Defensive Bastions

These defensive earth bastions were constructed early in the Civil War, probably in the winter of 1861-62, while Confederate troops massed in El Paso and Mesilla near Las Cruces for the campaign to the north. By the time Sibley's march began, the Confederates had already taken, either by force or abandonment, the Union posts at El Paso, Fort Stanton, and Fort Fillmore. Some reports say the bastions were constructed within two weeks while Sibley marched north, but additional building continued through 1864. Enough had been completed by Sibley's arrival to deter any plans of a direct assault on the fort. Wooden "Quaker Guns," made to appear as real cannon from a distance, were placed in several bastion corners to reinforce the formidable appearance. The bastions were laid out in a classical geometric arrangement so that a frontal attack on virtually any point would expose attackers to crossfire from other bastions. They also represent an enormous volume of gravel moved by man- and mule-power, and the outer ditch, formed as a by-product of construction, acted as a dry moat that increased the difficulty of a direct attack. During its 31-year history in the early and late Indian Wars and the Civil War, no foe ever attempted to test these fortifications.

New Mexico · United States