[StBernard] National Historical Society Recognizes and Awards Nunez Professor

[Westley Annis]

April 11, 2014

News Release
National Historical Society Recognizes and Awards Nunez Professor 

 

Ron Chapman, historian, author, and Nunez Community College professor of
history, recently received an award from the National Society United States
Daughters of 1812 (N.S.U.S.D. 1812).

N.S.U.S.D. 1812 bestowed on Chapman the Spirit of 1812 award and medallion.

Chapman, author of The Battle of New Orleans: "But for a Piece of Wood",
attended the N.S.U.S.D.1812's national convention and banquet in Washington,
D.C. on Friday, April 4th. There, Chapman addressed what he believes is a
key, but often overlooked aspect of the Battle of New Orleans. 

"I addressed the Louisiana Purchase and the true British intention. I
continue to speak [publicly] about the importance of what happened around
the corner [from Nunez] in Chalmette and how important that part of the
Battle was to America," Chapman said. "The true British intention was to
disavow the Louisiana Purchase."

The consummate historian, Chapman, enjoyed the privilege of exploring
N.S.U.S.D. 1812's library while in D.C. Chapman's highlight  of exploring
"the only library collection in Washington, DC that focuses on the period
from the end of the American Revolution through the ratification of the
Treaty of Ghent in 1815": Chapman was shown a sextant-the only existing
relics from the ship, Carolina, that was blown up on December 25, 1814,
during the Battle.

"History teaches that the ship was blown up and everything was lost, but I
found out from the national society's President that just before the ship
exploded, one of the soldiers jumped off the ship. He was holding the sexton
and so it is that we still have this fantastic piece of American history,"
said Chapman.