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Mississippi Sound, Naval Engagements, 1814. Commodore Daniel T. Patterson had been in command, from near the beginning of the war, of what there was of the United States navy on the N~v. Orleans station. The insignificance of the ,naval force anywhere was the main cause of the humiliation of America. In 1812 there had been begun the building of a flat-bottomed frigate, or gunboat, in Lake Pontchartrain, to carry forty-two cannon, but the construction had been suspended, despite the protests of Patterson and Claiborne. Patterson had a few gunboats when the time of need arrived, a mere shadow of naval strength compared to the British armament. A letter was sent him from Pensacola, December 5, announcing the arrival there of a British fleet of sixty sail, men of war and transports of an army for the capture of New Orleans. Gen. Jackson was already in the city beginning his preparations for defense. Patterson, for his part, did what he could tj>-tfrw^|-,or at least watch the hostile movements. He sent fiv6v__gunboatsfs a tender I <ie?patch boat, toward "the passes Mariana and?Cnristiana,?
;?::? ivr -iic command of Thomas Catesbv Jones, with orders to make -l last stand at the Rigolets and sink the enemy or be sunk. Lieutenant Jones detached two gunboats, under McKeever and Ulrick. to go as far as Dauphine island, where they espied one or more of the British advance scout?, the Seahorse. Armide and Sophie. Vice Admiral Cochrane, commanding the British expedition, reported (from the Armide. off Cat island, Dec. 15) that the two gunboats fired upon the Armide. But thev could not have sustained an action, and turned about and joined the other three gunboats off Biloxi. As Cochrane intended to anchor at Isle au Vaisseau fShio Island-), and send :1k- troops in small boats to land at the Bavone Catalan (or des TVcheurs') at the head of Lake Borgne, ?it became impossible.? hr- -:-.id. ?that any movement of the troops could take place till this i? .lidable flotilla was either captured or destroyed.? Rear-admiral Malcolm came up, with the fleet, on the 11th. and anchored between i at and Ship islancls. and Jones retired to pass Mariana, and next ..iv. off Bay St. Louis, obeying orders to avoid being cut off fro ;lie Rigolets. Cochrane, on the 12th. put ?the launches, barges :	' pinnaces of the squadron.? undor the
command of Captain T.?V . r, of the Sophie, aided hv Captains Montressor and Robert-. .inst Jones, who then determined to


Battle of 1814 3
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