Battle of New Orleans Day

Battle of New Orleans Day

January 8

When 5,400 British soldiers attacked near the Chalmette plantation outside New Orleans on January 8, 1815, they were met by a ragtag army of militiamen, sailors, and pirates fighting from behind barricades. The defending U.S. troops were led by General Andrew Jackson, whose stunning victory—the British suffered some 2,000 casualties, while the Americans lost only eight men—made him a national hero.
This day is no longer as widely celebrated as it was before the Civil War, but it remains a legal holiday in Louisiana, where it is also known as Jackson Day or, in honor of Jackson's nickname, as Old Hickory's Day . The battlefield is located in Jean Lafitte National Historic Park, which sponsors commemorations and hosts living history encampments during the second weekend in January each year.

CONTACTS:
National Park Service, Chalmette Battlefield
419 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-589-3882; fax: 504-589-3851
www.nps.gov

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, p. 36
AnnivHol-2000, p. 6
DictDays-1988, pp. 9, 61, 84
FolkAmerHol-1999, p. 41
OxYear-1999, pp. 29, 36

Celebration day: Jan 8