Page 12Like its counterpart at Red Head, the Negro Point Battery (later renamed Dufferin after the Earl of Dufferin, Governor-General of Canada) was built in 1863-1864 in response to fears of an American attack after the Civil War. 4 stone magazines and 10 guns on sliding platforms were placed, along with a guard house, and an office and stores building. The first use of the site was in 1866 when the militia gunners manned the guns against an attack by the Fenians.
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From the 1880-1890's until World War I, Dufferin Battery was used by the New Brunswick Regiment of Artillery for annual camps. Target practice was held here on targets towed outside of Partridge Island. |
| The site was not used during World War I, and after the war ended the land was leased or sold to the McNulty family for use as a gravel pit. The outbreak of World War II brought the site back into active use. Two 4.7" field guns were mounted which were eventually replaced with 2 12 pdrs. Several wooden and concrete structures were built for the gunners of the 15th battery. The role of this position was to maintain close defense against surface ships. |
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The battery was closed in September of 1944 and the land eventually reverted back to its use as a gravel pit. All of the stone and concrete structures are still intact.
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