Below is given report to the Governor of Tennessee by the author of this volume as chairman of the authorized Tennessee Committee of Research. Attached are letters of concurrence from two of his associate members. The remaining member is out of the country. Documents have been sent to him, but at the time of this printing sufficient time has not elapsed to hear from him. In a later edition his comments will be given.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
To His Excellency, The Honorable Hill McAllister,
Governor of Tennessee.

Sir:

The General Assembly of Tennessee of 1927 adopted the following joint resolution:

WHEREAS, the Battle of New Orleans, fought on January 8, 1815, is one of the outstanding military events of American History; and,

WHEREAS, the memory of the great American victory achieved there, is especially cherished by Tennesseans because of Andrew Jackson, and the other Tennesseans who therein immortalized themselves; and,

WHEREAS, school histories, adopted for and taught in our schools, convey the impression that the battle was a needless one in that it occurred fifteen days after the Treaty of Peace had been signed at Ghent, Belgium, by the Commissioners representing the United States and England; and,

WHEREAS, serious criticism is made that such textbooks present an erroneous appraisement of the value of the battle, by omitting the reference to an essential fact, to-wit: that England did not construe the Peace Treaty of Ghent as applicable to Louisiana, for the reason that she held as invalid the title of the United States to that Domain, conveyed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803; and,

WHEREAS, it is of prime importance that our school children should receive every essential truth from historical textbooks, and especially those textbooks placed in the hands of Tennessee students should portray in its true significance the Battle of New Orleans in which the ancestors of so many were engaged; now,

THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Governor be, and is hereby empowered and authorized, to appoint five, or in discretion seven, persons of known historical knowledge and research, who shall constitute a Commission, charged with the duty of carefully examining the authorities, touching the true value of the Battle of New Orleans, fought January 8, 1815; and,

Said Commission shall incorporate its conclusions and recommendations in a report to the Governor who shall transmit the same to the Legislature.

Under the above resolution the following were appointed: Reau E. Folk, Chairman; John Trotwood Moore; John H. DeWitt; Claude G. Bowers; John S. Kendall.

The chairman, by reason of partial business retirement, has been able to devote himself assiduously to the research work involved. The result of his research, compiled into a small volume, accompanies this report.

At the outset the writer wishes to say he has had no opportunity for conference with the full Commission, but has had the benefit of consultation with Messrs. Moore and DeWitt, both of whom were very co-operative. The first named, the late John Trotwood Moore, State Historian, condensed his conclusion into a sentence, which is here given because he is no longer with us to speak for himself. He said: “The Battle of New Orleans saved the Louisiana Purchase, or another war with England.” Judge John H. DeWitt, President of the Tennessee Historical Society, has given much valuable and sympathetic aid.

The small volume herewith submitted gives exact quotations concerning the Battle of New Orleans from all histories under adoption as textbooks for the public schools of Tennessee. All of these present the same viewpoint, to-wit: that the battle was an unnecessary one; that it was fought after peace had been made. These researches show conclusively that all these books are in error. The battle was NOT fought after peace.

These researches have uncovered a startling, astounding fact—startling and astounding because that fact has been consistently ignored or overlooked by historians. That fact appears in the wording of the Ghent Treaty itself, which says in plain language that peace shall be effective when the treaty shall have been ratified by both sides! It was ratified by the United States February 17, 1815, forty days after the Battle of New Orleans!

Hence it must be patent to all that the statement, that the battle occurred after peace made so persistently by historians, is an obvious untruth, based on false assumption of fact. The wording of the treaty, appearing in the volume herewith, has been verified from the treaty itself on file in the State Department at Washington.

If the issue of the battle had been different, it is a matter for fair speculation as to whether or not the treaty would have been ratified by the United States. The Administration would have been torn between the ominous threats of the northeastern states on the one hand, and on the other by British occupancy of the vast territory west of the Mississippi River, with civil government set up. Happily this grave situation was averted by the great victory, news of which reached Washington ten days before the treaty.

In the volume herewith there is presented well authenticated evidence leading to the irresistable deduction that it was England’s purpose after capturing to retain the great Louisiana Domain, on the ground of the invalidity of the U. S. title acquired from Napoleon in 1803. Among other indications of England’s attitude there are exhibited copies of records during the negotiations at Ghent taken from the archives of the State Department at Washington.

The chairman, as the compiler of the volume referred to, hopes it will be carefully read by all interested in truth of history, not only in Tennessee, but in the nation.

The writer, in obedience to the Legislative resolution under which he was appointed, herewith asks leave to report as his findings as to the true value of the Battle of New Orleans the following:

1st: It did not occur after peace as erroneously is stated by school and other histories; it occurred during a state of war between the United States and England;

2nd: It was a necessary battle, made so by the aggressions of England; in addition to its national necessity, it was as necessary as would be the defense by a citizen of his home and family from marauders;

3rd: It was a major military event in the life of the Republic, second only to Yorktown;

4th: It saved the Louisiana Purchase, or prolongation of existing war, or another war with England; or acquiescense in the Mississippi River as our western boundary;

5th: It established wholesome respect of U. S. sovereignty by Great Britain, marking the last armed conflict between these two powers, between which a solid peace has existed ever since;

6th: It created profound impression throughout the world, with consequent greater respect and security of the Republic among her sister nations;

7th: It restored national self respect, then at its lowest ebb.

In submitting the result of this research the writer earnestly recommends to the Governor and the General Assembly that proper and decisive steps be taken to the end that our school children may be taught the truth as to the value of the great victory in which Tennesseans of another age played a leading part, and which contributed so much to the destinies of the nation.

Respectfully, Reau E. Folk, Chairman, Authorized Commission of Research as to Value of Battle of New Orleans.

December 12, 1934.

My Dear Mr. Folk:

I have carefully read and considered the report which you, as Chairman of the Commission appointed in 1927 to examine the authorities as to the true value of the Battle of New Orleans, are about to make to the Governor of Tennessee. Hitherto I have had the privilege of conferring with you from time to time concerning the important historical question involved in the investigation.

I have also read carefully the treatise prepared by you and which accompanies your report to the Governor. It shows very thorough and judicious investigation, and in my opinion very sound conclusions.

I fully concur with you in the conclusions stated in your report, as well as the reasons therefor which you have therein set forth in lucid statement.

I do trust that this valuable work which you have done will be properly appreciated, and that the errors which have so persistently appeared in the histories, particularly the school histories, will be duly corrected, so that the fallacy that the Battle of New Orleans was a useless battle and fought after the treaty of peace, will no longer be accepted by anybody, and that truth will be known by all.

Yours very truly, John H. DeWitt.

D-R

Tulane University, New Orleans, La., December 22, 1934.

My Dear Mr. Folk:

I have read with attention your excellent report on the Battle of New Orleans, to be submitted to the Governor of Tennessee, in conjunction with the report of our commission on the subject. I have ventured to indicate by question marks in two or three places phrases or statements which I think could be changed to advantage. These, however, are merely questions of verbiage, not of fact. In point of fact, I think you have made a most interesting and important assemblage of the essential points to be considered in connection with the Battle of New Orleans, and have shown conclusively that the opinion so frequently expressed by historians, that the battle was unnecessary, is a sentimental inaccuracy which ought to be corrected. You have done a useful and important piece of work, and I congratulate you upon its completion.

May I beg you to be good enough to favor me with a copy when the work is printed? I should like to prepare a review of it for one of our local newspapers.

Yours very truly, John S. Kendall.