LCV Winter 2012 - (Page 49)

PEACE AND FAME In his 1835 Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that Andrew Jackson “was raised to the Presidency, and has been maintained there, solely by the recollection of a victory which he gained, twenty years ago, under the walls of New Orleans.” Indeed, Jackson’s triumph would find countless expressions. Authorized by the U.S. Congress on Feb. 27, 1815, this commemorative medal continued in production at federal mints until the early 20th century. The reverse is based on an allegorical drawing by the noted American artist Thomas Sully depicting “Peace” and “Fame” struggling over the laurel wreath of victory. Snare drum Loan of Gaspar Cusachs JORDAN NOBLE’S DRUM Jordan Noble, a 14-year-old drummer who beat reveille for Andrew Jackson’s 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment, became one of the battle’s most beloved heroes. A free person of color, Noble served in three more wars — the Second Seminole War of 1835, the Mexican War of 1846 and the Civil War, with the Louisiana Native Guards, the Union Army’s first black regiment. In civilian life, Noble led a fife and drum corps of black Creole musicians and was a perennial fixture at Battle of New Orleans commemorative events throughout the 19th century. “Long may this gallant veteran continue to charm the ears of the present generation with his exquisite drumming,” The Daily Picayune wrote after the 1855 anniversary. Noble died in New Orleans in 1890. His beautifully painted snare drum is on display at the Cabildo. Battle of New Orleans commemorative, bronze Gift of D. Thomas Rees A BATTLE AGAINST TIME Time is a cruel enemy of uniforms, battle flags and other textiles from the War of 1812. Without professional conservation, many of these fragile artifacts simply rot away. This wool officer’s coat was worn by Lt. Col. William Sutherland Hamilton, who fought with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment on the Great Lakes early in the war, and possibly in skirmishes near New Orleans in 1815. Born in North Carolina, Hamilton settled in Louisiana after the war and became a prominent planter and politician in West Feliciana Parish, serving in the Louisiana Legislature and running unsuccessfully for governor in 1830. When Hamilton’s descendants offered his uniform to the State Museum in 1923, the coat was already in an advanced state of deterioration. Recognizing its rarity and historical value, however, curators welcomed it into the collection. Now the Museum plans to conserve the coat to restore its integrity and make it safe to exhibit during the Battle of New Orleans Bicentennial. The nonprofit Louisiana Museum Foundation has begun a fundraising campaign to underwrite the painstaking work of conservation, estimated to cost about $35,000. For more information about the project, call the Foundation at (504) 558-0493 or visit www.thelmf.org. Officer’s coat, wool c. 1812 PHOTO BY MA RK SINDLER Winter 2012-13 • Louisiana CuLturaL Vistas 49  http://www.thelmf.org

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LCV Winter 2012

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