re: 200 years ago today...

Nice Graphic! For those of you who are interested in this stuff, check out a book called Patriotic Fire.

The USS Carolina was one bad bitch during the early days of the fighting. According to the book, it floated down from New Orleans with the current, quietly dropped anchor in the middle of the night, then opened up with all its cannons and greatly reduced the British forces. Hard to say if the battle could have been won without the initial barrage from the Carolina. Also, it talks about the Indians we put on our flank that would disobey “orders”, sneak out at night, kill a few brits, then sneak back.

Another interesting part of the book is how Jean Lafitte got butt hurt at a victory ball later that night when someone didn’t shake his hand or something. Dude packed up his shite and left. Died penniless in Mexico years later. He coulda been damn near royalty in NOLA if he had stayed. Accounts stated that it wasn’t a deliberate slight by the guest at the party, but apparently Lafitte was being a real woman about it.