230 Naval War of 1812 



wolves who have brought to bay a great boar, and 

 crouch just out of reach of his tusks, waiting a 

 chance to close in. 



Pakenham, having once tried the strength of 

 Jackson's position, made up his mind to breach his 

 works and silence his guns with a regular battering 

 train. Heavy cannon were brought up from the 

 ships, and a battery was established on the bank 

 to keep in check the Louisiana. Then, on the night 

 of the last day of the year, strong parties of work 

 men were sent forward, who, shielded by the dark 

 ness, speedily threw up stout earthworks, and 

 mounted therein fourteen heavy guns, 25 to face the 

 thirteen 26 mounted in Jackson's lines, which were 

 but three hundred yards distant. 



New Year's day dawned very misty. As soon as 

 the haze cleared off the British artillerymen opened 

 with a perfect hail of balls, accompanied by a cloud 



85 Ten long i8s and 4 24-pound carronades (James, ii, 368). 

 Gleig says (p. 318), "6 batteries mounting 30 pieces of heavy 

 cannon." This must include the "brigade of field-pieces" of 

 which James speaks. Nine of these, 9 and 6-pounders, and 2 

 howitzers, had been used in the attack on the Carolina ; and 

 there were also 2 field-mortars and 2 3-pounders present ; and 

 there must have been i other field-piece with the army, to 

 make up the 30 of which Gleig speaks. 



16 Viz.: i long 32, 3 long 243, i long 18, 3 long i2s, 3 long 

 6s, a 6-inch howitzer, and a small carronade (Latour, 147) ; 

 and on the same day Patterson had in his water-battery i 

 long 24 and 2 long 123 (see his letter of Jan. 2d), making a 

 total of 16 American guns. 



