Privilege vs. equality : civil-military relations in the Jacksonian era, 1815-1845 / Robert P. Wettemann, Jr.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. The Spirit of New Orleans: Regulars vs. Volunteers, 1815-1845 -- 2. Providing for the Common Defense: The Government, the People, and the American Military -- 3. Egalitarianism vs. Aristocracy: Officers and Civilians -- 4. Binding the Republic Together: The Army, Internal Improvements, and Jacksonian Nationalism -- 5. Blue, Red, and White: The Army, the Indian, and the Common Man -- 6. Frontiersmen in Blue: The Army and American Society, 1815-1845 -- President James Monroe's Views on National Defense, December 1817, First Inaugural Address -- Secretary of War John C. Calhoun's Report on the Reduction of the Army, 12 December 1820 -- "Section 1 - Rank and Command, Article 2 - Base of Discipline" from Systems of Martial Law, and Field Service, and Police, 26 December 1820 -- Circular letter of the Secretary of War, of 11th July, 1826, on the Subject of the Militia -- Captain John Stuart to Secretary of War Lewis Cass, May 1833 -- A Citizen's View on Indians, the Militia, and the U.S. Army -- Remarks of Mr. David W. Dickinson (of Tennessee) in opposition to the Military Academy, Delivered in the House of Representatives, on Saturday, 14th June 1834 -- Excerpt from General Order No. 69, 13 October 1836 -- "The Army and the People" by "Sam Jones," Army and Navy Chronicle, 24 October 1839 -- A photo essay follows page 96.

Between 1815-1860, the tiny American army took on many new and often daunting tasks. In the face of civil opposition to the very existence of a professional military, the first battle officers and supporters had to win after 1815 was that of simply preserving some small professional force. As American interests expanded further west and conflict with Native Americans increased, the army was charged with the dual responsibility of peacekeeper and conqueror. Its most dramatic successes, however, came during the Mexican War and the conquest of the American Southwest. Against this back drop, Wetteman crafts a narrative overview of the rivalries, personalities, and events that defined civil-military relations during this era. Beginning in 1815, the U.S. Army struggled for existence within a society that was not convinced that a standing army was worth the expense. At the same time, many questioned the viability of a professional officer corps, citing the innate ability of the American fighting man as demonstrated in earlier conflicts. Although efforts were undertaken early on to define the role and status of a peacetime army, issues of national defense, domestic security, Indian policy, and internal improvements shaped civil military relations over the next 4 12 decades. While the true position of the citizen-soldier in relation to a standing army had not been clearly defined by 1860, the nation had made giant strides towards full acceptance of the idea that the U.S. Army, a standing force commanded by military professionals, was a national necessity.