Red Head Battery

Red Head Battery was approved in 1862 as a result of the Trent Affair (a potential conflict with the USA)  the previous year.  Despite being totally neglected, Red Head Battery retains most of its’ original features.

Originally intended to mount ten guns with four magazines, the topography only allowed for six guns and two magazines.  Work on the battery was completed in 1866 but it was not until 1878 that four 32-pdr SB guns arrived from the United Kingdom and were mounted in the battery. The gun were mounted behind a stone and earth parapet with embrasures.  The magazine are stone and positioned to act as a traverse.

Red Head Battery provided for the defence of Saint Johns along with  Fort Dufferin, Lower Cove Batteries and the tower and guns on Partridge Island.

The paper on this link has the following citation:

Sarty, Roger “Saint John’s Red Head Battery: A Forgotten Military Artifact of Confederation.” Canadian.  Military History 16, 2 (2007)

It provides some excellent images of the battery when the brush had been cleared as well as a good plan.