Handbook for Light Artillery

by A. B. Dyer

The "general," sounded one hour before the time designated for marching, is the signal to strike tents, load wagons, pack animals, and send them to the place of assembly.

The execution of marching orders must not be delayed. If the commander is not with the troops when they are to march, the next in rank puts the column in motion.

When a march is in prospect, it is well to go out daily, for a week or ten days previously, for a couple of hours' march. This will harden the horses' shoulders and discover what corrections are to be made. The average march for field-artillery on good roads is from 15 to 20 miles a day; horse-artillery, 25 miles.

A single battery, when the march is a long one, will do well to trot occasionally; so doing shortens the road and greatly relieves man and horse. If the country is undulating, the platoons should march with considerable distance between them, and the trot should be taken up by each in succession on arrival at the level ground where the preceding platoon began to increase its pace. The walk should be resumed in the same manner.

When marching with other troops, these liberties cannot be taken, and the walk is, with rare exceptions, the gait used. In rapid marches the slow trot alternates with the walk.

When the services of artillery are urgently needed, it may be required to trot four or five miles without breaking the gait.

Long marches or expeditions should be begun moderately, particularly with new horses. Ten or twelve miles a day is enough for the first marches, which, on good roads, may be increased to 20 or 25 miles when necessary, after the horses are inured to their work. Should the march be continued for a long period, at least one day in seven should be devoted to rest. It is also important that the horses and equipments be thoroughly inspected at least once a week. On ordinary roads horse-artillery with cavalry marches usually at the rate of 4 or 5 miles an hour. Field-batteries, by themselves, can march 3½ to 4 miles an hour on a good road, but on heavy or hilly roads, or when the battery forms part of a column, the rate of progress will depend entirely upon circumstances. Should a long march be made, the horses should be fed on the road; ordinarily watering will be sufficient. In very hot weather frequent watering will be advisable. To keep horses in condition, it is essential that they should be in no wise stinted of water. No matter how warm a horse is six to ten swallows of water will not hurt him.

Always march with a feed of grain; if not used on the road, it enables the horses to be fed as soon after arriving in camp as desirable. Horses should be arranged in teams, as far as possible, so as to be of uniform pace in walking, and of similar disposition.

On long marches it may be advisable to change the near and off horses days about. Drivers should be required to ride off horses during part of each day's march; and, unless the entire battery be dismounted by order of the captain, all mounted men and cannoneers will ordinarily be permitted to mount and dismount at will when the battery is moving at a walk on level ground.