The Battle of New Orleans (1815)

The battlefield at Chalmette maybe the only such site accessible by paddle steamer. Indeed the trip down river from the wharfs at New Orleans on board the river boat Creole Queen is a great way of admiring the scale of the mighty River Mississippi and seeing some of the outlying New Orleans communities - many of which were sadly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Riverfront at New Orleans

The Battle of New Orleans was a last attempt by the British to reach a favourable settlement with the USA as the War of 1812 fizzled to an end in the face of more pressing issues closer to home - namely the resurgence of the Emperor Napoleon who would finally be stopped at Waterloo, five months after a token British force was defeated on the banks of the Mississippi. Major General Thomas Pakenham was tasked with taking New Orleans so as to control U.S. trade through the waterways of Louisiana. Major General Andrew Jackson (later President Jackson) was in command of a mixed force of 5,000 local men and was emboldened by an intense disapproval of the British whom he famously called "the common enemy of mankind".

The American Defence Line at Chalmette

The battlefield is well preserved although the authenticity of the trenches still evident on the Western fringes may have been compromised by the landscaping that is taken place over the last two hundred years. Parts of the canal which was a major obstacle in front of the American positions are partly discernible as depressions in the ground. The picture above shows the northern end of the line where Jackson's force dug in. The area where the British assembled is now dominated by a tall factory chimney. The 44th (East Sussex) Regiment of Foot attacked head on, parallel to the river bank. The failure of this move was exacerbated by the massive losses sustained in a subsequent attack by the 93rd Highlanders. Both movements are shown in the first picture below.

Map of the Battlefield from the Park

Monument & Visitor Centre - Chalmette Battlefield

The attack was a costly failure and resulted in British withdrawal from Louisiana. Andrew Jackson's contribution - on the battlefield and later in the political world - is acknowledged in the centre of the French Quarter in downtown New Orleans. Jackson Square is dominated by a statue of the great man on horseback waving his hat in acknowledgement of cheering supporters. The Chalmette National Cemetery adjacent to the Battlefield Park is mainly testament to later wars. The majority of burials are Union soldiers killed during the Civil War. Amongst the others are four War of 1812 veterans of which one fought at New Orleans.

The historic St Louis Cemetery No.1 close to Congo Square on the northern fringe of the French Quarter contains a memorial to Americans killed at the Battle of New Orleans. The inscription reads 'Among burials in this area are William P. Canby who died in defence of the city in the Battle of New Orleans and the defeat of the British Army, January 8th, 1815'.

 New Orleans has a number of sites which will be of interest to military historians. Firstly the hugely impressive statue of Robert E Lee in 'Robert E Lee Square'. For me this speaks volumes about the Confederate leadership in the Civil War where the South suffered from a deficit of top quality generalship in the West.

Rober E Lee

I can't help wondering whether there would be an Albert Sidney Johnson Square had the man in question survived The Battle of Shiloh. Lee never fought in the West during the Civil War so his presence here is surely emblematic.

The Museum of the Confederacy

The second site of interest is the Confederate Memorial Hall which is located a few yards from Lee's statue. This old school museum is full of fascinating artefacts. I was particularly struck by the battle-flags and the personal papers of various Civil War participants. It's a highly partisan collection but is well worth a visit.

The final site is on a different scale entirely. The National WWII Museum is on the opposite side of Lee Square and represents all that is good about modern day historical interpretation.

National WWII Museum

The museum is set in two parts. The War in Europe and The War in the East. The visitor is guided through a series of set piece chronological interactive display areas which contain a great mix of exhibits, information panels and historical documents. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the whole thing is very 'USA centric' and in particular the critical role of the Soviet Union in the West is massively understated. For me though, the galleries on the Pacific War were a revelation - a great mix of learning and entertainment.