254 Naval War of 1812 



the great event of the war, and in it was fought the 

 most important battle as regards numbers that took 

 place during the entire struggle; and the fact that 

 we were victorious, not only saved our self-respect 

 at home, but also gave us a prestige abroad which 

 we should otherwise have totally lacked. It could 

 not be said to entirely balance the numerous defeats 

 that we had elsewhere suffered on land defeats 

 which had so far only been offset by Harrison's 

 victory in 1813 and the campaign in Lower Canada 

 in 1814 but it at any rate went a long way toward 

 making the score even. 



Jackson is certainly by all odds the most promi- 

 nent figure that appeared during this war, and 

 stands head and shoulders above any other com- 

 mander, American or British, that it produced. It 

 will be difficult, in all history, to show a parallel to 

 the feat that he performed. In three weeks' fighting, 

 with a force largely composed of militia, he utterly 

 defeated and drove away an army twice the size of 

 his own, composed of veteran troops, and led by one 

 of the ablest of European generals. During the 

 whole campaign he only erred once, and that was in 

 putting General Morgan, a very incompetent officer, 

 in command of the forces on the west bank. He 

 suited his movements admirably to the various ex- 

 igencies that arose. The promptness and skill with 

 which he attacked, as soon as he knew of the near 



