193rd
anniversary of Battle of New Orleans is Jan. 8; wreath-laying
ceremony to be held at 10 a.m. that day at Chalmette Battlefield;
living history experts dressed as soldiers and civilians to be at
Battlefield on Fri., Jan. 11 and Sat., Jan. 12; St. Bernard Parish
to sponsor 6th annual re-enactment of a skirmish at
4:30 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 12 at Pakenham Oaks just west of Paris
Road in Chalmette
December
27,
2007
The
193rd anniversary celebration of the Jan. 8, 1815, Battle of New
Orleans, in which Americans defeated invading British, will kick
off with a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. at
the Chalmette Battlefield,
8606 W. St. Bernard Highway
,
Chalmette
.
Also,
on
Friday, Jan. 11 and Saturday, Jan. 12, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at
the Battlefield, living history experts will dress as soldiers and
civilians from 1815 to share stories, fire cannons and muskets and
explain the importance of the battle in American history.
St. Bernard Parish government will also
sponsor its 6th annual re-enactment of a Dec. 23, 1814,
skirmish that led up to the battle. The skirmish is at 4:30 p.m.
at the Pakenham Oaks on
West St
. Bernard Highway
, next to Parish Prison and just west of
Paris Road
in
Chalmette
.
No parking is available at
Pakenham Oaks but shuttle buses will run from the event parking
area at the St. Bernard Parish Courthouse, courtesy of the St.
Bernard Parish Tourism Commission.
Events
scheduled for the commemoration are:
- Wreath-laying
at
Chalmette
Monument
, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. Free. A short ceremony will pay
tribute to the men who fought at the Battle of New Orleans in
1815. Parking will be available at the battlefield.
- 193rd
anniversary commemoration,
Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11 and 12, 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free.
National Park Service rangers and living history experts
dressed as civilians and soldiers from 1815 will share their
stories, fire cannons and muskets, and explain the importance
of the battle in American history. Visitors can discuss
tactics with the generals and learn the fine points of
campfire cooking. On Saturday, the Kids Camp will offers
uniforms to try on and 1815 games to play. Only school buses,
battlefield shuttles, and vehicles with handicapped parking
tags will be allowed on the battlefield grounds. Free public
parking will be available at the St. Bernard Parish
Courthouse,
1101 West St. Bernard Highway
,
Chalmette
. Free shuttles will run continuously from the parking area to
the battlefield. Visitors may bring picnic lunches; no food or
drinking fountains are available at the battlefield but
bottled water will be on sale.
- Lantern
Tour, Friday, Jan. 11. $4 per ticket; children under 5 free
(no ticket needed). Experience the “night before the
battle” on guided tours by lantern light through the
American and British camps. The first tour begins at 6:00
p.m.; the evening’s last tour starts at 8:30 p.m.
Tours
last about 90 minutes, including travel time from the parking
area. Tickets
for the lantern tour are limited and must be purchased by Jan.
10. Tickets are $4 per person, with children younger than 5
admitted free. Tickets are available at the
Chalmette
Battlefield
Visitor
Center
Fridays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or at the
park's
French
Quarter
Visitor
Center
,
419 Decatur St.
,
New Orleans
, daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Only cash or checks are
accepted.
·
No tickets will be sold at the door or on the
day of event. Lantern Tour parking will be at the St. Bernard
Parish Courthouse; free shuttles will run from the courthouse to
the battlefield. Restrooms and a Hospitality and
Welcome
Center
sponsored by the St. Bernard Parish Tourism Commission will be
available at the courthouse.
·
Reenactment, Saturday, Jan. 12, 4:30 p.m., sponsored by St.
Bernard Parish government. Free. St. Bernard Parish sponsors a
re-creation of the Dec. 23, 1814, night skirmish at historic
Pakenham Oaks in
Chalmette
, just downriver from Chalmette Battlefield.
Parking for
all events will be available at the St. Bernard Parish
Courthouse,
1101 W. St. Bernard Highway
,
Chalmette
. Free
shuttles will run from the courthouse to the battlefield.
Restrooms and a welcome center will be available at the courthouse
courtesy of the St. Bernard Parish Tourism Commission.
Chalmette
Battlefield is one of six areas of
Jean
Lafitte
National
Historical
Park
and Preserve. The battlefield grounds
and adjoining national cemetery are open Monday-Thursday 7:00
a.m.-3:00 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Admission to the site is free. For more information, call
504-589-2636 ext. 1 or visit www.nps.gov/jela.
More
information is available at 504-589-2636 ext. 1 or at http://www.nps.gov/jela/battle-of-new-orleans-commemoration.htm.
Also,
for more information, call Kristy Wallisch at (504) 589-3882 Ext.
225 or visit the Web site www.nps.gov/jela/battle-of-new-orleans-commemoration.htm.
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