The Battle of New Orleans Attack by British Barges on American Boats Gun Boats, December 14, 1814 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 British Arrive at New Orleans The Attack on the Villere Plantation Night Before the Battle Massacre at New Orleans Eyewitness Accounts

The December Defense: Andrew Jackson Arrives at New Orleans Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 2, 1814. News of a possible British attack had been circulating for weeks, which created panic among some inhabitants and inert resignation in others. Though he was in poor health, Jackson set about reconnoitering all access points to the city, mediating between the bickering factions of the city’s civil authorities, and attempting to calm the situation. Jackson had his work cut out for him. There were several possible approaches to the city. They included the British taking their big ships up the Mississippi River; crossing Lake Borgne and proceeding inland along anyone of the numerous bayous; or attacking from north of the city via Lake Pontchartrain. Jackson believed the Pontchartrain or Mississippi routes to be the most feasible, since all other accesses meant dealing even more with the hostile, swampy wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Though he concentrated on these two routes, Jackson had to defend all access points to the city since his opponent could simply choose the approach that best suited him. This is where Jackson had to exercise his initiative. Since the War Department did not follow through on its promise of more soldiers, Jackson gathered as many people as he could to help defend the city against what was sure to be well trained British regulars. In addition to deploying his 6000-strong militia force, Jackson made several unorthodox moves, which included recognizing the long-standing battalion of Free Men of Colour (which most in the South had been wary to do) and enlisting the services of Jean Lafitte’s pirates of Barataria Bay. Jackson spent the first two weeks reinforcing the forts along the many waterways and getting the militia to block all navigable bayous leading toward the city with tangles of felled trees. Though most of this work was done thoroughly, despite few resources and limited manpower, militia General Jacques de Villere failed to block the Bayou Bienvenu on the west side of Lake Borgne which led directly to his plantation - a fact that was well known to local Spanish fishermen.