The Battle of New Orleans

A college essay
by Cheryl Carroll
1 March 2012

The Battle of New Orleans, which took place on January 8, 1815, was the final in a series of battles and skirmishes that began on December 23, 1814. Major-General Andrew Jackson was in command of the Americans. He and his troops had arrived earlier in December to help protect New Orleans from the advancing British, who were in prime position to take the city. The Battle of New Orleans became one of the most well-known battles of the War of 1812 and was even�for a time�given credit for America's victory over the British. In reality, however, there was no victory on either side. Negotiations were in progress in Ghent, Belgium, and peace was on the horizon. As the first battle was being fought in New Orleans, America and Great Britain were essentially calling the war a draw, and both were signing the treaty to end it. The Battle of New Orleans need never have been, but with no speedy way to communicate news of the treaty, the participants were not aware that the war was over. The British continued with their attack, the Americans defended brilliantly, and the battle for New Orleans became one of America's greatest triumphs.

One reason the British were coming had to do with America's purchase of Louisiana from Napoleon Bonaparte. The British believed this land rightfully belonged to their ally, Spain, and Bonaparte had no right to sell it. As a condition of peace with France, England demanded the return of Louisiana to Spain. Great Britain, now free from its war with France, could concentrate all of its energy on making sure this condition was met.

Another reason for the British attack was the perceived notion of the �unjust and unprovoked war� that the Americans had waged with them. They were eager to teach the United States a lesson in humility. The plan was to show this ungrateful and pretentious young nation that Great Britain was the strongest empire in the world, and they would illustrate it with a military presence that would surpass all that had come before.

But as with many well thought out plans, elements of the unexpected can be their undoing, and the British would soon experience this firsthand. To begin with, they had grossly underestimated the treachery of the terrain. After overpowering several American gun boats, the British entered Lake Borgne, which lies east of New Orleans. From here they faced waters too shallow for their larger ships. Using smaller boats, it took many ten hour trips, over several days, to transport all the troops from the main fleet to a tiny barren island just inside the marsh. Now they were looking at more than eighty miles of unforgiving swamp before they would reach their landing point.

With local Spanish fishermen as guides, the first wave of British�1600 men�landed at the Villere plantation by way of the Villere canal. This canal was supposed to have been obstructed, but was not. The British captured the inhabitants of the plantation and also the neighboring La Ronde plantation and then set up encampments. It was essential that no one know of the British arrival until they could transport the remainder of their troops through the swamp. Then they would be able to storm the city and take it easily by surprise. But another unforeseen element came into play when two of the captives escaped�one from each plantation. They joined together and went straight to General Jackson with the news. Jackson was swift in his response and by that evening, just as the second wave of British soldiers was arriving, the Americans went on the offensive.

In all likelihood, these first events of the Battle of New Orleans sealed the fate of the British. Though Jackson had to fall back on this opening evening, the ditch he chose to settle in was undoubtedly the best spot to be in for the defense of the city. He was on a narrow section of land with the American-fortified Mississippi River to his right, an almost impenetrable swamp to his left, and in front of him an immense field of muck. Jackson saw the potential immediately and gave orders to construct a parapet.

The British had some good fortune on the 27th of December when they destroyed the US schooner, Carolina, but because of Jackson's solid defensive line, they could gain no ground. They surprised the Americans with an advance on Jan 1, but were not able to proceed quickly enough to do any damage. They were forced to retreat. On the 8th of January, the British arranged themselves in columns and marched toward the parapet. Some carried ladders to be used to scale the now massive mound of earth. Within the hour, hundreds of British had been killed or wounded, including officers. As soldiers walked over their dead comrades, they knew the foolishness of advancing and began running for cover. After a short battle on the west bank of the river, the British officially surrendered and a truce was enacted.

If not for the success of the Americans in this battle, it's entirely possible that the peace brought about by the Treaty of Ghent would have been fleeting. Had the British taken New Orleans, their might would have been undeniable and their egos highly stoked, while Americans�dealt such a heavy blow by the Mother County�would have been low in moral and ripened for another British attempt at plucking. The Battle of New Orleans, though not one to influence the outcome of the war, was one that arguably decided the future of a nation. It is considered to be one of America's most crucial victories and it was unquestionably one of Great Britain's most humbling defeats.

Bibliography

"Andrew Jackson's Day." New York: The New York Times, 9 January 1896.

Arthur, Stanley Clisby. The Story of the Battle of New Orleans. New Orleans: Louisiana Historical Society, 1915.

"Century of Peace." Wellington: The Evening Post, 6 February 1915.

Latour, Major A. Lacarriere. Historical Memoir of the War in West Florida and Louisiana in 1814-15. Philadelphia: John Conrad and Co., 1816.

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