200 years ago today: British Gen. Edward Pakenham ordered an assault against Gen. Andrew Jacksons position, dubbed Line Jackson, on the Rodriguez Canal just south of New Orleans. Col. William Thornton was to cross the Mississippi River during the night with his 780-man force, move rapidly upriver, storm the battery commanded by Cdre. Daniel Patterson on the flank of the main American entrenchments, and then open an enfilading fire with howitzers and rockets. The main attack would be directly against the earthworks manned by the majority of American troops, in two columns led by Gen. John Keane along the river and along the swamp by Gen. Samuel Gibbs. A brigade commanded by Gen. John Lambert would be held in reserve. A canal being dug by Adm. Alexander Cochranes sailors collapsed and the dam made to divert the flow of the river into the canal failed, leaving the sailors to drag the boats of Thorntons assault force through deep mud and delaying it by 12 hours. The main attack began under darkness and a heavy fog, but as the British neared Line Jackson the fog lifted, exposing them to artillery fire. Lt. Col. Thomas Mullins had forgotten to bring along the ladders and fascines needed to cross a canal and scale the earthworks, so confusion ensued. Keane fell wounded. Col. Robert Rennies men managed to attack and overrun an American advance redoubt next to the river, but without reinforcements they could neither hold the position nor storm the main line. The U.S. 7th Infantry moved forward and fired upon the British in the captured redoubt, and within a half-hour, Rennie and most of his men were dead. In the main attack on the right, the British infantrymen either flung themselves to the ground, huddled in the canal, or were mowed down by a combination of musket fire and grapeshot. A handful made it to the top of the parapet on the right but were either killed or captured. Pakenham and Gibbs were mortally wounded, and without orders to advance further or retreat, their soldiers stood in the open and were pelted with grapeshot from Line Jackson until Lambert assumed command and eventually ordered a withdrawal. The British had 291 killed, 1,267 wounded, and 484 missing or captured. American casualties were 13 killed, 39 wounded, and 19 missing.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 03:35:18 +0000
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