Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p2.djvu/213

Rh OrleansThe naval and military forces employed in the expedition against New Orleans, arrived off Chandeleur islands, Dec. 8, 1814; and on the 16th the first division of the army, commanded by Colonel Thornton, of the 85th regiment, took post upon the Isle aux Poix, a small swampy spot at the mouth of the Pearl river, where Sir Alexander Cochrane, Rear-Admiral Codrington, and Major-General Keane, joined them on the following day.

The officers who had been sent to reconnoitre Bayon Catalan (or des Pechours) at the head of Lac Borgne, now returned with a favorable report of its position for disembarking the army; having, with their guide, pulled up in a canoe to the head of the Bayon, a distance of eight miles, and landed within a mile and a half of the high road to, and about six miles below New Orleans, where they crossed the road without meeting with any interruption, or perceiving the least preparation on the part of the enemy.

The severe changes of the weather, from rain to fresh gales and hard frost, retarding the boats in their repeated passages to and from the shipping, it was not until the 21st, that a sufficient number of troops could be assembled at Isle aux Poix to admit of their proceeding. On the following day the gun-vessels, and such others as could be brought into the lakes, being filled with about 2400 men, the advance, consisting of about 1600, got into the boats, and at eleven o’clock the whole started, with a fair wind, to cross Lac Borgne; but before they had got within ten miles of the Bayon, the whole of the vessels grounded in succession; the advance, however, pushed on, and at about midnight reached the entrance. A picquet, which the enemy had taken the precaution to place there being surprised and cut off, Major-General Keane, accompanied by Rear-Admiral Malcolm, who had been appointed to superintend the disembarkation, moved up the Bayon with the advance, and having effected a landing at day-break, took up a position across the main road to New Orleans, between the river Mississippi and the Bayon.

In this situation, about an hour after sun-set, on the 23d, and before the boats could return with the second division, an enemy’s schooner of 14 guns, and an armed ship of 16, having dropped down the Mississippi, the former commenced a brisk cannonading, which was followed up by an attack of the whole of the American army. Their troops were, however, beaten back with considerable loss, and Major-General Keane advanced somewhat beyond his former position. As soon as the second division was brought up, the gun-vessels and boats returned for the remainder of the troops, the small-armed seamen and marines of the squadron, and such supplies as were required. On the 25th, Major-General Sir Edward Pakenham arrived at head-quarters, and took the command of the army.

The schooner which had continued at intervals to annoy the troops, having been burnt on the 27th by hot shot from the British artillery, and. He returned to England with the official account of the capture of Fort Boyer, which closed the war between