Historical Memoir of the War in West Florida [Hardcover]

Gene Allen Smith (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Widely regarded as the best eyewitness account of the Battle of New Orleans, Arsene LaCarriere Latour's Historical Memoir records first-hand the dramatic events of the climactic military campaign of the War of 1812. This revised and expanded edition includes a substantial new biographical introduction based on a group of manuscripts relating to the battle recently acquired from Latour's descendants in France. Only months after the battle ended, Latour, who was General Andrew Jackson's principal army engineer, began interviewing witnesses and key participants in order to create a comprehensive record based on first-hand accounts. The work's most significant value derives from these accounts---of numerous individuals who participated in a crucial moment in history of the United States---reproduced in the book's appendix. As the first full-length treatment of the New Orleans campaign, the book also offers perceptive analysis of battle preparations, terrain, and strategy by the man who designed many of the American defenses. This new edition also includes nine three-color maps illustrating the course of the battle. Latour characterized it as a conflict, which preserved our country from conquest and desolation. As a key figure in the conflict who knew many of the other main actors and personally collected their reports and observations, Latour provides a record which will never be replaced.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The southern theater in the War of 1812 has been the forgotten part of that conflict. Yet, as Gene Smith notes, the Gulf Theater of the war produced some of the most valuable primary accounts of the struggle. One such account is that of Arsene LaCarriere Latour, whose work foreshadowed the practice so common in later wars of producing a story to exalt or at least justify the author's part in the contest. Latour is not as self-serving as he might have been, and his latest editor has taken some care in an extensive introduction to alert the reader about Latour's life and purpose. Smith's extensive research makes Latour more than an indefinite name attached to a chronicle of the dim past. The author of the first important memoir of the Battle of New Orleans is brought to life and put into the context of his time. Moreover, Smith ably demonstrates why Latour's account, written so soon after the fight for the Crescent City, should be taken as an essential interpretation of the New Orleans campaign, especially regarding American perceptions of the consequences of the war. Smith is a careful editor. His new edition of Latour's work profits from a light editorial hand that leaves intact the author's original idiosyncrasies while providing clarification in those cases that might bewilder the modern reader. More importanly, Smith has incorporated the changes that Latour planned for a second edition of his original memoir. Thus, readers finally have those documents that Latour and his friend Peter Stephen DuPonceau collected for the second edition of the Historical Memoir, a version that never appeared. Also, in this handsome production a separate envelope contains Latour's impressively crafted maps of the New Orleans campaign, and excellent cartographic resource for students of this pivotal operation. Scholars and students of the War of 1812 and the United States military in the Early Republic will value this new edition of Latour's story. It is an important resource for understanding the chaotic and occasionally haphazard organization of the United States Army in the early national period. It is also a whopping good story. --Journal of Military History, Vol 64, #3

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: The Historic New Orleans Collection and University Press of Florida; 1st edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813016754
• ISBN-13: 978-0813016757
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,180,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate book from a first rate authority, January 5, 2001

By 

Kevin William Chambers (Uxbridge, Middlesex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Historical Memoir of the War in West Florida (Hardcover)

Being a student of the War of 1812 and of the Battle of New Orelans in particular I eagerly awaited the delivery of this book. The book has four main parts; firstly, the atlas; second, Gene Smith's introduction; third, the extensive appendices; fourth, the narrative or memoir.

The atlas (actually a series of maps in a seperate docket showing the contemporary battlefields and approaches used by the US and British forces)is worth the cost of the book alone. Coming as it does from Latour's hand, Jackson's principal military engineer, it is, put simply, priceless to the serious student. Not only does it help visualise the struggle but much can be deduced by a simple comparison of Latour's battlefield and environs maps with, say, John Peddie's equally contemporary print for the British forces. Also the maps illustrate a host of detail not covered in the general histories (i.e. the correct anchorages and approach points for the British fleet - these I checked with the original ship logs that survive in England).

Mr Smith gives a very interesting introduction. His detail of Latour's life before, during and after the Battle is informative and really helps underpin the memoir by putting it in its proper place (i.e. he highlights the 'blurring' around Latour's actual location on the 8th January itself - was he with Jackson or Morgan? If so did he actually see the battle?) As good as the introduction is, however, I must point out that it is imperfect. The Commander of the British forces was EDWARD and not EDWIN Pakenham and I wish he had said more about Latours relationship with the Jean Lafitte and why Latour latter became an agent for Spain.

The appendix table is extensive and full of that incidental detail that brings history to life. It gives an added dimension to the memoir. Most students will be familar with the key documents repeated here but hidden in the despatches, letters and orders are nuggets of pure gold (i.e. the exchange of letters between opposing commanders - many not always in the official archives). Some of the items appear direct transpositions from already published sources particularly on the British side (i.e. from the London Gazette). This is unfortunate as Lambert's despatch of the battle was censored and an important paragraph excluded which, is turn, is likewise excluded from the tables.

Turning to the narrative itself it is surprisingly short. Of some 400 pages Latours memoir accounts for only 160 pages plus some notes. Of these not all are of real use to the student (i.e. Latour's preface and the war's origins I found superficial and vague). However, Latour more than makes up for this in his specialist areas such as his description of New Orleans and its defences and his descriptions of the Battles of Lake Borgne and New Orleans (not to be read without the appropriate maps) are vivid and substantial. Latour obviously conducted a lot of far ranging research (i.e. with bearly concealed contempt he provides tantalizing details of the fishing village and inhabitants and a number of Pensacola inhabitants who helped the British in their approach. He lists names and places and these too are borne out by the surving records (i.e. Guillemard p.71 received a large some of money from General Keane for his services).

All in all I found Latour's memoir to be an excellent and rewarding read. However, to get the maximum benefit from this book it is suggested that it is read in conjunction with a more modern work on the subject perhaps Frank Oswley's 'Struggle for the Gulf Borderlands' or Robin Reilly's 'The British at the Gates'.