Photographs of Fort Wellington - Page Five |
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Right: Another view of the dry-ditch flanking berm. The
top of the berm is actually slightly higher than the top of
the palisade in front of it. This small section of palisade
descends from ground level on the glacis down about 20
feet, which is the level of the bottom of the dry ditch.
top of the berm is actually slightly higher than the top of
the palisade in front of it. This small section of palisade
descends from ground level on the glacis down about 20
feet, which is the level of the bottom of the dry ditch.
Right: Twelve pounder gun in the northwest corner of the
earthworks. This gun is a smaller version of the
twenty-four pounders on the south side of the Fort. The
firing platform does not rotate. It is a flat pad which is
slightly sloped downwards towards the front. The gun
crew would traverse the gun by turning it manually on the
platform. A matching twelve pounder sits on an identical
firing platform on the northeast corner of the Fort.
Right: Another view of the northwest twelve pounder (in
the background), with the carronade mounted in its stone
redoubt over the gate. The carronade is a high-calibre,
low velocity gun which was developed at the ironworks at
Carron in Scotland for use on the ships of the Royal Navy.
In a location such as this redoubt over the gate, it could
fire canister, shrapnel or grapeshot to devastating effect
against assaulting infantry or cavalry at short to medium
range. The carronade's carriage rotates on a pivot in
much the same way as the twenty-four pounders' carriages,
but in reverse with the pivot at the back and the track at the
front. One person can easily turn the gun, and this and a
screw elevation mechanism allows for easy aiming.
Right: View along the eastern rampart of the Fort's
earthworks. The second twenty-four pounder gun is
visible on the southeast corner of the earthworks to the left
of the officer's quarters and latrine. Ogdensburg, New
York, is visible in the distance. According to local
tradition, the Federal Customs House in Ogdensburg,
which is directly above the gun in this picture, has lodged
in its roof a twenty-four pounder cannonball fired from
Fort Wellington during the War of 1812. It this is
correct, it came from one of the two guns still at the Fort
today.
Right: The northern "point" of Fort Wellington's
earthworks as seen from directly in front of the
northeastern twelve-pounder gun. This projection is
similar to a bastion because it provides a concealed firing
position from which riflemen could sweep the northern
approaches to the Fort, including the approaches to the
gate. The area below this point is contained within the
palisade. No cannon appears to have been mounted here,
although logically it would have been a good place for one,
with a clear sweep of more than 180 degrees.
earthworks. This gun is a smaller version of the
twenty-four pounders on the south side of the Fort. The
firing platform does not rotate. It is a flat pad which is
slightly sloped downwards towards the front. The gun
crew would traverse the gun by turning it manually on the
platform. A matching twelve pounder sits on an identical
firing platform on the northeast corner of the Fort.
Right: Another view of the northwest twelve pounder (in
the background), with the carronade mounted in its stone
redoubt over the gate. The carronade is a high-calibre,
low velocity gun which was developed at the ironworks at
Carron in Scotland for use on the ships of the Royal Navy.
In a location such as this redoubt over the gate, it could
fire canister, shrapnel or grapeshot to devastating effect
against assaulting infantry or cavalry at short to medium
range. The carronade's carriage rotates on a pivot in
much the same way as the twenty-four pounders' carriages,
but in reverse with the pivot at the back and the track at the
front. One person can easily turn the gun, and this and a
screw elevation mechanism allows for easy aiming.
Right: View along the eastern rampart of the Fort's
earthworks. The second twenty-four pounder gun is
visible on the southeast corner of the earthworks to the left
of the officer's quarters and latrine. Ogdensburg, New
York, is visible in the distance. According to local
tradition, the Federal Customs House in Ogdensburg,
which is directly above the gun in this picture, has lodged
in its roof a twenty-four pounder cannonball fired from
Fort Wellington during the War of 1812. It this is
correct, it came from one of the two guns still at the Fort
today.
Right: The northern "point" of Fort Wellington's
earthworks as seen from directly in front of the
northeastern twelve-pounder gun. This projection is
similar to a bastion because it provides a concealed firing
position from which riflemen could sweep the northern
approaches to the Fort, including the approaches to the
gate. The area below this point is contained within the
palisade. No cannon appears to have been mounted here,
although logically it would have been a good place for one,
with a clear sweep of more than 180 degrees.