Q1: What kind of trouble was America in right before the battle of New Orleans?
A1: Both British and American troops were unaware of the peace treaty that was signed a few weeks prior in Great Belgium.
Q2: Why did the British want to capture New Orleans?
A2: The British wanted to capture New Orleans because it was the gateway to the Mississippi River.
Q3: Who was the leader of American forces at New Orleans?
A3: Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson
Q4: What was the mood like in New Orleans when Jackson arrived in December 1814? Why?
A4: The people were in a panic because it was reported that British troops were spotted near Lake Borgne just east of the city.
Q5: What did Jackson have built to protect New Orleans from an attack by the British?
A5: A weak 12-gun fortification.
Q6: What combination of events led to the British defeat at New Orleans?
A6:
October 24, 1814
Edward Pakenham receives orders to command the expedition against New Orleans
November 6–7, 1814
Seeking to deny the British a fortified harbor, Andrew Jackson’s forces enter and temporarily occupy Pensacola after a short, fierce skirmish against Spanish troops; the British depart after blowing up Fort Barrancas.
November 19–22, 1814
Still not knowing where the British force will strike, Jackson leaves some troops to protect Mobile and proceeds to New Orleans, traveling overland to personally scout possible British landing sites.
December 1, 1814
Andrew Jackson reaches New Orleans, makes a public address to rally the citizens, and establishes his headquarters. Meanwhile, Admiral Cochrane’s advance ships appear off the passes of the Mississippi.
December 14, 1814
Battle of Lake Borgne: The Battle of Lake Borgne ends with the British capture of American gunboats.
December 16, 1814
Jackson declares martial law in New Orleans, while two British officers dressed as local fishermen secretly reconnoiter a route to the city via Bayou Bienvenue to the Villeré and Delaronde Plantations. British troops begin mustering at Isle aux Poix (Pea Island), near the mouth of the Pearl River.
December 20, 1814
Two bodies of Tennessee Militia under Generals Coffee and Carroll reach New Orleans, along with Thomas Hinds’s Mississippi Dragoons.
December 23, 1814
British Landing and Night Battle: Jackson attacks after nightfall, stopping the British advance; the Americans fall back and begin construction of a defensive line behind the Rodriguez Canal.
January 8, 1815
Final Battle of New Orleans: The main British attack on the east bank of the Mississippi is repulsed with heavy British casualties and the deaths of Generals Pakenham and Gibbs; Pakenham’s successor, Major General Lambert, decides that he cannot exploit a successful British attack on the west bank and orders his forces to withdraw.
Q7: How many British and American casualties were there from the battle of New Orleans?
A7: The assault on Jackson’s fortifications was a fiasco, costing the British some 2,000 casualties including three generals and seven colonels—all of it in the span of only 30 minutes. Amazingly, Jackson’s ragtag outfit had lost fewer than 100 men.
