2i 8 Naval War of 1812 



ures taken for its aid. 6 The inhabitants had been 

 in a state of extreme despondency up to the time 

 that Jackson arrived, for they had no one to direct 

 them, and they were weakened by factional divi 

 sions; 7 but after his coming there was nothing but 

 the utmost enthusiasm displayed, so great was the 

 confidence he inspired, and so firm his hand in keep 

 ing down all opposition. Under his direction earth 

 works were thrown up to defend all the important 

 positions, the whole population working night and 

 day at them; all the available artillery was mount 

 ed, and every ounce of war material that the city 

 contained was seized; martial law was proclaimed; 

 and all general business was suspended, everything 

 being rendered subordinate to the one grand object 

 of defence. 



Jackson's forces were small. There were two 

 war vessels in the river. One was the little schooner 

 Carolina, manned by regular seamen, largely New 

 Englanders. The other was the newly built ship 

 Louisiana, a powerful corvette; she had of course 

 no regular crew, and her officers were straining every 

 nerve to get one from the varied ranks of the mari 

 time population of New Orleans; long-limbed and 

 hard-visaged Yankees, Portuguese and Norwegian 



6 "Historical Memoir of the War in West Florida and Lou 

 isiana" (by Major A. Lacarriex Latour, translated from the 

 French by H. P. Nugent, Philadelphia, 1816), p. 66. 



1 Latour, 53. 



