Ghosts of New Orleans 2

Posted by Viewfinder (Bradenton, United States) on 26 October 2007 in Art & Design and Portfolio.

Rising like a restless spectre from the old "place d'arms" Andrew Jackson still cuts a ghostly figure in the lore of New Orleans -- along with Jean Lafitte the pirate (and his cut-throat crew), rough Kentucky and Tennessee mountain volunteer sharpshooters, cultured French New Orleanians, and some Native American Indians, Old Hickory ran the haughty redcoat British army out from the Chalmette Battlefield in 1814.

Little remembered fact: the War of 1812 had recently ended; but nobody bothered to notify Jackson or his British counterpart, Sir Edward Packenham of this turn of events before the needless battle was fought.

Remember the great old Johnny Horton ballad? I googled it up - this one contains more verses than the actual song. In New Orleans, we'd call that something extra "lagniappe"

Well, in eighteen and fourteen we took a little trip
along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans,
And we caught the bloody British near the town of New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin'
down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, I see'd Mars Jackson walkin down the street
talkin' to a pirate by the name of Jean Lafitte [pronounced La-feet]
He gave Jean a drink that he brung from Tennessee
and the pirate said he'd help us drive the British in the sea.

The French said Andrew, you'd better run,
for Packingham's a comin' with a bullet in his gun.
Old Hickory said he didn't give a dang,
he's gonna whip the britches off of Colonel Packingham.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin'
down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, we looked down the river and we see'd the British come,
and there must have been a hundred of 'em beatin' on the drum.
They stepped so high and they made their bugles ring
while we stood by our cotton bales and didn't say a thing.

Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
if we didn't fire a musket til we looked 'em in the eyes.
We held our fire til we see'd their faces well,
then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave a yell.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin'
down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, we fired our cannon til the barrel melted down,
so we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round.
We filled his head with cannon balls and powdered his behind,
and when they tetched the powder off, the gator lost his mind.

We'll march back home but we'll never be content
till we make Old Hickory the people's President.
And every time we think about the bacon and the beans,
we'll think about the fun we had way down in New Orleans.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin,
But there wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin'
down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go.
They ran so fast the hounds couldn't catch 'em
down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin.
But there wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago.
We fired once more and they began to runnin'
down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

Trick or Treat!

Please pray for Bella.

Bella Update: 07/23/08. Wednesday. Another good Bella morning, she is in good spirits, even with they mysterious disappearance of our normally numerous and active neighborhood squirrel population. Maybe "Sheriff Bella" has cleaned out Dodge and sent all those tree-climbing hoodlums packing. Heh.

Bella and I appreciate each of you for caring and praying. Please understand this miracle being prayed for, because although it is day by day, it also may take a bit of time for completion: Bella's battle for life, wellness, and a healed heart isn't a sprint but a long-distance run.

What we have right now are daily blessings: I am prayerfully thankful that her good days may be God's bit by bit miracle that is slowly unfolding.

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