ARLINGTON, Va. - TelAve -- by Michael F. Bishop for David Bruce Smith's Grateful American Book Prize

The Battle of New Orleans, 1815

The January 8, 1815, Battle of New Orleans was the last major scuffle in the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain. The Treaty of Ghent had ended the conflict on December 24, 1814, but because news traveled so slowly—prior to the invention of telegraph—neither side was aware that peace had already been negotiated.

British forces, fresh from victories in the Napoleonic Wars, planned to seize New Orleans, a vital port controlling access to the Mississippi River, and the recently acquired Louisiana Territory. A fleet under Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane transported approximately 8,000 seasoned troops commanded by Major General Sir Edward Pakenham to take the city and reshape the outcome.

Defending New Orleans was Major General Andrew Jackson, nicknamed "Old Hickory" for his toughness. When he arrived on December 1, 1814, Jackson hastily assembled an army of about 5,000.

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The main skirmish was on Chalmette Plantation, five miles away. Jackson fortified a line along the Rodriguez Canal with earthworks, cotton bales, and artillery. On the foggy morning of January 8, the British launched a frontal assault across open ground. Poor planning plagued the attack: material arrived late, and a diversionary force on the Mississippi's west bank failed to fully succeed.

American riflemen and cannon inflicted devastating fire. Pakenham was killed early, along with other senior officers, causing chaos. In under an hour, the British suffered more than 2,000 casualties (including 291 killed); American losses were about 13 and 58 wounded or missing.

The lopsided victory boosted American morale, smoothed out the earlier humiliation of Britain's burning of Washington, propelled Jackson to national fame, ramped up his path to the presidency in 1828, restored unity and confidence in the young republic, and terminated armed conflicts between America and England.

For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Robert V. Remini's The Battle of New Orleans.

History Matters is a feature courtesy of the Grateful American Book Prize. For more book recommendations and information about the annual award visit https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/.