144. 
express my sincere regret, and 
which may be supposed at this 
moment to come peculiarly home 
to me. 
Major-General Gibbs, who died 
of his wounds the following day, 
and Major-General Keane, who 
were both carried off the field 
within twenty yards of the glacis, 
at the head of their brigades, suf- 
ficiently speak at such a moment 
how they were conducting them- 
selves. Iam happy to say Major 
General Keane is doing well: 
Captain Wylly, of the fusiliers, 
military secretary to the late Com- 
mander. of the forces, will have 
the honour of delivering to your 
Lordship these dispatches. Know- 
ing how much he enjoyed his 
esteem, and was in his confi- 
dence froma long experience of 
his talents, I feel I cannot do 
less than pay this tribute to what 
I conceive would be the wishes 
of his late General, and to re- 
commend him strongly to your 
Lordship’s protection, 
I have, &c. 
(Signed) Joun LamsBerr. 
Major-General, commanding. 
Camp on the left Bank of the 
Mississipi, nine miles from 
New Orleans, Dec. 26, 
1814. ’ 
Sir,—I have the honour to in- 
form you, that between the 17th 
and 22d instant, the troops des- 
tined for the attack of New Or- 
Jeans were collected at Isle.aux 
Poix, which is at the entrance of 
the Pearl River. 
Having learnt that it: was im- 
possible to effect a landing at the 
head of the Bayone Catalan, which 
runs into Lake Borgne, I directed 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
Major Forrest, Assistant Quarter 
Master General, to have it re- 
connoitred. Lieutenant Peddie, 
of that department, accompanied 
by the Hon. Captain Spencer, of 
the navy, ascertained on the 
night of the 18th that boats could 
reach the head of the Bayone, 
from which a . communication 
might be made to the high road 
on the left bank of the Mississip- 
pi, leading to New Orleans. 
On the morning of the 22d 
every arrangement being made 
by Vice Admiral the Hon. Sir 
Alexander Cochrane, I deter-— 
mined to attempt it.» The light | 
brigade, composed. of the 85th 
and 95th regiments, Capt. Lane’s 
rocketeers, one hundred sappers 
and miners, and the 4th regiment 
as a support, the whole under the 
command of Colonel Thornton, 
were placed in the boats, and the 
Qist, 44th, and 93rd regiments, 
under Colonel Brooke, and a 
large proportion of artillery, un- 
der Major Munro, were embark- 
ed in small vessels. 
At 10 a. m. on the 22d, we 
sailed from Pearl river, and 
reached the head of the Bayone 
at day-light next morning, A 
landing was immediately effected 
without any other opposition than 
the country presented ; Captain 
Blanchard, of the royal engineers 
in the course of two hours, open-|} 
ed a communieation through se- 
veral fields of reeds, intersecte 
by deep muddy ditches, bordere 
by a low swampy wood ; Colone 
Thornton then advanced and gain- 
ed the high road, taking up a 
position with the right resting on 
the road, and the left on the, Mis 
sissippi. In this situation I in- 
