Propaganda might be sanitized, but that doesn't mean military history is.

I'll give you an example from one of my favorite books, "For The Common Defense":

Even when augmented by friendly Indians, colonists had a difficult time bringing the swift-moving Indians to decisive battle, and the real objective of colonial strategy became the Indians' villages and food supplies. Shepherded by Indian scouts, often guided by Indian informers, and invariably accompanied by Indian warriors, colonial forces struck at Indian villages, killing old men, women, and children, burning homes, and destroying crops and food caches. Men who believed they were fighting to protect their own homes and families from savage heathens eagerly torched Indian dwellings, slaughtered noncombatants, and starved survivors by destroying food supplies.

Waging war against society rather than against warriors was new and shocking to the Indians. Captain Underhill, who was so condescending toward the gentleness of Indian warfare, recorded the reaction of native allies who watched the English destroy an enemy Indian community. The Indians expressed astonishment at the way the English fought, crying out that it was wicked "because it is too furious, and slays too many men."

Nevertheless when Indian and European military cultures collided an acculturation process took place as the adversaries adjusted to each other's technology and methods. By the late 1600s the colonists had shed their cumbersome technology such as armor, pikes, and swords. And while formal militia training had not changed, some expeditionary forces began to employ Indian guerrilla techniques, including cover and concealment and aimed fire. Meanwhile the Indians embraced certain aspects of European technology, including the flintlock, and quickly accepted the colonists' "war to the death" mentality. Although Indians had fought with each other long before whites arrived int he New World, the newcomers taught them how to wage war more ruthlessly.

As for opposition to federalism, considering the support of Thomas Jefferson & the Anti-Federalists that I've seen, and the opposition to Hamiltonian Federalism, I don't think I agree that the propaganda is the popular sentiment.