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any attack which could be made upon it. But the entrance to Lake Borgne, impassable indeed to large vessels, but readily accessible to those of light draught, was secured only by five gun-boats. This force, however, was supposed to be capable of repulsing an attack by boats, in which alone the enemy would be able to reach them. To render the approach by Lake Borgne more difficult, numerous parties of militia were sent out to cut down trees, and throw them across the small bayous which might afford a landing-place, and to obstruct as much as possible, every channel by which the enemy might reach the land. It was generally expected that they would attempt to reach the city by the Mississippi river; but if they should take the other route, the general believed that the defences were sufficiently strong to keep them at bay.

But by far the greatest difficulty which presented itself to the American general was the want of sufficient military force. The army which he had brought from Mobile consisted only of Coffee's Tennessee volunteers, Hinds' company of cavalry, and the 7th and 44th regiments, amounting to about fifteen hundred men. The city volunteers added three hundred, and the battalion of men of colour, two hundred; making a total, with the troops in garrison at Fort St. Philip, of only two thousand five hundred men. This force all saw to be wholly incompetent to the defence of a city so exposed against a veteran army of many times its number, aided by the powerful naval force which the British had assembled in the West Indies for this expedition. To remedy the deficiency, General Jackson made every effort, in which he was nobly

seconded by the executives of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana. By a circular letter of the secretary of war, dated July 4th, 1814, directing the governors of the several states to hold in readiness their quotas of an army of ninety-three thousand five hundred men, Kentucky was directed to raise five thousand five hundred, Tennessee two thousand five hundred, and Louisiana one thousand. On the 6th of August, in pursuance of this letter, Governor Claiborne of Louisiana issued a general order, apportioning the quota assigned to the state between the two divisions of militia; and he subsequently exerted himself actively to fill the ranks. The number required, however, was never obtained; the whole number of Louisianians in the army of General Jackson being less than nine hundred.

The venerable and patriotic Shelby, governor of Kentucky, responded to the orders of the secretary, and the urgent requests of Jackson, by immediately organizing his quota of men, under the command of Major-General Thomas. The quarter-master's department being unable to furnish the supplies necessary for the men, several private individuals contributed from their own property sufficient funds to enable the detachment to commence its progress down the Ohio river. Unfortunately, the most strenuous endeavours could not obtain arms sufficient for the division. Owing to the drain caused by the northern campaigns, firearms of all descriptions were exceedingly scarce in Kentucky; and many of the men were obliged to proceed without arms, in the hope that they would be able to procure them on their arrival at the camp.

Major-General Carroll, whose gallantry we have before had occasion to notice, was appointed to the command of the force to be drawn from Tennessee. On the 19th of December, his division rendezvoused at Nashville; and on the 27th, the last of them embarked for New Orleans. On the voyage down the Mississippi, Carroll seized every opportunity to instruct his men in military evolutions, and render them familiar with the manoeuvres of the field. In this manner, they improved considerably in military knowledge, and became used to concert of action. They were still, however, far from being equal to the veteran soldiers which the enemy was about to bring against them.

On the day of his arrival at New Orleans, General

Jackson reviewed the city battalion of volunteer companies, whose good appearance and skill in military evolutions gave him great satisfaction. His appearance re-animated the spirits of the patriotic citizens, who had begun to despair of success. The fame of his victories in the west had reached their ears, and his known firmness and acknowledged military skill filled them with hope and confidence. The effect of this change was seen in the increased activity with which the warlike preparations were carried on, the accessions to the ranks of the militia and volunteers, and the cheerful air which every countenance wore after his arrival. He immediately entered upon the

arduous task of preparing to meet an enemy whose force was known to be greatly superior, and whose troops were flushed with recent victory over the bravest soldiers of Europe. Two days after reaching the city, he proceeded down the Mississippi, to examine in person the fortifications upon which its defence depended. He ordered several additional pieces of cannon to be mounted in Fort St. Philip, and directed that the batteries by which it was to be flanked should be immediately constructed. Having taken the necessary measures for executing his plans, he returned to New Orleans on the 9th of December, and proceeded at once on a similar tour of inspection to the lakes. Having ordered the erection of a battery at the confluence of the river Chef-Menteur and