Battle of New Orleans Page #22

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ANDREW JACKSON:

Give them everything! Now!

The Americans switch out on the front line so the rifle fire

is constant. One man fires, two men reload. The ARTILLERY

is a force, Dominique You smiling and smoking his cigar.

The firepower builds into a concentrated effort. After a

loud volley, the morning light is blocked out by thick SMOKE.

Almost all at once, the Americans take a BREATH. They can’tsee anything past their line. Even Jackson looks ahead

hopefully, waiting for the smoke to clear...

It’s silent. Have the British been defeated? But then a

member of Villere’s MILITIA is shot through the head. And

then ANOTHER and ANOTHER and as the haze rises they see -

THE BRITISH ARE STILL THERE, FIRING THROUGH THE FOG.

ANDREW JACKSON (CONT’D)

Prepare your bayonets!

Dominique You spies Keane and his men carrying LADDERS in anearby SUGARCANE FIELD. Dominique motions toward them -

DOMINIQUE YOU:

Take ‘em out, boys!

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - MORNING

Packenham and his men advance despite taking heavycasualties. It’s clear with as many bodies that litter the

field, Packenham is content to simply outman his opponent.

GENERAL PACKENHAM

Ready the charge!

108.

But one of his LIEUTENANTS notices something ahead --

BRITISH LIEUTENANT

General, where are the ladders?!

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - SUGARCANE FIELD - MORNING

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE and his men are PINNED DOWN by DOMINIQUEYOU. A group of REDCOATS tries to rush the wall but they’reTORN APART by cannon fire. Keane is in a bad spot.

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

Hold here! Hold the ladders!

Some of his men simply drop their ladders and run for saferground. Keane shouts after them through the artillery fire -

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE (CONT’D)

Colonel Mullins! Pick up your -

But Keane is drowned out. The BARATARIANS are making anyadvance an impossibility. Keane doesn’t know what to do.

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - MORNING

And with the constant barrage from the Americans, Packenhamcan’t wait any longer. He turns to his men --

GENERAL PACKENHAM

We shall do it ourselves!

BRITISH LIEUTENANT

Sir, shouldn’t we wait for -

GENERAL PACKENHAM

We are Her Majesty’s Royal Army!

We have brought down Napoleon! We

shall not lose to these ingrates!

We shall liberate them! Onward,

men! Onward to victory!

Unlike with Keane, Packenham’s men heed the call. A SHOUT

rises as THOUSANDS OF BRITISH REDCOATS CHARGE THE LINE.

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - RODRIGUEZ CANAL - MORNING

Jackson’s men prepare for the onslaught. MAJOR GENERAL

VILLERE and GENERAL COFFEE take up positions with their menon the wall, BRACING themselves --

AND THEN THE BRITISH ARE THERE.

109.

It’s a tremendous CLASH. What was once a fight across agreat field has become much more intimate as the British tryto break through Jackson’s BREASTWORK.

A REDCOAT makes it to the top of the wall only to be blownaway by rifle fire. American MILITIA are grabbed by theSCOTTISH HIGHLANDERS and summarily PULLED over the line.

ANDREW JACKSON:

Hold! Hold!

But the British are STRONG. And with the fighting too closefor the American artillery, the tide turns.

The British TOPPLE an American ARTILLERY STAND. More and

more REDCOATS scale the wall and fight on the American side.

Behind the charge, BRITISH CANNONS pepper the line. Several

SUPPORT LOGS start to STRESS and CRACK from the impact.

Across the way, JEAN LAFITTE valiantly leads a group ofBARATARIANS fighting to hold back the British. Lafitte uses

a SABER to show off his SWASHBUCKLING skills, slaying a pairof BRITISH OFFICERS when suddenly he’s TACKLED from behind --

It’s NICHOLAS LOCKYER. Lockyer takes pleasure fighting theman who lied to his face. Lockyer gains an advantage --

NICHOLAS LOCKYER

You should have taken our deal,

Monsieur! Now you shall die!

Lockyer SLICES Lafitte’s arm with a BAYONET. Lafitte dropshis SABER allowing Lockyer to KICK out Lafitte’s leg.

Lafitte crumples, Lockyer ready to deliver the DEATH BLOW --

BUT THEN LOCKYER’S CHEST EXPLODES IN RED.

Lockyer falls, revealing PIERRE LAFITTE with a pistol behindhim. Lafitte can’t believe it. Pierre pulls Lafitte up --

PIERRE LAFITTE:

Mon frere.

The reunion is short-lived. Lafitte shrugs off his injury,

and as he picks up his saber to continue the fight -

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - SUGARCANE FIELD - DAY

The REDCOATS have been emboldened by their progress at thewall. Several of Keane’s men CHARGE ahead -

But Keane can only watch. The carnage of bodies, the smellof blood. Keane buries his head as the battle rages.

110.

EXT. MACARTY PLANTATION - RODRIGUEZ CANAL - DAY

The British fight desperately now on the other side of theline. The BREASTWORK starts to give way as JOHN COFFEE andJEAN DAQUIN race to keep the wall standing.

Jackson fights through the melee when suddenly two SUPPORTLOGS crack under the pressure of BRITISH ARTILLERY FIRE. The

REDCOATS push their way through that section of the wall -

AND IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS, THE BREASTWORK HAS BEEN BREACHED.

It’s a small GAP in the fence, maybe big enough for three mento come forward at a time, but it’s all the British need.

REDCOATS stream through, fighting Jackson’s men hand-to-hand.

Jackson knows he has to plug that gap. He CHARGES on his

horse, ready to push the British back whence they came -

WHEN SUDDENLY PACKENHAM IS THERE. Packenham slices Jackson’s

horse with his SABRE. Jackson and his horse TUMBLE into the

dirt. Jackson barely has time to gain his bearings beforePackenham ATTACKS. Jackson tries to defend himself -

But Packenham is an ANIMAL. He lands blow after blow, and as

the BATTLE continues around them, these two giants are at the

center. The Americans have failed to stop the British at thebreach, more and more REDCOATS coming through the wall...

It’s only a matter of time now. And as we see the faces of

our heroes -- DOMINIQUE YOU with his cannon, VILLERE and

COFFEE with their men, JEAN DAQUIN fighting bravely -- thereis a sadness there. Goliath was simply too strong...

Even JEAN LAFITTE, wielding his sabre through the pain, canonly bare witness as Jackson is simply PUMMELED. Packenham

beats Jackson with his fists, throwing Jackson to the dirt.

Jackson is done. And as Packenham leans down into his ear -

GENERAL PACKENHAM

One man cannot win a war, General.

Packenham SPITS into Jackson’s face. Jackson is ENRAGED. He

manages to push Packenham away, but as he stands to attack --

JACKSON IS OVERRUN BY THE BRITISH.

The REDCOATS are moving now toward the MACARTY HOUSE and thecity beyond. Packenham leads the charge, and as he looksback, Jackson swallowed by the fight, they both know -

111.

It’s over. Packenham almost smiles, turning away. And as

much as he struggles, there’s nothing Jackson can do. But

then from out of nowhere, a SHOT SOUNDS IN THE DISTANCE.

And it’s like time stops. A single BULLET tears throughPackenham’s SHOULDER. Jackson turns and sees JEAN DAQUIN of

the FREE MEN OF COLOR standing across the way with his rifle.

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