Fort Atkinson was carefully planned and built to withstand an attack even though no battles were ever fought there. Two block houses at the southwest and northeast corners projected beyond the stockade so soldiers could fire along the outside walls in two directions, and the northeast block house was built specifically to defend the north and east stockade lines, the Military Road, and the outlying buildings to the north. Rifle slits were made wider on the inside than the outside so soldiers could move right or left to take aim while making it harder for anyone outside to shoot in. The fort had two mountain howitzers and two six-pounder cannons, and the cannon portals were made wider on the outside so the guns could be aimed over a broad area. Wooden covers closed the cannon openings during reloading, and the stone floor allowed the heavy cannons to be moved easily.