Show THE GARLAND TIMES GARLAND UTAH f FOR 1351 t h I TSSfWSMmH Y&SSCSif —Q NEW Lett K right) The Baratarian Pirates: Jean Lafitle Pierre Lafitte Doininii'ue You State Museum) (From i piuntlnt is tti Louisian By ELMO SCOTT WATSON NUAllV 8 Is lie day on wlilett America no pay honor fo (lie memory of Andrew Jackson and It Is eminently fitting that they should For It Is the of the battle of New Orannitetfcur) leans fought on Junuary 8 ISI'i one ot the most brilliant victories in the In arms ot Tide American history achievewas “Old lllcLoty's" brief With a force ol less than 3000 ment men ol whom almut 22IMI were actively engaged In the huille he oji sed a force of nearo whom more Brili-than TiHMl were ly 101SHI them killing 000 and utterly defeated engaged 4t ttt mid with a iking 3ixi wounding loss ot Ills men ot evaelly eight killed and 13 wounded '"Old h to While too mm credit cannot tie given lliikory” and Ills frontiersmen lor their achievements tltero were others whose share ill that It Is the purpose should not go minotfced ol this article lo mid these little known facts to of lids famous battle the familiar For Instance have only a many Americans vague Idea of the part played In that affair hv As a mutter of fact there were Jean latitte who were gentletwo Infltte8 — Jean Hint I’lerre tinder the flag of men smugglers and privateers "olotnlda as well ns that of other nationalities alfo hs pirates They are commonly referred rliflei h to the Justness of that though iiuthorltles characterization fm the dividing line between privateering and piracy In those dnvs was a thin one The two brothers and theli lieutenants at best among the most prominent ot whom were Dominique Von Mild Keliiche had a fortified stronghold not far from New Orleans and their operations from that base soon brought them Into conflict with the United States and oulsiana authorities In Late In 18M Pierre Lafitte wna a prisoner New Orleans and Jean latlnr was nn outlaw with a price ol his head Vet when the British on their way to the on New Orleans sent Captain as an to latitte offering hint lands a capeinlssnry taincy In the llrlllsh navy and a reward of In he would aid them the expedition Lafitte sent delayed giving nn answer and Immediately word of the offer he hud received to John Rlonque a member of the Louisiana legislature The arfor It rival ot his messenger caused a sensation Is said that this was the first Intimation of the enemy's presence and plans agninst New Orleans nllile wrote a letter to Covernor Later Jenn Claiborne pointing nut the strategic Importance fo defend It and volunteering of his stronghold the Invaders The evidence as to whnt against but It seems followed Is somewhat contradictory certain that LaHtte notified the British that he would not oln them and that he definitely cast At any rate when the his lot with the Americans British stnrted toward New Orleans on the mornwere mneh In ing ot lannnry 8 the Barntnrlnns It Is said that Lafitte himself dldjrwt evidence participate In the hattle being assigned ar he had volunteered to do to gimrd the entrance to Bnratnrla to were sen Some of his company however Bavoii St John others to Ft Pike while otl era Two of were in the thick of the buttle itself one Vou manned and Beluche these Dominique of tlie advantageously placed butteries This was buttery No 3 and so rnpahlv did they oernte It tackson Is said by one authority to that General have declared that with two more cannon like It and men like Dominique to nmn them he would not hesltnte to "storm the gates of hell " “The general cannot avoid giving his warm ap of the munnei In which these gentle probation men have uniformly conducted themselves while under his cnmmiind and the gallantry with which they redeemed the pledge thet gave at the open Tim Ing of the campaign to defend the country brothers atltie have exhibited the same courage and fidelity and the general promises that the con of their shall he dulv appraised government wns duct" tribute to them More than that lafitte helped In a way which Is vouched for hv no less a person than Andrew tit msel t with Jackson part ot the ordnance which the battle ot New Orleans was won came was from the temple as Ijittile stronghold This consisted ot 7 Ns pistol (lints which known were put Into the militia muskets without whlc’ the weapon would have been virtually nselesj Without this providential obtained from supply the Burofarlone ur country would probably hnve tost Cncriil bicks n wrote in commenting Upon this service It Is a bn cry from Jackson s laitlleground at ew Orleans o the quaint old town of D hut hart ft not been for the patriotic setter of two hunks In that town his victory Year’ YEAR’S EVE eve with dancing merriment New and New Some will celebrate Year" eve with blowing of horns and wearing of paper caps will celebrate - New Some boma eve with quiet Year's parties Some Yeur’s all Some Ing In at New Orleans At (he time Jackson might not have been won was picpuriug to move Ills army to the defense of New Orleans was the L'niled Stales treasury wlihou funds and what was worse tie Impovan erished government which was prosecuting war found Imt it had no credit with unpopular In this emerthe leading hanking institutions gency fames Monroe then set rotary ot stute unMadison mounted itis horse and der I’resldem rode to Georgetown tie There he called upon and to film cashier ot ttie Bank of Columbia honoi his Ills and personal fortune lo the pledged ll to the govrepayment of a lean if he would make made the loan The cashier promptly ernment Jackson wns supplied will the much needed funds and was able to go on to the splendid victory which awnired him at New Orleans How muny Americana huve ever heard the name ("apt Samuel Chester Held In connection with the bnttle of New Orleans? Yet If It tuid not been for him and tils 90 men and for the stubborn tight In a little merchant which they brig carrying only seven guns put against three British warships carrying 130 guns and 2000 men In the Azores Jackson might not have won his great victory In 1814 he was In command of the General Armstrong a converted merchant brig which hud put luto the neutral port of Horta In the Azores for and for repairs wldcb his ship had provisions suffered In a tropical hurricane lie was followed there by a British squadron ot three vessels — the I’lantagenet ship of the line 74 guns the Ifota a frigate 38 guns and the Carnation a brig 18 guns commanded by Admiral Cochran who disregarded the fact that this was a neutral port and placed his ships so as to block the exit of the American vessel Kelt! bad observed the pnqter formalities upon entering the port but he soon realized that he was not to he allowed to depart from ll unmoor lested neutral port not So huille grog was served lo all bunds the deck cleared for action at their stations and officers and men remained the night of September 20 throughout Duy brought a demand for surrender which the Heid signuled that he American curtly refused The would insist tqain his rights as a neutral Soon Ihe water swarmed this enemy Ignored craft from the English with boats converging from all General the directions Armstrong main Iteld'L warning that he would fire was Captain action and the British followed h ultimately put hack with minor losses brought the crisis Simultaneously Midnight twelve large from the three English warships These mounted swivel guns and boats put out curronudea and were manned with well armed veterans The Americans were fairly well seasoned hut their fighting gear was not of the best Held passed from gun ro gun cheering the cannoneers the shots and personally directing Three of the British boats were sunk with hut the guns ot the Armstrong heavy losses couH not he served fust enough to account for Besides the enemy were all approaching iiaav a fact wlihh rendered from the same direction useless two guis on she xrt title of the hrlg All al once hooks were a score of grappling thrust through the ports and over the rail of the Then the British swarmed tienere’ Armstrong with and armed cutlasses pistols up “No quarter!” shouted the Kngllsh officers and the Fngllsh sailors took up the cry The defenders their of the General fully realized Armstrong Eueh knew that hq was at hay and butplight tled for his life Back from the guns they sprang until they stood foot to fool at the center of Ihe ship Here wus t!r one advantage pikes holt grasp as soon as they had emptied swatted vHcit pistols Seizing these heavy lances they thrust at Ihe hoarders whose very nun there But sftet they were mossed their progress pe) so closely they had no room to swing their cut them over their heads lasses sidewise they them down with great and brought smashing Then they tried s rue one mnn seizing strokes s pike while his fellow desjieraiely nought to cut wen pon Sev down the wlelder of the formidable eral of the Amerlcnns fell although the discipline of the defenders wns unbroken Slowly then but surely the pikes pressed for- Capt Samuel Chester Reid ward Shouted orders were tost in the tumult hut Ueiil's uien uiuglit the tvlea and the whole toward the roils The remaining body surged British were thrust bodily into the sea The ropes Hint held the grappling hooks were severed and the hunts filled with wounded retreuted The had hisicd forty minutes engagement It was a terrible night which the men on the General For two nights they Armstrong spent lind had no sleep nml the docks looked tike a even though shambles the American loan was small At any moment the British might attack them seemed overagain and the odds against However the enemy decided to postwhelming pone further action until morning The Portuhad stmt word fo the British guese authorities that hostilities In the harbor must cease but to Admiral Lloyd second In command Captain declared that he Cochran would capture the American ship and kill Its ofllcers and crew If he had to knock down the whole town to do It Captain Reid did not have to wait long for the final attack The hills around the harbor reveras they had nevberated to such a bombardment er known before The Americans gave back a litye more than one shot for every twenty Masts and rigging were shot awny and the upper hull of the General Armstrong wns pierced repeatedly But the American shots must have been better aimed for the CRrnntlon which was In the van was pounded so badly she had of the assailants to withdraw Captain Reid was a fighting man as well as an officer and to his personal skill were aacrlbed the With three shots that crippled the Carnation gunners his uniform so grtuied as to be scarcely he served the grent recognizable “Long Tom” which was the heaviest piece the General As the Carnation Armstrong mounted withdrew the fire of the other two ships slackened and Reid turned to his first mate “Iower the hosts sir I” he ordered Then he hade the crew of the “Long Tom” to stand at posts and ordered up dozen other men thev strained at tackle blocks as he Wonderlngly directed them to haul In the gun and dedress Its muzzle so as to fire through the Armstrong's hull he went to his quarferdk This accomplished and while nn occasional British shot still sart of mor by coolly sniHTlnleded the debarkation of his crew differ as to the final scene on the Authorities to ship but It Is said that Captain Reid returned the “long Tom'' and personally fired the shot thut crashed through the vltnls of Ida ship and It Is let In the water certain llmf he wns the last man over her side The Armstrong settled ns his men puller) for shore The enemy sent a pnrty to fire the brig hut this wn merely s gesture not to surrender wus the flxpd Determination Idea that ruled Captain Reid In this affair The weakness of the Portuguese gnrrlon and the vas diluting conduct of the governor must have con vlneed him that he had little to hojie from neo so he plnnei tral protection his faith to the gnl Innt band of fighting men who by now Idolized him Not far from the castle was a convent built ot massive blocks of stone Reid sighted this as the boatmen rowed him ashore With little formality he led his men into the convent Up ran the Amer lean flag and above the heavily barred gate was lie dared the mug the figurehead of his ship British to come and get him It must he wild to their credit that they would have been "oiling to try tint thelt officers toi k counsel and eipm ently deckled they hod gone the limit In dlsre Besides rules ot warfare gardlng International when they came to take toll nt their losses thev found all three of their ships rtHniaged to such an extent that the had to return to their Imisi for repairs The British squadron had been part ot the expe Jamaica to seize New Orleans dltlun gathering If the General Armstrong hod been captured th of flu vessel would have been made nn Hiixlfmrv Kngllsh diet Held exploit more than anv factor prevented the earlier arrival ol BulHad thev arrived In rtti lish relnfori ements the result of the hattle of New Orleans mlgh was have been vastly different frun what (S br We fir NDwpr t'Bloa1 do we start our New Year on January IT And why la our newest year numbered 1031? ‘Tut the first question to the first ten persons you meet" suggests a bulletin sent out from the Washington (D C) headquarters of the Nutlonal society “anti you will Geographical probably get three or less satisfactory answers to the "Put the second question same persons and perhaps half of them will Insist that exactly 1030 years have of birth of the the day elapsed since Christ correct to "It would be reasonably answer both questions by the statement: ‘Because of an error’ “There Is really no reason for starting each new year on the day called January 1 except that Julius Caesar so decreed it when he reformed the 1077 years calendar approximately But the day of the yeer that go Caesar called ‘January 1 is not the Instead It day that we so designate Is the day that we now call 'December 28 Caesar assumed the year "Because to he 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than It really Is the dates ‘crawled’ through the centuries away from the positions that Jullue Caesar gave them until by 1382 they were 14 days out of place ‘January T had advanced almost to the middle of the ‘January’ In attempting marked out by Caesar correct to this discrepancy Pope Gregback not to ory turned the calendar Its position In Caesar’e day but to Its position at the time of the Church when Council of Nlcaes In 323 A the calendar already had crawled forHad Pope Gregory ward four days made a complete correction January would have fallen' on the dny that we 28’ now eall ‘December "But after all the fact that Jan Is still four days away from nary the position fixed by the fiat of a Roof no great signifiman emperor cance The really Important matter Is that the date shall not drift from Its so to speak and take np moorings new positions with reference to the seasons and Its stability within very tiny range was properly assured by the corrections which Pope Gregory made of the The yenr Is a repetition same months and days and can best A of as a circle be thought trip around a circle can start at any point and similarly the year could bethought In fact of as starting on any day peoples throughout the past different the year In all four of have started The Jews began their the seasons the Romans yenr early In September on Septemon March 23 the Egyptians ber 21 the Creek on December 21 and the Persians began their year on August 11 There are however four logical pla'es to start a Dew year based on These considerations astronomical which now are: the winter solstice 22 the summer falls on December solstice June 21 the spring equinox and the autumn equinox March 20 September 2a Julius Caesar and his advisors when they ar astronomical yenr bltrarlly stnrted their reformed missed at the point called January most hy only seven dips one of the logical possible yearly starting points: This Is a logical the winter solstice of the sinning point for Ihe people (nnd their Inter lorlherc hemisphere world ar dominated far so have ts the time at that because niiigcmenis) Its appurent yearly un bus completed New will not celebrate eve In any special way will celebrate the usher of a New Year with a deal of noise and some will welcome It quietly But no matter what yonr method of Introducing the New Year to this world of yours may be may 'you all have the finest yenr you hnve ever had lu all your lives —so that at the end of It you will sny: a 1931 wonderful “Wasn’t year!” — Mary Gruham Bonner 1130 Weatfrn Niwiawr Union) IIY great retreut to the south and apparently turns back northward bringing creased light nnd warmth “When Caesar reformed the calendar event astronomical tills significant When took place on December 23 after experiChristianity growing menting with other dates chose December 23 as the date on which to celebrate the birth of Jesus It cbose the day that had been marked oat under the Julian system by the winter solstice But even then the date owing to the Julian error had moved from the solstice and by the time the Christmas celebration became general the calendar had crawled forward the day called December 23 occurred four days later than the solstice As the centuries passed Christmas crawled ten additional days away from When Pope Gregory apthe solstice plied his correction to the calendar be pushed December 23 ten days back of Its farthest advance but left tt still winter four days away from the solstice “The Christian era as a time measuring device distinguished by the numbering of the years In both directions from the supposed birth year of Christ was not proposed until about 627 A D and did not come Into general use until about 1000 A D In evidence aa to th birth was not very and It Is now believed by dependable many scholars that ths calculations on In Europe the year 627 the time of Christ’s Tht 1 Day Called January Arbitrary Starting Point Is ths which the Christian era was based were In error by from three to seven years We call our New Year 193V therefore not because we know It to be the nineteen hundred and year since the birth of Christ bnt because a monk named Dionysius Kxlguus wrongly calculated the birth If the present jear bore Its jenr probably strictly proper lubel It would he numbered between 1937 and 1938 A D“ Much Activity ea Nbw Year's Ev New Year’s eve seems In be growing popnlirlty as a time for Jollity andj and ihe average fellowship jpxid he lus leels losl imle--s American and "Uo to “go snuicw plans Hie turn of on the ev something” In the yetir |