The British at the Gates: The New Orleans Campaign in the War of 1812

by Robin Reilly

In 1814, the final year of the War of 1812, Britain mounted a massive seaborne assault against the United States. The British burned Washington, forcing President Madison and his cabinet to flee, but the Americans succeeded in fending off an assault on Baltimore (commemorated in the words of the American National Anthem). By the end of 1812 the British had sailed southward to launch a bold attack on New Orleans, which was defeated by the Americans under the inspired leadership of Andrew Jackson.Reilly's account of the Battle of New Orleans and the events that led up to it was first published to great acclaim in 1974. It is still regarded by many experts as unsurpassed. This is the first paperback edition. The text has been reset and the maps redrawn, and there are more pictures.

Genres: Military History, History, American, American History

420 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books on the Battle of New Orleans are consistently among the worst I have ever read. American accounts, even to this day, repeat old lies and myths and are covered in obnoxious layers of patriotism. That said, the only British account I read before this one (an Osprey title) was as useful as toilet paper. It was draped in English jingoism and the kind of "cheeky" opinions that make you understand why the word "twit" is often applied to the English.

Reilly's work is the best I have read, but first a note on its limitations. First, his account of the Laffite brothers is completely wrong but to be fair it was not until Davis' book that the errors were corrected. The chapters on the War of 1812 are serviceable but distracting, mostly used to explain the importance of the New Orleans operation and Reilly's belief that in musket combat, decisive leadership is paramount. It could have been said with fewer words (which is also true of Chapter 7 of my book). Reilly is more sober about British interests and actions than most of his fellow countrymen, but his praise of Wellington is so effusive it is nearly pornographic. His apology for English arrogance (hey its insufferable but it works) is an exercise in the banal; if the English are so stubborn why did they lose France in the 1400s? His conclusion about the war's importance (America was to be taken seriously) was apparently a memo that the Kaiser never received. Finally, saying that Britain and America were friends from roughly 1821-1971 flies in the face of mountains of evidence. Anglophobia was a pretty strong vein in America until after World War II, when the British basically submitted to American dominance of the world. That is no coincidence.

That being said, this book does so much right I want to give it five stars. Reilly's judgement of commanders is the fairest I have seen, particularly Keane. He is superb at explaining combat. He does not accept popular myths from either side, and thus gives a more clear picture of how and why the battle took its course. He also pays close attention to the peace negotiations which is vital in understanding the battle's place in diplomacy. That New Orleans would have become British, or Spanish, is doubtful, but certainly the issue would have become complicated since the Treaty of Ghent resolved nothing. Lastly, with a few exceptions, Reilly does not fall for the standard English Rule Britannia crap. Indeed, he notes that New Orleans, being such a complete defeat, has no use for the English who delight in making defeats like Dunkirk into "victories." So New Orleans gets ignored along with the English Armada and Cartagena.

In the end, the whole is better than the parts. Reilly makes some glaring errors, but for an account of this much mythologized battle, I can think of no better book.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an examination of the Battle of New Orleans fought in December of 1814 and January of 1815. The book places this campaign into the context of the entire War of 1812 between Britain and The United States. It covers the causes of the war and diplomatic discussions that would lead to the signing of a Peace Treaty in December of 1814. That highlights one of the tragic aspects of this New Orleans campaign. The campaign primarily took place after a peace treaty was negotiated and agreed upon in Ghent, United Netherlands. However, with communications what they were back in the early 1800s, no one in Louisiana knew about that Peace Treaty and many deaths occurred unnecessarily. Even through full ratification of the Treaty by the U.S. Congress did not occur until February of 1815, if the Treaty’s existence had been known, it is probably the two sides in New Orleans would have agreed to an armistice while awaiting instruction from their governments. The author wrote this book with the emphasis primarily on the British side of things because most previous histories of this campaign were written from the American point of view. Since it was a defeat for the British, they have mostly ignored this campaign and battle. That said, the American perspective is also provided in this book. Now, while placing this campaign into the context of the entire War of 1812 is needed to fully understand why and how this battle mattered, I think the author went into too much detail as he described what came before this campaign. He used about 167 pages to recap what had happened prior to the New Orleans campaign. I thought he went too deeply into that detail rather than summarize more so the reader could focus on the New Orleans campaign, the stated reason for this book. That’s not to say he ignored details about the New Orleans campaign, there is plenty of that. He explains what decisions were critical on both sides and possible alternatives. The author also addresses past criticisms of commanders that he feels was unfair and he explains why those criticisms were unfair. I think this history book provides a complete picture of the New Orleans campaign and as such it is very useful to anyone interested in the War of 1812.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough history of the Battle of New Orleans, balancing thorough coverage of political, military and social issues. The author gives the right amount of background on the history of the war, the history of New Orleans, and the various figures involved in the battle.

Reilly demonstrates an excellent grasp of the subject matter, and there are many things to like about this book: good analysis of the larger picture, refutation of the various myths about the battle, and an accurate, balanced picture of both sides of the campaign. Also, the book is actually about much more than this battle, including such things as the war’s origins, major battles, and the negotiations in Ghent; this is basically a history of the war, with extra emphasis on the battle. Still, Reilly is very thorough regarding context, especially political issues and the relation of this war with the war in Europe. Unlike many books dealing with the time period, Reilley also critiques the tactics used.

Reilley often seems to spend way too much time on the war’s origins and early battles, and in one case she relies on a journal reputed to be Jean Laffite’s, although historians question its authenticity. Still, a great history of the campaign.

[Jim Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly 2 dimensional (American) vs. 3 dimensional (British) account of the battle, campaign, diplomatic effort, and North American theater of the Napoleonic Wars. As sometimes happens, the rustics won.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book was certainly well written, only half of the book was actually about the New Orleans Campaign. The first half of the book was more of a general history of the war.