An Extremely Fine Pay Warrant
for £25,000 Sterling - to be paid in Spanish Dollars - ordered "By His
Excellency Major General Sir John Lambert K.B. Commanding His Majesty's
Forces on the Coast of America ... at Dauphin Island". A month
following the Battle of New Orleans the Commanding General of the
British Forces is left to pick up the pieces and pay the butcher's bill.
Dated 19th February 1815. Signed by the legendary Major H.G. Smith -
later Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith, baronet of Aliwal on the
Sutlej, bart, G.C.B.
Chalmette, just south of New Orleans on January 9th 1815 was the final
and decisive Battle of the War of 1812 . British Forces were led by the
Earl of Pakenham. The results were lopsided with 2,000 British
casualties to 21 Americans. Lord Pakenham was killed in the action and
his second in command (Keane) was grievously wounded. This resulted in
command devolving to his third in command, Major General Sir John
Lambert - who was also seriously wounded in the battle. Lambert
sent his Military Secretary, then Major Harry Smith, to negotiate a
truce with Andrew Jackson, and then ordered the retreat and was left to
pay for the military venture. Here is his Pay Warrant for £25,000
Sterling to be paid in Spanish Dollars a month after the fight. The
exchange rate was 4 shilling 8 pence to the dollar. Tragically the War
had already ended with the Signing of the Treaty of Ghent in December
1814 but news had not yet reached this part of America.
Sir John Lambert became ensign in the first foot-guards in 1791, was
raised to lieutenant in October 1793, to Captain in May 1801, to
colonel in July 1810 and made a Major-General in June of 1813. He was
present at the sieges of Valenciennes and Dunkirk, fought in the Irish
rebellion, the expedition to Walcheren and with Wellington in the
Peninsular Campaigns and later at Waterloo. He accompanied Sir Edward
Pakenham's expedition to New Orleans, Louisiana, as third in command,
and in the battle of 8 January, 1815, was severely wounded.
By His Excellency Major General Sir John Lambert, K.B.
Commanding His Majesty's Forces serving on the Coast of America.
In Pursuance of the Sixth Article of your Instructions you are hereby
directed to receive from the Deputy Commissary General the Sum of Twenty
Thousand Pounds Sterling in Spanish Dollars at 4s/8d each,
for the Ordinary Services of the Forces under my Command.
Given under my hand at Dauphin Island this 19th February 1815
[Signed] HG Smith Military Secretary
Document (folded as shown) measures approximately 8" wide x
12½" tall (200mm x 325mm). It is in Extremely Fine condition and
consists of a single sheet of heavy batonne laid paper watermarked "C.
Wilmott 1812" with Royal Crest that has been folded to form four pages.
Writing is on one page as shown and there is docketing information on
another. There are three letter folds and no tears or thins.
A small tape residue stain on docketing side. The Warrant is
signed on Lambert's behalf by his Military Secretary, H.G. Smith, who
went on to become Lieutenant General Sir Harry Smith, baronet of Aliwal
on the Sutlej, G.C.B. and a Legendary General in British Military
History. Dated 19th February 1815.
For a fascinating look at love and war visit the AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HARRY SMITH, BART, G.C.B. located at:
by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd. .................................