How The Gator Lost His Mind

1815 painting of the Battle of New Orleans by Jean Hyacinthe de Laclotte of the Louisiana Militia based on his memories of the battle and sketches he made on the field. (Source)

Well, seeing as how Old Hickory will be coming off the twenty dollar bill in the not too distant future and seeing as how a certain song got stuck in my mind from way back in the day, I figured I'd give a tip of the hat to old General Jackson and the fellows who defeated the red coats back in 1815.

The Battle of New Orleans was an engagement fought between January 8 and January 18, 1815, constituting the final major and most one-sided battle of the War of 1812. American combatants, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, prevented the British Army, Royal Marines and a large Royal Navy fleet, commanded by Admiral Alexander Cochrane and General Edward Pakenham, from seizing New Orleans as a strategic tool to end the war.

The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814 (but was not ratified by the US Government until February 1815), and hostilities would continue without the involved parties knowing about the Treaty, until January 18 when all of the British forces had retreated, finally putting an end to the Battle of New Orleans. W

Many of those British troops engaged in the Battle of New Orleans were veterans of the Peninsular War in which Sir Arthur Wellesley (better known as the Duke of Wellington) defeated the French in a long bloody struggle lasting from 1808 to 1813. The Duke would miss those veterans in June of 1815 when he faced a certain French Emperor on the rolling terrain south of Brussels.

General Pakenham, a cavalryman and the Duke of Wellington's brother-in-law (his sister was the Duke's wife), was also a Peninsular veteran and saw a lot of combat against the French. He was killed in action at the Battle of New Orleans. Along with 284 of his men.

American casualties were 13 killed, 30 wounded, 19 missing for a total of 62 casualties. The British lost 285 killed, 1,265 wounded, 484 captured for a total of 2,034 casualties.

Now I'll admit to being a fan of Andrew Jackson, especially based on a story we were taught in grade school (back when one could be proud of our history).

(Source)

I remember that picture from one of my school books. Heavens-to-Betsy but such a sight would no doubt set the hearts of today's snowflakes all aflutter, sending them off to seek a "safe place." No, not the grade school kids, heck, they'd get a kick out of it. Nope, I'm talking about college students.

During the Revolutionary War, 14 year old Andrew Jackson and his older brother Robert were captured by British soldiers in the Battle of Hanging Rock. The officer in command ordered Jackson to clean his boots. Jackson refused. The officer raised his sword to strike a violent blow at the boy's head. Jackson ducked and threw up his left hand. "It was cut to the bone, and a gash on his head left a white scar that Andrew Jackson carried through a long life that profited little to England or any Englishman." (Source)

Now that song I was talking about, loved it as a kid and still do. They just don't make them like this anymore. (From the Ed Sullivan Show in 1959. I may have actually watched it live, my parents were big fans of the show. Big fans.)

Oh yes, apologies to all my British friends. It was a long time ago and I'm sure y'all fell back in good order. (Tsk, tsk, Tommy Atkins runs from no man.)

I will miss the General glaring at me from the 20, but I've seen the photo of Ms. Tubman they plan to replace Old Hickory with. I wouldn't want to piss her off either.

(Source)

General Andrew Jackson stands on the parapet of his makeshift defenses as his troops repulse attacking Highlanders, as imagined incorrectly by painter Edward Percy Moran in 1910. (Source)
My sources indicate that the Highlanders were clad in trousers that day.