Fighting For Naught!

In the War of 1812, the British set fire to Washington, D.C. President James Madison had to flee and hide. We all know the story of his wife, Dolly Madison, saving some of the White House's treasures. The British were elated by their victory, which emboldened them to continue.

Sir Edward Pakenham led his troops to attack the Americans at New Orleans on January 8, 1815. He had his men line up in several horizontal lines.

On the American side were Andrew Jackson and Tennesseans, Kentuckians, Creoles, and pirates. The men had not trained or fought together.

The two armies faced off. Andrew Jackson had his men take cover behind breastworks. Jackson told his men to hold fire until the Redcoats were at close range. Wave after wave of British soldiers marched forward and met the Americans' volleys. Finally, the Lobsterbacks (British soldiers) retreated.

Jackson's men sang, "Behind it stood our little force-None wished it to be greater: For every man was half a horse and half an alligator." They sang it to the tune of "Hail, Columbia."

On the British side, seven hundred men were dead, including Sir Edward Pakenham, fourteen hundred wounded, and five hundred prisoners. On the American side, eight men died, and thirteen men were wounded.
Neither side knew a treaty had been signed between the United States and Great Britain two weeks earlier on December 24, 1814.

* Information is from Shocking Secrets of American History by Bill Coate.

** Breastworks: a temporary fortification, often a breast high earthwork thrown up to provide protection to defenders firing over it from a standing position.