The military career of John Rogers Vinton spanned three decades of American conflict and expansion, from the War of 1812 to the War with Mexico. Entering West Point at the age of twelve, he went on to serve in sensitive positions in the War Department, survived six years of service in Florida during the Second Seminole War, and gave his life in the siege of Veracruz. Yet John Rogers Vinton was more than a career army officer. A committed Christian, he longed to enter the ministry, but circumstances prevented it. A member of one of Rhode Island's leading families, he suffered through the agony of being an absent single parent while fighting the Indians of Florida. He is also remembered for his life-like and vivid artwork, much of it detailing the Florida frontier and his Seminole adversaries. Working from an extensive collection of military journals and family correspondence, award-winning historians John and Mary Lou Missall open a fascinating window into the life of a dedicated soldier.