Fort Barrancas Tour: Stop 3

Fort Barrancas Scarp and Counterscarp Walls and Ditch

Quick Facts

Location:

Pensacola, Florida

Significance:

Civil War, Black History, Confederates, Network to Freedom

Amenities

3 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead

Scarp and Counterscarp

The fort’s main exterior wall is called a scarp. The scarp measures 20 feet tall and four feet thick. The scarp is a free-standing structure, meaning the wall is not attached to the fort’s inner framework. This design feature allowed soldiers to continue using Fort Barrancas even if the scarp collapsed in a battle.

The counterscarp, or outer wall, supports the glacis. Long galleries, or passageways, run along the inside of the counterscarp.

The scarp and counterscarp are pierced with ventilators, loopholes, and embrasures (em BRAY shures). Ventilators allow air to circulate inside the fort. Soldiers fired muskets through narrow loopholes and cannon through wide embrasures.