Description

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"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.

About the Author

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Ed Gilbert has written numerous titles in Osprey's Warrior, Battle Orders and Campaign series, with a focus on the history of the US Marine Corps and state militias in the American War of Independence and the War of 1812. The author of a four-volume history of Marine Tank battalions, and co-author of Tanks in Hell: A Marine Corps Tank Company on Tarawa and True for the Cause of Liberty (written with his wife Cathy), Ed sadly passed away in February 2019.

Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, 19th-century American subjects, the modern Chinese Army, and the history of fortification. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world.

Praise For…

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“Ed Gilbert has done a grand job of telling the story of these often forgotten men...Add to it contemporary illustrations with the artwork of Adam Hook, and you have a superlative book on a subject that I found particularly fascinating. I'm positive you will feel the same way once you read this so put the grabs on this title when you come across it at your local shop. You'll find it to be a major myth-buster.” —Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (April 2009)

“[Frontier Militaiman] surveys ... the actions of untrained men who formed militia forces worthy of historical mention.” —California Bookwatch (November 2008)