Today is the anniversary of the last day of the Battle of New Orleans. At the Camp Thomas McGuire SCV meeting, Ted Brode, our presenter, told us of the battle. Fascinating! This is a battle that our ancestors knew by heart, but like so many other important points in history, has been neglected by the new historians. One of the most fascinating points of his lecture concerned the fact that some of the American units fighting the British were comprised of Blacks, Choctaws, Creoles, Tennesseans, and even a unit of lawyers. There is also a group who reenact this battle. I’ll post more information on them at a later time.
This site, (worth reading in its entirety) http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cab6.htm, says this of the battle:
Finally, on January 8, the day commemorated today as the victory day in the Battle of New Orleans, two British generals, including Major General Pakenham, were killed in battle, with a third severely wounded. Soldiers described battlefield action as confused and haphazard in the dark hours of that foggy morning. Britain suffered over 2,000 casualties in that decisive battle, whereas Jackson lost only 71 men. The British forces withdrew through Lake Borgne and into the Gulf, firing on Fort St. Philip for over a week before sailing out to sea for good.
Here are the lyrics of the ballad that celebrates our victory. I found the lyrics here: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/classic-country/battle-of-new-orleans—johnny-horton-14929.html
“Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton
In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.
[Chorus:]
We fired our guns and the British kept a’comin.
There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin’ on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.
We looked down the river and we see’d the British come.
And there must have been a hundred of’em beatin’ on the drum.
They stepped so high and they made the bugles ring.
We stood by our cotton bales and didn’t say a thing.
[Chorus]
Old Hickory said we could take ’em by surprise
If we didn’t fire our muskets ’til we looked ’em in the eye
We held our fire ’til we see’d their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave ’em … well
[Chorus]
Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn’t catch ’em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.**
We fired our cannon ’til the barrel melted down.
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round.
We filled his head with cannon balls, and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind.
[Chorus]
Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn’t catch ’em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.**