Battle of New Orleans Page #17

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Cochrane’s face falls. He knows what this arrival means.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

Admiral Cochrane. Major GeneralKeane. Happy Christmas.

INT. VILLERE HOUSE - STUDY - MORNING

Packenham has immediately taken control. The WAR ROOM is

being completely rearranged by Packenham’s ASSISTANTS to meetPackenham’s exacting specifications...

Packenham sits at a desk studying a large MAP of the area.

Cochrane and Keane wait for their orders. And wait. And

wait. Packenham is very deliberate. And then, simply -

GENERAL PACKENHAM

I have never seen such a disaster.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

General, I was not made aware of

your arrival -- if I had known -

GENERAL PACKENHAM

You would have magically changedour position in the field? You

would have rowed back to the shipsand conceived an actual sound planof attack? This is a failure at

every conceivable instance.

Cochrane might not be in charge at this stage, but he has toomuch pride to go down without having his say -

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

I was left to work with what we

had. If Major General Keane hadmarched to New Orleans -

GENERAL PACKENHAM

I’ve read the log, Admiral. Your

orders were to wait for you here.

Our place now is directly a resultof your utter incompetency.

Keane can’t help but smile at this turn of events. The house

SHAKES from a GRAPE SHOT landing nearby. Cochrane regroups -

84.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

I apologize, General. But mysailors will gladly continueforward if your men are not up totask. I’m sure the Crown will

understand why you turned back amere stone’s throw from glory.

Packenham seethes. He goes to the window. He obviouslydoesn’t like the hand he’s been dealt but to reshuffle now...

The house SHAKES again as another grape shot lands close by.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

If we are to do anything, we mustfirst end this despicable racket.

Major Keane, bring up the guns.

EXT. VILLERE PLANTATION - LEVEE - NIGHT

That night. A legion of REDCOATS painstakingly move fourheavy CANNONS to a position near the American ships.

A FIELD FURNACE burns red in the night, warming up shot.

EXT. LOUISIANA - NIGHT

Two BARATARIANS stumble on deck after a few too many drinks.

They relieve themselves over the rail and into the river -

And that’s when one of them notices the GLOW of the furnace.

BARATARIAN:

Holy sh*t.

The men race back below deck, YELLING to wake the others -

EXT. VILLERE PLANTATION - LEVEE - NIGHT

The REDCOATS hear the raucous onboard. They rush to get theshots ready as OARS from the Louisiana hit the water -

The Louisiana manages to retreat, but the men on the Carolina

are just starting to get their bearings. As they do --

The REDCOATS fire rounds of glowing HOT SHOT toward the deck.

85.

EXT. CAROLINA - NIGHT

The ship doesn’t stand a chance. The SHOT tears through thedeck and shatters the MAST. One of the shots lodges itselfjust below the steering cables and ignites a terrible FIRE.

The deck is rapidly ENGULFED. SAILORS jump into the water.

The fire spreads toward the MUNITIONS HOLD...

INT. LOUISIANA - ROW DECK - NIGHT

The BARATARIANS row quickly, making their escape. They hearthe cheers of the REDCOATS behind them and then --

THE CAROLINA EXPLODES ON THE WATER. It’s deafening.

EXT. MACARTY HOUSE - NIGHT

The EXPLOSION can been heard loud and clear at the American

camp. The FIRE from the Carolina rises above the trees.

Jackson and his high-command rush out of the house --

MAJOR GENERAL VILLERE

One of ours?

But no one needs to answer. Suddenly JEAN DAQUIN, the leaderof the FREE MEN OF COLOR, approaches out of breath -

JEAN DAQUIN:

General! My men were on patrol. A

new British commander has arrived.

JOHN COFFEE:

Did you hear his name?

JEAN DAQUIN:

Packenham, sir. It was Packenham.

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

The man who burned Washington.

A dark pall washes over the plantation. Everyone knows whatthis means, especially Jackson. Finally -

ANDREW JACKSON:

Our stakes have been confirmed.

Spread word to the men -- we are tobe tested.

And as Jackson stares at the FLAMES growing in the distance -

86.

EXT. VILLERE PLANTATION - NIGHT

Packenham does the same. A die has been cast between them.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

They fight for their freedom. We

fight for something greater. If we

are to break Jackson’s line, we

must start with the obvious.

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

What’s that, sir?

GENERAL PACKENHAM

To find out what he’s made of.

And the RAT-TAT-TAT of BRITISH WAR DRUMS bring us to -

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - MORNING

Where two mighty COLUMNS OF REDCOATS march through themorning FOG heading steadily toward the AMERICAN LINE.

TITLE:
DECEMBER 28, 1814 - THE GREAT RECONNAISSANCE

Eighty men across, almost thirty deep, each column is anincredible sight. Packenham leads, taking pride in the showhe is providing. These are the greatest soldiers alive.

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - RODRIGUEZ CANAL - MORNING

While these men are not. At least by way of organization anduniform. There’s an impending feeling of doom as JACKSON’S

ARMY waits for the British to come out of the fog...

And then, across the plantation, the REDCOATS appear.

DANIEL ADLER:

God Almighty.

The men haven’t seen anything like it. The BREASTWORK theystand behind is impressive but incomplete. The eight-foothigh wall stretches from the river to the swamp fronted by aMOAT, but there are still stretches waiting to be reinforced.

The British are out of rifle range, so the men can only standand wait. Jackson rides behind the line -

ANDREW JACKSON:

Hold position! They mean only totest our courage!

87.

JEAN LAFITTE:

I would hate to see a test of

anything else.

The redcoats close. The drumming gets louder. A few of the

WORKER BATTALION vomit in anticipation. Jean Daquin movesbehind the FREE MEN OF COLOR, imploring them to stand firm.

Dominique You and his men man FIVE HEAVY ARTILLERY CANNONSspread throughout the line. Dominique spits, unimpressed.

DOMINIQUE YOU:

Bring it, ya’ bastards.

The British fire several CONGREVE ROCKETS toward the line.

More like FIREWORKS than anything, the rockets scream throughthe air and EXPLODE loudly over the Americans’ heads. A few

of the men jump at the sound, none more than PIERRE LAFITTE.

ANDREW JACKSON:

Hold! Hold!

Dominique You is tired of waiting. He FIRES his cannon --

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - MORNING

But the shot falls SHORT of its mark. Packenham is amused.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

I’m surprised they haven’t run.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

They will.

And as Packenham leads his men now double-time toward the

line, both sides opening FIRE with a hail of bullets -

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - RODRIQUEZ CANAL - MORNING

We’re several hours into the BATTLE. The British encroach

and trade rifle and cannon fire with the American line...

It’s not going well for the Americans. In full daylight theyhave far less success against the British war machine, anddespite their superior position, the men are failing.

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