Scotland's Future Hangs in Balance

Townhall.com ^ | August 28, 2014 | Cal Thomas

[imardmd1]

Thanks for the correction. You’re a much better British historian. I must have forgotten to much of what my pipe instructor tried to explain. So there were no Lowlanders engaged at New Orleans?

[southernnorthcarolina]

As it happens, I will be in London on the day of the independence election in Scotland, though of course the election has nothing to do with the reason for my trip. I will, nonetheless, be watching with interest.

Independence from England worked out pretty well for us in the Colonies, but I don't think it's such a good idea for Scotland. If, on the night of September 18, I see a crowd of blue-faced, kilt-wearing, Scotch-inebriated, bagpipe-playing folks descending upon Hyde Park, I'll have a pretty good idea of how the vote went. Or maybe not -- bagpipes sound the same whether the pipers are drunk or sober.

[Pelham]

“#1) I SUPPORT self determination, secession (heck our own US Declaration of Independence was based on these principles)”

You didn’t get the memo from Lincoln announcing that that policy is no longer operative?

[Pelham]

The British Order of Battle at New Orleans included:

Infantry Regiments

4th Foot (King’s Own)
7th Foot (Royal Fusiliers)
21st Foot (Royal North British Fusiliers)
43rd Light Infantry (Monmouth)
44th Foot (East Essex)
85th Foot (Buck’s Volunteers)
93rd Foot (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
95th Rifle Corps
1st West Indian Infantry (Colored)
2nd West Indian Infantry (Colored)

Cavalry Regiments

14th Dragoons (dismounted)

Detachments of:

Royal Artillery
Royal Engineers
Royal Rocket Corps
Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners
Sailors from the Royal Navy
Royal Marines

Of the regiments that fought at New Orleans, the 4th (King’s Own) and the 95th (Rifle Corps) went on to fight in June at Waterloo. The 93rd Foot (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) went on to form “The Thin Red Line” at Balaclava during the Crimean War. The 4th suffered three times as many casualties at New Orleans than they did at Waterloo, with over 400 killed or wounded. Overall British casualties numbered between 2,000 and 3,000, which included the commander, General Sir Edward Pakenham.

[imardmd1]

Wow! Thanks for taking the time to set this down! I'm copying it off for my files. I was groping through a little old-age fog, and forgot that was about the "War of 1812," not the revolution. here's me, piping back in the day:

Just coincidentally, two popular cowboy/western songs were "The Battle of New Orleans" and "When Will You Meet Your Waterloo", (song history down the page). Hmm.