A reference to the number prefixed to these stations, simplifies the return, and points out the duty of each, which may be done by either telling them off in ranking, or giving them a ballot with their number on it, or any other arbitrary sign that may be devised. It is proposed then to post the artillerists to a gun on the march; and so of several guns. A twelve pounder is detached with 15 men, and they are numbered, it is required to know the stations of the artillerists according to their numbers, and according with the dipositions of the men to the same duties.
First rule, all the odd numbers are on the right side of the gun; all the even numbers on the left side. This is their position in battery, and prepared for action. The next rule is their positions in advancing.
Line of march. Nos. 2, 4, 6, and 8, are on the left, which numbers correspond with the second gunner, the first, second, and third aids of the left; so on the right of the gun, are the Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, answering to the first gunner of the right, and the first, second, third, and fourth aids of the right, making in all nine. The other six aids, that is to say, the fourth aid of the left, the fifth aids of right and left, the sixth aids of right and left, and the thirteenth aid, are thus dispensed with, and may be thus dispensed with, unless the men are required with their bricoles to manœuvre the gun; if this is done with horse, their aid is only required with the horses, and it exemplifies the excellent adaptation of the means of this new discipline to its proposed end.
The third rule is, to find the men, and their stations by their numbers, it is only requisite to refer to the preceding [table of numbers], 1 and 2 are stationed opposite the trail, they are the two gunners; 3 and 4 are opposite the muzzle in the march, they load and ram the cartridge and shot; 5 and 6 are opposite the breech; they have charge of the port fire and priming; 7 and 8 march opposite the axletree of the limber; they are the third aids of right and left, and have to supply ammunition, and move the tumbril on unlimbering; they are purveyors of the gun; 9 leads the limber horse, and takes charge of the tumbril when the gun is in battery.
Duties of nine men as numbered in battery.
| Light Artillery duties. | |||
| 1 | Commands the gun. | ||
| 2 | Stops the vent, and elevates the gun. | ||
| 3 | Rams and spunges. | ||
| 4 | Loads with cartridge and shot. | ||
| 5 | Fires the gun. | ||
| 6 | Clears the vent and primes. | ||
| 7 | - | Supply cartridge. | |
| 8 | |||
| 9 | Takes charge of the tumbril or caisson. | ||
| Positions. | |||
| 1 | At the right handspike. | ||
| 2 | At the left handspike. | ||
| 3 | Outside of the right wheel, in front. | ||
| 4 | Outside of the left wheel, in front. | ||
| 5 | - | Covering 3 and 4, and dressing with the rear of the wheels. | |
| 6 | |||
| 7 | - | Cover the aids in front, at a distance of 5 yards in their rear. | |
| 8 | |||
| 9 | Is posted with the tumbril or caisson, 25 yards in the rear. | ||
Heavy guns.—The duties and positions are the same, only that 4 aids 3 in ramming home the charge.
Howitzers.—The positions and duties are nearly the same as at the heavy guns; only that 3 spunges, uncaps the fuze, and puts in the shell; 4 takes the sheep-skin out of the piece, lays it on the ground, with the woollen side up, loads with cartridge, wipes the bottom of the shell, (when 2 holds it up) puts in the sheep-skin again, and pulls it out with his left hand, on the word Ready: He stops the muzzle with it immediately, when the piece is fired; 6 serves the vent; 5 fires; 1 commands; 7 carries the slow match and bucket; 8 serves 4 with cartridges from a cartouch; 9 serves 3 with shells from the limber, which he lays on the sheep-skin. As from unavoidable accidents, the number of men attached to a gun may be reduced, it will be necessary, if the vacancies happen amongst those doing the most essential duties, to immediately replace them by those doing the most subordinate duties.
The following method of distributing the duties amongst a smaller number of men, will be equally applicable to all kinds of field ordnance.
| No of men. | KIND. | Numbers retained. | The vacancies, how supplied. | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | - | Gun. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | - | Complete. | ||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | - | Gun. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | - | No. 6 being dropt, No 8 does his duties. | |||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||||||||
| 7 | - | Gun. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | - | No. 8’s pouch is laid on the ground; 2 carries it when moving. | ||||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | No. 3 serves himself with ammunition. | |||||||||||||
| 6 | - | Gun. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | - | 2 serves the vent with his left hand, pricks, primes, and carries tube box on the left side. | |||||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | - | Gun. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | - | No. 1 does all the duties of 5 like 2 in the last change, his own duties, and those of 2 at trail. | ||||||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | - | Gun. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | - | No. 9 brings the ammunition; 6 serves the shells. | |||||||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | - | Gun. | 1 | 6 | 9 | - | No. 6 serves and loads all the ammunition. | ||||||||||||||
| How’r. | 1 | 6 | 9 | No. 6 and 9 must change duties occasionally. | |||||||||||||||||