Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery (N29⁰56.5’
W89⁰59.5’)
are operated by the National Park Service as part of Jean Lafitte National
Historical Park. Both are on St. Bernard Highway (Route 46) east of New Orleans
and fronting the Mississippi River.
Chalmette Battlefield
(approximately 140 acres) was the site of a two-hour engagement with British
troops in 1815, which was the final battle of the War of 1812, resulting in a
loss for the British. From an American perspective, the war was fought to
secure maritime rights, reduce British influence over American Indians, and
allow the U.S. to annex Canada. Two of the three of these objectives were met.
The British made three major advances in the war. The British were stopped in
an advance from Canada at the Battle of Lake Champlain. A second advance on
Washington DC ended at Baltimore when Fort McHenry held off British ships. A
third advance on New Orleans ended with this battle. In preparing for the
battle, the Americans built a shoulder-high rampart to hold off cannon fire.
The British attacked and suffered heavy casualties, including the death of
three of their high-ranking officers. The battle made Andrew Jackson a national
hero and eventually led to his election as President.
After the battle, a Greek revival house, the
Malus-Beauregard House, was constructed on the battlefield. A freedman’s
cemetery was established on part of the battlefield following the Civil War,
and ex-slaves were buried on 4 acres. All traces of the cemetery are gone. An
African-American settlement known as Fazendeville eventually was established.
This community was relocated in 1966 to establish the battlefield park.
Chalmette National
Cemetery is 17.5 acres and was established in 1864 as a burial site for
Union soldiers who died in the Civil War in the Gulf of Mexico area. In 1875, a
brick wall was constructed around it, which still stands. It was closed to new
burials in 1945, then briefly re-opened for Vietnam-era casualties. There are
15,000 graves.
