The Battle of New Orleans Map of the Position of the Armies “Such a destruction of men, for the time it lasted, was never before witnessed” American Engineer Major Tatum Howell Further Reading The South in 1814: Background to the Battle of New Orleans Andrew Jackson's Southern Defense Cochrane's Campaign: The British Approach New Orleans The December Defense: Andrew Jackson Arrives at New Orleans The British Arrive at New Orleans Night Before the Battle Eyewitness Accounts

Massacre at New Orleans: The Americans Devastate the British As the morning mist disappears, Andrew Jackson has a clear view of the enemy army that has plagued him for weeks. The artillery from Jackson’s line and the ships on the river commence a relentless shower of grapeshot and cannonballs. The exposed British are helpless since they are too far away to respond with their muskets. The U.S. gunners watch incredulously, as the British maintain an advance despite the scores of men falling as bombs tear into their columns. British captain George Gleig recalls watching his comrades falling as the American guns kept up a “a sweeping fire which cut them down by whole companies.” As the British struggle closer, the Kentucky snipers, along with Choctaws and rest of the militia, add to the carnage as they open up a steady fire. It has been less than an hour and the British attack is unraveling quickly. Pakenham realizes Thornton has not yet succeeded on the west bank. In what will prove to be a costly mistake, Pakenham diverts troops which were to reinforce the capture of the gun battery on Jackson’s right to the center of the field. The regiment that breaks through and takes them is left without support and suffers greatly under the Kentucky rifles and the nearby gunboats. Moving toward the left flank General John Keane’s regiment of Highlanders is decimated by the American barrage. Three out of four men are killed; Keane is shot through the neck. Elsewhere at the front, officers as well as regulars are dying in the canal as they try to penetrate the American line. Pakenham misses these developments. He is frantically trying to maintain order as his officers bring forward all of the remaining troops. Rallying his troops, some of whom are running for the rear, Pakenham leads a charge but he has his horse shot out from under him. His aide offers him his horse, but as the general mounts, two bullets rip through his throat and chest. As he is brought to the rear, he gasps out a final order to bring up the reserves under General John Lambert. Pakenham dies within minutes. Lambert drives forward but makes little progress since, with few commanders to lead the offensive, many British are now in full retreat. With Pakenham dead, and command falling to him, Lambert decides to take up a defensive position rather than continue the advance. Unaware that it is all but over on the east side of the river, Thornton is finally in position to move on the American guns under General Morgan. The US militia puts up a fierce resistance but it is not enough for an experienced battle commander like Thornton. His men deal one blow after another to the American right flank until Morgan’s men spike the guns and retreat. Thornton is badly wounded and stays with a group of British regulars to secure the position while the rest pursue the Americans. As they push more than a mile up the riverbank, an order from Lambert to fall back is received; the position has been deemed to difficult to hold under the circumstances. Destroying what guns they can, the British cross the river and get their first glimpse at the carnage on the battlefield. Sergeant David Brown of the British 21st Foot remembered how, “many a gallant man and officer wiped the tears from their eyes when they looked back and on their comrades lying in the field.” The British lost at least 300 men on the battlefield, many of the more than 1200 wounded would die later or be maimed for life. The US casualties amounted to only 13 killed and 52 wounded or missing. The Americans took 500 prisoners, but it was the sight of those on the field that made the deepest impression. William Lawrence, an American militiaman, later claimed, “I could have walked on the dead bodies of the British for one quarter of a mile without stepping on the ground.”