W is for Walker

(Update:  This is today's second post.  I'll post again before we leave for the airport.  I'm sorry about all of this, but it's going to be a packed schedule, one without wifi, but with lots of sunsets and sitting on the stoop.)

Joseph Marshall Walker (1784-1856) was Louisiana's thirteenth governor, from 1850-1853.  Walker, the son of an English father and a Creole mother, was born in the French Quarter in New Orleans when Louisiana was a Spanish colony.  In 1807 he went to Mexico and joined the Spanish army.

When the War of 1812 started, Joseph Walker returned to New Orleans and enlisted in the Louisiana State Militia and fought against the British at the Battle of New Orleans at Chalmette, slightly south of the New Orleans.

If ever you're in New Orleans, I strongly recommend that you take the time to either drive or take a boat tour to the battle site, Chalmette Battlefield.  Within minutes of the French Quarter, you'll be in Saint Bernard Parish and in a totally different world.  Mile after mile of oil refineries will fade into very flat, open land that is sparsely populated and dotted with inlets, marsh, wetlands and incredible vistas.

Chalmette Battlefield is in Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve.  Jean Lafitte is the pirate who famously aided Major General Andrew (then Colonel) Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans, the last battle in the War of 1812 on January 8, 1815.  General Jackson, with 4,000 troops, defeated an invading British army with 11,000 troops.  After the Louisiana Purchase in 1812, the British wanted the Port of New Orleans and territory northward.

However, the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, had been signed on Dec. 24, 1814.  Since neither army knew the war had ended, the battle ensued.  The Battle of New Orleans is the only battle in American history fought after a war ended.

If you're driving a hybrid to the battlefield, there will be a reserved parking spot for hybrid cars at the visitor's center.  From the center, you can walk to your right (gnarled oak trees will guide you) to one of the levees along the Mississippi River.  There are benches for you to sit and enjoy the panorama.  The Mississippi River is a busy river with tugs and barges plying its waters.

From the Visitor's Center, if you walk toward your left -- the monument will guide you -- there is a historic national cemetery for those who fought in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam.  You will probably see British flags near some tombstones as, to this day, descendants make the pilgrimage to honor ancestors in one of the most peaceful settings imaginable.  But it's also tinged with sadness as the battle didn't have to be.  Fifty-five Americans and 386 British died.  PBS has a superb documentary about the battle.

Andrew Jackson (Old Hickory) went on to become the seventh president of the U.S.  He left a besmirched legacy.  His leadership and actions were responsible for the "Trail of Tears," the forced relocation and movement of Native American Nations from the southeastern part of the United States to Oklahoma.

Cannon from the the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. (Photo:  Wikipedia)

Chalmette Battlefield Monument

Old plantation home in the park.  Planters built homes along the Mississippi because  they sent crops to market on barges that plied the Mississippi River.  If you're in New Orleans, I recommend taking one of the tours that visit some of these magnificent homes.  Most belong to historical societies now as the upkeep is horrendous.

Andrew Jackson (Old Hickory), Seventh president of the U.S. (from Tennessee)

One of the markers for the Trail of Tears. (Wikipedia above and here)

Governor Joseph Walker.  I'd wondered how I was going to get A-Z guests to Chalmette.