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Home/Featured/Battle of New Orleans
A line of British Army red coat reenactors fire their muskets

Battle of New Orleans

The Battle of New Orleans was one of the most decisive victories by an American army over a much larger British force during the War of 1812.  The opening shots of the battle rang out as Great Britain and the United States were signing a treaty in Ghent, Belgium that ended the conflict. 

Reenactors mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans in 2015

Historic Reenactment of the battle of new orleans

An estimated 1,500 military reenactors from around the world act out the Battle of New Orleans to mark its 200th anniversary in 2015.  The actual site of the battle is a national historic site in Chalmette, Louisiana.

Reenactors portray a mix of army regulars, militia and volunteers

United States Gen. Andrew Jackson assembled a force of 1,000  Army regulars, bolstered by several thousand militia from Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana, along with pirate Jean Lafitte’s Baratarians and local volunteers.  This video tells the story their unlikely triumph at New Orleans.

Watch this short documentary on the Battle of New Orleans

a bold defense of new orleans

British forces arrived by ships in Lake Borgne and overpowered a flotilla of American gunboats.  More than 8,000 British troops landed in the marshes east of New Orleans.  When Gen. Jackson learned of the British arrival, he immediately launched a daring night attack on Christmas Eve. 

Reenactors clash in the Christmas Eve battle

The bloody hand-to-hand skirmish stunned the British invaders and gave Jackson time to dig in his forces behind a canal and earthworks. 

Playing the role: Steven Abolt and Grant Hardin of the 7th Infantry Association

five days of battle

There were a total of five engagements between the British and American forces ending in an overwhelming American victory on the battlefield at Chalmette.  A series of delays, miscalculations and mistakes by the British sealed their tragic fate. 

Casualties climb for the British at the Battle of New Orleans

The British suffered more than 2,000 casualties, while the American losses numbered about 60. British commander Gen. Edward Packenham was among those killed in the final battle. The 200th anniversary reenactments of the battles show how the British invasion failed.

Watch this exciting reenactment of the Battle of New Orleans

ursuline nuns pray for victory

The Old Ursuline Convent in New Orleans

The roar of the cannons was heard 5 miles away at the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans, where nuns, women and children held vigil and prayed for victory.  The Old Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter is the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley.

Watch this video on the historic Old Ursuline Convent in New Orleans

1 Battlefield Rd, Chalmette, LA 70043

Check out more Louisiana history

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Chennault’s Flying Tigers

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    U-Boats in the Gulf

      row of slave cabins in the Evergreen Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana

      African American Museum

        Written by:
        Dave McNamara
        Published on:
        December 16, 2022
        Thoughts:
        1 Comment

        Categories: Featured, New Orleans

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Earnest Hooks

          April 2, 2023 at 9:03 am

          Thanks for your version of what happened. however, Major Canary with the defense of two battalions of needed force were there to lead in defeat of the British lost of 2000.

          Reply

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