Battle of New Orleans Page #6

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26.

EXT. SPANISH GARRISON - DAY

And now an AMERICAN FLAG flies over the garrison. It’s the

next morning. A small LEGION of Jackson’s men hold the fort

as Garcia and his command are kept prisoner in the courtyard.

Jackson and the rest of his troops are already drudging backto New Orleans. Again, the men don’t look terribly pleased.

Coffee rides up next to Jackson.

JOHN COFFEE:

“To the sea they shall return andwe will meet them on the banks of

the River.” You’ve gotten exactly

what you hoped for, General.

ANDREW JACKSON:

Then let it not be the death of us.

EXT. JAMAICA - DUSK - ESTABLISHING

The awe-inspiring BRITISH ARMADA anchors just off-shore inthe calm, azure waters of the Caribbean.

TITLE:
NEGRIL BAY, JAMAICA

More than sixty vessels total. From eighty-gun BATTLE SHIPSto FRIGATES to ARMED TROOP TRANSPORTS, the ships packed soclose you could seemingly walk from one deck to the other.

It is quite simply the greatest naval force ever assembled.

Local JAMAICANS stand on the beaches greeting boardingparties with various items for purchase. BRITISH OFFICERS

have pitched tents to relax for a night on the sand.

MUSIC draws us toward the grandest ship in the fleet -

EXT. HMS TONNANT - DUSK

Where a REGIMENTAL BALL is in progress. OFFICER’S WIVES

dance with their husbands, a STRING QUARTET playing on deck.

Colorful lanterns swing from the shrouds and other rigging.

It’s clear the British don’t think much of the war or the men

they’ve come to fight. A confidence gained over many years.

We follow a young DECKHAND hustling with several bottles ofBRANDY through the bowels of the ship and into -

27.

INT. HMS TONNANT - COCHRANE’S QUARTERS - NIGHT

The STATE ROOM. NAVAL ADMIRAL SIR ALEXANDER COCHRANE (56)

has just finished a festive meal with his high command.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

Good Christ, son. You have to swim

back to England for that?

Cochrane is rather pompous and slovenly, a man who relishesthe power and forced respect his position provides.

DECKHAND:

Apologies, Admiral. We’ve run dry

six casks already.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

(to the others)

Bloody drunkards, the lot of you!

Laughter fills the room. The brandy is poured as Cochranemoves to his position at the head of the table. There are

several maps and charts of lower LOUISIANA spread about.

MAJOR GENERAL JOHN KEANE (31), despite his age and boyishlooks, is in command of the BRITISH ARMY. He’s in discussion

with COLONEL EDWARD NICHOLLS from the Spanish garrison.

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

They will have but two small fortsin opposition. Shouldn’t require

more than a fortnight really.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

That right, ya’ young buck? No

more than a fortnight to sail upthe mighty Mississip. And how manyof my ships will get over the barat the River’s mouth? How longwill we waste plodding upstream?

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

Admiral, I was only saying -

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

(dismissive)

Yes, yes. You’re in charge of the

boys on the ground, Keane -- withno help from your father I’m sure --

but let a man who knows say first.

COLONEL NICHOLLS

Which route do you prefer, Admiral?

28.

Cochrane points to a large LAKE directly east of New Orleans.

COLONEL NICHOLLS (CONT’D)

Lake Borgne?

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

Aye. She’s the one.

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

But these charts -- the lake is far

too shallow! My men will have torow a hundred kilometers or more -

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

We are British. If we must row, we

will row. Besides haven’t got muchof a choice now, do we? Not with

your tottering gambit for Lafitteup in smoke and any march ruined bythat ill-conceived debacle in

Pensacola. We shall anchor here --

Cochrane points to an area near southern Mississippi.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE (CONT’D)

-- row the length of Lake Borgne,

drop ourselves down the canals intothe river below the city and sheshall be ours. Now do either of

you foresee a problem with that?

MAJOR GENERAL KEANE

(cowed)

No, sir.

Cochrane slaps them both on their backs.

ADMIRAL COCHRANE

Then tilt your glasses back, boys.

Beauty and booty as they say -- theriches that await us, we shall be

in New Orleans by Christmastime.

And as Cochrane slams his empty glass down onto the map -

EXT. FRENCH QUARTER - DAY

A SHOP OWNER finishes hammering nails into a board coveringhis shop window. All through the Quarter there’s a sense ofuneasiness as preparations are made for the coming invasion.

A PAPER BOY sells the last of his supply and hustles throughthe muddy streets straight past --

29.

INT. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE - DAY

Where Claiborne has again gathered his inner-circle. There’s

a copy of today’s NEWSPAPER on his desk with the headline

“BRITISH SAIL PAST CUBA HEADED FOR THE CITY”.

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE

How do they -- how does thisnewspaper -- know more than the

Governor of Louisiana?! And why dothey see it fit to tell the people?

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

Jean Lafitte -

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE

Not that name again, Livingston!

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

Jean Lafitte has many spies on theshores of Havana. This information

was offered but you so declined.

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE

So he took it to the paper?! There

will be panic in the streets!

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

Governor, our citizens have a rightto prepare themselves for battle.

The same sycophant lawyer from before finishes the article.

LAWYER:

If this is correct and they will behere by the end of the month thenwe must consider unconditional

surrender of the city.

Livingston can’t believe what he’s hearing.

LAWYER (CONT’D)

They burned Washington to theground. I do not wish to see the

same happen to our hallowed walls.

More than a few agree with him. Livingston turns to MAJORGENERAL JACQUES VILLERE (54), head of the Louisiana militia.

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

Major General Villere, will yourmilitia be ready to fight?

30.

MAJOR GENERAL VILLERE

Aye. But without conscription our

numbers have waned. We’ve also

asked this legislature many times

to properly provide munitions -

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE

You’ve received all that we have!

A defense against an army of this

magnitude is simply not feasible.

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

And is that what you will tell

General Jackson when he arrives?

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE

I am in command of this city -

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

(rising)

They have yet to raise a rifle and

already we raise the flag! The

people deserve to be lead.

A fat-cat BUSINESSMAN comes to Claiborne’s defense -

BUSINESSMAN:

Jackson is a scoundrel and from

Tennessee at that. He was only

given command after all else in

uniform refused his men. If he’s

the help the government sends, at

least the British would be civil.

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

Do you not remember past atrocities

suffered at their hand? Jackson is

a general in the United States Army

and we are under attack!

GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE

And his assistance, unlike

Lafitte’s, will be appreciated.

But Jackson comes to bear the

burden of our surrender and nothing

more. It was his superiors, Mr.

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