Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane(1758-1832). A veteran of the American Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. He ordered the bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the chief planner in the attempt to capture New Orleans. Cochrane had submitted a plan to the secretary of war stating that a British force could land in Mobile,be joined by Indians ans disaffected French and Spaniards and drive the Americans out of Louisiana.Cochrane was unable to procure shallow draft flatboats he wanted to attack New Orleans from Lake Pontchartain, and decided to attack New Orleans from the south

. Cochrane departed with the invasion fleet before Pakenham arrived.

Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Mullins. (d. 1823 ) Failed  to provide ladders and fascines which would enable the British troops to cross the ditch and scale the American ramparts. A court-martialed afterwards in Dublin .It was reported that General Gibbs  was overheard to say, " If I live till to-morrow, I 'll hang that cowardly rascal, Mullins , on the highest tree in the country."

Sir Edward Michael Pakenham (1778-1815) Praised for his performance at Salamanca, one of the greatest British triumphs in the Napoleonic Wars .He was appointed promoted to the rank of major-general  to replace General Robert Ross as commander of the British North American army, after Ross was killed by a sniper. The arrival of Sir Edward Pakenham in the English camp on Christmad Day revived the spirit of the troops. He found his army at a vast distance from the ships, cooped up in a narrow space, scarcely a mile in width, with the Mississippi on their left, an impassable marsh on their right, the enemy strongly intrenched in front. Pakenham was angry at the position the army found itself in, and would have liked to have attacked via the Chef Menteur Road.Admiral Cochrane believed that the British Army would destroy a motley American army and allegedly said that " If you wish. I will take the city with my sailors and marines, and the army can bring up the baggage." Pakenham scarcely believed in the possibility of success under the circumstances, but vowed that he would make the effort, let the consequences be what they might. Had the army had been withdrawn, and the enterprise abandoned as impracticable, there would have ensueda popular outcry at home.

Colonel William Thornton (1779 - 1840) Led the attack with 1,400 men on the west bank on the Mississippi and siezed the American battaruies there, but too late to support the main attack on the east bank.Severely wounded in the battle.

Major General Sir John Lambert (1772-1847) took command following the death of General Pakenham. His troops were held in reserve during the main battle and prevented an American counter-attack. Following the battle, the British army withdrew from Louisiana and attacked Mobile, Alabama. In the opening stages of the campaign, 1,000 British soldiers under Lambert won the Second Battle of Fort Bowyer (February 7-12, 1815 ), the last engagement in the War of 1812.

General John Keane(1781-1844) Keane could have attacked the city by advancing for a few hours up the river road, which was undefended all the way to New Orleans, but he made the fateful decision to encamp at Lacoste's Plantation and wait for the arrival of reinforcements. Commanded  the 95th, the light companies ofthe 21st, 4th, and 44th, and two black corps in the main battle, attacking the American lines closest to the river. Seeing the  plight of Gibbs's division near the woods, he obliqued across  the interval to their assistance. It was rashly considered but  bravely done in the face of the American fire. He was severly wouded in the battle.

Major General Samuel Gibbs (1771-1815)

In charge of the main British thrust against the American line held by Coffee close to the swamp, on Jan 8,  killed in battle20 yards from the American lines.

Andrew Jackson in 1815, age 48. Painting taken from a minature in ivory by Jean Francious Vallee just after the battle.

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was the American commander at the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson had a deep and abiding hatred for the British after his treatment as a POW in the Revolutionary War. The young Jackson and his brother,who was also captured,were nearly starved to death in captivity and Andrew's head and hands were slashed by a British officer's sword after refusing to clean the officer's boots. His brother died a few days after their release. His mother died from cholera after nursing wounded soldiers. Andrew, whose father died before he was born,was an orphan at 14. Jackson's entire immediate family had died from hardships during the war for which Jackson blamed the British.

In 1787, he was admitted to the bar, and moved to Jonesborough, in what was then the Western District of North Carolina and later became Tennessee. He also served in the miltia,fighting Indians.In 1796, he was elected to Congress from the newly formed state of Tennessee. In 1802, he won the election to become the major general of Tennessee's militia. He earned the nickname "Old Hickory" for his toughness, he gave up his horse to a sick soldiers and walked 500 miles from Natchez Trace to Nashville in 1813.

Around 250 settlers,slaves and friendly Indians  were killed in the Fort Mims Massacre, in Alabama by Creek Indians in 1813  In the resulting Creek War, Jackson commanded the Tennessee army,and impressed the army command with his victories in that conflict. The army appointed him major general in the regular army in May 1814 in command of the Seventh Military District, made up of Tennessee,Louisians,the Mississippi Territory and the Creek Nation.

On Nov 22,1814, Jackson departed Mobile for New Orleans and arrived on Dec 1,1814, haggard from dysentary. He set up his headquarters at 106 Royal Street.

Brigader General John Coffee

(1772-1833) Johnson's longtime friend and married Jackson's niece.. He took part in the bitter night fight of Dec23, which Jackson jokingly called a 'fandango' replying to a British boast that they would dine in New Orleans by Christmas. In the main battle he commanded the line nearest the swamp.

Major General William Carroll (1788-1844)

Dominique You (1775-1830) Half brother of Jean Lafitte and an artillerist in the army of Revolutionary France.. was appointed commander of a company of artillery, which was composed of the best gunners drawn from Lafittes' ships. His men fought with such courage and effectiveness in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, that they were mentioned in General Andrew Jackson's general order of January 21 as "having shown uncommon gallantry and skill in the field". Because of this, all charges against Dominique You were dropped, and he settled quietly in New Orleans where he became a politician and supporter of General Jackson. You died in New Orleans in 1830. He was given a military funeral paid for by the public.