Existing comment:
Caponiere:
During the 1840s improvements were made to this wall, defensively the weakest part of the fort. The parapet was raised and an outerwork, called a caponiere, was added. The protected passageway on your left will lead you to the outerwork that mounted four howitzers in the chamber ahead and two on the upper level. These weapons are no longer here but you will see the tracks they were mounted on. These traverse rails made it easy to position the howitzers for firing.
The small room at the end of the outerwork served as a "sink," or latrine, for the troops.
These 24-pounder howitzers were short range weapons used to protect the immediate area around the fort against land attack. |