CHAPTER them from the schooner, and a new one, raised within, XXIX. which guarded their right; and finding that this posi1814. tion could not be forced, Jackson retired with a loss of 223 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The enemy's loss was rather greater. The next day Jackson took up a position behind a deep trench running from the river to the swamp, at a point where the solid land between was less than a mile in breadth-a position naturally strong, and which every effort was made to strengthen. Just as the late action closed, the British had been joined by a new division from their ships; but, alarmed at the warm reception they had met, and ignorant of Jackson's force, which the American prisoners greatly exaggerated, instead of pressing forward at once, which would have been their best chance, they waited to bring up re-inforcements and artillery. This interval was diligently employed by Jackson in strengthening his position, bales of cotton being used to form a rampart, which, as well as the ditch in front of it, was exDec. 27. tended into the swamp. A British battery, established on the levee, succeeded in destroying the Carolina by hot shot, but the Louisiana was saved, and towed out of Dec. 28 reach. The next day the enemy advanced in force, driving in Jackson's outposts, and having approached within a half a mile of his lines, they opened upon them with artillery, bombs, and Congreve rockets. Jackson had five pieces of heavy artillery already mounted, and served by the crew of the Carolina. These guns, aided by the raking fire of the Louisiana, checked the enemy's advance, and after a seven hours' cannonade, he retired with considerable loss. As matters thus approached a crisis, Jackson and Claiborne were not a little troubled at the apprehension of treachery within the city. Fulwar Skipworth, who, from DEFENSE OF NEW ORLEANS. 563 XXIX. having been governor of the late insurgent republic of CHAPTER West Florida, was now speaker of the Louisiana Senate, had made some inquiries of Major Butler, left in com 1814. mand at New Orleans, as to the truth of a rumor, that, rather than surrender, Jackson would destroy the city and retire up the river, from which and other circumstances, it was conjectured that the Legislature might intend to save the city by offering to capitulate. Jackson directed Claiborne, in case any move was made in that direction, to arrest the members of the Legislature; an order to which Claiborne gave such an interpretation, contrary, it was afterward said, to Jackson's intentions, that, without waiting to see whether there were any grounds for his suspicions, he placed a military guard at the door of the hall, and broke up the legislative session Jackson also authorized a general search of houses and stores for arms, and, to prevent any skulking from militia duty, he directed a registration of all the male inhabitants. 1815. Jan. 1. With the commencement of the new year, the enemy renewed his attack with more and heavier artillery; but, in the interval, the works had been much strengthened; and, after a heavy cannonade, the British guns were dis mounted and silenced. Jackson's preparations for defense were not confined to the left bank of the river. By the Bay of Barataria and the inlets connected with it, the bank opposite the city might be approached, without passing the forts on the river; and to guard against attack from that quarter, General Morgan had been sent Jan. 4. across, with orders to throw up defenses like those on the eastern side. At last the long-expected Kentuckians arrived-2250 men, led by General Adair, that old friend of Burr's-but half of them were without arms, which Jackson could not furnish. Detachments of these Ken XXIX. CHAPTER tuckians and of the Louisiana militia were sent to join Morgan, whose force was thus raised to 1500 men, sta 1815. tioned behind an intrenchment, defended by several brass twelves and by a battery of twenty-four pounders, commanded by Commodore Patterson. The men without arms were employed by Jackson upon a second line of intrenchments, as a place of rally should he be driven from his first line. Preparations had meanwhile been made by the British for a grand attack. Boats having been drawn, with great labor, from the bayou into the river, Colonel Thornton was sent across in the night, with a British detachment, to assault Morgan. At the same time, under the fire of a battery of six eighteen pounders, erected also during the night, the main body, led by PackingJan. 8. ham in person, advanced to storm Jackson's position. "Booty and beauty," such was the watchword; comment enough on British military morals. One column marched by the river, and, without much difficulty, car ried an advanced redoubt, by the guns of which the approach to the American line was raked through its whole extent. The other and main column, led by Gibbs and Keene, approached that part of the American line, nearest the swamp, occupied by Carroll's division. The ditch in front was very deep and broad; and the storming column, exposed to the fatal fire of the Tennessee sharp-shooters, and of nine pieces of heavy artillery, was speedily thrown into confusion. Packingham, in attempting to restore order, was killed; the other two generals were wounded, Gibbs mortally; and after an hour's struggle, and two unsuccessful advances, Lambert who succeeded to the command, was obliged to withdraw, at the same time abandoning the redoubt on the river, which the other column had carried. Thornton, on the RETREAT OF THE BRITISH. 565 XXIX. opposite bank, notwithstanding some delay in his ad- CHAPTER vance, had proved entirely successful, and the position he had gained would have given great advantage for re- 1815. newing the attack. But the British army had lost 2000 men in killed and wounded; and Lambert, dreading still further disasters, hastened to withdraw Thornton's troops, and to abandon the whole enterprise. Having taken all Jan. 9. proper precautions to cover his retreat, he first fell back to the original landing-place on Lake Borgne, from which Jan. 18. point the army was presently re-embarked. Jackson's Jan. 27. loss was but trifling, only 71 on both sides of the river, while his total loss in the campaign had been but 333. But with his raw troops, whose flight before Thornton had shown how little they could be depended on, he did not choose to risk any thing in attempting to intercept the enemy's retreat, who retiring first to Cat Island, proceeded thence, as if not to fail entirely, to the attack and capture of Fort Bowyer. About the same time the en- Feb. 21. emy withdrew from the coast of Georgia; but not until they had caused a proclamation of martial law, and had thrown that state and South Carolina also into a paroxysm of alarm. Rumors of Jackson's successes, beginning to arrive at Washington, successes which the administration, so far as any thing had been done by them, had very little right to expect, came like an exhilarating cordial to the bafffled and mortified war party. Confirmations, with additional particulars, continued to arrive, and to be welcomed with the loudest exultations; but, before the whole story was known, the public attention was drawn off to a fresh piece of news of even greater interest and importance. The British sloop of war Favorite, arriving at New York under a flag of truce, brought two messengers, one Feb. 11. British, the other American, bearers of an unexpected XXIX. CHAPTER treaty of peace, already ratified by the British government. It was late of a Saturday night; but no sooner 1815. was the joyful word PEACE circulated through the city, and it spread like electricity, than, without stopping to inquire or to think about the terms, the whole active population, of all parties, rushed into the streets in a perfect ecstasy of delight; and amid shouts, illuminations, and a complete uproar of joy, expresses were sent off north and south with the news. In thirty-two hours (thought to be a great effort of speed) the announcement reached Boston, where it was received on Monday morning with the most clamorous rejoicings. All the bells were at once set to ringing; messengers were dispatched in every direction to spread the delightful intelligence; the schools received a holyday; the whole population, quitting their employments, hastened to congratulate each other at this relief, not only from foreign war, but from the still more dreadful impending cloud of internal and civil struggle. The blockaded shipping, rotting forlorn at the wharves, got out all their flags and streamers, and, before night, once more the hum of commerce sounded, ship-carpenters and riggers were busy at work, cargoes were being shipped, and crews engaged. The joy was the same along the whole maritime frontier; nor, however they might strive to conceal their emotions, was it less among the politicians at Washington, including those most forward to precipitate their country into a struggle so unequal and disastrous. At the same time they made a very dexterous use of the sudden halo of glory diffused by Jackson's victory, to conceal from themselves, as well as from the people, the desperate point to which affairs had been Feb. 16. reduced. Troup had the audacity to congratulate the House even before the contents of the treaty were known, it having but just been laid before the Senate, on |