A Bastion of Empire: A Story of Fort St. Joseph and the War of 1812

In the late summer of 1809, Louis Cloutier, 18, is aboard the "Nancy," a schooner of the North West Fur Company, sailing from Fort Amherstburg on a journey of 400 miles, and heading for Fort St. Joseph, the furthest northern British outpost.

This is a small fort, located in the wilderness, isolated from the outside world, particularly during the long hard winters. Forty soldiers garrison the fort. The British Indian Department has a post there, where Louis' father is employed as the new stor...