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.| HM Number | HM1F3A |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Virginia Civil War Trails series |
| Tags | |
| Year Placed | 2014 |
| Placed By | Virginia Civil WarTrails |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Sunday, September 21st, 2014 at 1:27am PDT -07:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 372270 N 4147607 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 37.46653333, -76.44438333 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 37° 27.992', W 76° 26.663' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 37° 27' 59.52" N, 76° 26' 39.78" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 804 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 1140-1198 Windsor Rd, North VA 23128, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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