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Jackson takes command
portrait of Jackson close to the time of battle
Andrew Jackson at this time was placed in command of the Seventh Military District, and was in Mobile, .Alabama fighting the Creek Indians .On the same day as the Grande Terre attack, Edward Livingston, a former mayor of New York who had fled to New Orleans to escape legal trouble, organized a committee of defense .Jackson arrived in New Orleans on Nov 30, 1814 , severely weakened by dysentery. Despite this, his presence inspired the inhabitants of New Orleans .He declared that he had come to protect the city and he would drive their enemies into the sea or perish in the effort. He called on all good citizens to rally around him in this emergency and, ceasing all differences and divisions, to unite with him in the patriotic resolve to save their city from the dishonor and disaster which a presumptuous enemy threatened to inflict upon it. This address was rendered into French by Mr. Livingstone.
video on the Life and times of Andrew Jackson
Battle of the gunboats Dec 14, 1814
defeat of the American flotilla
Preventing access to the New Orleans bythe British fleet was flotilla of five American gunboats with 182 men ,commanded by Thomas ap Catesby Jones. these were the same gunboats thathad attacked Grande terre. A calm left the gunboats open to attack bythe British in 45 rowboats, carrying 980 marines and sailors.OnDecember 14, British sailors in rowing boats, each boat armed with asmall cannon, captured the vastly outnumbered American gunboats in abrief but violent battle.The Americans had 6 killed and the British 98.Lake Borgne was now clear of American ships and the British could landtheir troops.
Jackson and the Baratarians
Jean Lafitte (L) meeting Gov Claiborne and Gen Jackson
Jackson, who needed every man, still would not release the men captured at Grande Terre or take up Lafitte on his offer .After the defeat of the gunboats, Claiborne meet with Jackson and changed his mind .Claiborne issued a proclomation on Dec 17, offering amnesty to all Baratarians if they jioned the fight against the British. Jean Laffite returned to New Orleans, and arranged a meeting with Jackson through Edward Livingston at the general's headquarters at 106 Royal Street. Jackson, it was reported by the sophistication of Lafitte and found him not to be the 'hellish banditti' he imagined .Jean Laffite was sent to Barataria on Dec 22nd to watch for any invasion from the Barataria Bay route and did not see action in the battle of Jan 8.Pierre Laffite remained at Jackson's HQ to provide his knowledge of the land around New Orleans . Dominique You organized his Baratarians into three artillery units.
Map of Jackson's defensive positons .Jackson established 3 defensive lines below New Orleans, line Montreuil, line Dupre and line Jackson. The battle was fought at line Jackson
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Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times A dynamic portrait of America's seventh president explores the life and times of the first "common man" to rise to the position of president
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The Fight in the Dark Dec 23, 1814 |
