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Show 302 LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. C~£:· tance ~om all .danger. These were. circumstances ~ awakemng a behef that they expected httle opposition, 1814• were certain of success, and that the troops with whom they were to contend, would scarcel v venture to resist them : resting thus confidently, .they would the next day have moved forward, and succeeded in the accomplishment of their designs. Jackson, convinced that an early impression was essential to ultimate success, had resolved to assail them at the moment of their landing, and "attack them in their first position:" we have, therefore, seen him, with a force, inferior by one half, to that of the enemy, at an unexpected moment, break into their camp, and witl1 his undisciplined yeomanry, drive before him the pride of Europe. It was an event that could not fail to destroy all previous theories, and establish a conclusion, our enemy had not before formed, that they were contending against valour inferior to none they had seen ;-before which their own bravery had not stood nor their skill availed them : it had. the effect of satis(ving them, that the quantity and kind of troops, it was in his power to wield, must be different from what had been represented ; for, much as they had heard of the courage of the man, they could not suppose, that a· general, having a country to defend, and a reputation to preserve, would venture to attack, on their own chosen groum;l, a greatly superior army, and one, which, by the numerous victories achieved, had aJ. ready acquired a fame in arms ; they were convinced that his force must greatly surpass what they had expected, and be com posed of materials, different from what tlley had imagined. LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. sos The Americljll troops, wftich were actually engag· CHAP. ed, did not ~Il).ount to two thopsand men : they cop- IX. :;isted of part of ...,..,...._. Coffee's brigade and captain Beal's company 648 1814· I ·' The 7th and 44th regiments, . • 763 Company of marines l\fld artillery, 82 Plauche's and Daquin's battalions, 488 And the Mississippi dragoons UJ;~der colonel ( Hinds, not in the ac.tion, • 5 186 2167* which for one hqur maintained a severe conflict ·with a force of four or five thousru;1d, and retired i1~ safety from the grounc;l, witl1 the loss of but twenty -four kill~, one qundred and fifteen wounded, and ~venty four made prisoners; while the killed, ,votmded, aiJd priso)1C\'S, of the enemy, were not less than four .hundred. Our officers and soldiers executed every order with flromptness, and nobly sustained thdr country's cha. n~cter. Lieutenant colonel Lauderdale, of Coffee's !brigade~ an o~cer on whom every reliance was placed, fell at h1s post, and at his duty : he had entered the 'ICI'Vice, and c;lescended the river, with the volunteers -under g<;neral Jackson, in the winter of 181~ -pa,ssed through all the hardships and difficulties of ,the Creek war, and had ever manifested a readiness to ·act when his country needed his services. Young, • Colonel Butler, adjutant general of the southern division furnished the author with this statement, and vouched for it~ <JOfrectness. |