Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
The West Bank Assault
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Tom Bosse, July 31, 2016
1. The West Bank Assault Marker
On December 25, 1814, American Major General Andrew Jackson began fortifying the Mississippi River's west bank. By January 8 it was defended by nearly a thousand Kentucky and Louisiana militiamen and several artillery batteries, some armed with cannons from the American fleet. British commander Sir Edward Pakenham recognized the dangers these guns posed to his troops on the east bank and included an attack on these positions in his battle plans. Delays in the west bank assault resulted in a British victory that came too late to salvage the disastrous British defeat on the east bank. No traces of these batteries remain today.
(captions)
The scene on the west bank may have been very much like this detail from Dennis Malone Carter's 1856 painting of the Battle of New Orleans.
British Troops
85th (Bucks Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot
Royal Marines Royal Navy
American Troops
Kentucky militia
Louisiana militia
U.S. Navy
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #07 Andrew Jackson series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 25, 1814.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Bayou Country and in Greater New Orleans. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battery One and Forward Redoubt (here, next to this marker); Attack Along the River (here, next to this marker); In Memory of Major Samuel Spotts U.S.A. (a few steps from this marker); Batteries Two and Three (within shouting distance of this marker); Chalmet Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); After the Battle (within shouting distance of this marker); The Malus-Beauregard House (within shouting distance of this marker); Chalmette Battlefield And National Cemetery (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chalmette.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Battle on the West Bank (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Redoubt and Battery 1 (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Chalmette Battlefield.
Photographed by Craig Doda, December 24, 2018
2. The West Bank Assault Marker on left.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2016, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 715 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 22, 2016, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 2. submitted on January 29, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
