e direction of their outposts. Some prisoners
whom General Keane had taken told him there were more than 12,000 troops
in New Orleans, and he now felt convinced that such was the fact. He
gave Thornton full liberty to do as he would.

"Thornton moved forward and was presently met by a column under Jackson.
There was some fierce fighting, and at length the British fell sullenly
back. About half past nine the fighting was over; but two hours later,
when all was becoming quiet in the camp, musket firing was heard in the
distance. Some drafted militia, under General David Morgan, had heard
the firing upon the _Carolina_ early in the evening, insisted upon being
led against the enemy, and on their way had met some British pickets at
Jumonsville and exchanged shots with them. By that advance against the
foe, Jackson had saved New Orleans for the time, and now he set
vigorously to work to prepare for another attack, for he knew there
would be another. Also, that the men who were to make it were fresh from
the battlefields of Europe--veteran troops not likely to be easily
conquered or driven away. He omitted nothing which it was in his power
to do for the defence of the city, setting his soldiers to casting up
intrenchments along the line of the canal from the river to Cypress
Swamp. They were in excellent spirits, and plied their spades with such
energy and zeal that by sunset a breastwork three feet high might be
seen along the whole line of his army.

"The American troops were quite hilarious on that Christmas eve, the
British soldiers gloomy and disheartened, having lost confidence in
their commander, Keane, and finding themselves on wet ground, under a
clouded sky, and in a chilly atmosphere; but the sudden arrival of their
new commander, Sir Edward Packenham, in whose skill and bravery they had
great confidence, filled them with joy.

"But while the Americans were at work preparing for the coming conflict,
the foe were not idle; day and night they were busy getting ready a
heavy battery with which to attack the _Carolina_. On the morning of the
27th, they had it finished, began firing hot shot upon her from a
howitzer and several twelve and eighteen pounders, and soon succeeded in
setting her on fire, so that she blew up.

"It was a tremendous explosion, but fortunately her crew had abandoned
her in time to escape it. The _Louisiana_, who had come down to her aid,
was near sharing her fate, but, by great exertion on th