Harper's Young People, October 18, 1881 An Illustrated Weekly

Set against the uneasy post‑War of 1812 frontier, the tale opens with a bold Irish officer who, despite peace between the United States and Britain, hands a heavily armed river fortress to the Seminoles in Spanish Florida. The stronghold—bristling with cannons, muskets and barrels of powder—stands on a high bluff above the Apalachicola, a constant menace to nearby settlements. When the officer departs, a charismatic negro bandit named Garçon swoops in, turning the British post into a lawless haven for runaway slaves, Choctaw warriors and other outcasts.

News of the fort’s new owners reaches General Gaines, who is preparing a supply convoy up the river to reinforce the American frontier. He dispatches Colonel Clinch with a small detachment, and the two are soon joined by a determined band of Seminoles eager to reclaim the stronghold. As the American gun‑boats approach the river mouth, a white‑flagged boat is fired upon, signaling that the fragile peace is about to shatter and a daring confrontation looms.