Nicholas P. Trist to Elizabeth Trist
| Dear Grandmother | Baton rouge 14 January 1814 |
I went to Baton rouge the other day & found at the post office two letters from you, one of the 6th Novb for myself and one of the 8th Decber for Browse, which caused us great pleasure as a considerable space of time had elapsed since last we heard from you. You mention in your letter to me that you had not received any letters from Mother, for Six months; that passage wounded her feelings very much. Since my arrival at this place I have taken two letters for her, to the post office. She has received only three of the letters that you mention. My [Mother?]1 wrote you a week after the landing of the British. I will relate all the particulars as I have heard them. The English landed at chef Menteur, a few miles from the place where we formerly resided, and were arrayd in order of Battle when the news arrived in town. An engagement immediately took place and they were Beaten. Young Mr Heirries has been to Orleans and was at our Camp, he says that it is perfectly well fortified. Skirmishes take place every day; the two camps cannonade each other every day Continually. But we have the advantage of mettle metal. They have for their heaviest cannon one 24 pounder. We have 36s 32s &a and mortars of which they2 are also deficient. Their number amounts to about 8000 men, including two Blacke regiments. Our’s which are for the most part militia to about 15000 under the command of General Jackson. Mr He says that our troops are in high spirits the men of Kentucky an Tennessee Say “We hope that we have not come that far for nothings nothing and that we shall have some fun.”3 Mr H left Orleans on Saturday and on the day after a General attack was made by the British. They were repulsed with the loss of 730 Killed and a great number of Killed wounded and prisoners. Some British officers have been sent to Natchez and passed this place the day before yesterday on their route thither, they all speak Spanish french & English which leads us to suppose that they have served in Spain: one of them wore a [. . .] star. A barge is coming up loaded with prisoners. Major Carmack of our artillery was wounded in the leg. had his thumb shot off. two balls passed through his hat & one grazed his forehead.
All the family write in the fondest affection to our Cousins great and small
My Mother desires me to [. . .] that as her letters mi[. . .] not have received the [. . .] she speaks of Mr Thomas But [. . .] of the third district a[. . .] attend the Court at B[. . .] limit a year. If Cousin [. . .] my Mother will spea[. . .] the Subject as he sometime[. . .] with Father
