North in Mathews County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fort Nonsense
How was Fort Nonsense Built?
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, June 22, 2014
1. Fort Nonsense CWT Marker
Inscription.
Fort Nonsense. How was Fort Nonsense Built?. The construction of an earthen fortification like Fort Nonsense required an enormous amount of labor. A clear field of fire was created as men with axes chopped down the trees in front of the work. Logs framed the fort's outline and helped to hold the earth in place. Gabions, wicker baskets made from saplings, vines, and small trees, were piled to create the walls. The ditch outside the walls was dug to provide the earth for the parapet as well as to impede attackers. Abatis, tangled tree limbs with the ends sharpened and facing toward the enemy, were placed in a continuous line 60 to 80 yards in front of the earthwork to slow attackers and enable the defenders to deliver close small-arms fire from the fort. Logs cleared from the field of fire area were used inside the fort to construct cannon platforms, munitions magazines, and bombproof shelters., (captions) , (lower left) Gabions and log earthwork construction - Courtesy Library of Congress , (upper right) Abatis and ditch - Courtesy Library of Congress , (lower right) Constructing earthworks by moonlight Courtesy Library of Congress ,
The construction of an earthen fortification like Fort Nonsense required an enormous amount of labor. A clear field of fire was created as men with axes chopped down the trees in front of the work. Logs framed the fort's outline and helped to hold the earth in place. Gabions—wicker baskets made from saplings, vines, and small trees—were piled to create the walls. The ditch outside the walls was dug to provide the earth for the parapet as well as to impede attackers. Abatis—tangled tree limbs with the ends sharpened and facing toward the enemy—were placed in a continuous line 60 to 80 yards in front of the earthwork to slow attackers and enable the defenders to deliver close small-arms fire from the fort. Logs cleared from the field of fire area were used inside the fort to construct cannon platforms, munitions magazines, and bombproof shelters.
(captions)
(lower left) Gabions and log earthwork construction - Courtesy Library of Congress
(upper right) Abatis and ditch - Courtesy Library of Congress
(lower right) Constructing earthworks by moonlight Courtesy Library of Congress
Erected 2014 by Virginia Civil WarTrails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic
Location. 37° 27.992′ N, 76° 26.663′ W. Marker is in North, Virginia, in Mathews County. Marker can be reached from Windsor Road (Virginia Route 3) 0.2 miles north of John Clayton Memorial Highway (Virginia Route 14), on the right when traveling north. Located along the walking trail in Fort Nonsense Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: North VA 23128, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 694 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on June 23, 2014, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.