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Show 298 LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. c~;P. and he was only held by his clothes: thus pinioned, ~and others briskly advancing, but a moment was 1814. left for deliberation ;-making a violent exertion, and springing on his feet, he threw his assailant to the ground, and made good his retreat. Colonel Dyer had retreated about fifty yards, when his horse dropped dead ; entangled in the fall, ~md slightly wounded .in the thigh, there was little prospect of relief, for the enemy were briskly advancing: his men being near at hand, he ordered a fire, which, checking their ap· proach, enabled him to escape. Being now at the ,head of his command,-perceiving an enemy i1;1 a direction he hall not expected, and uncertain how or where he might find general Coffee, he determined to ,5eek him to the right, and moving on with his little bm1d, forced his way through the enemy's lines, wit\1 a loss of sixty-three of his men, who were killed and taken. Captain Beat, with equal bravery, charged through the enemy, carrying off some prisoners, and losing several of his own company. u rit ish re- This reinforcement of the British bad arrived from ~~~;c:;_ Bayou Bi~nvenu, after night. The boats that had landrives. ed the first detachment, had proceed~ back to the shipping, and having retumed, were on their way up the bayou, when they heard the guns of the Caroline ; moving hastily on to the assistance of those who had debarked before them, they reached the shore, and knowing nothing of the situation of the two armies, came up in the rear of general Coffee's brigade. Coming in contact with colonel Dyer and captain Beal, they filed oft" to the left, and reached the British camp. LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. ~99 This part of Coffees brigade, unable to unite with, CHAP. or find him, retired where they had first formed and IX. joined colonel Hinds' dragoons, which had rem~ined ~ on the ground where the troops had first dismounted 1814" to cover their retreat, in the event it became necessary: Jackson had gone into this battle with a confidence of success; and his arrangements were such as would have ensured it, even to a much greater extent, but for the intervention of circumstances that were not and ~ould not be foreseen. The Caroline had give,; her s1gnals, and commenced the battle, a little too early, before Coffee had reached and taken his position, and before every thing was fully in readiness, to attain the ob~ects.designed: but it was chiefly owing to the confus10n mtroduced at first into the ranks, which c:1ecked the rapi~ity of his advance,-gave the enemy hme for preparat10n, and prevented his division from uniting with ~he righ~ wing of general Coffee's brigade. Colonel Hmds, w1th one hundred and eighty dragoons, was not brought into action during the night. Interspersed as the plain was, with innumer-4ble ditches, cut in diflcrent directions, it was impossible that cavalry could. act to any kind of advantage : they were now formed m advance, to watch, until morning, the movements of the enemy. . From the experiment just made, Jackson believed 1t would be in llis power, on renewing the attack, to capture the enemy: he concluded, therefore, to call do~ general Carroll with his division, and assail him ~111 at the d~'vn °~ day. Directing governor Clai-orne to remam at his post, with the Louisiana militia, •' |
