Advanced Work #2

Two Coehorn mortars
(small, relatively light weapons that fired explosive shells)

These weapons, like those at fleche #3, were not fired during the battle, probably because the darkness made it difficult to see and difficult to tell friend from foe. This work and the others along the outer abatis were fleches, from the French for arrow, simple earthen fortifications open at the back, and here at Stony Point, modified for artillery with ebrasures. The sides of the fleches were 12 feet at the base, tapering to 8 feet at the top. In addition to an undetermined number of artillerymen, there were 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, and 12 infantry soldiers posted here, under the command of Lt. Carey, 17th Regiment.