This action was remarkable for the brilliant handling of Stewart’s ship. The _Levant_ was recaptured by a British squadron at Porto Praya, in the Cape Verdes, where she had taken refuge against the British squadron, which had vainly chased the _Constitution_. It was another instance, added to those of the _Essex_ and the _General Armstrong_, of the disregard of the English of a neutrality so highly esteemed in these latter days. The capture, on March 23d, of the British _Penguin_ by the _Hornet_, Captain Biddle, of equal force, was the last real action of the war, that of the _Peacock_ and British _Nautilus_ in the Indian Ocean on June 30th, on account of the former’s superiority in force, not calling for any but mere mention. But the history of the War of 1812 cannot close without mention of the crowning victory on land, New Orleans, on January 8, 1815. In this, perhaps the severest and completest repulse ever suffered by a British army, the navy bore a most important part, for by its efforts was prevented the flanking of General Jackson’s force from the river. The naval vessels, the _Louisiana_, with Commodore Patterson, and the _Caroline_, Lieutenant J. D. Henley, controlled the river situation on the British left flank until the latter was burned by hot shot from the British trenches. The _Louisiana_ then shifted to cover Jackson’s right. The situation forced the British to transport siege pieces from the fleet, seventy miles away; this gave time for Jackson to strengthen his position and time for reinforcements to join him. The _Louisiana’s_ guns were now landed and a battery established which would flank the newly established British battery as well as their attacking columns; the result was the destruction of the British battery soon after it had opened fire. The British move, on the day of the main attack, to capture the _Louisiana’s_ battery on the right bank of the river, was finally successful through the flight of the supporting militia, but it was too late; the naval battery had already assisted in the bloody repulse of the main body, and there was nothing left to the capturing party but withdrawal.[43] The war was now ended. It had been a second War of Independence, which had released America from the strong British influence which had still obtained and had established a real national spirit. The world recognized the birth of a new power upon the ocean, which the future was to reckon with, though America herself was slow to accept her new situation. We had, however, afloat in 1815, three line-of-battle ships, the _Washington_, _Independence_, and _Franklin_, and in this year we were to end, as has already been mentioned, our Barbary troubles forever by the action of Decatur in command of the largest fleet we were to have at sea for many years. We began a new life with a self-respect which had needed a war for its revival.