Battle Of New Orleans Puns

In 1940 we took a little trip

Along with Doug MacArthur down the mighty Mississip

We took a little bacon and we took a little beans

And we caught the rebel Long’s Boys in a town called New Orleans

[Chorus]

We fired our guns and the Rebels kept a-comin'

There weren’t as many as there was a while ago

We fired once more and they got to runnin'

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

[Chorus Ends]

We looked down a river

And we saw the rebels come

And there musta been a thousand of ‘em

Beatin' on some drums

They yelled so loud

And they made their Kingfish sing

We stood beside our batteries

And didn't say a thing

[Chorus]

Ol’ Caesar said we could take 'em by surprise

If we didn't fire our rifles

'Till we looked 'em in the eyes

We held our fire

'Till we see'd their faces well

Then we opened up our squirrel guns

And really gave 'em - well...

[Chorus plus addendum]

Yeah, they ran through the briars

And they ran through the brambles

And they ran through the bushes

Where the rabbit couldn't go

They ran so fast

That the Huns couldn't catch 'em

On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

[Addendum ended]

We fired our howitzers 'til their barrels melted down

So we grabbed some local gators and we fired another round

We filled their heads with shells, and primed their behinds

And when we touched ’em off the gators lost their mind!

[Chorus and Addendum]

Were the British just incompetent? Did Jackson use an innovative strategy or something?

I’m Mark Lorando, editor of The Times-Picayune and V.P. of Content of NOLA.com. We’re the oldest (180 years) and largest (more than 100 full-time journalists) news organization in New Orleans. We reach more people, engage them more deeply and tell stories in more ways than we ever have before. But the digital revolution has disrupted our business model, and everybody else's. What is the future of local news media? Nobody knows for sure. But we’ve got some ideas. Let’s discuss.

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EDIT (4:12 p.m.): Loving this but I'm late for weekly editorial board meeting. Will jump back in after 5 and answer as many more of your questions as I can before I leave. Thanks everyone for an awesome conversation! Back in a bit.

EDIT (5:41 p.m.): Back from my meeting and back in the comments for another hour, or until I lose the feeling in my fingers, whichever comes first.

EDIT (7:16 p.m.): Calling it a day. I'll jump back in Tuesday morning for one last ride through the comments. Thanks everybody for the great questions.

THE END (Tue 8:45 a.m.): That's a wrap for me, folks. Enjoyed the exchange immensely, and answered as many (and as honestly) as I could. Feel free to email follow-ups to mlorando@nola.com; I try to answer all civil inquiries, eventually. And follow my profile page (linked above) if you want to join the ongoing conversation about local journalism. Excited to join the Reddit community. Thanks for having me. M.

Just returned from a trip to New Orleans. Observed the battlefield and the river channels that the British used to navigate the Mississippi in their attempt to sack New Orleans.

Some observations from the historian who gave the tour.

Common misconceptions of the battle and historical facts.

1. 1/3 of the American forces fighting were freed black men and creole black men from Haiti. This is very neat since my family is of Haitian Heritage. The Haitian Revolution had a major impact on the growth of New Orleans and the City is often called the Northern most Caribbean city.

2. Jackson order that black soldiers and white soldiers will receive equal pay, this was very unpopular with the white gentry of the South.

3. The British had secret orders (to General Packenam) to continue to advance on American territory while the Peace settlement was being negotiated and before it had been ratified by Congress. It is often argued that New Orleans was fought by mistake due to poor communications, this is not entirely true and not entirely false, the British did have plans to reduce American territories and were knowledgeable that peace talks were near settlement; the British lacked leverage to gain any territories and desperately wanted to stop American Expansion West. New Orleans was an obvious target, it was poorly defended by sea and its garrisons were mostly militia.

4. The battle lasted only about 30 minutes, and cost the British over 2,500 casualties and the Americans lost fewer than 40. Two British Generals were killed and one was mortally wounded. Had the British successfully breached the American ramparts, Jackson would have had to have retreated inland towards Alabama due to a lack of troops and supplies.

5. The British forces were double the size of the American forces. Experienced Veterans of the European Wars against Napoleon. The American forces were mostly militia, and the Americans were poorly supplied. Alliances were made with local pirates (who had guns and supplies) who were granted pardons for their crimes.

6. Spain was a belligerent in the fight against the Americans in the War of 1812. the Previous months Andrew Jackson had invaded Florida and captured Pensacola from British, Spanish and Native American Forces. Much of Florida would be occupied by the Americans until 1817.

7. The War of 1812 was a major war for Native Americans; tribes fought on both sides however a majority of them fought for the British. Major battles

In early 1815, a hastily assembled group of men (and women) fought for the American side and defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans. The defenders of New Orleans included US soldiers, militia, men and boys who traveled from the interior of the country looking for adventure, Choctaw Indians, free blacks (and perhaps some enslaved blacks), businessmen and other citizens from the city and maybe even several dozen pirates affiliated with Jean Lafitte.

The battle took place about five miles from the city (about 8 km) and there was widespread panic prior to the fight based on concern that if the British won they would sack the city as they had done to Washington, DC in 1814. The battle was over in two hours with just 13 on the US side killed and several dozen wounded (compared to thousands of casualties on the British side). It was a total, unexpected and morale-boosting victory for the Americans.

I am envisioning the scene after the battle. It is before noon. The American combatants are exhausted, but exuberant and shocked with their good fortune -- they are the "against-all-odds" victors and they are not dead, as many probably anticipated. Many US combatants are not necessarily required to stay with their company since they are irregulars. The people in town are also relieved and over-the-top happy that they are not going to have to face an occupying army. New Orleans was known then (as now) as a place of loose morals ready to "laissez le bon temps roller." It seems to have the makings of a huge party. Is there any historical evidence what happened in the city the night after the battle and in the ensuing days?

The history channel says a sharp shooter killed him, do we know who specifically?

This is my first post here so sorry if I formatted it wrong