The Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans 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 Attack on the Villere Plantation Night Before the Battle Massacre at New Orleans Eyewitness Accounts

The British Arrive at New Orleans Advance scouts had located a village of Spanish fishermen just inside the Bayou Bienvenu. They were happy to reveal what they knew of American movements in the area, and which of the waterways leading inland were undisturbed by defensive measures. As soon as the scouts confirmed that the Villere Canal off the Bienvenu led to the lightly garrisoned Villere Plantation, Cochrane ordered Keane to prepare an advance force to leave from Pine Island. The boats could only accommodate about 2000 men at a time but the transport progressed steadily across the lake and up the sluggish bayou despite cold and darkness. The British even captured some American pickets posted in the fishing village. Much to Keane's concern, when questioned, they also estimated the U.S. forces around New Orleans to be 15,000. Undaunted, Keane moved his men up the Villere Canal hoping that Pakenham would soon make an appearance with his and General Lambert's reinforcements. On December 23, 1814, the British captured another small American advance party quartered at the Villere Plantation. The commander of these Americans was so embarrasses of his failure to secure the area that he made a desperate, but successful, attempt to escape in order to inform Jackson of the proximity of the British. Keane's second-in-command, the aggressive Colonel Thornton, insisted that a immediate advance on the city would be the only way to catch the Americans by surprise. Keane, more cautious by nature, having only two thousand men and no artillery, decided to wait for the reinforcements which were to arrive the next day. This hesitation by the British would soon undermine their plans. The British operation took a turn for the worse on the evening of December 23, when they were attacked by the Americans. Although they eventually drove them off, the incident blackened the mood of the exasperated British regulars even more. Pakenham finally arrived on Christmas day with more reinforcements and his men began the arduous task of shifting the heavy artillery 75 miles from Pine Island to the swampy Villere Plantation. Pakenham did little in the way of reconnaissance and three days later, the British advance ran straight into a strong American defensive line, no more than a mile and a half away. With grueling effort and determination, the British scattered their guns along a line only 1000 yards from Jackson's position. On January 1, 1815, the British commenced a cannonade hoping to weaken the enormous breastwork behind which the Americans sheltered. Without proper blocks to secure the huge guns, the British could not fire with accuracy and the American artillery finally drove them back. Pakenham had come too far to turn back now. He set about devising a new plan, which his men knew would involve a perilous frontal assault on the American line.