Frontier Militiaman in the War of 1812: Southwestern Frontier (Warrior)

"He who relies on militia leans upon a broken cane." (George Washington) Osprey's survey of militiamen of the War of 1812. The great military effectiveness of semi-trained local militia is one of the enduring myths of American military history. In this book Ed Gilbert reveals the truth behind this myth. Quoting from memoirs of men like Sam Dale, Sam Houston, and rare histories, he sheds light on who these frontier men actually were. He chronicles how militiamen, ranging from hard-working farmers to politicians like Davy Crockett, were transformed through hard campaigning, fierce combat, and Andrew Jackson's equally fierce discipline, into a formidable fighting force. Contemporary illustrations and artwork depict the rough life on campaign and the uniforms worn by the militia. He details how they fought and won the crucial battle of Horseshoe Bend, and how finally on the swampy Plains of Chalmette a scratch force of State Militias, Federal Regulars, US Marines, and Jean Lafitte's mercenary pirates inflicted a stunning defeat on General Pakenham's forces, opening up the western frontier for the new nation. COVER......Page 1 CONTENTS......Page 5 INTRODUCTION......Page 6 CHRONOLOGY......Page 8 RECRUITMENT......Page 12 Origins of war......Page 14 TRAINING......Page 18 DAILY LIFE ON CAMPAIGN......Page 24 APPEARANCE AND EQUIPMENT......Page 28 Weapons......Page 32 BELIEF AND BELONGING......Page 34 Early campaigns......Page 36 The second campaign......Page 38 The climactic battle - Horseshoe Bend......Page 40 INTERLUDE: THE PENSACOLA CAMPAIGN......Page 46 CAMPAIGN - THE STRUGGLE FOR LOUISIANA......Page 49 The night battle......Page 50 Probes and alarms......Page 52 Decisive victory - the battle of New Orleans......Page 54 The final days......Page 59 After the battle......Page 60 Legacy of the battle of New Orleans......Page 61 COLLECTING......Page 64 SELECTED REFERENCES......Page 65 INDEX......Page 66 COVER......Page 68 The great military effectiveness of semitrained local militia is one of the enduring myths of American military history. In this book Ed Gilbert reveals the truth behind this myth, shedding light on who these frontier men actually were and their role in the war of 1812. He chronicles how untrained and ineffective militia forces were transformed into a formidable fighting force through hard campaigning, fierce combat, and Andrew Jackson's equally fierce discipline. Contemporary illustrations and artwork depict the rough life on campaign, the uniforms worn by the militia, and how they fought and won crucial battles against Creek forces before inflicting a stunning defeat on the British Army in 1815, opening up the frontier for the new nation.