264

DEFENCE OF FORTRESSES.

See Article‘Boom.’

See Appendix I.

See Plate of‘ Defence ofFortresses.’

palisades, for repairing damaged gun-carriages, for constructing rafts, &c., and for theconsumption of the garrison.*

32. If the front of attack be determined by the nature of the ground, the Governorwill cause the bastions to be retrenched beforehand. He will form cuts in the out-works if they will admit of it, and he will cause a supply of gabions, fascines, sand-bags, and palisades to be carried to them, that he may be able to retrench and defendthe breaches, and he will construct such traverses as may be necessary.

33. Should the front of attack not be absolutely determined by the circumstancesof the place, the knowledge of the fortress which he will have acquired ought toenable him to judge which side the enemy will choose in preference. There heought to prepare the means of defence, that he may be able to execute the workswhich may be required, as soon as the operations of the enemy shall have shewn hisreal designs.

34. In fortresses situated on rivers, stockades or barricades should be made wherethey enter and where they issue, in order that nothing may possibly insinuate itselfinto the place. They must be moveable where there is a power to send out armedboats to outflank the enemy's attack when the banks will admit of it, or for otherpurposes.

35. The Governor will cause the first disposition of the artillery against the begin-ning of the enemy's approaches (and which will have been previously concerted) to becarried into execution, as well as the armament of batteries of which the position isfixed, such as those of cavaliers, of flanks, of works covered by inundations, &c.; butall others ought to be established successively, according to the progress of the attack.

The point of importance therefore is not that batteries should be made beforehand,which may remain for a long time or for ever useless, but that the nature and effectsof the different species of ordnance of all calibres should be well understood, in orderto determine in what way they shall be employed during the various circumstanceswhich arise in a siege.

Above all, the very oblique fire {feu d’e'ckarpe) must not be neglected, by establish-ing batteries on those works which are collateral to the front of attack.

OF THE STATE OF SIEGE, DIVIDED INTO FIVE HEADS J AND TREATING OF IRRE-GULAR ATTACKS, WHICH MAY PLACE A FORTRESS SUDDENLY IN A STATE OFSIEGE.

FIRST HEAD.

36. Of Surprises by the Enemy, or by revolted Inhabitants .—The Governor, respon-sible for the place confided to his care, ought to neglect nothing to prevent surprises,and should take the most minute precautions against their recurrence. The followingmeasures should be adopted: to repair every part of the rampart by which an enemymight insinuate himself into the place •, putting double gratings to the drains or aque-ducts, and placing sentries to watch them ; and always to have at hand, at the pointof danger, detachments which may be brought up rapidly. He should likewise shutup all the embrasures or openings that may he too low.

37. If there should be no drawbridges in front of the gates, palisades or advanced

* An order was issued in 1795 to plant the glacis of every French fortress with trees, for reasonswhich are given at length in the 155th paragraph of St. Paul’s ‘ TraitS Complet.’

At the siege of St. Sebastian , when attacked by the English in 1813, the trunk of a large poplar-tree completely stopped the progress of the Sappers, and defied all their efforts to move it, until oneof them gallantly jumped from the trench, and stood exposed until he moved it from the head of theSap, and returned without being wounded.— Translator.