A military dictionary

by William Duane

In 1689, a work was published, entitled:

Nouvelle maniere de fortifier les places, tirée de methodes du Chevalier de Ville, du Comte de Pagan, et de M. de Vauban; avec des remarques sur l’ordre renforcé, sur les desseins du Capitaine Marchy, et sur ceux de M. Blondel. This work is full of strong reasoning, from the result of which the author has formed a new method, containing indeed, nothing original, but giving references to what has already appeared, and disposing the different parts in so judicious a manner, as to shew how a place may be rendered stronger, and be subject at the same time to a less expence. This writer divides fortification into three parts, the great, the mean, and the little.

There is a second and a third method proposed anonymously, and containing mere simple designs. That method in which a modern author gives it the preference over the system of New Brisac, contains little useful information, and contributes less to the real art of fortifying places.

Donato Rosetti, a Canon belonging to Livournia, professor of mathematics in the academy at Piedmont, and mathematician to the Duke of Savoy, has written upon a method of constructing works in what he calls fortification à rebours, or fortification in reverse; so called not only because the re-entering angle of the counterscarp is opposite to the flanked angle; but because, in his idea, it will be necessary to attack it from the reverse side of other works. His system is very simple, and does not require a sacrifice of much money, or stand in need of many men to defend the works: although he can, on his side, pour as much fire upon the enemy, as could be furnished by more complicated methods.

Antonio de Herbart, major of artillery, in the Duke of Wurtemberg’s service, in 1735, published a treatise on fortifications with square angles, which he calls angular polygons.

Monsieur de Montalembert has lately endeavored to bring arches, which are so much condemned by the Chevalier de Ville, into repute. He treats the subject in a manner, and upon principles so similar to those proposed by Antonio de Herbart, that it is almost impossible to separate the two systems. M. de Montalembert asserts, that the science of fortification, (as it is established and taught at present) can only be valued by the public on account of its illusion. He looks upon the use of bastions, as the effect of prejudice; he rejects them wholly, and substitutes in their room, a front of angular tenailles, polygons with small wings, and angular polygons. The engineers of the present day assert with confidence, that the chief security to be derived in works that are supported by bastions, must depend upon cross and reverse firing directed against the enemy’s lodgments on the glacis. Large half-moons are made, not only for the purpose of covering the curtains and the flanks of bastions, but principally to obtain a reverse firing, which effectually prevents the enemy from maintaining his ground on the glacis of a bastion, before he has taken the two collateral half-moons.

M. Menno, Baron of Coehorn, who was general of artillery in the Dutch service, lieutenant-general of infantry, director-general of all the fortified places belonging to the united provinces, and governor of Flanders and all the fortresses that lay along the Scheldt, has been justly esteemed for his extensive knowlege in the art of fortifying places. He was cotemporary with Vauban. This intelligent and sagacious officer being thoroughly convinced, that, however expensively the rampart of a town may be constructed, it could not long sustain the shock of heavy ordnance, invented three different systems, by which he throws so many obstacles in the way of a besieging enemy, that although the place be not in reality rendered impregnable, it is nevertheless so far secured as to make its conquest a business of considerable hazard and expence. We must however acknowlege, that the three methods which have been pointed out by this Dutch general, can only suit places and grounds that are nearly on a level with the surface of the water; that is to say of 3, 4, or 5 feet; which circumstance plainly indicates, that his attention has been chiefly directed to the soil and ground of Holland; so that his instructions are peculiarly applicable to low and aquatic situations. There is much skill discovered in his manner of treating the subject, and considerable ingenuity in the treatise he has published, which certainly contains several improvements that are exclusively his own. It would be impossible to force a passage, or to penetrate into any of his works, without being exposed on all sides, to the fire of the besieged, who are under cover, and from whose discharge of ordnance and musquetry, it is scarcely possible for an assailing enemy to secure himself.

Scheiter, a German writer, describes two kinds of fortifications, the great or the superior, and the small or the inferior species. It has been erroneously and unjustly stated, that the celebrated Vauban only copied after Scheiter, at New Brisac.

Every man of the least knowlege or penetration must see, that the whole system of that illustrious engineer differs essentially from the author we have quoted.

The defects which are manifest in all these different systems shew the superiority which exists, to this day, in all the fortifications that have been constructed by Vauban.