For months, Jackson awaited word from the War Department. He could do nothing but bide his time at the Hermitage and complain angrily about the “old grannies” in Washington.7 Only in November did he get word from Governor Blount, writing on behalf of President Madison, ordering Jackson to protect the territory of the Mississippi Valley. Finally, the men in Washington were recognizing the needs of the West! Jackson was to assemble a force and proceed to New Orleans immediately to defend it from a likely British invasion.
