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John Eisenhower, American Historian
Further Reading |
The American militia myth in 1812The myth of the militia resulted in our trying to fight battles that were really above our level of competence. The American militia, which had comprised most of troops, was absolutely no match for the British regulars or possibly for the Canadian Glengarries and York Volunteers. The tactics that one uses to live on the frontier are far different from the tactics one uses in an army. On the frontier, survival is your objective; running away is quite an acceptable tactic to use when things get too hot for you.But you can't run an army that way. The commander's got to be able to count on people who will stay and perform missions, that are far outside their own personal self-interest. So that takes discipline, and the Americans weren't up to it. Also, you know, our constitution specifies what the militia's to be used for... to repel invaders and to stem local riots and things like that. But it says nothing about being used to cross the border. So that's what happened at Queenston. The militia decided that it was a little too hot for them over there, and they heard those Indian war whoops, and they decided the constitution prevailed over everything. They didn't have to cross that Niagara River. So... it was very harmful. |
