1811 James Madison - Preparing for War with Great Britain

In 1811, James Madison used his state of the Union address to urge Congress to prepare for war.  Madison told congress that the time for the "legislative guardians of the nations rights" (Congress) to create a system of more ample security provisions and laws for maintaining them.  In other words, it was time for Congress to pass legislation readying America for war with Great Britain.   Madison gave his reasons.  Aside from "scrupulous justice" (we tried to be honest with them) and "protracted moderation" (we were very patient), America had made many attempts at substituting the "accumulating dangers" to our peace with attempts at finding mutual advantages and reestablishing friendship.   Yet, we had witnessed the government of Britain continuously avoid taking any corrective measures, and instead push the boundaries of their borders into our territory and wage war on our "lawful commerce".  Thus Madison concluded, "With this evidence of hostile inflexibility in trampling on rights which no independent nation can relinquish, Congress will feel the duty of putting the United States into an armor and an attitude demanded by the crisis, and corresponding with the national spirit and expectations."   

And with this, Madison made the following military recommendations.

1. Provisions be made for filling the ranks and prolonging the enlistments of the regular troops.  At it's peak during the war, the regular U.S. Army forces reached 60,000.
2. Expand the military with an auxiliary force on a more limited term.
3. Authorize the acceptance of a volunteer force made up of patriotic citizens.  Ultimately, the U.S. Army forces would be supported by 470,000 militia and volunteer troops.  Pictured above are several battalions known as Scott's Brigade who fought hard at Chippewa. 
4. Review additional needs of the military academies.
5. Enlarge the manufacturing of cannon and small arms
6. Authorize the government to take over the provisioning of supplies for our naval forces.

One action that Congress took was to re-institute the position of Quartermaster General as a military rank.   Prior to the war of 1812, the Quartermasters were only authorized for specific Indian expeditions, but with the logistical problems of the war, Congress saw a need for a permanent Quartermaster department.   The Quartermaster provides operational support for the troops on the battlefield.    

Here is the full section of Madison's state of the union address on this subject

"I must now add that the period is arrived which claims from the legislative guardians of the national rights a system of more ample provisions for maintaining them. Notwithstanding the scrupulous justice, the protracted moderation, and the multiplied efforts on the part of the United States to substitute for the accumulating dangers to the peace of the 2 countries all the mutual advantages of reestablished friendship and confidence, we have seen that the British cabinet perseveres not only in withholding a remedy for other wrongs, so long and so loudly calling for it, but in the execution, brought home to the threshold of our territory, of measures which under existing circumstances have the character as well as the effect of war on our lawful commerce.

With this evidence of hostile inflexibility in trampling on rights which no independent nation can relinquish, Congress will feel the duty of putting the United States into an armor and an attitude demanded by the crisis, and corresponding with the national spirit and expectations.

I recommend, accordingly, that adequate provisions be made for filling the ranks and prolonging the enlistments of the regular troops; for an auxiliary force to be engaged for a more limited term; for the acceptance of volunteer corps, whose patriotic ardor may court a participation in urgent services; for detachments as they may be wanted of other portions of the militia, and for such a preparation of the great body as will proportion its usefulness to its intrinsic capacities. Nor can the occasion fail to remind you of the importance of those military seminaries which in every event will form a valuable and frugal part of our military establishment.

The manufacture of cannon and small arms has proceeded with due success, and the stock and resources of all the necessary munitions are adequate to emergencies. It will not be inexpedient, however, for Congress to authorize an enlargement of them.

Your attention will of course be drawn to such provisions on the subject of our naval force as may be required for the services to which it may be best adapted. I submit to Congress the seasonableness also of an authority to augment the stock of such materials as are imperishable in their nature, or may not at once be attainable."

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29453
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Army
http://www.quartermaster.army.mil/QM_History_July_2012.pdf
http://www.thelordz.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13671
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Chippewa.jpg