shore of the entrance to Mobile Bay.  The British attacked the fort, but were repulsed.  Jackson, who was at Mobile, hastened to Pensacola and demanded of the Spanish governor a surrender of the forts.  The officer sent with the flag to demand the surrender was fired upon, and next day Jackson with his troops charged into the town; when the frightened governor offered to surrender the forts.  This was done, and the British blew up one, and abandoned the others.

On his return to Mobile, Jackson found a message from New Orleans, urging him to hasten to the defence of that city, as the British commander in the gulf had declared his intention to invade Louisiana, and sent an inflammatory proclamation among the inhabitants.

Jackson arrived at New Orleans, December 2, 1814, and found the city utterly defenceless, and the people filled with alarm and distracted by petty factions.  Danger was imminent.  The British troops that left Chesapeake Bay after their repulse at Baltimore had gone to the West Indies, where they were joined by about four thousand veterans under the brave Irish General Keane.  The combined forces sailed in the direction of New Orleans, late in November.  The wives of many of the officers accompanied them, for not a man doubted that the speedy conquest of Louisiana would be the result of the expedition.  The dullness of the voyage was enlightened by music and dancing, and all anticipated exquisite pleasures to be found in the paradise before them.  It is said that the British officers had promised their soldiers the privilege of the city, when captured, for three days, and that “booty and beauty,” was their watchword.

Fernando Stevens, with his experienced marksmen, joined Jackson at New Orleans on the very day that Jean Lafitte, the pirate of the Gulf, came to offer the services of himself and band to Jackson.  The British General had tried to engage the services of this band of outlaws.  Lafitte was a shrewd Frenchman, and he and his band had been outlawed by legal proceedings, though their crimes were only violations of the revenue and neutrality laws of the United States.  When the invitation of the British was put into his hands, he feigned compliance; but as soon as the bearer had departed, he called his followers around him on the border of the sea, and said: 

“Comrades, I am an adopted citizen of the United States, and will never violate the confidence placed in me by serving the enemies of my country.  We have been outlawed; perhaps we deserve it by our irregularities.  No matter; I am ready to serve my adopted country, and ask you to join me.  What say you, comrades?”

His brawny followers threw up their hats and responded: 

“We will! we will!”

Fernando was at the headquarters of General Jackson when the famous buccaneer held his interview with him.  Fernando’s regiment shortly after his arrival was assigned to the brigade of General Coffee.