In
September 1814, an impressive American naval victory on Lake Champlain
forced invading British forces back into Canada. That victory led to the
conclusion of peace negotiations in Ghent, Belgium. Although the peace
agreement was signed on December 24, word did not reach the British
forces assailing the Gulf coast in time to halt a major attack.
On
January 8, 1815, the British marched against New Orleans, hoping that
by capturing the city they could separate Louisiana from the rest of the
United States. Pirate Jean Lafitte, however, had warned the Americans
of the attack, and the arriving British found militiamen under General
Andrew Jackson strongly entrenched at the Rodriquez Canal just south of
the city. In two separate assaults, the 7,500 British soldiers under Sir
Edward Pakenham were unable to penetrate the U.S. defenses, and
Jackson's 4,500 troops, many of them expert marksmen from Kentucky and
Tennessee, decimated the British lines. In half an hour, the British
were forced to retreat, General Pakenham was dead, and nearly 2,000 of
his men were killed, wounded, or missing. American forces suffered only
eight killed and 13 wounded.
Although
the battle had no bearing on the outcome of the war, Jackson's
overwhelming victory elevated national pride, which had suffered a
number of setbacks during the War of 1812. The Battle of New Orleans was
also the last armed engagement between the United States and Britain.
Here's Johnny Horton singing "The Battle of New Orleans" -It'll give you a smile:
Today's Reflection:
I keep missing my ex ... -but my aim is getting better...
I keep missing my ex ... -but my aim is getting better...
Live Long and Prosper...
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