Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett
Tennessee State Library and Archives
Civil War Resources
Civil War Source Book
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| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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| Dead Angle or Space: | Any angle or ground in front of a fortification that could not be covered by musket or artillery fire. |
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| Defilading: | The process of constructing the profile of a parapet to protect its interior from enfilading and plunging fire. Defiladement of fortifications consisted of either raising the parapet, constructing traverses, or excavating the terreplein below the line of sight of the enemy, located on a commanding height. A work constructed in this manner was said to be defiladed. |
| Defile: | A narrow passage or road. |
| Demilune: | A French engineers term meaning half moon. Such works were often constructed in early Renaissance defenses. The demilune was a crescent-shaped outer work created to protect a bastion or a fort’s curtain wall. In later fortifications, demilune became synonymous with ravelin, a v-shaped outer work. |
| Detached Works: | Fortifications constructed beyond musketry or rifle range of the main work but serving as part of the overall defenses of the main work. |
| Direct Fire: | To fire perpendicular to the curtain wall or line of works; to fire into the front of an enemy. |
| Ditch: | An excavation made in front or behind an earthwork providing the earth for that work. When the ditch is located in the front it serves as an obstacle to an attacker and when dug in the back, it affords the defender a secure position. |
| Division: | A military unit consisting of approximately three brigades or 12,000 men. As with other units, actual numbers varied during the course of the Civil War. |