March 23, 2021 - Battle of New Orleans

Today we toured one of the most important battlefields in American history: the Battle of New Orleans.  In terms of importance, it ranks right up there with any of them:  Yorktown, Gettysburg, Midway.

The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles southeast of the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the current suburb of Chalmette, Louisiana.

The battle took place 18 days after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, which formally ended the War of 1812, on December 24, 1814, though it would not be ratified by the United States until February 16, 1815, as news of the agreement had not yet reached the United States from Europe. Despite a large British advantage in numbers, training, and experience, the American forces defeated a poorly executed assault in slightly more than 30 minutes. The Americans suffered roughly 60 casualties, while the British suffered roughly 2,000.   ... Wikipedia

The battle made Andrew Jackson's political reputation. ... Near the end of Jackson's presidency, a Congressman asked Jackson whether there was a point to the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson replied, “If General Pakenham and his 10,000 matchless veterans could have annihilated my little army, he would have captured New Orleans and sentried all the contiguous territory, though technically the war was over. Great Britain would have immediately abrogated the Treaty of Ghent and would have ignored Jefferson’s transaction with Napoleon.”  ... Wikipedia

It was a battle the British under better leadership would have won.  A Royal Navy Captain after the battle wrote "Pakenham should have used all the advantages of naval amphibious movement which Britain's supremacy at sea conferred and turned Jackson's position. .... All the other military men thought the assault should have been deferred, and then we should have performed the most scientific and beautiful operation without throwing away the most valuable soldiers of our country by an attempt bordering on desperation."

On the other hand, it was a battle that would have been lost without the brilliant leadership of Andrew Jackson, who was outnumbered and whose troops were mostly inexperienced civilians.

Finally, as the great historian Paul Johnson says "Thus was lost and won one of the decisive battles of history."   "The effect of Jackson's victory was to legitimize the entire Louisiana purchase in the eyes of the international community."
   
I could not tell from the NPS web page whether the park visitor center was open or not.  It looked like it probably wasn't.  When we got there, it didn't seem to be open.  But then a Park Ranger emerged from the building and asked if we wanted to tour the visitor center?  Sure!  He even got the excellent movie going for us.  The visitor center museum, though small, was outstanding.  It provided an excellent history of events leading up to the battle and then the battle itself, plus displayed some interesting artifacts.
 
The battlefield is east of downtown New Orleans, on the northern side of the Mississippi River.  Back in the day, this area was plantations, trees, or swamp.
 
The battle was very simple.  Jackson had constructed a defensive wall -- pictured below with the blue line -- between forest to the north and the river to the south, on the Chalmette Plantation.  The city of New Orleans was behind him to the west.  The British made a frontal attack against Jackson's strong defensive position and were slaughtered.  The British commander Pakenham was killed in the battle.
   
A diorama shows Jackson's defensive wall with British troops approaching across the field.
   
A model showing the side profile of Jackson's wall.
   
The British were wearing uniforms like this.  Many of the British soldiers were victorious veterans of the Napoleonic wars.
   
A map showing the British line of approach.
   
New Orleans back in the day.
   
The battlefield monument is 100 feet tall.  Funds were appropriated for it in 1852 but it wasn't finished until 1908.
   
Instead of farmland remote from the city, the battlefield is now surrounded by industial sites.
   
Lynnette on the riverbank.  The house at left was built in 1833, years after the battle.
   
A big tanker heading west towards New Orleans.
   
We walked on the trail around the battlefield.  Here we are looking northwest at the American line.
   
Now we are looking west at the American line.  The British must have started from around here.
   
Still looking west.   Years after the battle, in the center of the battlefield, there actually used to be a small community of more than 200 people -- mostly freed slaves -- named Fazendeville.  The National Park Service bought the land in 1966 and most of the resident relocated to the Ninth Ward.
   
Adjoining the battlefield to the east is the Chalmette National Cemetery.  Over 15,000 veterans are buried here, from all major American wars and conflicts.
   
 
   
Continuing our walk around the perimeter.
   
A good look at what is left of Jackson's defensive wall.
   
An American cannon faces east.
   
Looking down the west side of the wall, where the Americans were waiting for the attack.
   
A good look of the Chalmette battlefield monument.  The visitors center is behind the monument.
   
Looking east.
   
I was surprised, and glad, at how well the battlefield has been preserved.  The Chalmette battlefield is a required stop for any visit to New Orleans.
   
 
   
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