Chalmette, LA

On the Trail—Forts, Battlefields, and Cemeteries

—Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery (part of the Jean Lafitte National

Historic Park and Preserve), NPS, St Bernard Parish, Louisiana

http://www.nps.gov/jela/chalmette-battlefield.htm

8606 West St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette
504-281-0510

Open daily 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Closed December 25 and Mardi Gras (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday).

Admission:  Free

The paddlewheeler Creole Queen makes 2.5 hour daily trip(s) from New Orleans’ French Quarter/Riverwalk to the battlefield.
Adult: $22

Child (6-12): $11

Child (0-5): FREE

http://www.bigeasystore.com/CC/cruise_battlefield.html

In 1814, we took a little trip,
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.

We took a little bacon and we took a little beans;

And we fought the Bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

Johnny Horton Recording 1959

The song took liberal poetic license as far as all the details being totally correct. 
For instance, The Battle of New Orleans was actually fought downstream about six miles near the current town of Chalmette (the Chalmete plantation).  But, nonetheless, the song brought a great way to remember a battle that may have otherwise been totally forgotten.

In our recent trip to New Orleans, we took a paddlewheel boat trip to this battlefield on the Creole Queen.  The trip was fun and interesting.  Going down stream, a narration is given talking about various shoreline landmarks.  On the trip back, some classic New Orleans music is played…mostly jazz.  We had less than an hour to visit the battlefield, listen to the narration of the Ranger (Jim Van Dorn), check out the monument, view the Malus-Beauregard House (which was part of a plantation) and get information about the cemetery--located about a half mile away as the crow flies or one walks (a mile-ish via car).

WHY THE WAR and summary of THE BATTLE

Jackson, by this time, was no longer a Colonel, but a Major General when this battle took place.  I don’t think, however, that the song would have flowed as well iffen one used the latter, rather than the former.  The battle took place on January 8, 1815 after the treaty between the United States and England had already been signed by England (Treaty of Ghent). No iPads,  No cell phones.  No e-mails.  No TV or radio or wireless (Marconi).  Communication was extremely slow.  So, those that participated in the battle had no idea of the signed treaty. 

(The song is not completely wrong on the date…the contingent of a mish-mosh of soldiers from various states had started down the mighty Mississip in 1814).

Louisiana had already been a state for almost three years.  America needed to protect its hold on the Louisiana Purchase and the southern part of the river.  Whosoever controlled the mouth of the Mississippi controlled the river and all of its very lucrative trade.

In addition to the protection of the Louisiana Purchase, there were other “reasons” for our declaring War.

(1) Trade restrictions had been brought into play with the ongoing war between France and England which hurt American trade. 

(2) The United States was more than a little angry over the impressment of American merchant sailors in the Royal British Navy, a constant insult of national honor on the high sea for the fledging country.

(3) The British had been supporting constant harassment of western settlers by various American Indian tribes to lessen expansion by the United States.

(4) The United States also was eyeing Canada for further expansion.  Many Americans thought that the Canadians would jump at the chance to be free from England’s control. But many of those who--at one time--had resided in the American colonies had gone to Canada to stay loyal to the King.  So, the Canadians were not ready to support the Americans in this new conflict.

The battle fought at Chalmette would be the last battle fought between England and the United States--ever.  We have always been allies since that Treaty.

In the early part of the War, which we declared in 1812, the English were busy fighting the French in Europe.  By the time of this battle, however, war in Europe between these constant enemies, had stopped.  The English—the best and strongest army/navy in the world—could throw all its energies to what they still believed to be their “colonies” in the Americas.

Although it is impossible to know the exact number of soldiers on the field, it is believed that the various American militias/volunteers provided 4,000 and 5,000 (including a large contingent of Jean Lafitte’s Baratarians--privateers (“legalized” pirates).

As Jackson progressed toward Chalmette, he picked up various militia groups and volunteers…from various states and territories. Counties and parishes. Towns and cities.  Some as far away as Tennessee, Kentucky, and at least one person from Massachusetts.  And, of course, men from Louisiana.  My Pastor tells me that a large contingent of men from Washington Parish—most of whom were his ancestors--fell in with the marching soldiers who had come from further upstream.

It is believed that the British had about double (between 7,000 and 10,000) able bodied forces who were able to field.

The English were commanded by Major General Sir Edward M. Pakenham.  He would die in battle.  A portrait of him had been commissioned and almost complete when he went into this fight.  The portrait was never finished leaving portions of his uniform blank/white.

Fort St. Philip, located just upstream from Fort Jackson on the east bank, was built in 1795 by the Spanish. Its cannons prevented the British from reaching New Orleans in 1815 in the Battle of New Orleans.

On display are a few types of cannon.  The one closest to the visitors’ center is small-ish on a caisson with tiny wheels painted red.  This was a British cannon.  The tiny wheels made it very efficient on board ship.  But hauling such a gun over land was extremely challenging.  The British started with a disadvantage with these types of cannon.  The America cannon caissons are kind of a turquoise blue and an appropriate wheel size to push and pull the cannon as necessitated.

The British had more challenges in store.  The Redcoats still fought in Napoleonic formation.  The Americans liked to use defenses—trees, fences, anything that they could “hide” behind.  In addition, many of the Americans were excellent shots.  As the Ranger Van Dorn said, a bullet for many of these men meant the difference between dinner and going hungry.  So, they made each bullet count—usually at and through a British officer.  The British soldier was disciplined to take orders.  When their officers were shot and died or were wounded beyond their ability to command, confusion reigned among them.

More problems for the British.  After they arrived on Chalmette land, they were in for too many surprises.  The Americans had gotten there first.  A canal called the Rodriguez Canal marked the boundary between Chalmette plantation and its neighbor the Macarty plantation.  It marked the narrowest strip of dry land between the river and an impassable cypress swamp.  There was a field of stubbed sugar cane--an excellent area for the Americans’ cannon and small arms.  Jackson’s men, who had been in the area for some time (as early as December 28) had widened, deepened the canal and filled it with water, built a mud rampart which was shoulder high.  Then, they waited.

Pakenham, as a seasoned soldier, knew he had to either withdraw (and risk an American attack) or attack.  Withdrawal would, in his opinion, completely demoralize his men.  He attacked.  The battle lasted two hours or less.  The Americans reported the loss of thirteen; the British had over 2,000 men dead or dying on the battlefield.  Raking fire had come from the Americans from every angle.  Well-aimed bullets from riflemen quickly took out the officers, which in the British Army were quite easy to spot.  Even if the British had the same idea…that is to kill the officers…it was almost impossible to identify most of the American officers due to the lack of the uniformity of uniforms and insignia and the unconventional ways under which the America militia and volunteers fought.

OTHER BUILDINGS

The visitors’ center has some nice displays and many interactive exhibits.  The original visitors’ center was destroyed by Katrina.  The new center is twice the size of the original and opened on the anniversary of the battle 2011.

Also, on the property are the monument and the Malus-Beauregard House.

In 1832 Alexandrew Baron, acting on behalf of his mother-in-law, the Widow Malus, bought the land. The Malus Beauregard House was built for the Widow Malus, nee Madeleline Panneteir, around 1833 or 1834--some 18 years after the Battle of New Orleans.  It originally had wooden wings on either side. It is a two-story cement building. There are fire places throughout. The sixty-by-twenty-foot house, originally built as French Colonial style--a beautiful example of French-Louisiana architecture.  It was built on property subdivided into small tracts of land from the original Chalmete Plantation by the St. Amond brothers--free men of color. (In the early 1800s, it was not uncommon for free people of color to own slaves and plantations in Louisiana.)

After Madeleine Malus died in 1835, the home was remodeled in the Greek Revival style by new owner, Caroline Fabre Cantrelle. Today, it is still an excellent example of the Greek Revival.

In1880. Judge Rene Beauregard, son of Confederate General PGT Beauregard, bought the property. He was the last private, non-commercial owner. It remained in his family until 1904 when it was sold to the New Orleans Terminal Company before becoming a part of the Chalmette National Historical Park in 1949, when it was acquired the National Park Service. It is named after its first and last private owners.

The cornerstone of the monument was laid in 1840.  In 1855 the State of Louisiana finally started construction, and it was completed in 1908

THE CEMETERY

Since our time was so limited with the landing of the boat and our return to it at the appropriate time, we went back the next day by car. I guess in honor of the great song previously mentioned, we saw a medium-sized alligator sunning itself in the middle of the highway (route 39) which we passed without incident.  “We grabbed an alligator and fought another round.”

I had a special interest in that cemetery as my Great-Grandfather, Samuel S. Pyatt, as a member of the Thirteenth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry was garrisoned in and around New Orleans as part of Butler’s and later Banks’ troops.  Sam spent a large chunk of his twenty-seven months in the area at the General Hospital, probably as a hospital steward.  He saw many men in that time frame, some from his regiment.  Some got better; others died.  Those that passed were oft buried at local cemeteries and later relocated to this cemetery.  Nathan Hall, one of the Rangers, spent an enormous amount of time with me, finding so many men of the Thirteenth.

They have excellent records. Although sad to see, cemeteries can offer an incredible amount of history…making real people from a bunch of dates and numbers. 

Nathan was able to tell me that four American soldiers from “the Battle of New Orleans” were buried there.  No British.  Apparently, they were taken away by ship. 

Many soldiers had been buried in other cemeteries, but were relocated to the National Cemetery at Chalmette. 

He also told me about Lyons Wakeman, whose real name was Sarah.  She went to War (in the War Between the States/American Civil War) disguised as a man and is buried in that cemetery under the masculine name—(section 52 grave #4066 Wakeman, Lyons Jun. 19, 1864 Civil War Sarah Rosetta Wakeman). 

There are soldiers buried in this cemetery from every war from the War of 1812 to Viet Nam.  There are no more available spots.  Unless one has a “reservation” one cannot reside there for eternity.  It is full. 

Grave stones, generally speaking, are US Government markers. There is a sprinkling of larger family monuments and a large monument at one end.  There are some spouses and children buried with their loved ones. 

Most of the graves are men (and women) that were Army or spouses.  However, there are a handful of Navy sailors, marines, a couple of Army Air Corps. And a great many “buffalo” soldiers—mostly from Indian Wars.  (The Buffalo Soldier was so named as they were black men who after the war either remained soldiers or became soldiers.  They were sent out west to fight the Indians.  Indians and Buffalo soldiers were politically correct words for the time.  The black soldiers received their very proud title probably from the Indians because of their color, curly hair, and the same tenacity that a charging buffalo had.  It was high-praise and a great compliment.) http://www.buffalosoldiers-lawtonftsill.org/history.htm

There is also a monument--Section 46A Grave #13187 for Young, Clarence who died Jun. 5, 1968 during the “Cold War” aboard the sunken submarine USS Scorpion.  He is listed “Nonrecoverable.” In hindsight, I wish I took a picture of his stone.





http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s/scorpion.htm

MISCELLANEOUS

Jim Van Dorn was on duty this second day.  The following day we stopped at the store front in the French Quarter for NPS--which has some excellent exhibits and displays including pronunciation/definitions of many local words.  You will never guess who the Ranger on duty was??  Yep, Mr. Van Dorn.  By this time, I am sure that he was sick of me.