Battle of New Orleans

Day 311

     You can’t go to New Orleans without stopping to see where the Battle of New Orleans took place. It took place on the plantation of Ignace Francios Martin de Lino de Chalmet. Born 1755, he was a veteran of the American Revolution. He retired in 1794 and began acquiring land below New Orleans in 1805, which would become the Chalmette Plantation. 

     Andrew Jackson chose this site to engage the British. The plantation was bordered by a canal which ran between the Mississippi River and the Cypress Swamp. 

     Jackson’s plan was to force the British to march through the stubble of harvested sugarcane fields toward his troops. His troops enlarged the canal, allowing it to fill with water, built a shoulder-high mud rampart thick enough to withstand cannon fire with the mud from the canal. 

     On January 8, 1815, a foggy morning, the British did exactly what Jackson expected, and in the space of the two hour battle, the British lost 2,000 men while Jackson lost 20.

     Plain bad luck and bad management led to the British defeat. The British were led by Sir Edward Pakenham, a capable General who distinguished himself in the Europe and West Indies wars. It just wasn’t his day. He correctly analyzed Jefferson’s strategy, and had his men prepare flotation devises for crossing the Canal and ladders to scale the ramparts. With his 4,000 battled harden soldiers against Jackson’s 2000 men consisting of 500 seasoned troops and the rest local indians, pirates and militia, there was little doubt as to the outcome.

     General Pakenham assigned Captain Thomas Mullins, one of his officers, to build the ladders and  fascines (a rough bundle of brushwood used for making a path across uneven or wet terrain) to be the advance guard for the first column of attack and to carry the ladders and fascines which would enable the British troops to cross the ditch and scale the American ramparts. Mullins lost his way in the fog, realizing his mistake he ordered his men to turn around. They dropped their ladders and fascines so they could fire their weapons. When Pakenham’s main force reached the canal, there was no way to cross. Mullins, trying to get back, blocked the main troops causing mass confusion, all in the cross fire of Jackson’s army. They cut the British down. 

     Well they ran through the briar, they ran through the brambles and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit wouldn’t go. They ran so fast that the hounds couldn’t catch ’em Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.  

Backwater, Louisiana

Day 310

     

     Traveling around the marshes, swamps and bayous, looking for unusual wildlife (for us). We found alligators,

Turtles

Pelicans

Snakes

Geicos

Drones

Peacocks

Longhorn Cattle

and this strange statute

In recognition of the faithful service of the good darkies of Louisiana.

 

Camp Moore, Louisiana

Day 309

     Camp Moore is located in Tangipahoa, Louisiana. It was named to honor Thomas Overton Moore, the Civil War Governor of the State of Louisiana. The Camp opened in 1861 and was the largest Confederate training camp in Louisiana. Over 25,000 men, mostly from Louisiana, passed through Camp Moore on their way to war. It was here that they would learn the discipline and drill that would transform farmers and merchants into soldiers. 

     Although no battles were fought here, 800 died as a result of two measles epidemics in 1861 and 1862. 

     In November, 1864, the Camp was overrun by Union forces and burned to the ground. There were very few confederates here at the time and they just fled the area when the North showed up. 

Louisiana Museum

Day 307

     The Louisiana Museum is located on Jackson Square in downtown New Orleans. It has two permanent exhibits. On the first floor the story of Hurricanes that hit New Orleans, and in particular, Hurricane Katrina.

     Second floor houses the history of Mardi Gras.

     

     From the second floor you can look out over Jackson Square and observe all the street performers.

     One of the cool parts of the museum is the video setup where you get the experience of riding the float and throwing beads to the spectators.

 

 

The South Will Not Rise Again, Sorry.

Day 306

   Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (General G.T. Beauregard) was born May 28, 1818 in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, about 20 miles outside New Orleans. He was superintendent at West Point in 1861, however, after the South seceded he resigned from the United States Army and became the first brigadier general in the Confederate States Army.  He commanded the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina. On April 12, 1861 he fired on Ft. Sumter, signaling the beginning of the Civil War.   Three months later he won the First Battle of Bull Run near Manassas, Virginia. He distinguished himself throughout the Civil War. 

     He is honored by an equestrian statute in City Park, New Orleans. The corner stone placed November 14, 1913. In 1999 the statute was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

     The Jefferson Davis Monument, also known as the Jefferson Davis Memorial, is an outdoor sculpture and memorial to Jefferson Davis, installed at Jeff Davis Parkway and Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was dedicated February 22, 1911. 

     The Robert E. Lee Monument is appropriately located in Lee Circle, a main intersection and centrally located in New Orleans. It was dedicated February 22, 1884 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

     What is the significance of these three monuments? The Mayor and Legislature of New Orleans agreed with descendants of the freed slaves to remove these monuments as they promote racism. Last week the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the City could remove the monuments. 

   This appears to be the last nail in the coffin to prevent the South from rising again. 

Ponchatoula, Louisiana

Day 296

    Not all days are exciting. Today we went to Antique Stores. (Why? I don’t know, since she can’t buy anything as there is no room in the RV.)

     The show started at the old Ponchatoula Train Station, now antique stores. 

     Although the train still runs, this station is no longer a train station. The train actually runs through the center of town, and crosses 6 intersections. This train went through the center of town doing about 50 miles an hour, and didn’t slow down. 

     Keep track of us.

Nottoway Plantation, White Castle, Louisiana

Day 292

     John Hampden Randolph was born to a wealthy Virginia family in Nottoway County, Virginia on March 24, 1813.

     Nottoway Plantation, named after the County in which he was born, is located in White Castle, Louisiana, about 76 miles west of New Orleans. The plantation mansion was built by John Randolph in 1859 for his wife and 11 children, and is the largest antebellum plantation house in the South with 53,000 square feet of living space.

     Nottoway has over an acre of floor space spread out over three floors, with a total of 64 rooms, 165 doors and 200 windows, most of which can also double as doors.

     Before the union troops took over, it was a sugarcane plantation. 

     After the war, President Andrew Jackson issued a proclamation (now called an executive order) that required wealthy southern supporters to travel to Washington and personally apologize to the President for supporting the confederacy and ask for a pardon, which Randolph did on February 14, 1867. 

The Shoe

Day 290

     One of the parades we attended in New Orleans was the Krewe of Muses. Organized in 2000, the Krewe of Muses is named after the legendary daughters of Zeus. In Greek mythology, muses were patrons of the arts and sciences, as well as sources of inspiration for artists, poets, philosophers, and musicians.

     The Krewe of Muses was the first to consist entirely of women. One of their prize throws is a shoe. Each shoe is hand decorated by the Krewe member, and only one is made, not a pair.  Each shoe is unique, and their number is limited. Because of this, they are highly prized among Mardi Gras goers. Unlike the other “throws”, the shoe is handed to a selected parade spectator. Barbara was fortunate enough to be handed the above shoe. 

Reunion Lake RV Resort, Louisiana

Day 289

     

     No place is immune from Mardi Gras in the New Orleans area.

 

     At the RV resort we are staying they had the “Gulf Cart Parade”.

 

     About 25 Gulf Carts took part in the half hour parade.

     We were thrown 95 beads, and other trinkets.