I really liked the movie, but could only shake my head at the unrealistic success of the Apache attack on Fort Thorn. In all their wars against the Long Knives the Indians never took an army fort by assault, not in the face of massed musketry, enfilading fire from corner towers, Gatling guns, and cannon firing round shot, grape shot or canister rounds to distance far out of rifle range.
The Indians were essentially helpless against army forts. As light cavalry they could not overrun a fort by storm nor could they reduce it by siege. They had no siege weapons at all, no siege tactics, no logistics to support for a long siege,
Also the fort the movie was hardly a fortress: way too expansive, enclosing far too much empty space, with walls far too long for any normal garrison. The main gate was a joke, No flanking towers, no crossbar or braces, no firing positions above the entrance.
The Indians were essentially helpless against army forts. As light cavalry they could not overrun a fort by storm nor could they reduce it by siege. They had no siege weapons at all, no siege tactics, no logistics to support for a long siege,
Also the fort the movie was hardly a fortress: way too expansive, enclosing far too much empty space, with walls far too long for any normal garrison. The main gate was a joke, No flanking towers, no crossbar or braces, no firing positions above the entrance.
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