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Death of General Edward Pakenham -
The End of the Battle
Battle of New Orleans — January 8,
1815
The Battle of New Orleans was part
of the
War of 1812.
It lasted only half an hour, but the
resulting bloodbath was
considerable.
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The loss of life was especially sad since
a peace treaty had been signed at Ghent on December 24, 1814.
Unfortunately, communication
traveled slow and many men lost their lives for a war that was
already over.
Image Above
Battle of New Orleans and the death of
Major General Pakenham on January 8, 1815.
Artist: William Edward West
Engraver: Joseph Yeager
Philadelphia 1817
The Library of Congress explains:
Print shows the Battle of New Orleans
from the British perspective, as British forces advance upon the
earthworks or barricades from which the American forces, under the
command of Andrew Jackson, repel the attack.
Includes a remarque
printed at bottom center that shows a head-and-shoulders portrait of
Andrew Jackson, facing slightly left, with American flags and
various weapons. [...] In this print,
Major General Lambert is depicted holding the cloth or
handkerchief that obscures his face.
Library of Congress
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Who Fought the Battle
of New Orleans? Who Won?
The Americans, approx. 7,000 men led
by
General Andrew Jackson,
fought the British, approx. 8,000 men led by
General Edward Pakenham, and won a decisive victory.
What Were the
Casualties of the Battle of New Orleans?
The British lost 289 men killed, 1,262
wounded, and 484 captured.
The Americans lost 31 men killed
and 39 wounded.
Developments Leading
Up to the Battle of New Orleans
U.S. Brigadier General
John Adair and his 300 militia men
from Kentucky arrived at New Orleans on January 2, 1815. Jackson had
to arm about half of them. The rest brought their own
rifles.
Movements in the
Battle of New Orleans
On January 8, and probably because of
the uncertain amount of weapons in their possession, Jackson put
Adair's Kentucky militia
as a reserve behind Major General William Carroll's unit.
Major General John Lambert took the
command after the death of Pakenham. He immediately ordered to
withdraw.
Andrew Jackson during the Battle of
New Orleans
F.C. Yohn (Frederick Coffay),
1922
Library of Congress
Maps
Here are the maps
British Advance on New Orleans 1814-1815
Map of the Battle of New Orleans
See also
Black Soldiers in
the War of 1812
Go here for the
Battle of New Orleans in the Timeline of the
War of 1812
And here for the
Battle of New Orleans
that was fought on April 24-25, 1862, as
part of the
American Civil War.
More History
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