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Far from town, a frontier fort makes duty, trust, and courage part of everyday life.
In George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers, Harry Castlemon brings a young hero into the world of soldiers on the American plains. The military post is a small world of its own, shaped by rules, ranks, and routines. Here, hard duty goes hand in hand with the need for trusted friends.
This old-fashioned adventure explores the demands of army life and the courage needed to face hardship. Beyond the fort lie distance, weather, and danger. Among the soldiers are generous, steady men, but living closely with others makes loyalty matter. The story invites you to consider what growing up means when orders and responsibility shape each day.
What you’ll discover
- A fort apart Enter a military post far from town, where ranks and routines shape daily life.
- The weight of duty Explore a young hero's world of orders, hardship, and the demands of army life.
- Friends worth trusting Discover why steady companions matter in a close community of soldiers.
- Courage on the plains Meet an idea of courage rooted in facing weather, distance, and danger.
- Adventure with a purpose See how boys' fiction of the 1800s connects adventure with lessons in courage.
Who will love it
This book is for listeners who love frontier adventure, cavalry life and clever escapes, and who like young heroes who earn their stripes through nerve, honesty and loyal friendship.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Bob begins earning back his name
- Doing right can cost you friends
- Courage means facing the next duty
- George offers forgiveness and honest advice
- Cleverness and kindness work together
- George reads what the ground reveals
- Quick action protects the sleeping camp
- Advice does not replace a decision
- Honest work gives character its shape
Who’s who
- Bob OwensA runaway boy turned cavalry corporal who wants to repay what he owes and prove his courage.
- George AckermanA young Texas rancher and volunteer scout who reads tracks and wants to stop the border raiders.
- Gus RobbinsA homesick runaway from Ohio who hates army life and keeps thinking about desertion.
- BristowA grumbling private who leads a desertion plot and swears revenge on the man who betrayed it.
- Colonel BrownThe stern commander of Fort Lamoine who wants the desertions stopped and trusts his steady noncoms.
- Captain ClintonA cavalry officer who leads the scouting party and relies on George's judgment.
- Mr. WentworthA Texas rancher whose house is burned and whose two small sons are taken by raiders.
- SpringerA repentant cattle thief who warns George about Fletcher and hopes for an honest life.
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George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers
by Harry Castlemon · 1885
A runaway corporal pursues deserters, outsmarts an unlawful settler and follows a trail across the Staked Plains.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“I went into this with my eyes open, and I’m going to see it through.”
In short
A colonel slams a paperweight on a stack of reports and says the desertions at Fort Lamoine must stop. Thirty men have slipped away from his Texas post, and he sends for a boy of eighteen with corporal's stripes on his sleeve.
George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 25 min3 h 30 min fast, 5 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 62,800 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1885by Harry Castlemon
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A runaway learns what a promise costs
The book opens at Fort Lamoine, a log stockade in Texas. Colonel Brown is furious, because thirty men have deserted since he took command. The story then goes back a year to Bob in Galveston. He slips away from his friend George with his last fifty cents, then walks into a cavalry recruiting office and claims to be an orphan.
On the long march to the fort, ranchers tell the recruits they could earn forty dollars a month instead of thirteen. A grumbler named Bristow plans to run. Bob refuses to join him, because he knows deserters are hunted and he is already ashamed of one dishonest act.
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Details
- First published
- 1885
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Castlemon, Harry. George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/george-at-the-fort-or-life-among-the-soldiers.
Castlemon, H. (2026). George at the fort; or, life among the soldiers. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/george-at-the-fort-or-life-among-the-soldiers (Original work published 1885)
Castlemon, Harry. George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/george-at-the-fort-or-life-among-the-soldiers.
@book{castlemon2026george,
author = {Castlemon, Harry},
title = {George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/george-at-the-fort-or-life-among-the-soldiers},
note = {First published 1885}
}
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What is George at the Fort about?
It follows Bob Owens, a young cavalry corporal, and his friend George Ackerman, a rancher's son turned scout, as they hunt deserters, track Kiowa raiders across the Staked Plains, and rescue two captive boys.
Who are Bob Owens and George Ackerman?
Bob is a runaway who enlisted in the cavalry at Galveston and works to become a trusted corporal. George is a young Texas ranch owner who volunteers as a scout to help stop the border raiders.
What does the Staked Plains mean in the book?
The Staked Plains is a vast, waterless region of Texas. The name comes from stakes that Mexican traders once set to mark a route. In the story the pursuers must cross it without water.
The author
Harry Castlemon
1842–1915 · American children's adventure writer
Harry Castlemon was the pen name of Charles Austin Fosdick (1842–1915), an American writer born in Randolph, New York. He wrote adventure stories for boys in the nineteenth century, including George at the Fort. He served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and died in Westfield, New York.
“I went into this with my eyes open, and I’m going to see it through.”
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