INSTRUCTION FOR FIELD ARTILLERY. PREPARED BY A BOARD OF ARTILLERY OFFICERS, CONSISTING OF CAPTAIN WM:. H. FRENCH, 1ST ARTILLERY, CAPTAIN WM:. F. BARRY,~~ ARTILLERY, CAPTAIN H. J. HUNT, 2D ARTILLERY. TO WHICH IS ADDED THE EVOLUTIONS OF BATTERIES, TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY BRIGADIER GENERAL R. ANDERSON, UNITED STATES ARMY. ,V ASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1867. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washing~on, D. C., March 1, 1863. This sys,tem of Instruction for Field Artillery, prepared under direction of the War Department, having been approved by the President, is adopted for the instruction of troops when acting as field artillery. Accordingly, instruction in the sume will be given after the method pointed out therein j and all additions to or departures from the exercise and manceuvres laid down in the system are positively forbidden. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. TABLE OF OONTENTS. PART I. ORGANIZATION, MATERIEL, AND SERVICE. Page. ARTICLE L-ARTILLERY AND ITS DUTIES.............•..........•............. 1 1 2 2 :~~ET~~::::/H~:HTnH(2 ~£~~~7~~tI~rff~~~.. 2 Number of horses required for each carriage .•.•....•........'" .....•....... 3 Personnel .............................................................•.••• 3 Proportion of field artillery to other arms ••.•..•"'" •••••.••••••.......•..•. :~ ARTICLE H.-ORGANIZATION AND EQUIPMENTOF FIELD nATTERIES . 4 Organization for iU8tructioll , 4 Organization for the march .......•................••••...................•.. 4 Organization for war ..................................................•..••. 4 Composition and equipment of battery for war . 5 l<'ield.pieces. Description ...........................••..............•....... 5 6 A~~~~i~~~~: ~~~;;;w~e~~mCn~:::;~sft~;n'~~!~~::::: : : :::::: : ::: : : : : : : : : : : :: : : : 6 Density ..•......•.......................................................... 7 l'roof. ...•....•..........•..•••.....•........•....•.•.•••.•••............... 7 Charges ...........••..•.•.•...........•.................................... 7 Cartridge bags .........••"" •.•.•...................•..................•. ". 8 PROJECTILES. Kinds of...•..•.......•...•........•.......•.•................ 8 Solid shot .....•..•••••..•••.......•.•.••....•..••....•.....•........•....... 8 Canisters .••.•....•...•••••••••••.....•.•.•..••..•••.••..................... 8 Shells ............•••.•••.•••.•••....•.....•.....•....................•..•.. 8 Charges of shells ............••.•••.••...... " ••...•..•...." ...........••.•• 8 8 !) 9 F~~::i~i~J~;~:~:0;~~i::~::::::::::~:::::::~::::~~~:~:::::::::~::::: 9 Primer .......••.....••••.••...•............................................ 10 Description ..•........ " " .............•....•.••.•..........•.. 10 Issues of ammunition to batteries _ . 10 Care and preservation of ammunition ....................••...•........•••••• 10 10 ~~i~t:t~S ~Fg:;~i~~~~~R~C;.i~l.~ ~.o.~~~::: : : : : : : : : : : :::: :: : : ::: : : : :::: : :: : ::: U FIELD CARRIAGES. Number and kinds of gun.carriages . 11 Caissons _ ..•••........._ .....•.........•..••.•••...............•. 11 11 11 11 ~~S~if~,¥~:~~~~~~:::::::~~:~::::~~~~~~::~~::~::~~:::::~:::::.::::::::11 Ammunition chests ...._ .••.............•....•..•...•...•••..••....•.•. "" _... 12 Ammunition carried in each chest ..................•......................... L3 Method of packing ammunition chests .....................•..•............... 14 Implements and equipments for a gun.carriage .•.••..•••...••................ 14 Implements and equipments for a caisson .........•.•..•..........•.......... 14 Weights of gun.carriages and caissons equipped .•....••.••.••..•....•.•.•.... 15 EqUipment of the travelling forge ..•••..•.•••.•.•.•••••••......•••.......... 15 EqUipment of the battery wagon ••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••. 18 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS. Ammunition clusts-Continued. Supply of spare parts .........•. ; .•.•••..•..••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••.•. 22 Composition and preparation of paints ...•••.•...•..••.•.•.•.•.•••••••••.•••. ~2 Quantity of paint required for a carriage .....••...•.•.••.••.•••••.•.••.•••••• 23 !'aint for tarpanlins .. , , ...........•....•.....••.•••.••.. , 23 Weights of forges and battery wagons equipped .............•...•...•.....••. 24 ROHSES. Number required for a field battery .....•.•.........•.••....•...••.. 04 Spare horses for prairie service ...........•....•..•...•....••.•••...••...•..• 25 For cannoneers of horse artillery .........................••...•.••••••••..•• 25 Horse equipments. Number of sets required .....••..•..•...••..•...•••.••...•.. 25 Artillery lwrness. DescripHon and llcculiarities .•.............•...•.........•.• 25 Harness required for each horse .................•....••.•.•.....•.•••••..•.. 25 2() ARTb~~i~)i~f;~;.~~~~~I~~.~.~~.~~~.~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::: ::::::: ::: 26 26 ~~l~~i{U~ b~~~~i~~,..' .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 27 Seat for pendlllUln hG,usse........•..•...•.....•....••..•••••••..••...••..... 27 :l\Iuzzle sight .. , , .....•....•..... , ..............•..•. , , •........• 27 Practical hints on pointing , , , .........•.....••..••...•..• 28 Canses which distnrb ~e true flight of projectiles .....•..•...••...•. , ••..•..•• 28 Rapidity of fire at advancing bodies .....•......••..•~ ....••..•...•..•...••• , 28 'rable of ranges for field service .....•...................•...•.•...........•. 29 'rable of ap proxin::.ate ranges for rifled guns ....•••...•.•..•. , •••.•••••••.•... 31 ARTICJ~E IY.-INTERIOR ECONOMY OF A BATTERy ..••••.•••••.•••••••••••••••. 33 A1.tillery horse",. Description " ...........•.........•••.••..•.. 3:3 'Yorking power .........••••........... ~..........•..•••...•.•...••...•••..• 33 Forage , .. , ........•.••..•...............•...••....•..•••..••..••.... 33 Necessity of grain ration ...••...............•...•. , ....••..••....••.••••..•. 34 'yater .............................•.............•....•..•....••.•••..•....• 34 34 g~~~~~~~U.I~~.f:o.r.~:~~~~~~~~.~~rr:.e.~t.-.-.-...- .-.- .-.-.-.-:.-.-.-.-.-:::: :::::::::: 35 aRTIcLE Y.-FIELD SERVICE..••......••.•••.•••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 37 Marches __ , ...........................••••••....•...•...•.• 37 Ascents, ' ' .....•................... " ..•.....••.....••••..••....•.• 39 Descents , ..•..•.•...•..............•..•..••...•••.••.••...•.•. 39 39 ~f,~~:.~~~s~~~~~~p.~ .~r.o.~~~::::::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::::::: :::::: ::::::::: ::: 40 Crossing fords .........•...•••.....•.....•...•••..•..•...•••...•••.•...•.••• 40 Passage of military bridges , ........•.•.....•••...•.••••..••. 40 Passage on ice ..' , ............••.....•....•......•.••.••..••••..••••.••...•• 41 Ileversing a battery in a narrow road . 41 Instruction for the preservation of harness ...........•....•....••....•...••.. 41 42 ~;:~~~~~~~~~~l~f~~~~::~~~o~rs~~~::: : : : : :: : : : : : : : :: : :: : ::: :::::: ::::::::::::::: :: 42 '1'0 embark the horses .....................................••..••..•••.•..... 42 43 :f:~~~~~~~l~~~.~~~:~l:~:::~:::::~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 43 43 ~~~;f;~~o~Sll~J;;:ig~~~~~~C~~l~~~: :~: : :: : : :: :: :: :: :::::::::: :::::::::::::::: 44 Order of encumpment ...•........•.........•.•.•••.•••••.••••••••••••••••••• 44 PART II. TACTICAL INSTRUCTION. Basis of instruction ..........•.......•.................••••••••••.•••••••••••••• 46 46 ~~~~g(~t~~:~~fo:~~h~oC~~~:? ::::: :: : : : : : : : :: :: : : :: ::: :: : ::::: : ::: :::::: ::::::::: 47 Posts of the officers, non. commissioned officers, &c ......•.....•.....••.••.••..•.• 47 The battery . 48 General principles , .....................................•.......•.•...•....•• 49 50 ~~fi~(~~~~li.~~'.~~~~~~~'~:..~~.rr:~.O~~:i~.~~::::::::::::: ::::: :::::: :::::: ::::::::: 51 Elememary movements and their objects ................•..•••••.•••••.••..•.•.• 51 Method of giving commands ......•...•....••.•.•.•.•...•.••••••••.•••..••••.•••. 52 :Bugle or trumpet signals and calls •••..••••.•...••••••••••••••••••••••••.••.•••.. 5j,! TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii PART III. SCHOOL OF THE PIECE. No. Page. ARTICLE I.-METHOD OF I~STRUCTION •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 53 'l'he cannoneer dismounted .........•.....•..•.....•.•••..•....•••.•••• 2 53 Elementary instruction. _._ ..... .................••.........•.•.•••• 2 53 l)osition of the cannoneer dismounted .._ ..........•.•........•••....... 3 53 4 54 ~~~i~1~~~1~::-:-~:.c.s.~~f:~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~:::~ 5 54 8 54 ~~~\~;\\~~:::~:::::::::::: ::::::::::::: :::::::: ::::::::::: :::::: ::::::: Y 55 To march backwards_ ...........................•••••.. " .•.... 10 55 11 55 12 55 13 55 >Il~.~~;SI~g~;;~i~~::~~~g:::::::~:::::~::~::~~~~~~~~~::~~::~::~~:~ 18 5G Inspection of sabre_ . .__............•..•........•••...••..... _ 23 57 Parade rest _ ....•.......'" ...•...• 26 57 ARTICI.E H.-THE GU~ DETACHMENT .••••••.••••••••.••..••••••.•••.••. 28 58 Porming and telling off the detachment. _ _ """""" _... :30 ;;8 '1'0 form in one rank-------_ . .. __ .. _ _.. _ . .•. .. :l2 ;;8 Alignments ...- ... -- -'" .- ..................••...•...... """"" .... :';:3 ;;9 36 Direct mareh in single file - ......•..•. _ _ .. _"'__ ",, .. 59 Change of direction in tile ..-----_ . .. .. ... ...•....._ . .... .• .. 39 GO Obli'lue march in tilc - -""""'" _"'"_ .....•..• "" 40 60 Direct march in line .. - - .•.. -.. .. .. • . .. 41 liO '1'0 halt the detachment" .......•...- . .•. •. .. •• . ... .. ,1:2 GO "\Vheelings. --- '" - "" ...•........ " '" " _. 4:3 GO Do. In circle -- .......•.•............•......... _ . .. 44 61 Do. '1'0 the right