General Jackson Reneges On His Promise: General Jackson, on order to prepare to meet Packenham, the British General, in the contest at New Orleans, came into the plantation fields to enlist five hundred Negro slaves. These are General Jackson comments: Had you not as soon go into battle an fight, as to stay here in the cotton fields, dying and never die? If you will go, and the battle is fought and the victory gained on Israel's side, you shall be set free. But after the battle was won and sixty or seventy or more of the Negro men were killed without doubt, as Jackson himself acknowledged, the instrumental cause of victory, Jackson told the men to go home to your masters. Roberts, challenged Jackson about his promise to free them, and Jackson answered: if I were to hire you my horse, could you sell it without my leave? You are another man's property, and I have not money sufficient to buy all of you, and set you free. Infuriated at the betrayal, Robert cocked his gun, but discovered Jackson had the guns of the African Americans unloaded. Had my gun been loaded, Robert recalled, doubtless Jackson would have been a dead man in a moment. Jackson ask me if I contented for freedom. I said I did. He said, I think you are a very presumptuous. I told him, the time had come for us to claim our freedom and equal rights. He said, you are a day too late. Some of the whites standing round said, he ought to be shot. Now just think of that! Two days before, I had, with my fellow white soldiers, saved their city from fire and massacre now, I ought to be shot! Simply for contending for my freedom, which, both my master and General Jackson had solemnly before high heaven promised before I left home.