This image shows the ditch of the redoubt around the turn of the century in an image from the Library of Congress.
This view, from the parade level looking down from one of the half bastions, shows the drawbridge, and to the far side, the parapet wall of the counterscarp. The troops would fire from this parapet until forced to retreat to the traverses, and later into the fort itself if an attack continued.
The structure shown in the center of this picture is one of the traverses, which are located along the sides of the fort. These provided cover for troops who were forced to retreat from the parapet along the front of the fort. The withdrawing troops could continue to fire from the protection of the traverse walls as the retreated toward the central part of the fort.The Advance Redoubt is an interesting structure, unlike any of the other fortifications located along the Gulf of Mexico. It is located a few hundred yards from Fort Barrancas on the Pensacola Naval Air Station, and is managed by the National Park Service. It is important to note that the parade level, and the scarp and counterscarp galleries are usually closed to the public due to a lack of sufficient personnel. In the past, they have been opened on certain days during the summer, so if you are interested in seeing all of the Advance Redoubt, you should consider contacting Gulf Islands National Seashore (the Park Service unit managing Fort Barrancas and the Advance Redoubt) and see if there is a specific day or time that those sections will be open. The exterior portions of the redoubt are open for visitation during all normal park hours.
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