25 Naval War of 1812 



in the main attack. On the east bank, neither the 

 creole militia nor the Forty-fourth regiment had 

 taken any part in the combat. 



The English had thrown for high stakes and had 

 lost everything, and they knew it. There was noth- 

 ing to hope for left. Nearly a fourth of their fight- 

 ing men had fallen ; and among the officers the pro- 

 portion was far larger. Of their four generals, 

 Pakenham was dead, Gibbs dying, Keane disabled, 

 and only Lambert left. Their leader, the ablest 

 officers, and all the flower of their bravest men were 

 lying, stark and dead, on the bloody plain before 

 them; and their bodies were doomed to crumble 

 into mouldering dust on the green fields where they 

 had fought and had fallen. It was useless to make 

 another trial. They had learned to their bitter cost, 

 that no troops, however steady, could advance over 

 open ground against such a fire as came from Jack- 

 son's lines. Their artillerymen had three times 

 tried conclusions with the American gunners, and 

 each time they had been forced to acknowledge 

 themselves worsted. They would never have an- 

 other chance to repeat their flank attack, for Jack- 

 son had greatly strengthened and enlarged the 

 works on the west bank, and had seen that they were 

 fully manned and ably commanded. Moreover, no 

 sooner had the assault failed, than the Americans 

 again began their old harassing warfare. The 



