The Hunters of Kentucky facts for kids
"The Hunters of Kentucky" is a famous song. It is also known as "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Half Horse and Half Alligator". This song was written to celebrate Andrew Jackson's big victory over the British army at the Battle of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson used this song to help him win his campaigns for president in both 1824 and 1828.
How the Song Started
The song "Hunters of Kentucky" was first published around 1815 in Boston. It was written to praise the bravery of the soldiers from Kentucky who fought in the Battle of New Orleans. About one-fourth (one out of four) of Jackson's soldiers at the battle were from Kentucky.
The song was sung like Irish storytellers would tell a tale. It used the tunes of older songs called Ally Croker and The Unfortunate Miss Bailey.
Samuel Woodworth wrote the song in 1821. It was first performed in New Orleans in 1822 by Noah M. Ludlow. When Ludlow sang it for the first time, many boatmen from Kentucky were in the audience. They had traveled down the Mississippi River. They loved the song so much that they made him sing it two more times! The phrase "half horse and half alligator" was a common way to describe strong, tough boatmen and frontiersmen of that time, like Mike Fink.
How the Song Was Used
"Hunters of Kentucky" stayed a very popular song during Andrew Jackson's time as president. He used it for his presidential campaigns in 1824 and 1828. This is a bit funny because Jackson's biggest political rival, Henry Clay, was from Kentucky. Jackson himself was actually from Tennessee, near Nashville.
A copy of the song was even shown on the front cover of a book called Davy Crockett's Almanack of Wild Sports in the West. Because of this, some people think "Hunters of Kentucky" might have been sung during the Texas War of Independence. However, there is no other proof that it was sung during that conflict. But we do know that Americans who went into Canada during the Patriot War in 1837 and 1838 did sing this song.
The song also helped spread some ideas about the war that were not completely true. For example, it called the Pennsylvania rifle a "Kentucky Rifle." Also, the song gave all the credit for winning the Battle of New Orleans to the riflemen. However, many people believe that Jackson's powerful cannons and artillery were actually more important for the victory. Finally, one part of the song said that the British planned to rob New Orleans. This was probably not true.
What the Lyrics Were About
The lyrics of "The Hunters of Kentucky" tell a story about the brave Kentucky soldiers at the Battle of New Orleans. The song describes them as tough and fearless, like "alligator horses." It talks about how they helped Andrew Jackson defeat the British general, Packenham. The song also mentions how the British wanted to take over New Orleans and its riches. But the Kentucky hunters, with their rifles, stood strong behind a bank of earth. They waited for the British to get close before firing. The song ends by saying that if danger ever comes, people should call for the Kentucky boys to protect them.
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