Battle of New Orleans.
We published yesterday some interesting particulars of this great battle.
It seems to have been celebrated with more spirit on this anniversary than for many previous years.--The achievement of
Jackson was one which has few parallels in the history of war.--With a few thousand militiamen, drawn from three Southern States, he defeated a British regular army about as large as the whole United States Army is at this moment, having only a dozen killed and wounded, whilst the enemy lost two or three thousand.
So destructive was the fire of a portion of the
Southern riflemen, that it was almost impossible to convince the
British that they were not regular troops.
They had forgotten what execution the riflemen did in the
American Revolution; but, after the lesson taught by
Jackson on the 8th of January, the rifle has gradually grown into favor all over the world.
Jackson was not a regular soldier; but he had a military genius by nature, and the iron will which enabled him to control a free soldiery.
No regular officer, except "Old Rough and Ready," ever had such confidence and respect as
Jackson commanded from volunteers and militia.
Gen. Taylor was perfection in that respect.
He combined military science and common sense in a higher degree than any other officer in the
American service.
We owe the military glories of
Mexico chiefly to "Old Rough and Ready," whose battles on the
Rio Grande established American military prestige, cowed and demoralized the
Mexican army, and made
Scott's march from
Vera Cruz, at the head of a large body of regulars a matter of comparatively little difficulty.
It required old
Zack to teach volunteers to fight as well as regulars, and even after
Gen. Scott had withdrawn from the brave old man nearly all his regular troops,
Taylor, with five thousand volunteers, fought the battle and achieved the victory of
Buena Vista, crushing the grand army of twenty thousand
Mexican regular soldiers, which, otherwise, would have disputed the march of
Gen. Scott, and indefinitely protracted the
Mexican war.
