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#33914 06/27/01 02:51 PM
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I know this has nothing to do with words, but I can't let something like this go by unmentioned. There is a song called the Battle of New Orleans, which states that the battle was in 1814. The battle was in 1815, and it seems to me that the date of a battle shouldn't be changed just because the war is over.


#33915 06/27/01 03:01 PM
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We took a little trip
Along with Col Jackson down the mighty Mississip
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we met the bloody British in a town called New Orleans.

According to this site http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cab6.htm which appears to be reasonably trustworthy, being a State of Louisiana site, the battle started in 1814 and since the song merely uses 1814 as the year of the trip taken *to the battle site I can see no reason to fault the librettist for historical inaccuracies.


#33916 06/27/01 03:18 PM
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I continue to believe that I'm right, but as I've misplaced my sources, and I couldn't be bothered to look it up elsewhere, we'll leave it at that. That site might have made a small mistake.
I'm right and they know it.


#33917 06/27/01 03:19 PM
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the Battle of New Orleans, which states that the battle was in 1814. The battle was in 1815

I'm a little shaky on my feet, so excuse me not getting up. Now I remember me when I was along side of Major General Andrew Jackson, now let me see, it must've been late 1814, down south somewhere. "Andy" I sez , as no-one else was around to hear the familiarity, "looks like those damn'd British are looking for to fight their way into this town. Now if we let them look for us in this December fog, we can shoot as many as we can and then fade away into the bayou. They have about 3 times as many as us. And we can keep doing that until they give up. It amy take a few days, and we'll have to stop for Christmas Day and the New Years bash, but it won't be far into January when we've finished them." "Sounds like a good idea to me" says Major General Andy and so that's how it was.
Pass me my pipe will you, there's a good lad.




#33918 06/27/01 03:27 PM
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we'll have to stop for Christmas Day and the New Years bash
Do you think we'd do the same thing your hessians did in the Revolution? They were partying on Cristmas Eve, were told repeatedly that we were coming to attack them and that they would be slaughtered if they didn't put the beer back and fight, and they got slaughtered. They wouldn't have been slaughtered as bad if they hadn't been slautering us previously, so we got our revenge.
edit Funny how we're talking about a war with England, and I've been listening to the enemy's music: The Beatles.


#33919 06/27/01 03:56 PM
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war is brutal-- and many die.. I don't think most soldiers start out with the intent to "slaughter" the enemy-- and its sad that, at times that is what happens.

I don't think Washington or troops where out for revenge.. rather, war was waged because the value system of the people living in the American states had changed.. we no longer saw ourselves as "english-- living in the America's" but rather as New Yorkers, or Virginians.. The revolution war change a political situation that existed -- and allowed people in the america's to establish a government that suited their needs.. (of course Washington was very glad of the succes of the battle at trenton, not only for morale-- but for the food and supplies the troops claimed as spoils of war.)

Shelby Foote said one major impact of the civil war to change us again-- we went from being citizens of a state-- (new yorkers) to being citizens of the United States of America (americans) In language "These United States" (a conglomerate) became "The United States" a single enity. (Lee was offered the change to head the Union army-- but passed, as he saw himself as first a citizen of Virginia..)

and as for taking off for christmas-- yes, they did-- the English did it because they thought it civilized, Jackson did it as he awaited supplies and ammunition.. (even the song makes comment on "running out of cannon" )Jackson spent Christmas at an Ursaline convent.. (the people of New Orleans where not to sure about him.. and he wasn't, before the desisive victory to well liked.)
When the song about the battle of New orleans became popular-- i was in elementary school-- and the local ursuline nuns where still proud of the part the ursulines had played in the battle!-- our school had serveral copies of a children's history book about the battle.(the convent where jackson spent christmas was Our Lady of Prompt Succor.}


#33920 06/27/01 03:58 PM
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reference for you not to look up

http://www.thehistorynet.com/HistoricTraveler/articles/1998/03989_text.htm

To sum things up here:

A) Maj Genl Andrew Jackson moved into the New Orleans area in the late fall of 1814 (In 1814 we took a little trip…).

2) On December 23, 1814 the British moved in to the area. Jackson launched a surprise raid against the British that convinced them to delay any further action until they got support from their fleet.

Þ) On December 28, 1814 the British attacked again and were repulsed. They waited until the first week of January 1815 before they attacked again in what was the culmination of the battle.


Irregardless, in 1814 they took a little trip.

For complete lyrics of the song see
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/9198/war1812/w1812f.htm

The Treaty of Ghent, ending the war was signed on December 24, 1814.
http://www.multied.com/1812/Ghent.html




#33921 06/27/01 04:03 PM
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Re: the edit--
--Well i don't consider the english enemies-- even if i am not very happy with the political situation in ireland*- and mentally label them "bloody brits".. but BB's are a nameless, faceless group-- individuals-- are never thought that way..
*Notice i said ireland-- the whole notion that 6 provinces are not part of the history land is preposterous!


#33922 06/27/01 04:05 PM
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the whole notion that 6 provinces are not part of the history land is preposterous!



Take it down from the mast, Irish traitors?


#33923 06/27/01 04:07 PM
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In one of the battles before Trenton, the Hessians were sticking their bayonets right through our soldiers, when they needed no help in reaching death. We got mad because of the Hessian's cruelty to people who were barely alive, so we were fighting extra hard at Trenton.


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