ALL places where cannon, mortars, &c. are mounted, are called batteries, whether to fire on an enemy, or to attack or deƒtroy a fortification.
        In an engagement cannon are fired without being covered, that is, without there being any ground thrown up to cover or defend the perƒons appointed to charge and work them. For as the pieces in theƒe caƒes have no fixt ƒituation, but are perpetually changing place as the general from time to time ƒees proper, the difficulty of covering them is evident, and the haƒte, in which theƒe kind of actions are performed, does not permit the uƒe of that precaution which would render the ƒervice much leƒs dangerous. But in the attack of a place it is otherwiƒe, the cannon are then fixt firmly each in its proper place, and it is abƒolutely neceƒƒry to their being made uƒe of, that they ƒhould be placed behind a parapet, thick enough to reƒiƒt the cannon ƒhot of the beƒieged.
        The conƒtruction of a parapet is what is properly called the conƒtruction of a battery; we ƒhall give the particulars of it, as they ƒtand in M. de Vauban's memoirs.
        The bed of the cannon, that is, the ƒpot of ground on which it is placed, ƒhould, if poƒƒible, be raiƒed ƒome feet above the level of the field.
        The parapet ƒhould be three fathoms thick, and feven foot and an half high.
        Theƒe parapets are conƒtructed of earth, and faƒcines, which are a kind of faggots.
        The ƒituation and extent of theƒe batteries are firƒt marked out (ƒo as they may be parallel to the parts of the fortification intended to be deƒtroyed), by laying down a line, or the match-cord; this done, the ground before the battery is broke, and a ƒmall trench opened; a bed of the earth that is dug out is firƒt laid, and well beaten down; then a layer of faƒcines is placed tranƒverƒely upon the earth, or ƒo that their length ƒhall reach from ƒide to ƒide of the parapet, croƒƒing it at right angles, and ƒo alternately a bed of earth and a layer of faƒcines, the faƒcines well faƒtened together, and ƒtakes driveu [driven] through them, ƒo as to make the ƒeveral layers of faƒcines and earth, as it were, one body; both ƒides of the parapet are alƒo faced or lined with faƒcines, laid lengthways, or parallel to the parapet, and well faƒten'd with ƒtakes to the inƒide of it.
        This parapet being raiƒed two feet and an half, or three feet, the embraƒures muƒt be marked out on the outƒide. Embraƒures are well known to be openings in parapets to receive the cannon, and the part between two embraƒures is called the merlon; from the middle of one embraƒure to another there ought to be 18 feet, the embraƒure ought to be three feet wide on the battery ƒide, and 9 feet on the outƒide of the parapet.
        The embraƒures being marked out, the reƒt of the parapet, called the epaulment of the battery, muƒt be raiƒed, leaving the ƒpace marked for the embraƒures open; that part of the parapet above the embraƒures muƒt have a proper ƒlope, or ƒhelving, that the materials of the parapet or of the merlons may not be beat down into the embraƒures.
        That part of the parapet, which reaches from the ground to the bottom of the embraƒures, is called the knee of the battery.
        The parapet being finiƒhed, platforms muƒt be prepared over-againƒt the embraƒures, to place the cannon upon.
        Theƒe platforms are a kind of ƒtrong floors, made to prevent the cannon from ƒinking into the ground, and to render the working of them more eaƒy. They are compoƒed of joiƒts, or pieces of wood laid lengthways, the whole length of the intended platform and to keep them firm in the places they are laid in, ƒtakes muƒt be driven into the ground cloƒe to them on each ƒide; theƒe joiƒts muƒt then be covered with very thick planks, laid parallel to the parapet; and over that part of the laƒt, which touches the inƒide of the parapet, a kind of thick girder, or rafter, muƒt be placed, called a heurtoir, or knocker, becauƒe when the cannon iƒ fired, the wheels of its carriage first knock or ƒtrike againft it, and immediately afterwards recede from it, by the effort of the powder made againƒt the breech of the piece, which is the cauƒe of what is called its recoil, as we have ƒaid before.
        As a check to this recoil, and to render it as little as poƒƒible, the ground, on which that part of the platform is laid, which is fartheƒt from the parapet, ƒhould be ƒaifed, as much as circumƒtances will permit, higher than the part neareƒt the parapet.
        Platforms ought to be about 18 or 20 feet long, 7 and an half wide near the parapet at their narroweƒt part, and 13 at the wideƒt.
        When the platforms are finiƒhed, the cannon muƒt be brought to the batteries, and placed with their carriages on the ƒeveral platforms allotted them.
        It is uƒual to make little cells or cavities near to the batteries, at a convenient diƒtance, in which to keep the gunpowder. Theƒe cells are covered with clay, or ƒomething of the like kind, to preƒerve them from being fired, and are called little magazines of the battery. A place is prepared at a greater diƒtance, and not ƒo near the battery, where a larger quantity of powder is kept, which ƒerves as a magazine to the ƒmaller places juƒt mentioned. The powder is divided thus, to prevent accidents by fire, and theƒe magazines are guarded by ƒoldiers ƒword in hand.
        All that remains concerning batteries of cannon, after what we have ƒaid on the ƒubject, will be ƒeen by the figures in Pl. XI.
        Fig. 1. repreƒents the plan of a battery, with its platforms, and the cannon placed thereon, facing the embraƒures.
        Fig. 2. ƒhows the profile of a battery, with a piece of cannon in its embraƒure, ready to be fired.
 

SECT. II. Of Batteries of Mortars.

AFTER having treated of the batteries of cannon, it is proper to give ƒome account of the batteries of mortars; but theƒe differ little from the former. They are conƒtructed in the ƒame manner, except that they have no embraƒures; they have alƒo platforms made in the ƒame manner with thoƒe of cannon. Pl. XII. exhibits the plan of one of theƒe batteries, with a profile repreƒenting a mortar at the moment of giving fire.
        When the enemy is near enough to ƒee or command the batteries in flank, his view muƒt be cut off by continuing the parapet of the battery in another angle, as reprefented Fig. i. Pl. XI.
        The bullets and bombs are laid in readineƒs down by the merlons, between the embraƒures.
 

SECT. III. Of different kinds of Batteries.

THERE are batteries of various kinds; as ƒunk, direct, ƒweeping, reverƒe, croƒs, and rebounding batteries.
        Sunk batteries have their platforms ƒunk below the level of the field, ƒo as that the ground ƒerves for the parapet in which embraƒures may be made.
        Direct batteries are thoƒe which batter the ƒides of the work before which they are placed almoƒt at right angles.
        Sweeping batteries, (or batteries d'enfilade) are thoƒe which ƒcour or ƒweep the ƒides of force work in a ƒtrait line.
        The reverƒe (revers) are thoƒe which batter from behind, that is, play on the backs of thoƒe poƒted on the work to defend it.
        Croƒs batteries are thoƒe the fires of which would croƒs each other almoƒt at right angles, if continued after their meeting.
        Rebounding batteries, (or batteries d'echarpe) are thoƒe whoƒe ƒtrokes make no more than an angle of 20 degrees with the faces or ƒides of what they are directed againft. Theƒe are alƒo ƒometimes called glancing batteries (de bricole), becauƒe the bullet only glancing as it were upon the place it is directed againƒt, is thrown off to the parts adjacent, almoƒt like the bricole, or tranƒverƒe ƒtroke at billiards, which falls on the cuƒhion in an oblique direction.