New Orleans, Battle of, January 8, 1815, the last major battle of the War of 1812. The battle occurred after the Treaty of Ghent was signed, December 24, 1814, but the treaty had not been ratified and news of the peace negotiations had not arrived.
The battle took place on the east bank of the Mississippi River, about 5 miles (8 km) east of New Orleans. General Andrew Jackson placed an army of 4,500 men—including regulars, militiamen, volunteers, and Jean Laffite's band of privateers and smugglers—behind defenses of earthworks and bales of cotton. A British army of 9,000 to 10,000 men, led by Sir Edward Pakenham, attempted a frontal assault on Jackson's position. The British were met with deadly rifle fire and suffered 2,000 casualties before retreating. Pakenham was one of 289 killed. United States troops suffered 71 casualties, including 13 dead.
Jackson did not pursue the British, who were evacuated by sea on January 27. The Chaimette Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park commemorates the battle.
