Battle of New Orleans

I just finished the book pictured at the right. It was an excellent read, describing the Battle of New Orleans in great detail. (Incidentally the author is also the author of the book Forrest Gump on which the Tom Hanks movie of the same name was based.) The book is certainly non-fiction, but it reads very smoothly. I enjoy history books, but this book had the smoothness of an excellent narrative. I quite definately could not put this book down. I recieved the book on Thursday evening (after returning from work at 17:00) and it was finished by Friday night (in the midst of which I slept, worked on Museum issues, and worked an eight hour shift).

The book is not fully annotated, with only footnotes for explanation. The reason for this is explained by the author in his notes on sources. He writes that he has written non-annotated and annotated history books before, but this time the many sources are so many and so contradictory that he felt it would simply be confusing to quote all of the myriad opposing sources.

I discovered this volume when I started reading an article (condensed) from the book in the latest issue of Smithsonian magazine. I immediately stopped reading the article as I knew that I wanted to read the book. My only complaint is that I wish there had been more details about Jean Laffite. He has always fascinated me, ever since I first heard about him (in grade school?). However, to be fair to the author, he does give many details about Laffite, and there generally are not too many details to go on concerning this famous privateer (or was he a pirate?).

Furthermore I have been fascinated by the Battle for many years, something that was only encouraged by my like of Johnny Horton's singing. One of his most famous songs is The Battle of New Orleans (the lyrics were actually written by Jimmy Driftwood). While it does contain several historical inaccuracies (besides the obvious alligator fiction) it is fun to listen to. I played it a couple times while reading this book.

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 caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

We looked down the river and we see'd the British come.
And there must have been a hundred of'em beatin' on the drum.
They stepped so high and they made the bugles ring.
We stood by our cotton bales and didn't say a thing.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets 'til we looked 'em in the eye
We held our fire 'til we see'd their faces well.
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave 'em ... well

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

We fired our cannon 'til the barrel melted down.
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round.
We filled his head with cannon balls, and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin' on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

I also found another version of the song here which has some more lyrics, including some mentioning Laffite and the British General. I wish that Horton had sang that version, it sounds even more fun! :-)
~Matt