This day in History (about which I know very little...)

January 8 is the anniversary of the 1814 Battle of New Orleans, in which Andrew Jackson became a national hero by beating back a much larger British army with a small and ragtag force while suffering very few casualties.  For many years January 8 as a national holiday, celebrated almost as fervently as July 4.

The folly of this battle was that, unbeknownst to the participants, it was fought after the peace treaty of Ghent had already been signed on December 24, 1813.  To me, this battle is the paradigm of the futility of all war.  How many battles would be fought again by the same men if they had the benefit of hindsight?  Very few, I suspect.   

So, let us remember the lesson of the Battle of New Orleans: vastly superior forces often lose, and it takes two sides to fight, one or both of which would probably not do it again.