01926 - African Americans in front of; Major Strong's Bomb Proof; Dutch Gap, 1864 [LC-DIG-cwpb-01926]
A bombproof, today would probably be referred to as a “Bomb shelter” or “Bunker”. While it was known that the “Bombproof” could not stop a direct blast from a large shell such as a mortar, it did provide substantial piece of mind and relative protection from small fragments and indirect blasts.
Looking at this “bomb proof” with its glass windows and wooden doors seems laughable today that it would be considered shelter, but the few feet of earth above the shelter did provide a measure of protection that otherwise would not have been afforded. Often they were constructed on the side of hills, or dug into the ground to utilize the natural terrain as protection. Some were barely large enough to hold a few men, and some extended for considerable distance and could provide shelter for a large number of men.
The African-American soldiers pictured in front of the shelter were most likely domestic servants to Major Strong, it is not known if they were involved with creating the structure, but most likely were responsible for its upkeep while in use. Ultimately “bombproofs” such as this one were not common since they were only possible when an army stayed in a location for an extended period of time.
![01926 - African Americans in front of; Major Strong's Bomb Proof; Dutch Gap, 1864 [LC-DIG-cwpb-01926]](/img/s/v-10/p1466025236-3.jpg)