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For the 1959 Johnny Horton song, see Battle of New Orleans (song).
In the Battle of New Orleans of the War of 1812, the United States forces defeated the British on January 8, 1815.
In December of 1814 British forces under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham landed along the lower Mississippi River. At first they met with only minor resistance. The Americans, led by Colonel Andrew Jackson, set up defensive positions at Chalmette, Louisiana, some five miles downriver from the city of New Orleans. The first British troops reached the American position on January 1, and in an exchange of artillery fire, the Americans held their ground. Packenham decided to wait for his entire force of over 10,000 men to assemble before launching an attack. On the 8th he ordered three large, direct assaults on the American positions, all of which were cut down by American fire. Packenham himself was mortally wounded in the 3rd attack. The British had fought bravely but suffered defeat because ladders needed to scale the earthworks defended by the Americans were never brought forward to the soldiers. All the British infantry could do was to stand out in the open and be shot by the Americans behind defenses that the British could not assault. General John Lambert, who assumed command upon Pakenham's death, ordered the British withdrawal having suffered a loss of some 700 dead and 2000 wounded or taken prisoner, while the Americans only had 13 dead with 58 wounded.
Unknown to both parties an end to the war had been negotiated with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. However, by the terms of the treaty, the war was not officially over until ratifications were exchanged on February 17, 1815 and proclaimed the following day. The battle, nonetheless, had historic consequences. It has been speculated that had the British been in control of the key port of New Orleans they would have attempted to use this to get additional concessions from the United States. The victory was celebrated with great enthusiasm in the United States and gave Andrew Jackson the reputation of a hero which later propelled him to the Presidency.
External links
- Map (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/histoire-militaire/cartes/nouvelleorleans.htm)
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