7/30/2019 Advanced Redoubt of Fort Barrancas

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An Infantryman’sNightmare: Attack theRedoubt

Gulf Islands NSNational Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Florida District

Why Redoubt? The Advanced Redoubt o Fort Barrancas was built between 1845 and 1870 aspart o a deensive network or the Pensacola Navy Yard. Forts Pickens, McRee,and Barrancas protected the entrance to the harbor; the Advanced Redoubt wasconstructed to deend the northern side o the peninsula on which the navy yardwas located. On October 8, 1863, Conederate Brigadier General Clanton ledan attack against Fort Barrancas deended by U.S. Colored Troops o the 14thRegiment Corps d’Arique and the 7th Vermont Inantry. General Clanton washeard to say that his men were ater the blacks; “that he would not re on thewhite pickets, but that every black picket that could be seen would be shot.” Atera brisk skirmish the estimated 200 Conederates retired into the woods. Thenext day the Conederates returned and engaged the pickets with musketry atAdvanced Redoubt. The Federals blazed back with small arms and a ew howitzerrounds. The Conederate troops retreated again with no casualties reported oneither side.

The design o the Advanced Redoubt (anenclosed work protecting a strategic point),exhibits the idea o deense in depth. As anattack began to beat back the deenders,

the attacking soldiers would meet newobstacles to their progress. The goal was tomake an assault as costly as possible and toexhaust the attacking troops beore they

could gain access to the ort and thenavy yard beyond. The modern visitorapproaches the Advanced Redoubt romthe east and south, coming rst to the side

and rear o the ort. However, an enemywould most likely have come rom the west,down the peninsula.

Advanced Redoubt of Fort Barrancas

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Touring the Redoubt

Step Back in Time

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Tradition andTechnology The Advanced Redoubt was built at theend o an era, incorporating the lessons o many centuries o engineering. For over500 years, cannon had hurled round ironballs to batter down walls. Cannon hadended the age o castles, and had led to thedesigns ound in seacoast orts like Pickens,Barrancas, and Redoubt. Among the mostadvanced o their day, these orts were builtto last or centuries.

But the changes in technology that markthe modern age had begun beore the

Redoubt was completed. By the end o theAmerican Civil War in 1865, ried cannonand ironclad warships had made this ort,and all others like it, obsolete.

Nevertheless the ort was completedbecause engineers had not yet solved theproblems presented by the new weapons.

This ort is a study in changes. Theconstruction began with slave labor butwas nished by ree men. In an age o brickand stone, its walls were lled with cement.Although it was designed or the ages, itwas outdated beore the last brick was set.

The United States continues to strugglewith the need or protection. As in the past,

the challenge today is to determine the bestdeense in the ace o new technologies andpotential threats.

caught in a deadly crossre o musketrywhile acing a hail o canister rom thehowitzers. The brick-lined ditch is thecunette, or drainage.

#4. I the enemy reaches the back o the ort (the gorge), additional musketre would come rom galleries atop thedemibastions on either side. (The pittingvisible today resulted rom target practicein the 1930s and 1940s.)

#5. Attackers might attempt to enterthe ort through the sallyport ater rst destroying the drawbridge. On either sideare embrasures or howitzers, both atopand within the demibastions. Here was thedeadliest crossre o all.

These orts could only be taken by meanso a siege. Weeks o trenching would bringcannon up to point-blank range to poundthe walls with solid shot. Debris romthe collapsing walls would ll the moatand give access to the ort’s interior. Asiege took a tremendous amount o time,equipment, and casualties, and mightbe broken at any time i reinorcementsarrived at the Redoubt.

To appreciate the power o the ortress take a stroll through history to see howthe Advanced Redoubt was designed to oppose enemy orces. As you wander, becareul o uneven walkways, dark areas, slippery places, and snakes.

#1. You are on an open slope calledthe glacis. As an attacker, you wouldbe exposed to cannon and musket rerom the main wall (scarp) as well asmusket re rom the top o the outer wall(counterscarp). The solution is to dig aseries o trenches to cover the advance. Thetrenches must be big enough or cannon aswell as inantry to advance.

#2. As a rush o inantry rom thetrenches overwhelms the west end o thecounterscarp, deenders would all backto these traverses. Deending soldiers arestill protected, while the attackers are nowexposed. The two traverses allow thedeense to all back gradually while oferingstubborn resistance.

#3. 

At the end o the moat are twowindows that have been sealed with redbrick. These are embrasures or cannoncalled ank howitzers. Canister, cannon-sized buckshot, would be red downthe ditch. Notice the loopholes (verticalwindows in the wall) on either side.Inantry could re muskets through theseloopholes while completely protected bythe wall. Anyone in the moat would be