Fort Saint Joseph (3)

 (1796-1814) - A British colonial fort established in 1796 on present day Saint Joseph Island, Ontario, Canada. Named for the Island. Abandoned by the British in 1812 and destroyed by the Americans in 1814.

History
The Treaty of Paris (1783) signaled the end of the Revolutionary War but it did not resolve the issue of the Great Lakes forts. The Jay Treaty (1796) finally dealt with the fort issue and awarded British held Fort Mackinac to the U.S. Government. The British garrison at Fort Mackinac was forced to make a hasty departure and American troops occupied Fort Mackinac on 1 Sep 1796. The British garrison then established a new fort on the Island of Saint Joseph and named it Fort Saint Joseph. In addition to the fortification a small community grew up around the post.

The fortifications at the new fort included a bastioned earthworks enclosing a large rectangular blockhouse, a stone magazine, a kitchen/bakehouse, officers quarters, guardhouses and storehouses. A small community grew up around the fort.

War of 1812 (1812-1814)
The United States declared war on Great Britain in June 1812 but the British garrison at Fort Saint Joseph received the news before the American garrison at Fort Mackinac. The British garrison commander, Captain Charles Roberts, decided to take advantage of that situation and on 17 Jul 1812 captured the American Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island. The British garrison and traders abandoned Fort Saint Joseph and moved into the American fort. Later, in 1814, an American expedition burned the abandoned Fort Saint Joseph to the ground.

At the end of the War of 1812 the Treaty of Ghent returned ownership of Fort Mackinac to the United States and the British decided not to return to the destroyed Fort Saint Joseph. The British established their new fort on Drummond Island and named it Fort Drummond. It was not clear at the time exactly who owned Drummond Island and eventually the British were forced to leave Fort Drummond when it was determined to be U.S. property.

Current Status
Part of Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site, Saint Joseph Island, Ontario, Canada. Only ruins remain.

Sources:

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Saint Joseph
 * Parks Canada - Fort Saint Joseph
 * Canada's Historic Places - Fort Saint Joseph