The Battle of New Orleans 1815The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 in the area that is now called Chalmette Battlefield in Parish de Bernard, seven miles south of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The battle was fought between American forces led by General Andrew Jackson and British forces led by Major General Sir Edward Pakenham. The Battle of New Orleans was the final battle in a series of battles and skirmishes that lasted from December 1814 to January 1815. The British defeat at the battlefield of Chalmette was what caused the British to begin to remove from the New Orleans countryside. Although the Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium, news of its signing had not reached America. The British suffered more than 2,000 casualties during the battle, while American forces suffered fewer than 100. The Chalmette battlefield is located downstream from New Orleans, approximately seven miles. On July 18, 1812, the United States of America declared war on Great Britain. The reasons for declaring war were the forced enlistment of American sailors in the Royal Navy, continued violations of American neutrality, rumors of British alliances with Native American tribes, and the desire of some Americans to annex British Canada. The campaign took place during the winter of 1814-1815 in Louisiana. I haven't found any information indicating that the winter was unusually warm or freezing. Normal temperatures in southern Louisiana this time of year range from the low 40s to the high 60s. The land on which the battle took place is bordered to the south by the Mississippi River. On the north side of the field, about......middle of paper......surrounded by a numerically smaller force, especially if the larger force is confined by the terrain. A second lesson is that terrain can be a deciding factor. In this case, the British were forced to a field between the Mississippi River and a swamp. This placed them in an open area, in the direct line of fire of artillery, muskets and rifles. A third lesson is to never underestimate the toughness or lack of formal training that a military member may or may not have despite the training and capabilities of your military. The final lesson learned is (author's comment) that America should not be messed with, especially if pirates are involved. /INT022.HTMLWWW.NPS.GOV/JELA/WAR-OF-1812-BICENTENNIAL.HTMLWWW.OFWST.TECHAPPLICATION.COM/THE-WAR-OF-1812/WAR-OF-1812INTRODUCTION/WAR-OF-1812-INTERESTING-ENDING .HTML