position, and before every thing was fully in readiness to attain the objects desired; but it was chiefly owing to the confusion in the ranks at first which checked the rapidity of Jackson's advance, gave the enemy time for preparation, and prevented his division from uniting with the right wing of General Coffee's brigade. Colonel Hinds, and his dragoons, were not brought into action during the night. Interspersed as the plain was with innumerable ditches, diverging in different directions, it was impossible that cavalry could act to any kind of advantage. After the battle was over, they were formed in advance to watch the movements of the enemy until morning. From the experiment just made, Jackson believed it would be in his power to capture the British army; he concluded, therefore, to order General Carroll, with his division, down to his assistance, and to attack them again at the dawn of day. Directing Governor Claiborne to remain at his post, with the Louisiana militia, for the defence of the Gentilly road, an important pass to the city, he despatched an express to Carroll, stating to him, that if there had been no appearance of a force during the night, in the direction of Chef Menteur, to hasten and join him with the troops under his command; this order was executed by one o'clock in the morning. Previously, however, to his arrival, a different determination was made. It was ascertained from prisoners who had been brought in, and through deserters, that the strength of the enemy during the battle was four thousand, and, with the reinforcements which had reached them after its commencement, and during the action, their force could not be less than six; at any rate, it would greatly exceed that of the Americans, even with the addition of the Tennessee division. Although very decided advantages had been obtained, yet they had been procured under circumstances that might be wholly lost in a contest waged in open day, between forces so disproportionate, and by undisciplined troops against veteran soldiers. Jackson well knew it was incumbent upon him to act a part entirely defensive: should the attempt to gain and destroy the city succeed, mmerous difficulties would present themselves, which mght be avoided so long as he could hold the enemy in check, and foil their designs. Being firmly persuaded that it was important to pursue a curse calculated to insure safety, and believing it attairable in no way so effectually, as in occupying some point, and by the strength he might give it, compensate for he inferiority of his numbers and their want of disciplne, Jackson determined to make no further offensive efforts until he could more certainly discover the view of the enemy, and until the Kentucky troops, which had not yet arrived, should reach him. In pursuance of this idea, after having ordered Colonel Hinds to occupy the ground he was then abandoning, and to observe the enemy closely, he fell back in the morning, and formed his life behind a deep ditch that extended to the swamp, at righ angles from the river. There were two circumstances strongly recommending the importance of this place:-the swamp, which, from the highlands at Baton Rouge, skirted the river at irregular distances, and in many places was almost impervious, at this point, approached within four hundred yards of the Mississippi, and hence, from the narrowness of the pass, was more easily to be defended; in addition to this, there was a deep canal, the dirt from which having been thrown on the upper side, already formed a tolerable work of defence. Behind this his troops were formed, and proper measures adopted for increasing the strength of the position, with the determination never to abandon it. The soldier who is familiar with the scenes of the battlefield, and understands what slight circumstances frequently counteract the operations of a whole campaign, and produce the most decided advantages, where a different issue might not unreasonably have been expected, will be able properly to appreciate the effect of the attack made by General Jackson on the advance of the enemy, upon the night of the 23d of December. Although the dreadful carnage of the 8th of January was, in point of fact, the finishing blow that struck down the towering hopes of the invaders, and put an end to the contest, yet in the previous engagement there was much to excite their fears and apprehensions. They had reached the Mississippi without the fire of a gun, and encamped upon its banks as composedly as if they had been seated on their own soil, and at a distance from all danger. These were circumstances which impressed them with the belief that they need expect but little opposition; that success was certain; and that the troops with whom they were to contend would scarcely venture to resist them. So confident were they in their expectations, that they intended to move forward the next day, and attack the city. But Jackson well knew how essential an early impression was to ultimate success, and resolved to assail them at the moment of their landing, and "attack them in thei: first position." With a force inferior by one-half to that of the enemy, at an unexpected moment he had broken into their camp, and with his undisciplined yeomanry driven before him the pride of England and the conquerors of Europe. It was an event that could not fail to destroy all previous theories, and establish a conclusion which the British had not before formed, that they were contending against valor inferior to none they had seen, and before which their own bravery and skill availed nothing. It had the effect of satisfying them, that the quantity and kind of troops it was in our power to bring into action, were very different from any thing that had been represented to them; for much as they had heard of the courage of the man with whom they were contending, they could not suppose that a general, having a country to defend, and a reputation to preserve, would venture to attack a force greatly superior to his own, on ground they had chosen, and one too, which, by the numerous victories it had achieved, had already acquired the highest distinction. All these circumstances tended to convince them that his force must far surpass their expectations, and be composed of materials very different from what they had imagined. The American troops which were actually engaged in the action, did not amount to two thousand men, as appears by the following statement: |