Battle of New Orleans American History

Battle of New Orleans

Battle of New Orleans

The Battle of New Orleans occurred between the United States Army, led by Major General Andrew Jackson, and the British army, led by Major General Sir Edward Pakenham, on the 8th January 1815 (Smith, 1904). The battle took place about 8km southeast of the French Quarter of New Orleans (Arthur, 1915).

The battle was considered the climax of September 1814 to February 1815 Gulf campaign by Britain to grab West Florida, New Orleans, and, if possible, Louisiana Territory that started at the initial battle of Fort Bowyer (Remini, 2001). On 14th December 1814, Britain began the New Orleans campaign at the Battle of Lake Borgne, and several artillery duels and skirmishes took place in the days leading up to the last battle.

The battle occurred 18 days after the subsequent Treaty of Ghent signing, culminating in the official termination of the war of 1812 on 24th December 1814 (Carr, 1979). However, the United States failed to ratify it, so it failed to take effect until 16th February 1815 because the news of the agreement had to reach the United States from Europe (Tregle, 1981).

Irrespective that British Soldiers had an advantage in experience, training, and numbers, the American troops defeated a poorly carried out assault within around 30 minutes (Remini, 2001). While the British suffered over 2000 casualties from the battle, the Americans only suffered 71 casualties (Carr, 1979). British also lost through death, the commanding General Sir Edward Pakenham and his second-in-command, Major General Samuel Gibbs.

The Battle of New Orleans has been recognized for its casualties and apparent brevity. However, some figures are disputed and are not rhyming with the official data (Carr, 1979). Troops defending Left Bank suffered severe casualties totaling 23 wounded and 11 killed (Tregle, 1981).

On the other hand, the American casualties included 39 wounded, 19 captured or went missing, and 13 killed in total on that particular day (Remini, 2001). According to Anthony S Pitch and Robert Remini’s references, British casualties amounted to 1262 wounded, 484 missings, and 1262 killed, totaling 2087 (Arthur, 1915). According to Jackson, three hundred of the prisoners picked when the British retreated from the Battlefield were wounded (United States, 1966). While according to Colonel Arthur P. Hayne, the British got 1400 wounded and 700 fatalities, with 501 war prisoners in custody (Carr, 1979).

The British’s massive number of casualties experienced on the Left Bank mirrored their failure to keep the surprise aspect, with much prior notice dispatched to the defenders, following delays in attacking the Right Bank (Carr, 1979). On the other hand, according to Reilly, the assertion that American artillery won the battle is true (Tregle, 1981).

The regiment’s losses out of range of small arms fire were unproportionate high, with close to all British accounts focusing on the heavy gunfire effects (Smith, 1904). Conversely, the 95th-foot riflemen in skirmish order, the artillery’s most challenging target, lost 11 killed only (Remini, 2001).

According to an eyewitness, the British were only within musket-shot range for a few minutes below five (Carr, 1979). Also, according to Latour’s findings, the battalions of Daquin, Plauché, and Lacoste, together with three-quarters of the 44th US Infantry, failed to fire at all (Tregle, 1981). To have put such a massive toll on the British could not have been doable primarily with musket fire, where the best-trained forces could only afford to take shots every minute.

Contrary to their British counterparts, American soldiers had more prominent and more guns (United States, 1966). Moreover, they took cover in more protected earthworks with a stockade and a ditch (Carr, 1979). As a result, Americans had several advantages; however, they did not undermine the bravery and skill of their gunners.

Colonel Mullins of the 44th Foot, who was mandated to take ladders and fascines to the front to allow British troops to cross the ditch to conduct parapet scaling and fight their way into the breastwork of the Americans, was wholly blamed (Tregle, 1981). Even though Mullins was needed at the front, he was found half a mile to the rear (Arthur, 1915).

Having learned of Mullins’ behavior, Pakenham decided to take charge and head the 44th foot, leading them to the front with the required implements to ambush the work (Carr, 1979). In the process, Pakenham got wounded after a grapeshot hit from the front line some 500 yards (Remini, 2001). While being assisted to mount a horse, he got another hit that mortally wounded him.

Irrespective of the news that American batteries were captured on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, British soldiers decided that carrying on with the Louisiana campaign would be too expensive (Remini, 2001). Subsequently, General Lambert held a council of war three days after the battle (Carr, 1979). Upon resorting to withdrawing, the British moved out of the camp at Villers’s Plantation on the 19th of January.

Subsequently, because Britain had ratified the treaty and America resolved to cease hostility awaiting imminent ratification, the British vacated, sailing towards the West Indies (Carr, 1979). Because the Battle of New Orleans took place after the treaty of Ghent was agreed to by the American and British diplomats, the negotiation was not affected or influenced (Tregle, 1981).

However, the United States’ victory encouraged Britain to comply with the treaty, which stipulated that both sides had to return all the territorial gains during the war (Arthur, 1915). Consequently, even though America 1813 fully occupied west Florida, they were not coerced to leave by the treaty of Ghent even after the war (Tregle, 1981).

Before the Battle of New Orleans, as per to pre-Napoleonic era, west Florida and Louisiana were Spanish territories in the eyes of Spain and Britain (Remini, 2001). However, it is unknown whether the British could have agreed to surrender the city of New Orleans to the United States had they managed to capture it, even after the Senate overwhelmingly on 16th February 1815 ratified the treaty of Ghent.

It is perceived that could British manage to take over the New Orleans, they could have likely remained as neither Spanish nor appreciated the legality of the Louisiana purchase, as Napoleon had brokered it (Tregle, 1981). Due to the defeat of the French Emperor in 1815, the United States remained the only nation that formally recognized Louisiana’s purchase (Remini, 2001).

Spain and Britain were then forced by the Battle of New Orleans to recognize that Louisiana territory belonged to the United States (Carr, 1979). The escape of Napoleon on 26th February from Elba and consequent return to power in France promptly engaged Great Britain in a renewed war.

As a result of the meaning Americans gave the battle, it was considered very important historically, specifically concerning Jackson (Tregle, 1981). The news of the victory reached the United States at an alarming speed and traveled to every corner of the country at lightning speed (Carr, 1979).

The battle’s outcome made Jackson’s political reputation. Popular songs, speeches, editorials, plays, and pamphlets honored Jackson’s new heroic image (Remini, 2001). Consequently, the Republican and Democratic parties used the victory to undermine the federalist party as secessionists, cowards, and defeatists. As a result, the Federalist party was dissolved and ceased to exist immediately after the Battle of New Orleans (Arthur, 1915). Notably, Americans had never won any war before the Battle of New Orleans against an elite British army unit.

After the British army lost the Battle of New Orleans, almost everyone in England stood against the war and endorsed seceding from America to join the United Kingdom or become independent (Tregle, 1981). Later on, the states of New England met at Hartford Convention and resorted to presenting a particular set of demands in January 1815 to the federal government (Remini, 2001). The leaders also planned to secede from the United Kingdom, could the union fail to agree to their demands.

However, just as the Hartford delegates were on their way to Washington to meet, members of the congress came to the word of president Madison on the Battle of New Orleans (Tregle, 1981). The new Englanders and the Federalists were then viewed as anti-American and traitors, leading to abolishing the convention (United States, 1966). Consequently, the good feelings era became one of the Battles of New Orleans’ outcomes (Remini, 2001). Moreover, a single-party rule was witnessed in Washington from 1815 to 1825, and an extreme feeling of patriotism was due to the disbandment of the Federalist party.

As a result of the Battle of New Orleans victory, Americans remained firmly united for 45 years until the American civil war (Carr, 1979). Also, between 1828 and 1861, 8th January remained a federal holiday and was considered essential and celebrated on 4th July (Tregle, 1981). Americans also celebrated the anniversary of the battle, a holiday regarded as the Eighth (Smith, 1904). Besides, in commemoration of the battle, Orleans Square in Savannah, Georgia, was named.

 Subsequently, peace was restored between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain (Smith, 1904). Otherwise, for Andrew Jackson, there was nothing to celebrate (Tregle, 1981). Though he was feted and crowned by the grateful city that named him savior, his badly drilled, ill-armed, and half-clothed forces were still in trenches and enrolled with flintlocks in hand.

According to Jackson, the vacation of English forces could not be assumed to mean the abandonment of their interest in New Orleans (Remini, 2001). He remained skeptical of any individual, mainly if one wore a red coat (Arthur, 1915). Andrew Jackson held the thought that the enemy moved away, though crippled, was still powerful, and could still make a come back once baffled at a given point (Tregle, 1981). As a result, he founded a military camp in New Orleans (Carr, 1979). He took control of the city, strengthening his military presence at every point, making it difficult for the enemy to come back and penetrate the city.

Besides, several French nationals were in Jackson’s army (Smith, 1904). They were not yet actual American citizens. When most of them could not get their discharge, they applied to the French Consul, the Chevalier de Tousard, to provide them with identification certificates as their national character (Carr, 1979). Later, General Jackson received such requests and signed and permitted the bearers to vacate (Remini, 2001).