"In 1814 we took a little trip...." Topic

On this day in history:

In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississippi
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in 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'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

We looked down the river and we seed 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
We stood behind our cotton bales and didn't say a thing

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'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Old Hickory said we could take 'em by surprise
If we didn't fire our muskets 'till we looked 'em in the eyes
We held our fire 'till we seed their faces well
Then we opened up our squirrel guns and gave 'em
Well, 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'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Yeah they ran through the briers and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

We fired our cannon 'till the barrel melted down
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round
We filled his head with cannonballs 'n' powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind

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'
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Yeah they ran through the briers and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Johnny Horton

Yep.

The event occurred on this date in 1815 whereas the song came out considerably later.

And here it is, in all of its white and grey glory:

YouTube link

Jim

In the UK this version is better known!

YouTube link

Try the Lego Battle of New Orleans on YouTube (Sorry, don't know how to link). And the version by The NItty Gritty Dirt Band.

We Canucks like this one

YouTube link

Here's one Lego Battle of New Orleans. There are others.

YouTube link

It even has the alligator cannon!

Jim

It was done as a campaign song for when Jackson ran for president. Later verses talk about this. That if you liked him as a general you will love him to led the country ect.

The battle that makes Americans think that they won the war, despite achieving none of the objectives they set out with when they invaded Canada in 1812.

Among the major causes of the war were the violations of American sovereignty on the high seas via British boarding US ships (for one) and impressing sailors off of those ships into service into the British Navy.

Another was British agitation among the American Indians to impede US expansion westward.

I think both of those causes were addressed. Goals achieved.

Yep. That's the one, Colonel.

House painting service; will travel, special rates for government property.

The war was officially over but it still was a serious win

End of impressing sailors was due to the end of the Napoleonic wars, so would have happened anyway and was not the result of American action. Also the states most affected by the boarding of ships, the northern maritime states, voted against the war and continued to trade with Britain.

Agitation among the Indians or aiding a sovereign nation against invasion. Result was the near extermination of the indignant people, so goal achieved?

US expansion was the main aim of the war, and was mostly the brainchild of politicians from inland southern states who wanted to take over both Canada and Mexico and failed on both accounts. Canada was invaded with the expectation that the inhabitants would welcome US troops with open arms as liberators from "British tyrant", only for those inhabitants to violently resist. Not everyone in the world wants to be American, something that US foreign policy consistently forgets.

As for violation of the sovereignty of other nations' ships look up the Trent incident in the war between the states. Bad when it happens to the US but ok when the US navy does it?

By all means be proud of your history, but look beyond the superficial examples. All the above I learned from visiting the battlefields and museums in the US.

The Orders in Council allowing for the impressment at sea from foreign vessels was revoked BEFORE we declared war on England. A fact conveniently overlooked by my countrymen.

This sideshow to the Napoleonic Wars is largely unknown in the UK, so they go "what war?". The only thing that can be said for certain among winners and losers was that the First People were big time losers. Canada remained under British control and started to find an identity within the Empire. We got a free hand at expansion. Little else of consequence or goals happened IMHO.

Pop over and have a listen to a New Zealand version of that song on my blog.

link

Actually, we tried to invade Canada on three separate occasions from 1812 – 1814! One of these days we'll figure out how to do it right! We've already got you playing baseball and American style football!

UK version . Colonel Patton ?

Horton's other militaristic 'hit', 'Sink the Bismarck', sounded not dissimilar.

Who plays "American" Football in Canada ? The 3 Down Canadian Version, as played in the CFL and CIU (university), is as old or older then the US 4 down version Using your sports analogy lot of US teams play Hockey Lacrosse and now Curling and all three definitely Canadian games

"Agitation among the Indians or aiding a sovereign nation against invasion. Result was the near extermination of the 'indignant' people, so goal achieved?"

I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.

when i was 12, horton's album was one of my Christmas presents, 1966. sink the bismark was my favorite, next battle of new orleans then commanche, the horse. a lot of ballad songs on it.