236 Naval War of 1812 



to permit the passage of a number of ship's boats, 

 on which one division was to be ferried to the op 

 posite bank of the river, where it was to move up, 

 and, by capturing the breastworks and water-bat 

 tery on the west side, flank Jackson's main position 

 on the east side. 33 When this canal was nearly fin 

 ished the expected reinforcements, two thousand 

 strong, under General Lambert, arrived, and by the 

 evening of the 7th all was ready for the attack, 

 which was to be made at daybreak on the follow 

 ing morning. Pakenham had under him nearly 

 io,ooo 34 fighting men; 1,500 of these, under Col- 



38 "A particular feature in the assault was our cutting a 

 canal into the Mississippi ... to convey a force to the right 

 bank, which . . . might surprise the enemy's batteries on 

 that side. I do not know hov/ far this measure was relied 

 on by the general, but, as he ordered and made his assault at 

 daylight, I imagine he did not place much dependence upon 

 it." (Codrington, i, 335.) 



34 James (ii, 373) says the British "rank and file" amounted 

 to 8,153 men, including 1,200 seamen and marines. The only 

 other place where he speaks of the latter is in recounting the 

 attack on the right bank, when he says "about 200" were with 

 Thornton, while both the admirals, Cochrane and Codring 

 ton, make the number 300; so he probably underestimates 

 their number throughout, and at least 300 can be added, 

 making 1,500 sailors and marines, and a total of 8,453. This 

 number is corroborated by Major McDougal, the officer who 

 received Sir Edward's body in his arms when he was killed; 

 he says (as quoted in the "Memoirs of British Generals Dis 

 tinguished During the Peninsular War," by John William 

 Cole, London, 1856, ii, p. 364) that after the battle and the 

 loss of 2,036 men, "we had still an effective force of 6,400," 

 making a total before the attack of 8,436 rank and file. Call- 



