In June 1822, St. Martin and Beaumont crossed paths at a store on Mackinac Island, part of a trading post owned by the American Fur Company. St. Martin, a French Canadian trapper, was in a dire situation, having been accidentally shot in the side by a gun that discharged. He found himself lying on the floor, barely conscious, and struggling to remember the details of this fateful encounter.

Beaumont, an army surgeon stationed at a nearby garrison, was summoned to assist St. Martin. This unexpected meeting would lead to significant events in both their lives, highlighting the intersection of their worlds in the Michigan Territory, and setting the stage for a unique relationship born from a crisis.