Jean Lafitte Historic Resource Study (Chalmette Unit)

1. Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. clx, cxliii-cxlv; Sir Alexander Cochrane, "Narrative of the British Attack on New Orleans, 1814-15." Manuscript Division, New York Historical Society; Jackson to Monroe, December 27, 1814, in Correspondence of Andrew Jackson, II, 126-27; James, Border Captain, p. 237; DeGrummond, Baratarians, 64, 65, 69, 71; Augustus C. Buell, History of Andrew Jackson: Pioneer, Patriot, Soldier, Politician, President (2 vols.; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1904), I, 372; Mahon, "British Command Decisions," pp. 71-73.

2. Historical Memoir, pp. 78-79.

3. Ibid., pp. 77-78, 84-85, 86-87, 92, 93-94, 230-31, clxi; Cochrane, "Narrative"; "Sir John Maxwell Tylden Journal, 1814-1815." Manuscript Division. New York Public Library; Alexander Dickson, "Journal of Operations in Louisiana," The Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XLIV (January-April, 1961), p. 7. Major Forrest, "Journal of the operations Against New Orleans in 1814 and 1815," The Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XLIV (January-April, 1961), p. 115; Bassett, Life of Andrew Jackson, I, 171, 177-178; Rowland, Andrew Jackson's Campaign Against the British, pp. 293, 300-01; Carson I. A. Ritchie, "The Lousiana Campaign," The Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XLIV (January-April, 1961), pp. 34-35; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 460; Casey, Louisiana in the War of 1812, pp. 44, 45, 46; Brooks, Siege of New Orleans, pp. 122-23, 124-25, 131-32, 135-36; James, Border Captain, p. 239; DeGrummond, Baratarians, pp. 71-73. See also Latour, "Map Shewing the Landing of the British Army...," in Historical Memoir.

4. Abraham Redwood Ellery, "Notes and Comments upon the Subject of a Yankee Song entitled, 'The Retreat of the English'" (Unpublished manuscript dated 1815 in the Manuscript Division, New York Public Library).

5. Ibid.

6. Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 87-88, 89-90, 91-92, 97-98; Vincent Nolte, Fifty Years in Both Hemispheres or, Reminiscences of the Life of a Former Merchant (Orig. pub. 1854. Reprint, Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1972), pp. 210-11; "General Carroll's Expedition to New Orleans" (Unpublished manuscript, ca. 1815, in the Special Collections Division, Howard-Tilton Library, Tulane University, New Orleans), p. 49; Tatum, "Journal," p. 107; Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, I, 382, 385, 386; Parton, Life of Andrew Jackson, II, 83, Bassett, Life of Andrew Jackson, I, 170-71, 176, 178; DeGrummond, Baratarians, pp. 83-84, 86, 88-89; Brown, Amphibious Campaign, pp. 98-99; Brooks, Siege of New Orleans, p. 135.

7. These figures are taken from Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, I, 376-77, and are based upon the report of Jackson's inspector general, Colonel Hayne. For slight variants on these figures, see Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 104-05; Reid and Eaton, Life of Andrew Jackson, p. 303; Rowland, Andrew Jackson's Campaign Against the British, pp. 304-305; and Casey, Louisiana in the War of 1812, pp. 46-47. The Mississippi dragoons, occupying the rear of the Lacoste tract, took no part in the action. Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 105-06.

8. These figures represent an amalgamation from Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, I, 374-75; and Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 103-04. Latour's compilation, made within a year of the battle, was largely based on guesswork, he acknowledging that "the precise amount of the enemy's forces in this action cannot be exactly ascertained...." Ibid., p. 103.

9. This account of the December 23 battle is drawn essentially from the following sources: "M. Gen. Keane's Report," December 26, 1815. BPRO, London, War Office 1, Vol. 141; "General Carroll's Expedition to New Orleans," pp. 49-50; Cochrane, "Narrative of the British Attack on New Orleans, 1814-15"; Ellery, "Notes and Comments"; Nolte, Fifty Years in Both Hemisphere, pp. 211-12; "Particulars in relation to Battle of New Orleans furnished me by a French gentleman, in 1828—Summer." Oran Follett Papers. Box 2. Manuscript Division. Cincinnati Historical Society; Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 95-100, 106, 107, 108-10, 112; Jackson, Correspondence of Andrew Jackson, II, 129; Bassett, Life of Andrew Jackson, I, 179-80, 182; Powell A. Casey, "Artillery in the Battle of New Orleans" (Unpublished manuscript in the J. Fair Hardin Collection, Department of Archives and Manuscripts, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge), pp. 4, 6; Tatum, "Journal," pp. 107-11; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 347, 465-68; Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, I, 390-93; Rowland, Andrew Jackson's Campaign Against the British, pp. 307-09; Ritchie, "Louisiana Campaign," pp. 35-37, 38; James, Border Captain, pp. 242, 243-44; Reilly, British at the Gates, pp. 244-45; DeGrummond, Baratarians, pp. 91-93; Casey, Louisiana in the War of 1812, pp. 47, 48-49; Brown, Amphibious Campaign, pp. 101-06. Official reports of the encounter appear in Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. xlii-xliv, xlv-xlvii. For historical troop movement maps of the encounter, see Latour, "Plan of the Attack made by Major Gen. Jackson on a Division of the British Army commanded by Major Gen. J. Keane, on the 23rd December 1814 at 7 o'clock at night," in Historical Memoir; and "Sketch of an Attack made by Majr. Genl. Jackson on a Division of the British Army commanded by Majr. Genl. Kean [sic] on the evening of 23 Decr. 1814," in Reid and Eaton, Life of Andrew Jackson.

10. Ibid., pp. 102-03, lviii-lix; Diary of a British Officer, in Jackson, Correspondence of Andrew Jackson, II, 109; Jackson to Monroe, December 27, 1814, in ibid., 128; Bassett, Life of Andrew Jackson, I, 180; Tatum, "Journal," p. 110; John Henry Cooke, A Narrative of Events in the South of France, and of the Attack on New Orleans in 1814 and 1815 (London: T. and W. Boone, 1835), pp. 196-97.

11. Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 101-02; DeGrummond, Baratarians, p. 94; Reilly, British at the Gates, p. 245.

12. Latour, Historical Memoir, p. 112; Buell, History of Andrew Jackson, I, 396-97; Bassett, Life of Andrew Jackson, I, 180; Rowland, Andrew Jackson's Campaign Against the British, p. 314; Mahon, "British Command Decisions," pp. 73-74.

13. Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Impressions Respecting New Orleans. Diary and Sketches, 1818-1820. Ed. by Samuel Wilson, Jr. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1951), p. 73.

14. Ritchie, "Louisiana Campaign," p. 38.

15. Latour, Historical Memoir, pp. 100-01, 112-13; Nolte, Fifty Years in Both Hemispheres, pp. 212-13; "General Carroll's Expedition," p. 51; Tatum, "Journal," p. 111; Reid and Eaton, Life of Andrew Jackson, pp. 300-01; DeGrummond, Baratarians, pp. 96, 108-09; Casey, "Artillery in the Battle of New Orleans," p. 7; Bassett, Life of Andrew Jackson, I, 183; Brooks, Siege of New Orleans, p. 149. Concerning his reluctance to attack, Jackson wrote: "The nature of the troops under my command, mostly militia, did not allow of offensive movements, in an open country, in presence of a numerous and well desiplined [sic] army...." Jackson to Monroe, January 8, 1815. Andrew Jackson Papers. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. Presidential Papers Microfilm, Series 3, Vols. F-K, Reel 62.

16. Tatum, "Journal," p. 112; Latour, Historical Memoir, p. 113; Ellery, "Notes and Comments"; Parton, Life of Andrew Jackson, II, 111-12; DeGrummond, Baratarians, p. 110; Ritchie, Louisiana Campaign," pp. 38-39; Brown, Amphibious Campaign, p. 178; Casey, Louisiana in the War of 1812, p. 52.

17. Dickson, "Journal of Operations," p. 12; DeGrummond, Baratarians, pp. 100, 111; Edward Livingston to Morgan, December 25, 1814. Andrew Jackson Papers. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. Presidential Papers Microfilm. Series 3, Vols. F-K, Reel 62.