The Unpopular History of the United States
than half a million, which included 33,481 inexperienced officers. During 1814 alone we paid for and maintained more than 235,000 men under arms. In contrast with our reckless extravagance let me impress upon you the fact that, according to the best figures obtainable, the largest force of British ever opposed to us was 16,500. And yet with all this preponderance of numbers — more than thirty-two Americans to one British regular — we achieved only a single decisive victory before the treaty of peace. Does that sound like Americans licking ten to one?
The solitary victory which we gained was the battle of the Thames, where the British regulars, dispersed and captured, numbered 834; in addition to this. General Proctor — the same Proctor who had been raising so much sand in the northwest — had a force of Indians estimated at twelve hundred. Thirty-three of their warriors were left dead on the field, including the famous Tecumseh. General Harrison estimated his American forces at a little over three thousand.
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