News of the British failure of the attack along Lake Champlain in the War of 1812 greatly improved the United States' bargaining power among the peace negotiators at Ghent. The Treaty of Ghent was signed by both sides on December 24, 1814. Because it was impossible to communicate quickly across the Atlantic Ocean, the British attack on New Orleans went on as planned even though the war was officially over. In January 1815 Gen. Andrew Jackson won a decisive victory at New Orleans over the attacking British. The British suffered more than 2,000 casualties, the Americans fewer than 100. The accidental linking of the peace treaty with Jackson's victory at New Orleans convinced many Americans that the war had ended in triumph.