A slightly surreal telling of the Battle of New Orleans in short stories. They will appear about once a month until the final chapter is written in January 2015, the bicentennial of the battle that pitted volunteer militiamen, "free people of color", mountaineers, and pirates against the world’s greatest army and navy. New Orleans was then the jewel of the Gulf of Mexico, commanding the shipping routes between Europe and the gold-rich colonies of Spain and the sugar islands of France. It was the southern gateway to the new United States, and the outlet to the sea for the American West. Louisiana had been a state for only three years and was hemmed in by Spanish colonies in Florida and Texas and deep wilderness all around. More people spoke French than English in New Orleans, and the city’s government was even more disorganized and blind to misbehavior than it is today. After the amazing victory, Jackson Square got its name and the continental United States was never again threatened by a European power.
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