Free HNOC Exhibit: The Battles for New Orleans 1814-1815

By FrenchQuarter.com Staff

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In the waning days of the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson shocked the world by leading a ragtag force of local and state militia, regular U.S. troops, free men of color, Choctaw Indians, and Baratarian pirates to a crushing victory over an invading army of proud, tested, elite British soldiers determined to seize New Orleans. A new exhibition at The Historic New Orleans Collection entitled The Terrible and the Brave: The Battles for New Orleans, 1814-1815, brings both American and British perspectives to bear on this watershed event. The Terrible and the Brave features an exciting collection of original documents and artworks, vintage weapons and military equipment, as well as dazzling Napoleonic-era uniforms. On display are more than 100 items drawn from The Collection's considerable holdings on the Battle of New Orleans as well as from public and private collections in the U.S. and Canada.

The "battle" of New Orleans actually consisted of several engagements, some won by the British and others by the Americans. Included in the exhibition are a series of highly detailed campaign maps illustrating the enormous difficulties faced by the British army, which found itself hemmed in by the Mississippi River and impassable swampy woods. Manuscript letters, rare published accounts, reports from Andrew Jackson, Jean Laffite, and other participants bring the events of 1814-15 to life. A selection of cannonballs, plus many fine examples of British and American small arms, swords, and bayonets give a lively sense of the perils both sides faced on the battlefield. Vintage military equipment on display includes wooden canteens, powder horns, and a militia doctor's field surgery kit.

As a supplement to the exhibition, a special display documents the rise of Andrew Jackson to national and international prominence. An interactive multimedia component, produced by documentary filmmaker Walter Williams, complements The Terrible and the Brave with sounds, images, and commentary from noted scholars.

The exhibition is on view at the Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street from May 17, 2005, through January 8, 2006. It is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, except holidays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For further information call (504) 523-4662.