Editing Battle of New Orleans (section)

==Prelude==
===Lake Borgne===
{{main|Battle of Lake Borgne}}
[[File:Lake Borgne de la Tour map 1720.jpg|left|thumb|[[Lake Borgne]], Louisiana, 1720.]]
A fleet of British ships had anchored in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the east of [[Lake Pontchartrain]] and [[Lake Borgne]] by December 14, 1814, under the command of Admiral Sir [[Alexander Cochrane]].{{sfnp|Roosevelt|1900|p=73}}{{NoteTag|Refer to the map of Louisiana.}} An American flotilla of five gunboats, commanded by Lieutenant [[Thomas ap Catesby Jones]], blocked British access to the lakes. On December 14, around 980 British [[Naval rating|sailors]] and [[Royal Marines]] under Captain Nicholas Lockyer{{sfnp|Roosevelt|1900|p=73}} set out to attack Jones's force. Lockyer's men sailed in 42 rowboats, almost all armed with a small [[carronade]]. Lockyer captured Jones's vessels in a brief engagement. Casualties included 17 British sailors killed and 77 wounded, while 6 Americans were killed, 35 wounded, and the remaining crews captured.{{sfnmp|Hickey|1989|1p=208|Roosevelt|1900|2p=77}} The wounded included both Jones and Lockyer.

One unintended consequence is that it is believed the gunboat crews in captivity were able to mislead the British as to Jackson's strength in numbers, when they were questioned.{{sfnmp|Brown|1969|1p=81|Daughan|2011|2p=381|Smith|2000|3p=30}} There is a popular story concerning Purser Thomas Shields and Surgeon Robert Morrell, who were sent under a flag of truce to negotiate the return of the prisoners on parole. They were placed in a cabin where their conversation could be heard. Shields, having hearing difficulties, talked loudly and mentioned that 20,000 troops were under Jackson's command. There was nothing in the actions of the British commanders to indicate they believed they were faced with superior numbers.{{sfnp|Reilly|1976|pp=228-229}}

===Disembarkation by the British===
Sixteen hundred British soldiers under the command of General [[John Keane (British army officer)|John Keane]] were rowed 60 miles west from Cat Island to Pea Island (possibly now Pearl Island), situated about {{convert|30|mi|km}} east of New Orleans. It took six days and nights to ferry the troops, each transit taking around ten hours.{{sfnp|Brown|1969|pp=81-82}}

There were three potential routes to the east of the Mississippi that the British could take, in addition to traversing up the Mississippi itself.{{sfnp|Daughan|2011|p=381}} Rather than a slow approach to New Orleans up the Mississippi River, the British chose to advance on an overland route.{{sfnp|Lambert|2012|p=344}} The first route was to take the Rigolets passage into Lake Pontchartrain, and thence to disembark two miles north of the city. One hindrance was [[Fort Pike|the fort at Petit Coquilles]] at the Rigolets passage.

The second option was to row to the Plain of Gentilly via the Bayou Chef Menteur, and to take the Chef Menteur Road that went from the Rigolets to the city. It was narrow, and could be easily blocked. Jackson was aware of this, and had it well guarded.{{sfnp|Daughan|2011|p=381}}

The third option was to head to [[Bayou Bienvenue]], then Bayou Mazant and via the Villeré Canal to disembark at a point one mile from the Mississippi and seven miles south of the city. This latter option was taken by Keane.{{sfnp|Daughan|2011|p=381}}

Andrew Lambert notes that Keane squandered a passing opportunity to succeed, when he decided to not take the open road from the Rigolets to New Orleans by way of Bayou Chef Menteur.{{sfnp|Lambert|2012|p=344}} Reilly observes that there has been a general acceptance that Cochrane cajoled Keane into a premature and ill-advised attack, but there is no evidence to support this theory.{{sfnp|Reilly|1976|p=221}} Codrington's correspondence does imply that the first option was intended to be followed by Cochrane, based upon inaccurate map details, as documented by Cochrane's papers. The shallow waters of the narrow passes of the Rigolets and the Chef Menteur could not take any vessel drawing eight feet or more.{{sfnp|Reilly|1976|p=226}}

A further hindrance was the lack of shallow draft vessels, which Cochrane had requested, yet the Admiralty had refused.{{sfnp|Daughan|2011|p=379}} As a consequence, even when using all shallow boats, it was not possible to transport more than 2,000 men at a time.{{sfnp|Gleig|1827|p=273}}{{sfnp|Daughan|2011|p=381}}{{sfnp|Reilly|1976|p=226}}

===Villeré Plantation===
[[File:Battle of New Orleans map.jpg|thumb|left|''Affair Below New Orleans: December 23, 1814''{{sfnp|Lossing|1868|p=1032}}|alt=]]
On the morning of December 23, Keane and a vanguard of 1,800 British soldiers reached the east bank of the [[Mississippi River]], {{convert|9|mi|km}} south of New Orleans.{{sfnp|Remini|1999|p=62–64}} They could have attacked the city by advancing a few hours up the undefended river road, but Keane decided to encamp at Lacoste's Plantation{{sfnp|Quimby|1997|p=836}} and wait for the arrival of reinforcements.{{sfnp|Remini|1977|p=262}} The British invaded the home of Major Gabriel Villeré, but he escaped through a window{{sfnm|Bunner|1855|1p=220|Remini|1977|2p=262}} and hastened to warn General Jackson of the approaching army and the position of their encampment.{{sfnp|Arthur|1915|p=97}}
[[File:Plan of the city and suburbs of New Orleans.jpg|alt=Plan of the city and suburbs of New Orleans : from an actual survey made in 1815|thumb|Plan of the city and suburbs of New Orleans from an 1815 survey{{sfnp|coololdphotos, ''1815 Plan of the City''|2018}}]]