Jackson and Governor Claiborne issued orders on December 2. Jackson sent guards to the least likely lines of attack, where they would watch and report if he had gambled wrong and the British were coming that way. Commanded by General Jacques Villere, detachments of the Louisiana militia marched out to the bayous and toward Barataria Bay armed not only with guns but also with axes. Their job was to clog the waterways with enough logs and other debris to slow the progress of boats carrying an oncoming army.
