University of Virginia Library

67. CHAPTER LXVII.
THE CONCLUSION.

The northern army was now idle, in winter-quarters,
and a furlough, at this time, could not
interfere with our hero's duty. He found no
difficulty in obtaining one, and set out immediately
for New-Orleans, where he arrived about
the middle of December, and once more met the
happy Catharine.

The inhabitants of New-Orleans were in a
state of alarm and consternation, being in almost
daily expectation of the arrival of a formidable
expedition, which had been fitted out by the British
for the express and avowed purpose of reducing
that city, and taking possession of the
whole territory of Louisiana. In consequence
of this impending danger, the city was declared
to be under strict martial law, by general Jackson,
who was busily employed in making arrangements
for its defence. On the eighteenth, he reviewed
the militia of the city, which were in a

few days joined by about four thousand Tennessee
and Kentucky troops, detachments of which
were immediately posted in different directions to
guard the defences of the city. Our hero now
volunteered his services to Jackson, in any capacity
the general preferred, who thereupon appointed
him one of his aids.

Commodore Patterson dispatched five gunboats,
under lieutenant Jones, to a favorable
position for watching the approach of the enemy,
who at length made his appearance, and after a
desperate conflict, succeeded in capturing this
flotilla. The hostile squadron consisted of sixty
sail, mostly of the line, on board of which was
an army of sixteen thousand regular troops, under
the command of Sir Edward Pakenham, brother-in-law
of the Duke of Wellington.

As soon as his advance had captured the American
flotilla, the enemy landed a division of five
thousand men, under major-general Keane, some
miles below the city, whose progress, however,
was speedily and effectually checked by about
two thousand backwoodsmen and city militia.

After this action, both armies continued to
throw up works, with little interruption, until the
twenty-eighth, when Pakenham, having landed
the reserve of his army, commenced throwing
bombs and rockets in a most vigorous and
tremendous style, at the same time gradually advancing
towards the American line. He was at
length, however, compelled to retreat to his
works with great loss. On the first of January,
he made a similar attack with no better success.

Early on the morning of the eighth, Pakenham
led forward twelve thousand regulars and two
thousand seamen, who approached the American

works in two columns, under Generals Gibbs and
Keane, supported by a reserve, under general
Lambert. They advanced in the most determined
manner, against a destructive fire, with
scaling ladders and fascines, determined to storm
Jackson's unfinished batteries, and push forward
to the city. But the American fire was too hot—
it swept them from right to left, and compelled
them to recoil in confusion. The most active
efforts were immediately made to rally the disordered
columns, and bring them up to a second
charge; in this act Pakenham was killed; and
though Gibbs and Keane succeeded in pushing
their divisions forward, the second effort was no
more fortunate than the first. Gibbs and Keane
were both severely wounded, the former mortally;
and the only general officer left on the field was
Lambert, who, after vainly attempting to rally
the attacking columns, succeeded in withdrawing
them from the field, and before the eighteenth
the expedition was abandoned, and the whole
army had evacuated the shore.

Jackson was now hailed as the saviour of the
city; and the distinguished part which our hero
took in this brilliant defence, drew upon himself
also no small share of public honor and applause.
The following officers also immortalized their
names by their conduct on this occasion:

Generals Coffee, Carrol, Adair, Morgan, Villere,
Humbert, and De Flanjac; colonels Anderson,
Perry, Haynes, Butler, Ross, M`Rea, Savary,
and De Laronda; majors Hinds, Planche,
Dagwin, Pierre, Catard, Kevanaugh, La Tour,
Carmac, Peyre, St. Geme, La Coste, Daquin,
Chotard, Davis, Hampton, and Tatum; captains
Reid, Baker, Humphrey,Beal,Ogden, Livingston,

M`Mahan, Pace, Lefevre, Planchard, Smith, and
Griffin; lieutenants Spotts, Kerr, Alexis, Cromford,
and Leach; also, the generals' aid Willoughby,
Livingston, Duplissis, Davizac, De Castra,
Duncan, Butler, and Grymes; together with
doctors Kerr and Flood, and Messrs. Cheanveau,
Hiriart, La Trobe, Gilbert, Bosquet, Decoin, and
the Mexican field-marshal Don Juan de Anavar.
General Villere's son first gave information of the
enemy's landing, and was afterwards made prisoner.
Colonels Platt, Dyer, Gibson, Elliott,
and Lauderdale, were wounded—the latter mortally.
Major Nicks and lieutenant Dupuy, were
also wounded, and major Kavenaugh was made
prisoner.

Of the flotilla, the following officers distinguished
themselves: Commodore Patterson, captain
Henley, lieutenants C. C. B. Thompson,
Norris, Crowlie, and Grawlie; sailing-master
Johnson, master's-mate Livingston, and Midshipman
Watkins; also purser Shields, and a Mr.
Walker.

Previous to the battle of the eighth, the pirates
of Barrataria, who had been held in custody,
were released by order of general Jackson, upon
condition that they would assist in defending the
city. In this battle they proved themselves excellent
artillerists, and were very serviceable,
particularly two of their naval captains—Dominique
and Belluche. They all afterwards received
a full pardon from the president of the United
States, for their good conduct on this occasion.

To their wounded enemies, the citizens of New-Orleans
paid every possible attention; in which
duty the nuns of the Urseline convent took the
glorious lead. Under the immediate superintendance

of the Abbe Douburg, they threw open
their doors, and converted all their houses, except
the main building, into hospitals, where the charitable
sisters, at their own expense and with
their own hands, took care of the sick and
wounded. The ladies of New-Orleans were also
employed in the same godlike acts of benevolence,
in which Catharine and her lovely new
cousin, liberally assisted.

In a few days after this brilliant affair, our hero,
Catharine, young Woodcock, and his blushing
bride, set out for New-York, where they arrived
on the twentieth of February. Here he met his
father, Fleming, and Fleming's agent, Dobson,
who had just returned from the East Indies, with
an immense fortune, and made ample restitution
to the man he had defrauded.

George led his Catharine to the Altar of Hymen,
on the very day that the ratification of the
treaty of PEACE was celebrated in the city of
New-York. The new married couple then accompanied
their cousin Woodcock and his bride
to Ithaca, where they arrived in season to receive
the blessing of his dying mother. As soon
as the funeral obsequies were over, George, Catharine,
and Fleming, accompanied major Willoughby
to Boston, where they passed the remainder
of the winter and the following spring; enjoying,
in the society of their friends, the purest
felicity that mortals ever tasted on earth. The
next summer the two fathers returned to their
estates in Ohio, which were soon restored to their
former beauty; and there, with our hero and his
Catharine, they both still reside, ever ready to
give the reader a cordial welcome, whenever he
or she will make a journey to Mulberry-Grove.

Sophia shone a few months in the circles of
vice, and in the following winter fell a victim to
disease. She ended her wretched existence in
the New-York Hospital, invoking curses on herself
and all mankind. Her unfortunate husband
had died of a broken heart, shortly after her
elopement.

Our hero's Boston friends are all still living,
prosperous and happy—Morse and Orville have
each of them a son and a daughter. O'Hara is
now sailing-master in the navy, and the achievements
of Logan are celebrated by the Bards of
the Forest. Woodcock and his lovely wife, are
enjoying in Ithaca all the happiness that their
virtues merit.

Our hero had now completed his Journal of
the War, and as I have promised my readers
another extract, I will here insert it.

July 7. Captain Porter arrived at New-York,
from his long cruise in the South Seas—returns a
prisoner on parole. On the twenty-eighth of March
preceding, the frigate Essex, which he commanded,
carrying 32 guns, and 255 men, was attacked
in the bay of Valparaiso, by the British frigate
Phœbe, of 36 guns and 320 men, captain Hillyar:
and the sloop of war Cherub, 28 guns and 180
men, captain Tucker: and captured after a desperate
resistance of two hours and a half, in
which 58 of Porter's men were killed, 63 wounded,
and 31 missing.

July 12. General Swift was this day killed by
a prisoner who had surrendered, in a skirmish
near Fort George.

July 18. Lieutenant Shelburne distinguished
himself at Plattsburgh.

July 24. Midshipman Ten Eyke, made prisoners
of two British lieutenants, two warrant-officers,
and five seamen, in a house on Gardner's
Island, in the Sound.

August 3. Major Morgan, with 240 American
riflemen, repulsed lieutenant-colonel Tucker,
with 1000 British regulars, at a place called Conjocketa
Creek.

August 9. Stonington, (Con.) was attacked by
a razee, frigate, sloop of war, and bomb brig,
but being gallantly defended by the militia, with
two 18-pounders, the enemy was forced to retire.

August 11. The British squadron, reinforced
by a 74, renewed the bombardment of Stonington,
and were again beaten off.

August 12. Major Morgan fell at the head of
his corps, in a gallant little affair with the British,
in which the latter were defeated.

August 24. The city of Washington was captured,
and the public edifices burnt by 5000 British,
under the command of general Ross. The
British lost 64 killed, and 185 wounded.

August 26. Alexandria was surrendered to the
British by capitulation, who plundered the merchandise
and burnt the shipping.

August 30. Sir Peter Parker, with 124 sailors
and marines from the Menelaus frigate, defeated
at Bellair (Vir.) by a party of militia, with the
loss of their commander and 13 men killed and
27 wounded.

September 1. The English sloop of war Avon,
of 18 guns, captain Arbuthnot, sunk by the United
States sloop of war Wasp, of 18 guns, captain
Blakeley, after an action of 46 minutes, in
which the Avon had 9 killed and 33 wounded,
and the Wasp 2 killed and 1 wounded.

September 3. The United States frigate Adams
was destroyed by her commander, captain Morris,
at Washington, to prevent her falling into
the hands of the enemy.

September 12. The battle of Baltimore, in
which 5000 British, led by general Ross, were
repulsed by the Americans, chiefly militia, with
a loss of 46 killed (including general Ross) and
295 wounded; the Americans lost 40 killed, 200
wounded, and 49 prisoners.

September 15. Fort Bowyer, at Mobile Point,
was attacked by the Hermes and Charon sloops
of war, Sophie, and several brigs, and three tenders,
supported by 320 artillery, marines, and Indians,
and defended by major Lawrence with 158
men, who, after three hours fighting, compelled
them to retire with great slaughter, and the loss
of the Hermes blown up. Americans lost 4 killed
and 5 wounded.

September 26. An attack was made upon the
American privateer General-Armstrong, captain
Reid, in the harbor of Fayal, by 16 British barges,
manned with 400 men from the Plantaganet 74,
Rota frigate, and Carnation sloop, which the survivors
were obliged to scuttle after losing 2 killed
and 7 wounded, and killing 120 and wounding
139 of the British.

October 8. The Legislature of Massachusetts
proposed a convention of the New-England
states.

October 11. A severe conflict took place off
Nantucket, between the American privateer
Prince of Neufchatel, captain Ordineaux, of
New-York, with 38 men at quarters, and five
barges manned from the British frigate Endymion,
containing 114 men, in which, after a sanguinary

fight of 20 minutes, the British had 30
killed and 35 wounded, one of the barges was
sunk, one taken, and the others escaped, from the
want of hands to secure them. The privateer
had 6 killed and 24 wounded.

November 7. General Jackson having entered
Pensacola with 5000 American militia, the British
destroyed the fortifications commanding the harbor,
and retired to their shipping.

November 18. The United States sloop of war
Hornet, captain Biddle, eluded the vigilance of
the British blockading squadron off New-London,
and sailed for New-York.

December 15. The New-England Convention
met at Hartford (Con.) and after sitting till the 4th
of January, adjourned with proposing sundry
amendments to the constitution.

December 24. A treaty of peace was concluded
at Ghent, between the United States and Great
Britain.

December 27. The treaty of Ghent was ratified
by Great Britain.

January 8. The grand battle of New-Orleans,
in which 12,000 British, commanded by Sir Edward
M. Pakenham, attempted to storm the American
entrenchments defended chiefly by militia
under general Jackson, and were repulsed with
the loss of the commander in chief, two generals,
and 586 killed, 1516 wounded, and 552 prisoners.
American loss 13 killed and 39 wounded.

January 15. The United States frigate President,
of 44 guns, captain Decatur, was captured
by the English ships Majestic, razee, Endymion,
Tenedos, and Pomona, frigates, after silencing
the Endymion in a running fight of 3 hours and
30 minutes, and receiving several broadsides

from the Tenedos and Pomona. The President
had 24 killed and 55 wounded.

February 11. Fort Bowyer, Mobile Point, with
the garrison, 336 men, surrendered by capitulation
to the combined naval and military British
force under admiral Cochrane and general Lambert.

February 17. The treaty of Ghent ratified by
the United States.

February 20. The English sloops of war Cyane,
captain Falcon, and Levant, captain Douglas,
were captured by the United States frigate
Constitution, captain Stewart, after an action of
40 minutes, in which the British ships had 35
killed and 42 wounded, and the Constitution 3
killed and 12 wounded.

February 26. The English schooner St. Lawrence,
of 14 guns, lieutenant James E. Gordon,
was captured after an action of 15 minutes, by
the American privateer Chasseur, of 16 guns,
captain Boyle. The St. Lawrence had 15 killed
and 23 wounded, and the Chasseur 5 killed and
8 wounded.

March 12. The Levant, prize to the Constitution,
was chased into Porto Hava, and recaptured
by the British frigates Augusta and Newcastle.

March 23. The English brig Penguin, of 18
guns, captain Dickenson, was captured by the
United States sloop of war Hornet, 18 guns, captain
Biddle, after an action of 18 minutes, in
which the Penguin had her commander and 13
killed and 28 wounded, and the Hornet 1 killed
and 11 wounded.

Thus terminated a war which has kindled a
halo of glory around the American name that
dazzles the eyes of admiring Europe.

As George recorded the last sentence, he raised
his eyes in extacy, and discovered the Mysterious
Chief at his elbow, who thus accosted him:

“You have at length become all I can wish—
you have adhered to my precepts, and defeated a
host of internal foes that were more dangerous to
your peace than the British were to your country.
You have conquered the former, by the assistance
of Heaven—the latter were defeated by me, as
the instrument of Heaven.”

George. By you!

M. C. Yes, by me.

George. What then am I to think of you?

M. C. Think of me as an ALLEGORY—
and let it be recorded in your journal, that it is
the duty of every parent to believe that his children
are specially destined by Heaven for a life
of peculiar usefulness—in order that he may be
thereby induced to prepare them for such a life.
I repeat—that, as the instrument of Heaven, I
achieved every victory which graces your Journal;
because (let it be recorded) whenever Americans
would succeed, either in peace or war, their
counsels must be actuated and their heroes inspired
by the—Spirit of Washington.