The War of 1812 was the true making of the regular regiments and corps of the US Army. Three years' fighting against Britain saw the White House burned down – but also the bloody repulse of the redcoats, then the best infantry in the world, on a number of battlefields. The small constabulary force which entered the war – ill-led, ill-supported, and with an uncertain system of supply – ended it as a professional army with a system of command and services equal to any. This meticulous history of the uniforms of the American regulars is illustrated with many previously unseen paintings and photographs.