Battle of New Orleans Page #20

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older. When I was 13 we both

volunteered with a battalion on the

Carolina line, but the Revolution,

it had turned. Soldiers were shown

no quarter on either side. The

brutality we saw... My brother and

I were captured on patrol. When I

refused to clean a British

officer’s boots I was struck with

his saber across my face and my

brother beaten to the ground.

(drinks)

We were held in a filthy, bedless

prison cell and given bread and

water. I cried often. My brother

had smuggled this coin in his

pocket and we prayed over it. When

our release came, Robert was so

weak he was strapped to a horse as

I walked shoeless next to him the

forty miles home. And then he died

all in the name of British tyranny.

(beat)

I don’t know if there’s a way for

me to trust you again.

JEAN LAFITTE:

Hang him then.

Jackson can’t believe Lafitte said the words...

JEAN LAFITTE (CONT’D)

We have given too much, you and I.

I have stood by your side and I

will continue to do so if you’ll

have me, but this isn’t about our

brothers anymore. There might not

be another two people in the entire

world who think we can win and that

is what we must do now.

(beat)

(MORE)

99.

JEAN LAFITTE (CONT’D)

Hang him or let him earn hisfreedom.

For the first time, Jackson turns back to Lafitte --

ANDREW JACKSON:

How?

JEAN LAFITTE:

By giving you the chance to putyour men where they’re needed.

And as the sound of EXPLOSIONS bleeds from the front lines -

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

My fondest Rachel -

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - RODRIGUEZ CANAL - DAY

Jackson’s men rebuild the BREASTWORK. Jackson supervises onhis horse as the line is constantly pestered by GRAPE SHOT.

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

This will be my last correspondencebefore the finale of this battle,

and only then will I know if it hasbeen worth while or I am the fool.

Jackson pays particular close attention to the BARATARIANSreinforcing the ARTILLERY STANDS --can he trust them?

EXT. VILLERE PLANTATION - DAY

As Jackson supervises, so does Packenham. Soldiers push hugeARTILLERY CANNONS through the mud and muck. It’s awful work.

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

The man against us now is the manwho burned Washington. It is

thusly my duty to make sure he paysfor those reprehensible sins.

Over 3,000 REINFORCEMENTS have arrived including 500 SCOTTISHHIGHLANDERS. The Highlanders wear KILTS with their uniform.

EXT. VILLERE PLANTATION - LEVEE - DAY

Packenham watches as BRITISH ENGINEERS fashion a makeshift

DAM on one of the CANALS that runs down to the MISSISSIPPI.

100.

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

As such, I must put my faith in aman who does not deserve it. But

with the storm that is to come, I

find that the least of my concerns.

As the dam is struck, the WATER rises in the canal. REDCOATS

carry in BARGES that will move the men across the RIVER.

With enough water, the barges FLOAT. Packenham approves.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

The west bank shall be ours.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

And with it, we will burn this

country to the ground.

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - NIGHT

Jackson’s men continue to work through the night -- finishingthe wall, strapping KNIVES to RIFLES to make BAYONETS. And

as they do, we notice a strange occurrence happening --

The men no longer stick to their own. BARATARIANS work

alongside ENLISTED work alongside the WORKERS and FREE MEN.

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

I must confess, as a whole, I am

more than pleased with the effortof our men. We are an army now,

even more so with the addition of

much needed reinforcements.

2,500 KENTUCKY MILITIA arrive on the line with COONSKIN CAPS

and HUNTING RIFLES. They’ve never seen anything like it.

JOHN COFFEE:

My God -- you actually came.

EXT. FRENCH QUARTER - ROYAL STREET - DAY

The city itself makes its final preparations for the possibleinvasion. Businesses have been boarded up. A few have hungSIGNS welcoming the British and asking not to be burned.

A member of the ELDERLY POLICE FORCE walks through and tearsthe signs down. A group of MEN, WOMEN and CHILDREN havegathered at the end of ROYAL STREET with makeshift weapons.

It’s a sight, these CITIZENS compelled to duty. If the men

fall on the line, those here won’t go down without a fight.

101.

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

Through it all, I have not

forgotten that it isn’t just a city

we endeavor to save. It is all of

America -- a place where anything

is possible. We are the proof.

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE watches from his balcony. He’s surprisedto see a few of his ADVISORS standing with the men below.

INT. MACARTY HOUSE - CELLAR - NIGHT

Jackson and Lafitte have just informed Pierre Lafitte what heneeds to do to earn his freedom. They wait for his response.

ANDREW JACKSON (V.O.)

And now as daylight comes, it is on

each of us to see what we may do.

This is not goodbye, my sweet. I

shall hold you again, either now or

in eternity. With love, Andrew.

It’s clearly a daunting task. Pierre hesitates...

JEAN LAFITTE:

You’re the only one who knows the

British lines, Pierre, and every

man we have will be needed to hold

the wall. It has to be you.

A long beat. Then Pierre finally looks up -

PIERRE LAFITTE:

I shall not let you down.

Whether Jackson believes him or not, he has no choice.

INT. VILLERE HOUSE - STUDY - NIGHT

The night before battle. Packenham meets with his high-

command to go over their final preparations.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

The west bank shall be our key.

Colonel Thornton, you will float

the boats in the canal across the

river before sun rise. Your 1,500

men will march to a place beyond

the wall, await our signal, then

fire on Jackson as we begin our

forward attack.

(MORE)

102.

GENERAL PACKENHAM (CONT'D)

General Keane, to breach the

breastwork, your men will beresponsible for bringing thescaling ladders to these pointshere weakened by our last offense.

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

It will be my pleasure, sir.

Keane takes pride in being asked. Cochrane rolls his eyes.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

As for Jackson, if at all possible,

I will take the honor of laying himdown myself, if only as punishmentfor delaying our inevitablevictory. The city shall be ours,

gentlemen. And so the country. We

will welcome our wayward brothershome with open arms.

And the sound of AMERICAN WAR DRUMS brings us to -

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - RODRIGUEZ CANAL - NIGHT

It’s a few hours before daybreak and the Americans are takingtheir final positions behind the wall.

The BREASTWORK is complete and it is massive. Over eightfeet tall and twenty feet wide in places, almost a MILE LONGstretching from the River to the swamp. Giant LOGS reinforce

its structure while sharpened SPEARS line the top.

Jackson rides on his HORSE next to his high-command. The men

are four deep for much of the wall, and most are taking aquiet moment to themselves -- readying RIFLES and POWDERBAGS, stacking SHOTS and CANNONBALLS. A few PRAY. Others

write LETTERS. It’s almost calming, their demeanor.

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