Photographic War History. The War For The Union. 1861-1865. No. 2318. The Sally-port and Draw-bridge. Around each fort is a line of “abbatis,” partially filled with water. To enable the garrison to cross this ditch, to pass in and out of the fort, there is one narrow draw-bridge at the sally-port or entrance of the fort. When an attack is made, the bridge is lifted or drawn inside the fort, like a gang-plank; the sally-port is then closed and blocked, and the garrison are thus protected on all sides, both by the line of “abbatis,” and the ditch or moat, making the fort like an island doubly surrounded,–first by the moat, and then by the line of “abbatis.” To advance on the fort under a heavy fire from these cannon, to stop directly before the muzzles of the guns and remove this line of “abbatis,” while men were falling like leaves on every side, to struggle past the obstructions, cross the slippery moat, and attempt to scale the walls of the fort in the face of a deadly fire from the well-protected garrison, required brave men, indeed, for the attacking party were far more likely to find their graves in this treacherous, slippery ditch, than they were scale the walls and capture the fort. [Taylor & Huntington stereo card]
Library of Congress says: District of Columbia. Soldiers at gate of Fort Slemmer.
Anthony No. 2318.
Written on negative: 2318.
