The Battle of New Orleans "Affair Below 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 British Arrive at New Orleans Night Before the Battle Massacre at New Orleans Eyewitness Accounts

The Attack at the Villere Plantation On the swampy grounds of the Villere Plantation, hundreds of weary British soldiers are huddled around campfires trying to keep warm. The past two days have been exhausting for this advance party under the command of Major General John Keane and Colonel William Thornton. They have had to row themselves, along with tons of guns and equipment, thirty miles from their camp on Pine Island, and up the sluggish Bayou Bienvenu. In addition to this, numerous relays occur in dragging the provisions to camp across two miles of nearly impassable swamps and thick cypress forests. To the left of the British, the Mississippi is covered in a thick evening fog. It is so thick that the British patrols do not see the American schooner Carolina before it is too late and it sends roundshot flying into the camp. Keane and Thornton are taken completely by surprise, but they scramble to get the men into fighting order. Jumping from the schooner, Jackson’s men storm the riverbank and push toward the camp. For nearly an hour, the British regulars struggle fiercely with Jackson’s impromptu brigade of regulars, militia and dozens Choctaw warriors. The sides are equally matched with about 2000 men, but Jackson finds that he won’t be able to maintain order long among his militia who are facing seasoned British soldiers. His begins to falter and he pulls back. As he is withdrawing, the British in pursuit are distracted by another attack on their left flank. Using local planters as guides, General John Coffee has slipped through the woods and around to the British far-right. His Tennessee riflemen dismount their horses and descend on Thornton’s men. This British line is broken, but the experienced soldiers shield their officers and meet the riflemen head-on in small groups. A close pitched battle in the dark ensues, as knives, swords, fists and gun butt’s are used to inflict damage. British captain George Gleig later remembered that, “many a sword which till tonight had not drunk blood, became in a few minutes crimson enough.” Finally, Thornton has managed to form up a line and drive Coffee’s men back into the woods where they retire to meet up with Jackson. The Americans withdraw leaving 45 British dead and another 170 wounded. Jackson’s men don’t fare much better, but the attack has consequences that would eventually work in favour of the Americans. The intensity of Jackson’s raid leads John Keane to believe that he had been attacked by a force more than twice that of his own. In a decision that would prove costly for the British, the apprehensive Keane decides he will not advance immediately on New Orleans. Instead, he will concentrate on getting more troops and equipment ashore, and hope General Pakenham’s reinforcements will arrive soon.