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History in Dixie! Part 2
What some of my Dixie relatives did @ the Battle of New Orleans 1814!!!
Date: 4/13/2014 12:29:37 PM ( 10 y ) ... viewed 9761 times Here is some of my family history .... We have been fighting for freedom a long time! This is a part of things that we must do to keep the tyrants down ..
From the Ballad The Battle of New Orleans; a great song covering some of my relatives....
**
The Battle of New Orleans
(Arr. J. Driftwood)
Johnny Horton
Pop Chart # 1 Apr. 27, 1959
Album: 16 Biggest Hits
Columbia Legacy Records CK 69971
(Banjo intro)
In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in a town in New Orleans
We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
(One-two-three, with a-one-two-three)
We looked down the river
(Hut-two)
And we see'd the British come
(Three-four)
And there must have been a hundred of 'em
(Hut-two)
Beatin' on the drums
(Three-four)
They stepped so high
(Hut-two)
And they made their bugles ring
(Three-four)
We stood beside our cotton bales
(Hut-two)
And didn't say a thing
(Two-three-four)
We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
(One-hut, two-three-four)
If we didn't fire our muskets
(One-hut, two-three-four)
'Till we looked 'em in the eye
(One-hut, two-three-four)
We held our fire
(Hut, two-three-four)
'Till we see'd their faces well
Then we opened up our squirrel guns
And really gave 'em - well we
Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Yeah, they ran through the briars
(One-hup-two)
And they ran through the brambles
(Hup-two-three-four)
And they ran through the bushes
(Hup-two)
Where a rabbit couldn't go
(Hup-two-three-four)
They ran so fast
(Hup-two)
That the hounds couldn't catch 'em
(One-two-three-four)
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
(One-two, hup-two-three-four)
We fired our cannon 'til the barrel melted down
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round
We filled his head with cannon balls, and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off the gator lost his mind
We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
Yeah, they ran through the briars
(Hup-one-two)
And they ran through the brambles
(One-two-three-four)
And they ran through the bushes
(Hup-two)
Where a rabbit couldn't go
(Hup-two-three-four)
They ran so fast
(Hup-two)
That the hounds couldn't catch 'em
(One-two-three-four)
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
(One-two, hup-two-three-four)
Hut-two-three-four
Sound off, three-four
Hut-two-three-four
Sound off, three-four
Hut-two-three-four
Hut-two-three-four.
Play Song On Your Computer
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In October 1813, the 2nd Regiment of Volunteers was combined with Col. Cannon's Mounted Regiment and the 1st Regiment of Volunteer Mounted Gunmen to form a militia brigade of mounted infantry.
Gen. Coffee was promoted to brigadier-general and placed in command.
Gen. Coffee led his brigade, *** {which consisted largely of free Blacks and American Indian warriors from allied Southeast tribes} at the Battle of New Orleans. They played a key role in holding the woods to the east of the British redcoats' column. Coffee's brigade was the first to engage the British, by firing from behind the trees and brush.
* The battle is also depicted in Eric Flint's alternate history novel 1812: The Rivers of War. In this alternate history version, the battle was decided when a battalion of black US soldiers ("The Iron Battalion") repulsed the British assault.
- Jackson's force was outnumbered by the attacking 11,000 British forces. Jackson's army of 4,732 men comprised 968 US Army regulars,[30] 58 US Marines, 106 seamen of the US Naval battalion, 1,060 Louisiana Militia and volunteers (including 462 free men of color - under Gen. Coffee), 1,352 Tennessee Militia, 986 Kentucky Militia, 150 Mississippi Militia and 52 Choctaw warriors. Additionally, Jackson had the support of warships in the Mississippi River, including the USS Louisiana, the USS Carolina and the Enterprise, along with the pirate Jean Lafitte and his Baratarians.
*** " Did you notice the involvement of Free Blacks soldiers (obviously not all Negros were slaves in the old South!)"
Of course those of us who actually study history knew this!
Note:
The British Army of North America was commanded by Gen. Pakenham who saw action throughout the wars of the French Revolution and was part of the expedition that captured the island of St. Lucia in 1803, during which he sustained a serious neck wound. During this period, the tall and handsome Pakenham established a reputation as a model gentleman soldier; respectful, mannered and highly esteemed by his fellow officers. Pakenham’s image was further enhanced when Arthur Wellesley, the soon-to-be Duke of Wellington, {Leader of the forces which defeated Napoleon @ Waterloo} married his sister in 1806.
Pakenham served with distinction under his brother-in-law in the Peninsular Campaign against Napoleon from 1810 on. His successful leadership in battle had earned him the rank of major general within a year. Other victories followed, such as at the Battle of Salamanca in 1812 and the Battle of the Pyrenees in 1813. For his accomplishments in these engagements, Pakenham was knighted in Bath, England in late 1813.
But when the news of Major General Robert Ross’s death reached England in October of 1814, a replacement commander for the New Orleans campaign had to be found.
Though he was opposed to the war with the United States, Pakenham accepted command of the British North American army and left almost immediately for Jamaica where he was to rendez-vous with more British forces before moving on to the Gulf Coast. Heavy winds delayed Pakenham’s crossing and he reached Jamaica only after Vice Admiral Cochrane had already departed for New Orleans to commence operations.
Gen. Pakenham finally made it to the British advance camp, seven miles below New Orleans at the Villere Plantation, on Christmas Day of 1814. He showed leadership and determination in bringing forward the large pieces of British artillery over difficult terrain, but the operation was plagued by a long, inefficient supply line, a lack of intelligence reports, and bitter weather.
Gen Pakenham was killed in the Battle of New Orleans - 1815.
=====================================
Jackson chose General Coffee as his advance commander in the Creek War, in which he commanded mostly state militia {which included Free Blacks} and allied American Indians. Under Jackson's command, Coffee led his brigade at the Battle of Tallushatchee, the Battle of Talladega, and the Battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek, where he was seriously wounded, and the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
At the latter, the American allied forces conclusively defeated the Red Sticks, traditionalists of the Creek Nation who were allied with the British. * British allies!
** We are relatives of General R. Coffee and descendants of his cousin General John E. Coffee on my mother's side; from south Ga!
General John R Coffee's first cousin;
General John E. Coffee (1782–1836), who was a general in the Georgia militia and elected as the U.S. Congressman from Georgia.
John E. Coffee moved with his parents and family to a plantation near Powelton in Hancock County, Georgia, in 1800. Coffee later settled in Telfair County, Georgia in 1807, where he developed his own plantation.
BTW; I have spent quite some time in Telfair County Ga over the years.... Coffee County named after Gen Coffee is right next to Telfair!
It is good that someone stand up against those who would take your freedom!
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