen. Taylor for his gallant services at the battle of Buena Vista. On March 6, 1848, the legislature
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remembered Gen. Smith by appropriating $500 for a sword, which was directed to be inscribed on one side with the arms of the state and on the other with the words: "Presented to the Hero of Con- treras by the people of the State of Louisiana."
After the war was over the general government reimbursed the state for its outlay in raising and equipping troops, though Gov. Johnson, in a message to the legislature, says that this was not done "without treating our volunteers with some illiberality, and rejecting some of their just claims on the plea of the absence of certain formalities, which had not been observed, either from igno- rance, or from the want of time, when circumstances were so press- ing and delays so full of danger."
War Between the States, 1861-65 .- Early in 1861, when war be- came imminent. Gov. Moore promptly seized the U. S. forts, arse- nals, etc., in Louisiana, and called a special session of the legislature to enact measures of defense. Fort Sumter fell on April 13, 1861. and on the 15th the Crescent Rifles left New Orleans for Pensacola. The following day the Louisiana Guards, the Shreveport Grays, the Grivot Grays and the Terrebonne Rifles were organized into a bat- talion under command of Lieut .- Col. Charles D. Dreux, who was the first Louisiana officer to meet a soldier's death in battle. Dim- itry (Confederate Military History, Vol. X, p. 29) says: "Louisiana lost no time in meeting the call of the Confederate government. From the departure of these troops in April, New Orleans was kept in a quiver of excitement. Trains were crowded with uni- formed men. Whether out-going volunteers or 'regulars,' the new soldiers left full of eagerness for the inevitable fray. At the first, whole battalions and regiments went rolling away. As the war be- gan to rage outside, with news of battles from Virginia and Ken- tucky, fresh recruits from city and country departed to stop gaps in the ranks from death by wounds or from disease. Louisiana's quota was to be filled on all fields where her men were already doing duty for their state's greater honor."
The capture of New Orleans in the spring of 1862 was the intro- duction of hostilities within the state, and from that time until 1865 Louisiana was the stage upon which were enacted many of the stirring scenes in the great drama of war. (Under the head of Battles will be found a list of engagements fought upon Louisiana soil.)
Outside the state, Louisiana troops upheld the honor of their native state on many a hotly contested field. Hebert's 3d regiment was at Wilson's creek, Mo .: at Belmont, Mo., Nov. 7. 1861, the 11th, 12th and 21st regiments and Watson's battery received their baptism of fire, standing the shock like veterans; the 1st. 4th. 11th. 13th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th regiments, the Crescent regi- ment, Claek's battalion. the Orleans Guards, and Hodgson's company of the Washington artillery received the commendations of their offi- cers for their gallantry in the two days' fighting at Shiloh : at Iuka, Corinth and Perryville the sons of the Pelican State maintained their reputation as soldiers; at Murfreesboro Scott's cavalry, the
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infantry brigades of Fisk and Gibson, and the 5th company of the Washington artillery, commanded by Lient. Chalaron, added fresh laurels to their already brilliant record, and Gibson's charge at Chickamauga was one of the most dashing of the war. Louisiani- ans fought at Missionary Ridge, and they were with Johnston and Hood in all the principal engagements of the Atlanta and Tennessee campaigns of 1864.
In the Army of Northern Virginia, the Louisianians under Hays, Taylor, Stafford and Starke, the Washington Artillery, the Lonisi- ana Guard Artillery, the Donaldsonville Cannoneers, and Moody's "Madison Tips" emulated the gallant deeds of their brethren in the armies of the West. It was Hays' Louisiana brigade that turned the tide of battle at the first battle of Manassas, and the last gun of that action was fired by the Washington Artillery, its shell follow- ing a routed and fleeing army. At Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill and in the Seven Days' battles the Louisiana regiments bore a conspicuous part, and Col. Eugene Waggaman's 10th Louisiana distinguished itself by its charge upon the Federal batteries at Malvern Hill. Some of the heaviest fighting in the battle of Sharpsburg was done by Hays' brigade at the Dunker church, and of the work of the Louisiana artillery in this fight Gen. D. H. Hill said: "The firing was beautiful and the Yankee columns, 1,200 yards distant, were routed by this artillery fire alone, un- aided by musketry." Under Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah valley, Taylor's brigade distinguished itself at Middletown, Win- chester, Port Republic and Cross Keys. In the battle of Freder- icksburg Louisianians formed a part of that invincible line behind the stone wall on Marye's hill-a line that repulsed with fearful loss every attempt of the Federals to carry the position-and at Chancellorsville they were with Stonewall Jackson in the cele- brated flank movement that routed the Federal right and forced Gen. Hooker to retire with his army to the old camp at Falmouth.
The charge of Pickett's Virginians at Gettysburg has been eulogized in song and story, but it was no more glorious than the charge of the "Louisiana Tigers," against the Federal right at Culp's hill, where of the 1,750 men who went into the fight only 150 returned unscathed. In the final campaign in the East the Louisiana troops in the Army of Northern Virginia followed the fortunes of Gen. Lee. They were in the sanguinary conflicts in the Wilderness, at Spottsylvania Court House, at Cold Harbor, in the trenches about Petersburg and Richmond, at Five Forks, and they were present at Appomattox when the flag of the Con- federacy, for which they had fought so valiantly for four long years, was forever furled.
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