"The American Soldier, 1786 – 1st American Regiment" by H. Charles McBarron, vividly illustrates soldiers of the early U.S. Army just after the Revolutionary War. The central figure, confidently posed atop a cannon, wears the blue coat with red facings and white smallclothes that were standard for the 1st American Regiment, the precursor to the modern U.S. Army. His uniform and demeanor reflect both continuity with Continental Army traditions and the emerging professionalism of a standing military force. In the background, troops march within a frontier-style log fort under the light of a full moon, suggesting a constant state of vigilance. The 1st American Regiment was the only remaining infantry unit retained after the Continental Army disbanded in 1784. Stationed on the frontier, it played a key role in securing the Northwest Territory and was involved in early conflicts that led up to the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794).