Finding the Fort - Limited Hardcover First Edition

Finding the Fort
By Sal Guttuso, Ben Costello and Terry Howard

Synopsis:

• Museum Quality
• 8.5"X11", 80# coated paper and premium color inks, hardbound
• A limited edition of 100 numbered copies
• 250+ pages
• Packing and Shipping Included

Finding the Fort is a comprehensive investigative study into one of Florida’s most elusive and poorly documented frontier military installations. Drawing from historical records, oral histories, archaeological evidence, and material culture, this volume seeks to reconstruct the story, location, and significance of Fort Capron with a level of rigor not previously applied.

The objective of this report is fourfold.

First, it documents the surviving body of evidence associated with Fort Capron. Unlike nearby Fort Pierce, Fort Capron has left behind a sparse historical footprint. This section assembles and evaluates written accounts, personal recollections, interviews, and known artifact assemblages in order to preserve and contextualize the remaining traces of the fort’s existence.

Second, the study evaluates potential structural remains linked to Fort Capron. Using compiled documentation and physical evidence, the book examines previously unrecognized or undocumented features that may represent fort-related structures, assessing their plausibility and historical relevance.

Third, the volume proposes a more precise location and scale of Fort Capron. By synthesizing all collected data—historical references, landscape analysis, and archaeological indicators—the book presents a reasoned interpretation of where the fort stood and the extent of its footprint.

Finally, the book provides the most detailed treatment to date of the lost Fort Capron payroll. This section examines the historical incident surrounding the missing funds intended for the fort and includes a comprehensive illustrated catalog of coins from the event that are now preserved within the Florida Collection.

Together, these sections establish Finding the Fort as both a historical record and a reference work—preserving evidence, advancing interpretation, and contributing meaningfully to the understanding of Florida’s frontier military history.

Sal Guttuso is currently the Operations Director of 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC, and an avocational historian. He recently authored and compiled two books on the 1715 Fleet that have since sold out. Ben Costello is the president of the nonprofit 1715 Fleet Society and Terry Howard is an established author and longtime resident of the community where the Fort once sat.