Should detached works be used in a mountainous coun try, they ought always to occupy the most commanding points ; but, at the same time, they should be so situated as to command such as lie before them, and enfilade the slope of the mountain.
Should it happen that a small post is to be defended against an attack of the enemy, it is to be prepared, and, if possible, strengthened by fortifying it. A single house, when it has no stone walls, may be fortified in the follow ing manner : The walls may be strengthened by boards in the inside, or by rafters applied as in blockhouses, or if these are wanting, by making a ditch round it, and using the earth to strengthen the wall. The doors and windows are fortified with boards, and barricaded. Loop-holes arc every where made, but in such a direction that the ene my cannot reach them with his firelocks, so as to fire into the inside of the house. If there is no ditch round it, other impediments are to be made use of, to hinder the enemy from approaching close to the wall. The roof is broken down, and all combustible matter covered with earth and rubbish, to defend the house from an attack from above, which might otherwise be executed by lad ders.
In a stone house the walls will generally be strong enough, or, if not, they are to be prepared as above. The same is also to be observed respecting the windows and the roof; and, if possible, it is to he made shell proof from above. The doors are either barricaded, or defend ed by a tambour constructed before them, to have a flank ing fire.
A church-yard, a farm, or an estate, is fortified in a si milar manner ; but, if surrounded by a wall, either loop holes are made through it, or, if too high, a kind of scaf folds, called echafaudages, are to be erected, serving for the soldiers to stand upon while firing. The church, or the building on an estate, are then generally used as a corps de garde, and made shell proof, by breaking down the roof and the uppermost story, and using it to cover the building. The doors, and particularly the corners of the walls round such a place, are generally covered by tam bours; but, if time permits, caponniers, and other impe diments to the advancing of the enemy, are made use of. The streets, and roads leading towards them, are general ly made impracticable by old or broken carts, harrows, boards with nails, wheels, Etc. All the houses in the neigh bourhood, which may be advantageous for the enemy, or which may favour or cover his approach, are levelled, and the rubbish of them used to strengthen the walls. The trees, near such a place, if large, are hewed down or saw ed off, that even not a single rifleman may approach co vered by any of these parts.
A small, or country town, if surrounded by a wall, is fortified in a similar manner ; but echafaudages are gene rally used behind its walls, and, if possible, two rows of soldiers are employed, one firing through loop-holes, and the other over the walls.
Guns are placed wherever their fire is of the best effect. The gates are barricaded, and covered by impediments which hinder the enemy from advancing there to attack them ; besides this, they are covered by traverses, and a flanking Ere is established before them, if possible. Only such parts of the gates as are essentially necessary to be open for the communication are not barricaded, but strong ly defended. Every thing is to be done that may render the interior communication better and more easy, by means of sufficient passages; but on the contrary, every means to be used for obstructing the enemy's advance.
WE come now to the Second Part of Fortification, viz, the attack and defence of fortified places, and shall coosider this part of our subject, like the former, under two heads, Permanent and Field Fortifications.
Attack and Defence of Fortresses.
Ix former times, there were six different methods of attacking and defending a fortress, viz. 18e, By artifice. 2d, By a surprise, executed either by a secret understand ing between the parties, the stupidity of the garrison, or by masked soldiers. 3d, By force ; as the escalade, the attack demblee, or the attack d'enfulte. 4th, By inclosing the fortress all round with soldiers, in order to take it by a greater force. 5th, By famine ; and 6th, By the attack in form, or a regular attack. In modern times, however, a place is generally attacked by the following methods: 1st, By surprise ; 2d, By an open attack of escalade ; 3d, By starving it out ; and, 4th, The regular attack, or strong bombardment. Of these different methods, circumstances must determine which is to be preferred in any given case. Sometimes, however, a fortress may be attacked in one way, which it will be found necessary afterwards to change ; and, therefore, it is not always known by what kind of attack a fortress will surrender the soonest. There are numerous instances on record of a place holding out a Iong time against one method of attack, and surrendering as soon as that method was changed. The surprise of a fortress ought never to be undertaken till the besiegers have gained a considerable acquaintance with the works of the garrison, and even a knowledge of the inhabitants. This may be procured by spies, deserters, or some other source of secret information. The particulars that are peculiarly necessary to be known, in order to render a surprise successful, are the depth and breadth of the fos ses, the levetements of the ramparts, talents and disposi tion of the commander, the degree of confidence which the garrison reposes in him,—how the fortress is watched it is neglected, and the general disposition of the garrison.