GENERAL HISTORY. 
Edward Pakenham arrived, and 
took the command of the army. 
In the morning of the 27th the 
troops moved forward in two co- 
lumns, and drove in the enemy’s 
picquets to a situation within six 
miles of the town, where their 
main body was discovered strong- 
ly posted behind a canal, with a 
breast-work in front, their right 
resting on the Mississipi, in which 
an armed ship was moored, so as 
to enfilade any advancing assail- 
ants, and their left touching a 
thick wood. From that time to 
the 8th of January the interval 
was occupied in preparations on 
both sides for attack and defence. 
On the 8th the British army was 
formed for a general assault upon 
the enemy’s line, to be preceded 
by an attempt with a detached 
force under Col. Thornton to cross 
the river during the night, and 
proceeding along the right bank, 
to carry the flanking battery of 
the Americans on that side. Va- 
rious unforeseen difficulties re- 
tarded the execution of this part 
of the plan till the co-operation 
lost its intended effect, though, 
in the end, the battery was taken ; 
and the main attack did not take 
place till there was light enovgh 
for the enemy to descry the assail- 
ants at more than 200 yards dis- 
tance. A galling fire was imme- 
diately opened from every part of 
the American line, and in the 
midst of it, General Pakenham, 
riding forwards to animate his 
men received two shots, one of 
which was almost instantly fatal. 
He fell into the arms of his aide- 
de-camp, and at the same time, 
Generals Keane and Gibbs were 
carried off wounded in sight of 
the troops, who were so much dis- 
123 
heartened that they began to wa~ 
ver. Major General Lambert then 
bringing up the reserve, met the 
whole falling back in the great- 
est confusion; and though he 
restored order so far as to main- 
tain the ground he occupied, it 
was not thought advisable to re- 
new the attempt. On learning 
the success of Col. Thornton’s 
attack, General Lambert sent an 
artillery officer over the river to 
examine whether the post was 
tenable, and from his report he 
was induced to order it to be re- 
linquished. Such was the unfor- 
tunate termination of an enter- 
prise which appears to have been 
undertaken with more courage 
than judgment. The loss on this 
day was very serious, including 
that of the General-in-chief killed, 
General Gibbs wounded so. se- 
verely as to die on the next day, 
General Keane wounded, 1 lieut.- © 
colonel killed and 8 wounded, 
and of the rest, officers and men, 
about 2,000 killed, wounded, and 
prisoners. The final result was, 
that the whole army was re- 
embarked, leaving a few of the 
most dangerously wounded, and 
carrying off its field artillery, 
ammunition, and stores. 
The concluding operation of 
the war was the capture of fort 
Mobille, planned by Admiral 
Cochrane and General Lambert. 
The entrance into its bay being 
so well guarded by a fort that it 
was thought unsafe to attempt 
forcing a passage by the smaller 
ships of war; a body of troops 
was landed on February 7th, 
about three miles from the fort, 
which was immediately invested, 
and the ‘trenches were pushed to 
within pistol-shot of the works. 
