Also known as: garrison guns.
| Role | Arming permanent forts and defenses |
|---|---|
| Guns | Heavy fixed smoothbores and rifles |
| Mounts | Barbette and casemate carriages |
Guns of the forts
Garrison artillery was the heavy ordnance that armed the permanent fortifications, whether on the seacoast or at inland strong points. Its guns were mounted on standing barbette and casemate carriages and served by the troops garrisoning the works, rather than moved about the field.
The distinction was one of role: the same kinds of heavy guns that formed the seacoast defenses served as garrison artillery in the forts, standing ready to defend fixed positions.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.