ported in this city, and elsewhere, by the voluntary donations and contributions of individuals. How pleasing, how exceedingly gratifying is it to a generous and philanthropic mind to behold them all on an equal footing-to think that the richest and most numerous sects enjoy no legal privileges or prerogatives above the smallest and the least opulent, that none are guarded by test or corporation acts, that none exist only by connivance or permission, that all are equally under the protection of the laws of the state, and that toleration and intoleration, are equally unknown in this happy country.

"It was God who preserved and protected the first settlers in this country, when they were comparatively few, and struggling almost under unsurmountable difficulties. Under his guardian and fostering hand they grew up and flourished, and converted woods and deserts into fruitful lands. It was God who carried our countrymen honourably and successfully through the hard and difficult trials and conflicts of the revolutionary war. He saved them with a mighty salvation. He was the shield of their help and the sword of their excellency. It was God who inspired and directed their wise men to form good and estimable Constitutions, and establish a system of civil and religious liberty which may justly challenge the admiration of the world. It was the same almighty and merciful Being who saved us in the late war, who covered the heads of our dear countrymen in the day of battle, infused courage, skill and activity into the minds of our warriors by sea and land, and granted us so many splendid victories over our enemies. This salvation appears still the more illustrious when we take into conside

ration, that by a strange and unexpected revolution in the affairs of Europe, the most warlike and best disciplined troops of a powerful nation, highly exasperated, were sent against us, and yet were foiled and defeated in repeated actions, by men lately raised and little accustomed to martial operations."

These are only a few of the many mercies and favours conferred upon our country by a kind Providence, for which may we ever prove grateful.

As our limits will not permit us to enlarge, we will briefly exhibit a glimpse or specimen of the American victories on land, on the lakes, and on the ocean: particularly the gallant defence of NewOrleans, of the frigate President, and the victory on Lake Erie. It would take a folio volume to contain a detailed account of all the distinguished victories that crowned the American arms in the late war; but as they are fresh in the memories of my readers in general, and as a volume is now publishing with a detailed account thereof, it will be superfluous for me to particularise more than a few, as a specimen of the valour and patriotism of the American people.

BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM MAJOR

JACKSON, ΤΟ THE SECRETARY
DATED

Camp,4 miles below Orleans, 9th January, 1815. SIR-During the days of the 6th and 7th, the enemy had been actively employed in making preparations for an attack on my lines. With infinite labour they had succeeded on the night of the

7th in getting their boats across from the lake to the river, by widening and deepening the canal on which they had effected their disembarkation. It had not been in my power to impede these operations by a general attack; added to other reasons, the nature of the troops under my command, mostly militia, rendered it too hazardous to attempt extensive offensive movements in an open country, against a numerous and well disciplined army. Although my forces, as to number, had been increased by the arrival of the Kentucky division, my strength had received very little addition; a small portion only of that detachment being provided with arms. Compelled thus to wait the attack of the enemy, I took every measure to repel it when it should be made, and to defeat the object he had in view. General Morgan, with the Orleans contingent, the Louisiana militia, and a strong detachment of the Kentucky troops, occupied an entrenched camp on the opposite side of the river, protected by strong batteries on the bank, erected and superintended by commodore Patterson.

In my encampment every thing was ready for action, when, early on the morning of the 8th, the enemy, after throwing a heavy shower of bombs and Congreve rockets, advanced their columns on my right and left, to storm my entrenchments. I cannot speak sufficiently in praise of the firmness and deliberation with which my whole line received their approach-more could not have been expected from veterans inured to war. For an hour, the fire of the small arms was as incessant and severe as can be imagined. The artillery, too, directed by officers who displayed equal skill and courage, did great execution. Yet the columns

of the enemy continued to advance with a firmness which reflects upon them the greatest credit. Twice the column which approached me on my left was repulsed by the troops of general Carroll, those of general Coffee, and a division of Kentucky militia, and twice they formed again and renewed the assault. At length, however, cut to pieces, they fled in confusion from the field leaving it covered with their dead and wounded. The loss which the enemy sustained on this occasion, cannot be estimated at less than 1500. in killed, wounded and prisoners. Upwards of 300 have already been delivered over for burial; and my men are still engaged in picking them up within my lines and carrying them to the point where the enemy are to receive them-This is in addition to the dead and wounded whom the enemy have been enabled to carry from the field, during and since the action, and to those who have since died of the wounds they received. We have taken about 500 prisoners, upwards of three hundred of whom are wounded, and a great part of them mortally. My loss has not exceeded, and I believe has not amounted to ten killed, and as many wounded. The entire destruction of the enemy's army was now inevitable, had it not been for an unfortunate occurrence which at this moment took place on the other side of the river. Simultaneously with his advance upon my lines, he had thrown over in his boats a considerable force to the other side of the river. These having landed, were hardy enough to advance against the works of general Morgan; and, what is strange and difficult to account for, at the very moment when their entire discomfiture was looked for with a confidence approaching to certainty, the

Kentucky reinforcements, in whom so much reliance had been placed, ingloriously fled, drawing after them, by their example, the remainder of the forces; and thus yielding to the enemy that most important position. The batteries which had rendered me, for many days, the most important service, though bravely defended, were of course now abandoned; not however until the guns had been spiked.

This unfortunate rout had totally changed the aspect of affairs. The enemy now occupied a position from which they might annoy us without hazard, and by means of which they might have been enabled to defeat, in a great measure, the efforts of our success on this side of the river. It became, therefore, an object of the first consequence to dislodge him as soon as possible. For this object, all the means in my power, which I could with any safety use, were immediately put in preparation. Perhaps, however, it was owing somewhat to another cause that I succeeded even beyond my expectations. In negociating the terms of a temporary suspension of hostilities to enable the enemy to bury their dead and provide for their wounded, I had required certain propositions to be acceded to as a basis, among which this was one-that although hostili ies should cease on this side of the river until 12 o'clock of this day, yet it was not to be understood that they should cease on the other side; but that no reinforcements should be sent across by either army until the expiration of that day. His excellency major general Lambert begged time to consider of those propositions until 10 o'clock of to-day, and in the mean time re-crossed his troops. I need not tell you with how much eagerness I immedi