The Life of Andrew Jackson Author:Alexander Walker Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: VL BATTLE OF LAKE ISOKGNE. A Fierce storm on the 9tli of December, 1814, greeted the first appearance of the British, fleet off the coast of the Gulf of Me... more »xico. To minds less buoyant and confident, than those of the sanguine and hitherto irresistible veterans of that, gallant array of naval and military power, this occurrence might have appeared as au evil augury. Soon, however, the Btorrn lulled, the clouds passed quickly away, and the bright sun came forth to cheer the hearts of the crowded crews. A favorable wind bears the squadron rapidly onward, in the direction of the entrance of Lake Borgne. The huge Ton nant, the same whicli was captured at Abouquir in Nelson's great fight, after the gallant Dupetit Thouars had flooded her decks with his noble blood, flowing from a dozen wounds, now commanded by the white-haired British Vice-Admiral, and the gallant Sea-horse, with her cork-legged Captain, lead the van. Behind follow the long train of every variety of sailing craft, from the Lamartine has an appalling description of this tragedy, he says; ' Captain Dupe- til Thouars commanding the Tonnant never slackened his fire for a moment at sight of this disaster ('lie burning of L'Orient.) He no longer fought for glory or lire, but for immortality. One arm carried off by a cannon shot, both legs broken by grnpe, he called upon his crew to swear never to strike his flags and to throw his body overboard, that even his remaina might not become captive to.the British." great ships of war, with their frowning batteries, to the little trim sloops and schooners of fifteen or twenty tons, designed to penetrate the bays and inlets of the coast. The pilots, who have accompanied the fleets from the West Indies, have announced that land js not far off, and all parties are on deck, e...« less