The building was an isolated outpost in a dangerous city, with the rest of the battalion in an old barracks 20 miles to the south.

Instead, they showed great skill in attacking undefended towns or isolated outposts and employing their knowledge of the terrain to their benefit.

The area was first settled in the 1860s and 1870s when pastoralists moved and settled in isolated outposts.

Fort 54 held out and losses among the infantry were low, but the artillery of the isolated outposts was forced to hide behind the ramparts.

There were many isolated outposts, gaps in the line and large areas of disputed territory and waste land.