Fifty-ninth Lecture.—(3.) Field parks. Their composition, in carriages of all kinds. Application of the principles to the artillery train of an army of a given strength. Approximate relation of the number of the carriages and of the horses of the train to that of the pieces of ordnance. Means of renewing the supply of the parks.
Personnel of the field train. Personnel of the batteries; working companies. Companies forming part of the train. Personnel attached to the parks. Staff. Particular conditions, having reference to war in a mountainous country. Selection of pieces of ordnance. Proportion between their number and that of the combatants. Composition of some artillery trains employed in our African expeditions. Composition and supply of the mountain battery. Lading of the mules. Composition of pontoon trains. Reserve train, boats, wherries, tackle, carriages, and horses. Personnel of the train. Light train: material, personnel.
Sixtieth Lecture.—(4.) Marches of the artillery. Reception of a battery or of a park. Precautions to be taken before the departure. March at a distance from the enemy. Order of march. Distribution of the personnel; halts. Case of an accident to a carriage; ascents; descents; deep-bedded roads; passage through inhabited places; passage of bridges; of fords. Passage over ice. Night march. Transport of mountain artillery. March of pontoon trains. Transport of the trains by water; navigation by convoys; by isolated boats. Transport of ordnance, powder and projectiles in the boats. Transport of artillery trains by sea.
March in the vicinity of the enemy. Isolated convoys; rule with reference to their command; order of march; general measures of security; precautions to be taken during halts; manner of receiving an attack. Case where resistance becomes impossible; arrangements for the night.
Artillery in the march with other troops. Order of march. Relation of the different corps to each other. Exceptional difficulties which may occur on marches; privations of all kinds; bad weather; bad state of the roads; instances. March among high mountains; passes strongly occupied by the enemy; examples.
Encampments and bivouacs. Choice of ground convenient for a camp; disposition of the artillery camp. Establishment of artillery bivouacs. Disposition of the park; precautions relating to the superintendence. Different measures to be taken on arriving on the place of encampment or of bivouac. Attention to be paid to the horses: special precautions for the mules of the mountain artillery. Precautionary measures variable according to circumstances.
Sixty-first Lecture.—(5.) Artillery on the field of battle. Measures to be taken on arriving in the neighborhood of the enemy.
Choice of positions adapted for artillery.
1. Different considerations relative to the ground to be occupied; form of the ground; cultivated lands; nature of the ground; communications, &c.