FORTIFICATMN is the science that teaches the best me thod of putting a town, citadel, or other military position, in such a state of defence, as may enable a small number within to hold out against the attack of a great number from without, and to afford the besieged the best means of annoying and cutting off the assailants, with the least pos sible danger to themselves.
The origin of fortification may be traced to the inequa lity that has always subsisted among different states, with regard to military power. When a nation found itself at tacked by an ambitious and restless neighbour, that could bring into the field either a greater force, or an equal force with greater rapidity, it would have recourse to a defen sive system of warfare, taking advantage of the moun tains,•rivers, woods, ravines, and other natural means of protection, which the country afforded. In this way, a very superior invading force might be defeated, or at least kept in check a sufficient length of time, to allow the in vaded state either to march its own armies to the point of attack, or to procure the assistance of other states, whose interest it might be to support a weak neighbour against the attacks of a stronger. Were the political divi,ions of the earth so arranged, that the weaker states should always have the advantages of mountains, rocks, marshes. Ste. on, their frontiers, their dAciency in military force would be in some measure compensated by natural fortification.s.
But as considerations of a very different kind have gene rally regulated the partition of territory, small states have not unfrequently been destitute of all such advantages. Unless, therefore, such states could supply, by artificial means, those bulwarks that had been denied them by nature, they must have been constantly at the mercy of the first stronger power that chose to attack them. We find, accordingly, that various kinds of artificial fortifica tions have been employed for purposes of defence ; and that the construction of these has always been considered as an object of the highest importance. It ,is the only
means of placing a weak state on a footing with its neigh bours, whether its weakness arises from a deficiency in physical strength, or from the operation of moral causes.
The most obvious method of protecting an open country from sudden invasion, would be to carry a wall round the whole frontier. Or this species of fortification, is the great wall that separates China from Tartarv, and likewise the Roman wall in the north of England, built for the purpose of defending the southern part of the island from the sud den incursions of the Picts. But besides the insuperable objection, that, in many cases, it was utterly impossible to command the means of raising such walls, it was soon found that the difficulty or guarding such an extensive line rendered them of comparatively little use. Such methods of defence were therefore soon abandoned, or rather were seldom adopted, and, in their stead, detached fortifications were constructed at particular points, and at a moderate distance from one another. These forming a communica tion between the different commanding positions on the frontier, were found to possess all the advantages of one continued fortification, while they were constructed at much less expence, and defended with infinitely greater case. An invading army could not venture to leave these places of strength in their rear, without the greatest dan ger of having their retreat cut off; and consequently a country, possessing such fortifications, could seldom be subject to sudden attacks. Nor is this the only advantage that is found to result from such fortified places. By mak ing them depots for arms, ammunition, and other military stores, they become the surest protection of established governments against rebellion or any internal commotion. To the art of fortification, then, may perhaps be justly ascribed not a little of that peace and good order among mankind, which would otherwise be sacrificed to the law less ambition of despots, or the madness of factious de magulgues.