Chronology of the day--battle of New Orleans.
January 8, 1777,
the British evacuated Elizabethtown, N. J. Gen. Maxwell fell on their rear, and took seventy prisoners and a schooner loaded with baggage.
On January 8, 1815, Sunday, occurred the great "battle of New Orleans." The Americans —— principally militia and volunteers, from Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee--under Major Gen. Andrew Jackson, five miles below the city of New Orleans, defeated the flower of the veteran troops of Great Britain, with dreadful and most incredible slaughter.
The British troops, numbering 14,450 men, were commanded by Major Gen. Field Marshal Packenham, who was killed.
The British naval force was under Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane.
The Americans, on the other hand, were commanded by four Generals, three of whom were Generals of militia, who, like their men, were agriculturists or planters, and had left their homes, like their men, from patriotic motives, on the spur of the occasion.
Geo. Packenham was killed by a cannon ball from battery No. 7, which was commanded by Gen. Garrigues.
The action commenced at dawn of day, and lasted until 8 o'clock. The Americans lost in the line during the battle but seven killed and six wounded. Among the latter Major Chotard, Assistant Adjutant-General; a few men were afterwards lost in skirmishing.
On the right bank of the river the Americans were not so successful; their batteries were carried by the British, led by Col. Thornton, who was wounded.
On that side of the river the Americans were commanded by Brig. Gen. David Morgan.
Here Lafitte, the well known pirate, gave very efficient aid to the Americans.
Lafitte, the day before the battle, went and offered his services to Gen. Jackson, saying that he and his men were well acquainted with the nature of the ground and the swamps, and although they might not be of much use in distant battle, yet if it came hand to hand he would do good work.
After consultation with the Governor, Gen. Jackson accepted his offer.
He was placed on the left bank of the river, in a comparatively defenceless position, which it was anticipated would be forced by the enemy.
When the British soldiers broke over the works, Lafitte, after ordering a general discharge of small-arms, gave the command, "Clear the decks!" whereupon his piratical crew laid about them so lustily that, although fifteen of the enemy had surrounded one man, he killed eight of them, and cut his way out. The discomfited British were driven back over the breastworks, followed by the yells of the pirates and the shouts of the Americans, and leaving near half the attacking party dead behind them.
One thousand stand of arms were found on the field of battle, as was Gen. Keane's sword, which Gen. Jackson, at his request, restored.
The British lost in this terrible engagement 2,600 men.
On January 8, 1817, two shocks of an earthquake were felt at Charleston, S. C., and also at Savannah, Ga. 