The Unpopular History of the United States
south, to something that looks better, the battle of New Orleans.
At Bunker Hill, if you remember, our farmers fired from behind rail breastworks and justified Israel Putnam's prediction that "these Americans will fight forever if you protect their legs." At New Orleans our position was far stronger, a line of defense well chosen and fortified by impervious cotton bales. Yet British officers and regulars had acquired such contempt for our militia that General Pakenham ordered the impossible. Long afterwards a British officer told me that if Pakenham hadn't been killed he would have been courtmartialed for his folly.
The British were beaten with terrific loss. Yet one little fly — the same busy and buzzing little fly — got into the ointment of our jubilation. On the west bank of the river the American breastworks — with the exception of a single battery manned by sailors — were defended exclusively by militia. At the very moment of a victory unparalleled in our history, Old Hickory had the mortification of
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