JACKSON
JACKSON
rapid succession. Jackson opened his attack
with deUberation, and the niglit battle followed,
wiiich lasted one and a half hours, when the
enemy fell behind their intrenchments with a
loss of foi'ty-six killed, one hundred sixty-seven
wounded, and sixty-four taken prisoners. The
Americans lost twenty-four killed, one hun-
dred five -wounded, and seventy-four missing.
On the 24th the American line was established
behind the Rodriguez canal and intrenched.
When earth became scarce, cotton bales were
sul)stituted, and a line of defence a mile long
was built and two small pieces of cannon placed
in position on tiie highway the first day, and by
the 2Tth the defensive works were complete.
Meanwliile the Carolina's and Louisiana's guns
commanded the plain, and when a " redcoat" ap-
peared, opened fire. On the 28th General Paken-
liam made a reconnoissance of the American
position which cost him fifty killed and wounded,
while the Americans lost nine killed and eight
wounded. The fire from the Louisiana was the
immediate cause of Pakenham's withdrawal. An
artillery duel of January 1 cost the British thirty
killed and forty wounded, and the Americans
•eleven killed and twenty-three wounded, most of
the Americans being idle spectators. The artil-
lery fire caused the cotton bales to bound out of
place and catch on fire, and they were all re-
moved and replaced by the black spongy soil of
the delta which received the balls without con-
cussion. On January 4 the two regiments from
Kentucky arrived, and the British force was re-
inforced by 1700 fresh troops from England. On
Jan. 8, 1815, the battle of New Orleans was
fought and won by General Jackson, and not
sure of complete submission on the part of the
enemy, he proposed on the 9th to move on the
retreating British force and cut them off from
their transports and force a surrender, but an in-
formal council of his officers opposed the move-
ment. Col. Edward Livingston and General
Adair thought the risk too great and the advan-
tage to be gained too small, and Jackson did not
persist. He contented himself with annoying
the retiring enemy with a vigorous cannonade
from the forts and ships by day and by hunting
parties after dark. The attack on Fort St.
Philip by the British fleet in order to gain the
passage of the Mississijipi continued from Jan-
uary 8 to the 17th, and the unsuccessful fleet
withdrew on Jan. 18, 1815. At the same time
the British army began its silent retreat undtn-
the cover of the darkness of the night, and the
next morning, Jan. 19. 1815, the American army
first discovered the absence of their foe, and on
the 27th every vestige of a British sail had dis-
appeared from their sight. It was not till Mon-
day, March 13, 1815, that General Jackson was
officially informed of the ratification of the
treaty of peace, and hostilities were publicly de-
clared to be at an end. In the iuterinr, during
the reign of martial law, Jackson had caused the
arrest of the avowed writer of an offensive news-
paper article, and also the judge of the court be-
fore whom the journalist had been summoned to
appear, and when these men were released by
Jackson they caused him to appear before the
court to purge himself of contempt. He ap-
peared as a private citizen, but refused to answer
the interrogatories of the court, and he was fined
the sum of $1000, whicii he paid. He left New
Orleans, April 6, 1815, with his wife and adopted
son, who had reached the citj' a few days
after the announcement of peace. His progress
homeward was one of triumph, and crowds
greeted him at every cross-roads and landing. He
spent the summer at the Hermitage and in Octo-
ber made the journej- to the national cajiital on
horseback. His welcome on his arrival at Lynch-
burg, Nov. 7, 1815, was extremely enthusiastic,
the entire populace partaking in the ovation. At
a grand banquet at which Jefferson was pres-
ent, Jackson offered the toast: " James I\Ionroe,
late Secretary of War. " He reached Washing-
ton, Nov. 17, and the next morning called upon
President Madison and his cabinet. At the close
of the war with Great Britain the army had
been reduced to 10,000 men and Jacob Brown
had been made commander of the Northern
division and Andrew Jackson of the division of
the South, and his visit to Washington was to
consult with Mr. Crawford, secretary of war. as
to the posts and stations to be maintained. His
stay in Washington was a continuous round of
festivity. He returned home early in 1816,
visited New Orleans in March and after holding
a grand review in that city returned to the
Hermitage by way of the Creek. Cherokee,
Chickasaw and Choctaw settlements, having
talks with the respective chiefs and settling old
disputes, as well as purchasing lands in Tennessee
held by the Cliickasaws by doubtful claim. In
the presidential campaign of 1816 he supported
James Mom-oe and after his election carried on
an extended correspondence in reference to the
men to be his cabiiu't advisers. Then followed
his notable pei'sonal controversies and correspon-
dence with Gen. Winfield Scott and General
Adair. In the Seminole war the general forgot
his personal quarrels, and his advice to President
Monroe was so to conduct the campaign against
the Indians as to empower (Jeneral Gaines, the
American commander, to follow the fugitive
Seminole into Spanish territory ami to enforce
his surrender from Spanish protection. On Dec.
26, 1817, he was ordered by Secretary of War
Calho\in to take personal command of the U.S. •
