Caffrey records the social, political, and economic scenes on both sides of the Atlantic and introduces readers to the principal players. Readers observe the two countries slide and stumble into war as farce. The British enter Washington, the President flees, troops set fire to several buildings, steal some flour, and leave. An American general marches 40,000 recruits to the Canadian border; they refuse to cross; he marches them home again. British and American warships cruise the Great Lakes largely avoiding each other. The great battle of the war takes place after the signing of the peace treaty.