Why forts kept secondary powder stores inside the defences

Forts often dispersed powder among several magazines, but normally kept those stores within defended walls so the ammunition remained protected, accessible, and unavailable to an attacker.

Question

Did eighteenth- and nineteenth-century forts keep secondary powder magazines outside their walls?

Short answer

Usually not. They often had several magazines, but kept them within defended positions so the powder remained protected and usable during an attack.

Notes

Having secondary magazines differs from placing them outside a fort. A central fortification might hold one or more large stores that resupplied smaller surrounding works, while an isolated fort could divide powder among several protected rooms. Keeping those magazines inside the defences prevented an enemy from seizing the ammunition or cutting the garrison off from it. Dispersal also avoided concentrating the whole stock in one place. Multi-sided forts can contain several powder stores without implying that their reserve ammunition sat unguarded beyond the walls.