68 
city itself. Providence surely took the city under its protection; 
for the English were promised the plunder of New Orleans in 
case of success, as was asserted in that city: General Jackson 
moreover had given orders, in case of his retreat, not only to 
blow up the powder magazine of the city on the right bank, but 
to destroy the public buildings, and set the city on fire at the four 
corners. The general himself so fully recognized the hand of 
Providence in the event, that on the day after his victory, he ex¬ 
pressed himself to Bishop Dubourg thus: that he knew the city 
owed its preservation to a merciful Providence alone, and that 
his first step should be on his return to the city, to thank God in 
his temple for the victory so wonderfully obtained. The bishop 
immediately gave directions for a thanksgiving, and it was unani¬ 
mously celebrated with a sincere feeling of gratitude. 
From the battle ground to General Villaret’s dwelling, we had 
three miles still to go over. For some days back, we had dry 
weather, and the road, which after a hard rain, must be bottom¬ 
less, was on that account, hard and good. The Mississippi has 
the peculiarity possessed by several streams in Holland, of chang¬ 
ing its bed. The house of General Villaret, was once much 
nearer the river; for some years, however, it has inclined so 
much to the right, that it constantly wears away the soil there, 
while it forms new deposits to the left. The general’s posses¬ 
sions are therefrom increased, and that with very good soil. The 
visit of the English nearly ruined the general. Their landing on 
this side was so entirely unexpected, that he, being employed in 
collecting the militia in the districts above the city, had not been 
able to remove the least of his property. The English took all 
the cattle away, as well as above sixty negroes. There has not 
been any intelligence of what was the fate of these negroes, pro¬ 
bably they were sold in the West Indies. All the fences, bridges, 
and negro cabins were destroyed. The mansion-house was only 
spared, as it was occupied as head-quarters. The youngest son 
of the general, between thirteen and fourteen years old, was 
obliged to remain in the house the whole time it was retained, 
and was very well treated by the English generals and officers. 
As the English were on the point of re-embarking, General Lam¬ 
bert gave young Villaret four hundred dollars in silver to carry 
to his father, as indemnification for the cattle carried off. The 
young man went to the city, and delivered the money to his 
father. General Villaret requested General Jackson to send a 
flag of truce on board the English fleet, to carry the money back 
to General Lambert, with a letter from General Villaret. This 
was done, but the general never received an answer. 
The removal of the negroes was a severe stroke for the Gene¬ 
ral, from which, as he told me himself, it cost him much trouble 
