Talk:Battle of New Orleans order of battle: American

Mess

This page is a bit of a mess. What's all this Pickles being wrong? Regardless of the truth, it belongs in the talk section, not the article itself. 2603:6080:3840:106B:B603:B3FB:8A77:D77A (talk) 16:18, 11 September 2022 (UTC)

Cavalry

The primary source (Roosevelt p.237) has an aggregate total of 230.

The following are reported by Latour and Buell. Latour is the primary source for his information. Buell's primary source is not forthcoming, so may have been fabricated, like his British order of battle.

	Latour	Buell
Hinds's Mississippi Mounted Rifles	150	150
Troop, First U. S. Dragoons		52
Ogden's Troop, First U.S. Dragoons		50
Captain Ogden's company of cavalry and a detachment of the Attakapas dragoons	50
Captain Chaveau's company of horse volunteers	30
Total	230	252

Presumably, the "mystery dragoons" have come from Buell.

Gunners The primary source (Roosevelt p.237) has an aggregate total of 154. Nothing for Latour. Buell has 78 regular US army gunners with 36 Baratarians Keith H99 (talk) 17:20, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

reformatted. Keith H99 (talk) 17:21, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Right Bank

	Roosevelt	Buell
Naval Battalion, Com. Patterson (Sailors from Louisiana and gun-boats)		106
Kentucky Militia, Lieutenant Colonel John Davis		320
Louisiana Militia, Major Paul Arnaud		250
Detachments sent under General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert	250	300
1st Louisiana militia	260
2nd Louisiana militia	176
3rd Louisiana militia	110
Total	796	976

Latour is opaque on the matter. Keith H99 (talk) 17:38, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Louis Valentin Foelckel's letter has some good gen concerning the three Louisiana units "brigaded" together.

130	Jean Baptiste Dejean	1st Louisiana militia
254	Zenon Cavallier	2nd Louisiana militia
256	Alexandre Declouet	15th Louisiana militia

Total strength of 640 Louisiana militiamen on the Right Bank, versus 546 from Roosevelt.Keith H99 (talk) 22:28, 16 October 2024 (UTC)

Louis Valentin Foelckel's letter has Ltc John Davis with 400 Kentucky militiamen. Of these, Roosevelt has 180 with arms, another 70 with arms provided by the Naval Arsenal, for a "rifle" strength of 250, alongside 150 unarmed men. Keith H99 (talk) 22:37, 16 October 2024 (UTC)

Left Bank
(a) The primary source (Roosevelt p.237) has 1,431 men commanded by Colonel Ross
(a1) 671 regulars

	Latour	Buell
44th U.S. Infantry: Col George T. Ross		352
7th U.S. Infantry: Maj Henry D. Peire	430	436
Total	430	788

Latour mentions the 44th but does not give a unit strength.

(a2) 742 militia

	Latour	Buell
Battalion of Orleans (city): Maj Jean Baptiste Plauché	289	315
Lacoste's Free Men of Color: Maj Pierre Lacoste	280	282
Daquin's Free Men of Color: Maj Louis Daquin	390	180
City Rifles: Cpt Thomas Beale	30	36
Total	989	813

(b) The primary source (Roosevelt p.237) has 1,562 men commanded by General Carroll. Roosevelt has a total of Tennessee militiamen at around 1100 men, Buell has a figure of 806. The balance of the men are Kentucky militia

(c) The primary source (Roosevelt p.237) has 813 men commanded by General Coffee, and about 250 Louisiana militia. Buell has an aggregated figure of 546, as well as 62 Jugeat's Choctaws, who are listed by Pickles.

(d) The primary source (Roosevelt p.237) makes reference to Slaughter's Kentucky militia battalion, having a strength of 526 men. He does not think they saw combat on the Left Bank. Buell has Slaughter's men as within 10 companies commanded by Adair, with a strength of 680 men.

I omitted this in error. Keith H99 (talk) 18:42, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

William C Davis has Slaughter positioned in reserve on the Left Bank. Keith H99 (talk) 11:50, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

The Regiment of 10 companies commanded by Mitchusson had a strength of 746 officers and enlisted men, according to Quisenberry. From within this, Maj Reuben Harrison was detached. He had a strength of 305 men, according to Smith (1904) and Quisenberry (1915), or 306 according to Buell (1904).Keith H99 (talk) 11:40, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

According to A. C. Quisenberry 'Major Harrison's battalion of Mitchusson's regiment and Carroll's Tennesseans, occupying the center and left center of the long American line.' According to the mythical document that Buell has, Harrison was in the reserve. What is Quisenberry's source? I am inclined to think that Buell's information is fantasy.Keith H99 (talk) 21:49, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

As mentioned previously, Kentucky Militia on Right Bank. Ltc John Davis with 400 Kentucky militiamen, a "rifle" strength of 250, alongside 150 unarmed men.Keith H99 (talk) 12:02, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

Regarding the Kentucky militia, Latour states that 'all those troops formed a force of about 1600 men.'

I am surprised there has not been more of an effort over the years to get a definitive TO&E, and to ensure that primary sources are consulted. As much as the Buell figures look good, and are widely reproduced, it would not surprise me if the figures are indeed a fabrication, just like his British Order of Battle, which does not reflect surviving primary sources. Keith H99 (talk) 18:20, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Casualty return

'Head-quarters, 7th Military district Adjutant-general's office, Jackson's lines below [New] Orleans, January 16th 1815.

Sir I have the honor herewith to enclose for the information of the war department, a report of the killed, wounded and missing of the army under the command of major general Jackson in the different actions with the enemy since their landing.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully your obedient servant. [Colonel] ROBERT BUTLER, Adj.gen

[To] Brigadier-general D. Parker, Adj. and Inspr general, Washington'

'Action of December 23d, 1814

Killed. - Artilleryman 1; 7th U. S. Infantry, 1 lieutenant, (McClellan), 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 4 privates; 44th U. S. Infantry 7 privates; general Coffee's brigade volunteer mounted gun men, 1 lieutenant colonel (Lauderdale), 1 captain (Pace), 1 lieutenant (Samuel Brook), 2 sergeants, 4 privates. - Total killed 24.

Wounded. - General staff, 1 colonel (colonel Piatt); 7th U. S. Infantry, 1 captain (A. A. White), 1 ensign, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals, 19 privates; general Coffee's brigade, 1 colonel, 2 lieutenant colonels, 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 1 quarter master sergeant, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 musician, 30 privates; New Orleans volunteer corps, 1 captain, 2 sergeants, 7 privates; volunteers of color, 1 adjutant and 6 privates. - Total wounded 115.

Missing. - General Coffee's brigade, 1 major, 2 captains, 3 lieutenants, 1 quarter master, 3 ensigns or cornets, 4 sergeants, 1 corporal, 2 musicians, 57 privates. - Total missing 74.

Total killed, wounded and missing on the 23d - 213

Action of December 28, 1814

Killed. - General Coffee's brigade, 1 private; New Orleans volunteer company, 1 private; general Carroll's division of Tennessee militia, 1 colonel (Henderson), 1 sergeant, 5 privates. - Total 7

Wounded - Marines, 1 major (Carmick); New Orleans volunteer company, 3 privates; general Carroll's division, 1 lieutenant, 3 privates. - Total wounded 8.

Missing. - None.

Total killed, wounded and missing on this day, 15.

Action of the 1st January, 1815

Killed. - Artillery, navy and volunteers of batteries, 8 privateers; 44th U. S. Infantry 1 private; General Coffee's brigade, 1 sergeant; general Carroll's division, 1 private. - Total 11.

Wounded. - Artillery, navy and volunteers of batteries, 8; 7th U. S. Infantry, 1 private; 44th U. S. Infantry 3; Coffee's brigade, 2; New Orleans volunteers of color, 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 1 private. - total 23.

Missing. - None

Total killed, wounded and missing this day, 34.

ACTION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER

8th January 1815'

Report of the killed, wounded, and missing of the army under the command of major-general Andrew Jackson in the action of the 8th of January, 1815.

Killed ;— Artillery, navy, and volunteers at batteries, 3 privates; 7th United States' infantry, 1 serjeant[sic], 1 corporal; general Coffee's brigade, 1 private; Carroll's division, 1 Serjeant, 5 privates; Kentucky militia, 1 private; majors Lacoste's and Dacquin's volunteers of colour[sic], 1 private; General Morgan's militia, 1 private.

Total killed — 13.

Wounded; — Artillery, &c. 1 private; 7th United States' infantry, 1 private; general Carroll's division, 1 ensign, 1 serjeant[sic], 6 privates; Kentucky militia, 1 adjutant, 1 corporal, and 10 privates; volunteers of colour[sic], 1 ensign, 5 serjeants[sic], 1 corporal, 8 privates; general Morgan's militia, 2 serjeants[sic], 2 privates.

Total wounded — 39.

Missing ;— Kentucky militia, 4 privates; Morgan's militia, 15 privates.

Total— 19.

Total killed, wounded, and missing, this day — 71.

Note — Of the killed, wounded, and missing, on this day, but 6 killed, and 7 wounded, in the action on the east bank of the river, the residue in a sortie after the action, and in the action on the west bank.

Recapitulation.

Total killed, 55; wounded, 185; missing, 93  : grand total, 333.

Truly reported from those on file in this office.

ROBERT BUTLER.

Keith H99 (talk) 12:29, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Unit returns as at January 9, 1815

The author Augustus Buell has a reputation for making things up. That said, he claims to have used 'the American force from General Eaton's memorandum compiled from reports of Company Commanders, the 9th of January.' For him to be this specific, it seems likely that these documents exist, and that he did access them.

Primary source documents of the War of 1812 from the Navy have been published by Naval Historical Center, in 4 volumes. Have the above been published by the US Army's equivalent? Keith H99 (talk) 17:41, 9 April 2024 (UTC)

The Buell figures are

3,918 in the front line,

506 in close reserve,

976 on the right bank

5400 grand total

These are broken down into units, and are on the NPS website. Keith H99 (talk) 15:04, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

report of Adjutant-General, for the morning of January 8th

This is referred to by Roosevelt, but I have not seen it published within a book. William C Davis also references this high level total of men on the east bank.

Official report of Adjutant-General Robert Butler, for the morning of January 8th.

'4,698 on the east bank... These figures tally almost exactly with those given by Major Latour, except that he omits all reference to Col. Slaughter's command, thus reducing the number to about 4,100. Nor can I anywhere find any allusion to Slaughter's command as taking part in the battle; and it is possible that these troops were the 500 Kentuckians ordered across the river by Jackson; in which case his whole force but slightly exceeded 5,000 men.

On the west bank there were 546 Louisiana militia... a total of 250 armed men were added to the 546 already on the west bank.

I omitted the subtotals. Keith H99 (talk) 14:59, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

An impartial and correct history of the war between the United States of America, and Great Britain, by Thomas O'Connor in 1815, makes reference to the same primary source. It is quoted in Gleig's aerticle published in 1840 in the United Service Magazine.

From an official account, it appeared, that the number of men under command of general Jackson, and actually engaged against the ene-my, on the 8th January, amounted to 4,698.-

He also quotes the same figures for the British order of battle as William James and Major Pringle. Roosevelt appears to quote from him in due course. Keith H99 (talk) 01:17, 16 October 2024 (UTC)

Gleig continues

'amounted to 4,698.'* This, however, was exclusive of the corps on the right bank, mustering 2000; total effective, 6698 men†

†Eaton's Life of General Jackson, p.336.

I was not able to find 'the corps on the right bank', only the following on pg 291 of the 1828 edition: 'Our effective force, at the line on the left bank, was three thousand seven hundred' Keith H99 (talk) 02:04, 16 October 2024 (UTC)

Roosevelt states,

Jackson's position was held by a total of 5,500 men... in all 4,700 men on the east bank.

From pp.237-239 Keith H99 (talk) 11:20, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

Right Bank

There are two pitfalls with primary sources. Eyewitness accounts do relay the impression, but they may not cross-reference to known facts. Secondly, one has to question the motivation as to why a particular story was being recounted.

The following is interesting, but is disproven when looking at the unit strengths of Morgan's men.

"Despatch from Colonel Thornton to Sir Edward Pakenham dated January 8, 1815". Thegazette.co.uk. 9 March 1815. Retrieved 3 December 2021 – via London Gazette.

the strength of the Position and the number of the enemy are considered, which, our Prisoners, (about 30 in number) agree in stating from 1500 to 2000 Men, commanded by General Morgan.

William James is insistent in trying to prove there were 1900 men, including Humbert's 400 reinforcements. He claims that Eaton errata p 336, within "Life of Jackson" by Eaton, provides evidence of 1500 men. These claims are repeated, verbatim, in the article published by Gleig in 1840, without reference to his source of William James.

For the 498/560/600 British opponents, we see the following assessments

'The force of the enemy did not exceed four hundred men.' Despatch from Major Foelckel to General Jackson dated January 8, 1815.

'The force of the enemy on this side amounted to 1,000, men.' Despatch from Patterson to United States Secretary of the Navy dated January 13, 1815. Keith H99 (talk) 14:29, 17 October 2024 (UTC)

Although Buell mentions a 'Naval battalion' on 106 sailors from USS Louisiana, Patterson, reproduced in Latour, states the following

My battery was manned in part from the crew of the ship , and in part by militia detailed for that service by general Morgan, as I had not seamen enough to fully man them.... [I was]compelled to abandon them, having only thirty officers and seamen with me. A part of the militia were rallied at a saw-mill canal, about two miles above the lines from which they had fled, and there encamped.

Now we come to Humbert. Humbert, accompanied by Latour, was sent to Morgan. The following excerpt is from Jackson's communication

Sir,

This will be handed to you by Mr. Lafitte whom I have sent to you... I have also sent Genl. Humbert [to launch a counter-attack to retake the positions]... I rely upon your determination with the aid I have sent you to accomplish it, they are not more than four hundred strong

Jackson was reacting to Major Foelckel's despatch that Morgan's positions had been over-run. He informed Jackson that

The force of the enemy did not exceed four hundred men.

William C Davis, quoting from correspondence from Shaumburg to Claiborne, states that Humbert arrived, demanding 400 men without written orders, and was rebuffed by Morgan. Owsley has interpreted the order as being sent with 1000 reinforcements. Owsley, with reference to Brooks (1961), states that Morgan refused to relinquish command to Humbert, as he did not have written orders from Jackson, and was not an American citizen.

Latour an eye witness, has the following to say:

[Humbert was ordered] to cross over with a re-enforcement of four hundred men, take the command of the troops, and repulse the enemy.. The order he had received, was only verbal, owing to the urgency of the occasion. There arose disputes concerning military precedence. Other militia officers did not think it right that a French general... should be sent to remedy the faults of others...[The implication is that the militia officers were refusing to be subordinate to Humbert, and that they considered Morgan to continue to be the Commanding Officer.] Happily, during this discussion, the enemy, as I have observed, thought it prudent to retreat, which they did that night and next morning.

Latour's publication contains a letter from Patterson, dated January 13, which mentions

a large re-enforcement of militia having been immediately despatched by general Jackson to this side.

There is the following quote from Walker (1856)

Jackson, greatly concerned at the state of affairs produced by the events on the right bank, busied himself in organizing a strong force to throw across the river to Morgan's relief. That force was placed under the command of General Humbert, who, but for the unworthy jealousy of some of the militia officers towards a distinguished military hero of foreign origin, would, no doubt, have recovered the lost ground, and wiped off the disgrace of Morgan's defeat. But the disinclination of the American militia to serve under Humbert, and their lack of zeal in preparing to execute his orders, produced a delay

For me, this raises questions

1. How many men accompanied Humbert and Latour?
2. Was the insubordination towards Humbert forthcoming from Davis's Kentucky militia officers?
3. Presumably there was no insubordination from those militiamen that accompanied Humbert and Latour? Keith H99 (talk) 21:30, 17 October 2024 (UTC)