Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery

Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery

Downriver from New Orleans, a story unfolds,

Of courage and triumph, of legends retold.

Chalmette Battlefield, where history holds,

A bastion of freedom on bayous of old.

January morn in eighteen-fifteen,

A battle fierce, a fate unforeseen.

General Jackson's call, sharp and keen,

Freedom's fire burned bright on the scene.

A rampart raised from mud and toil,

Defends this sacred Louisiana soil.

Farmers, sailors, pioneers loyal,

Faced Britain's red in a clash royal.

Though the treaty was inked on foreign shore,

The war's last chapter required more.

Here, democracy raised its voice to soar,

In defiance of kings, a nation's core.

From the Civil War to Vietnam's fight,

Brave souls gave more than just their life.

In Chalmette's cemetery, free from strife,

Their sacrifice honored, with memories rife.

A silent tribute, solemn row by row,

To those who fell, their deeds we know.

Their names in sacred stones do show,

Each part of history's ebb and flow.

The Chalmette Monument pierces the sky,

A steadfast sentinel where echoes lie.

The 1830s house and rampart high,

Invite all souls to explore and sigh.

At the visitor center, stories unfold,

Of battles fought, of hearts so bold.

Rangers speak, the past they mold,

A living chronicle there to behold.

For children and elders, all who come near,

The battlefield beckons, its lessons clear.

Of unity's power, of freedom dear,

Of battles hard-won, and valor sincere.

So, journey downriver, where the past is alive,

Where stories endure, where memories thrive.

A symbol of triumph, where dreams survive,

Chalmette shines, freedom's light to revive.