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CHAPTER
XII.
FIELD-ARTILLERY.
SELECTION
OF HORSES FOR ARTILLERY SERVICE
Qualities .- The horse for artillery service should be from five to seven
years old (the latter age to be preferred), and should be from fifteen to
sixteen hands high.
The saddle horse should be free in his movements; have good
sight; a full, firm chest; be sure-footed; have a good disposition, with
boldness and courage; more bottom than spirit, and not too showy.
The draft horse should stand erect on his legs, be strongly
built, but free in his movements; his shoulders should be large enough to give
support to the collar, but not too heavy; his body full, but not too long; the
sides well rounded; the limbs solid, with rather strong shanks, and feet in good
condition.
To these qualities he should unite, as much as possible, the
qualities of the saddle horse; should trot and gallop easily; have even gaits,
and not be skittish. The most suitable horse for the pack-saddle is the one most
nearly approaching the mule in his formation. He should be very strong -backed,
and from fourteen to fifteen hands high.
Horses with very. long legs, or long pasterns, should be
rejected, as well as those which are poor, lank, stubborn, or vicious.
The Mule, used with mountain artillery in carrying the pieces, carriages,
&c., is preferable on many accounts to the horse, especially in a very rough
country, where its surefootedness is an important quality. There are two kinds
-- the mule proper, or product of the jackass and snare, being considered
preferable to that of the horse and ass. The former brays, the latter neiges.
The mule may be usefully employed from its fourth year to
beyond its twenty -fifth. It is usually from 13 1/2 to 15 hands high; is hardy,
seldom sick, fears heat but little; is easy to keep; is very sure -footed, and
is especially adapted for draught or packing; but is seldom used for drawing
pieces, on account of its fear of firearms. What has been. said in regard to the
desirable qualities of the horse, is mostly applicable to the mule.
Selecting .- To choose horses, their attitudes and habits should be examined
in the stable. Leaving the stable, they should be stopped. at the door in order
to examine their eyes, the pupils of which should contract when struck by the
light. Out of the stable, they should neither be allowed to remain quiet, nor to
bc worried. Cure should be taken against being deceived by the effects of the
whip, cries, &c. The positions of a horse, his limbs, age, and height,
should be examined at different times. He should be walked about with a long
rein, observing the action of his rear extremities when he moves off, and his
fore ones when approaching, and of both alien moving with his flank towards you.
The examination should be repeated at a trot, observing in what manner the horse
gathers himself; whether he interferes, rocks in his motions, or traverses his
shoulders or haunches. Rein him backwards; make one of the men get on him, and
see if he is difficult to mount, and whether or not he bears too hard on the
bit. Make him gallop a little, to judge of his wind, and see whether his flanks
heave. Have his feet washed and examined carefully. Strike upon the shoe to
determine whether he is easily shod or not.
Age.- The age of a horse is determined by the appearance of his teeth
. When he is five years old, his mouth is nearly perfect, with a full set
(forty) of teeth, twenty in each jaw; six of these are in front, and called nippers,
or cutting teeth; a tush on each side of these, and on each side of the back
part of the jaws six molars or grinding -teeth. At the birth of the colt, the
first and second grinders have appeared, and in the course of seven or eight
days after, the two central nippers force their way through the gums. In the
course of the first month, the third grinder appears above and below, and
shortly after another of the incisors on each side of the first two.
At the end of two months, the central nippers reach their
full height, and before another month the second pair will overtake them. They
then begin to wear away a little, and the outer edge, which was at first
somewhat raised and sharp, is brought to a level with the inner one. So the
month continues until some time between the sixth and ninth month, when two
other nippers begin to appear, making twelve in all, and completing the colt's
mouth. After this, the only observable difference, until between the second and
third year, is the wear of these teeth.
These teeth are covered with a polished and very hard
enamel, which spreads over that portion above the gum. From the constant habit
of nipping grass, and gathering up the animal's food, a portion of the enamel is
worn away, while, in the centre of the upper surface of the teeth, it sinks into
the body of the tooth, forming a little pit. The inside and bottom of this pit
being blackened by the food, constitutes the mark of the teeth, by the
gradual disappearance of which from the wearing down of the edge, we are
enabled, for several years, to judge of the age of the animal.
The teeth, at first presenting a cutting surface, with the
outer edge rising in a slanting direction above the inner, soon begin to wear
down until both surfaces are level; and the mark, originally long and
narrow, becomes shorter, wider, and fainter. Fig. 259 represents the appearance
Of the animals month at twelve months. The four middle teeth are almost level,
and the corner ones becoming so. The mark in the two middle teeth is wide and
faint; in the two next, darker, longer, and narrower; and in the extreme ones,
it is darkest, longest, and narrowest. This appearance of the nippers, together
with the coming of four new grinders, enables the age of the colt to be pretty
nearly calculated.
Six months after, the mark in the central nippers will be
much shorter and fainter; that in the two other pairs will hove undergone an
evident change, and all the nippers will be flat. At two years old, this change
will be still more manifest, and the lower jaw Of the colt will present the
appearance represented in Fig. 260.
About this period, too, a new grinder appears, making twenty
in all, and a still more important change takes place. This consists in the
formation of the permanent teeth which gradually come up from beneath, absorb,
and take the place of the temporary, or milk teeth as they are called, and
finally push the top parts of these latter out of their places. These permanent
teeth are much larger and stronger than the first ones.
The teeth are replaced in the same order that they
originally appeared, and consequently, at the end of the second year, the first
grinders are replaced by permanent and larger ones; then the central nippers,
and so on. At the end of the third pear, the colt's mouth will present the
appearance shown in Fig. 261. The central f teeth are larger than the others,
with two grooves in the outer convex surface, and the mark is long, narrow,
deep, and black.
Not having yet attained their full growth, they are rather
lower than the others. The mark in the two next nippers is nearly worn out, and
it is wearing away in the extreme ones.
A horse at three years old ought to have the central
permanent nippers growing; the other two pairs wasting; six grinders in each
jaw, above and below, the first and fifth level with the other, and the sixth
protruding. The sharp edge of the new incisors will be very evident when
compared with the neighboring teeth.
As the permanent nippers wear, and continue to grow, a
narrower portion of the cone –shaped tooth is exposed to attrition, and they
look as if they had been compressed. The mark, of course, gradually disappears
as the pit is worn away.
At three years and a half, or between that and four, the
next pair of nippers will be changed.
The central nippers will have attained nearly their full
growth. A. vacuity will be left where the second stood, or they will begin to
peep above the gum, and the corner ones will be diminished in breadth, worn
down, and the mark becoming small and faint. At this period, too, the second
pair of grinders will be shed.
At four years, the central nippers will be fully developed;
the sharp edge somewhat worn off, and the mark shorter, wider, and fainter. The
next pair will be up, but they will be small, with the mark deep, and extending
quite across them. The corner nippers will be larger than the inside ones yet
smaller than they Were, flat, and the mark nearly effaced. The sixth grinder
will have risen to a level with the others, and the tushes will begin to appear.
See Fig. 262. The small size of the corner nippers, the want of wear in the
others, the little growth of the tush, the smallness of the second grinder, the
low forehead, the legginess of the colt, and the thickness and little depth of
the mouth, will prevent the horse frown being passed off as over four years old.
The tushes are much nearer the nippers than the grinders,
but this distance increases with the age of the animal. The time of their
appearance is uncertain, and it may vary from the fourth year to four years and
six months.
At four years and a half the last important change takes
place in the mouth. The corner nippers are shed, and the permanent ones begin to
appear. The central nippers are considerably worn, and the next pair are
commencing to show signs of usage. The tush has now protruded, and is generally
a full half-inch in height. After the rising of the corner nippers the animal
changes its name – the colt becomes a horse, and the filly a mare.
At five years the corner nippers are quite up, with the long
deep mark irregular on the inside, and the other nippers bearing evidence of
increased wear. The tush is much grown, the grooves have nearly disappeared, and
the outer surface is regularly convex, though the inner is still concave, with
the edge nearly as sharp as it was six months before. The sixth molar is quite
up, and the third wanting, which last circumstance will be of great assistance
in preventing deception. The three last grinders and the tushes are never shed.
Fig. 263 represents the mouth of a five -year old horse.
At six years the mark on the central nippers is worn out,
though a difference of color still remains in the centre of the tooth, and
although a slight depression may exist, the deep hole with the blackened surface
and elevated edge of enamel will have disappeared. In the next incisors the mark
is shorter, broader, and. fainter; and in the corner teeth the edges of the
enamel are more regular, and the surface is evidently worn. The tush has
attained its full growth of nearly an inch in length; convex outwards, concave
within, tending to a point, and the extremity somewhat curved.
The third grinder is fairly up, and all the grinders are
level. At seven years, the mark is worn out in the four central nippers, and
fast wearing away in the corner ones. The tush is becoming rounded at the point
and edges; still round outside, and beginning to get so inside. Fig. 264.
At eight years Old, the tush rounder in every way; the mark
is gone from all the bottom nippers, and nothing remains in them that can
afterwards clearly show the age of the horse.
An operation is sometimes performed on the teeth of horses,
to deceive purchasers in regard to age. This, called bishoping, after the
inventor, consists in throwing a horse, eight or nine years old, and with an
engraver's tool digging a hole in the almost plain surface of the corner teeth,
of the same shape and depth of those seen in a seven - years old horse.
The holes are then burned with a heated iron, leaving a
permanent black stain. The next pair of nippers are also' sometimes lightly
touched. An inexperienced person might be deceived by the process; but a careful
examination will disclose the irregular appearance of the cavity -- the
diffusion of the black stain around the tushes, the sharpened edges and concave
inner surface of which can never be given again -- and the marks on the upper
nippers. After the horse is eight years old, horsemen are accustomed to judge of
his age from the nippers in the upper jaw, where the mark remains longer than in
the lower jaw teeth; so that at nine years of age it disappears from the central
nippers; at ten from the next pair, and from all the upper nippers at eleven.
During this time, too, the tushes are changing, becoming blunter, shorter, and
rounder; but the means for determining accurately the age of a horse, after he
has passed eight years, are very uncertain.
The general indications of old age, independent of the
teeth, are deepening of the hollows over the eyes, and about the muzzle;
thinness and hanging down of the lips; sharpness of the withers; sinking of the
back; lengthening of the quarters; and the disappearance of windgalls, spavins,
and tumors of every kind.
The uprightness with which a horse habitually stands, has a
great bearing upon his good qualities and endurance. Viewed in profile, his
front legs should be comprised between two verticals, the one, A, Fig. 265, let
fall from the point of his shoulder, and terminating at his toe; the other, B,
from the top of the withers, and passing through the elbow. A line, C, passing
through the fetlock joint, should divide the limb into two espial parts. The
hind legs should be comprised between two verticals, A', falling from the hip,
and B', falling from the point of the buttock; the foot at very nearly equal
distances from these two lines. A line, C’, let fall from the hip -joint,
should be equally distant from these two lines, A', B'.
Viewed in front, a vertical let fall from the point of the
shoulder, should divide the leg along its central line. In rear, a vertical from
the point of the buttock, should divide the leg equally through out its entire
length. The height of the horse, measured from the top of the withers to the
ground, should be equal to his length from the point of the shoulder to the
point of the buttock. His chest, looking at him from the front, should be broad;
and viewed from the rear, he should be broad, with good muscle, and strongly
built.
When artillery, horses, &c., are to be transported,
whether by sea or land, an inventory of the whole, and a statement of the number
of men or troops to accompany them should be made out, and the proper means of
transportation applied for.
By Sea.- For transportation by sea, the inventory should state the number
of articles, the weight of each, and the total weight of each kind, leaving a
large column for remarks. In estimating the weight, increase the total by one
-half the weight of the small articles, such as accoutrements, tools, &c.,
which occupy considerable space in proportion to their weight, and apply for
vessels sufficient for the transportation of the whole weight. Decked vessels
are preferred, especially if ammunition is included among the stores.
The tonnage of vessels is estimated in tons of 2,240 lbs.
The ballast should not count in the tonnage of a vessel, and if it is included,
a deduction of one -third must be made. The captains have usually a certificate
of the tonnage of their vessels; but it may become necessary to make the
estimate, in which case, multiply together the three principal dimensions of the
vessel in yards, and divide the product by 41.9. The result will be the number
of tons.
A statement of the distribution of the articles among the
different vessels should then be made out, as well as an inventory of the number
to be placed on each. The latter should be made out in duplicate, one copy being
kept by the master of the vessel, the other, signed by him, by the person having
the stores in charge, who also should see that the full capacity of the vessel
is made use of, as captains are sometimes apt to say they are overloaded before
they have received their full cargo.
The cargoes should be distributed in accordance with the
object in view. For a single expedition, each vessel should be loaded with
everything's necessary for action at the moment of disembarking; so that in case
of the delay of a part of the transports, it will not become necessary to wait
for them. With each gun should be placed its equipments, ammunition, and the
carriages necessary for their transportation, as well as the platforms, tools,
instruments, and material for the construction of batteries. If a certain
calibre is indispensable to any expedition, all the pieces of that calibre
should not be placed upon one vessel.
The gun-carriages, wagons, and limbers should be dismounted
by rem oving the wheels and boxes, placing in the latter the irons and tools
necessary for putting the carriages together again.
Made-up ammunition should be well packed in boxes weighing
from 100 to 150 lbs., closed with wooden screws or with bands, and provided with
rope handles. Cartridges, fuzes, fireworks, and materials for them, in casks.
Powder in barrels, of not more than 100 lbs. each. Sponges and rammers, worms
and ladles, are united in bundles, according to calibre, for one or two pieces,
and held together by two or three circular plates, with notches; the haversacks
and pouches are placed inside of these bundles. Pioneers' tools, levels, rules,
&c:., each kind by itself, are placed in packages or in boxes. Hay -wads are
placed in sacks, 100 or 150 in each. Each box, package, &c., must be marked
with the kind and number of its contents.
The heaviest objects are placed beneath, commencing with the
projectiles (including empty shells), then the pieces, platforms, gun
-carriages, wagons, limbers, ammunition -boxes, &c. Boxes of arms and
ammunition in positions the least exposed to moisture. Nothing should be placed
in the lower part of the hold, where water is usually found. If it is necessary
to occupy that part of the vessel, the objects least injured by moisture should
be placed there.
If the disembarkation is to be made in the presence of an
enemy, the vessels should be so loaded that some of the field -pieces can be
landed at once, with their ammunition and equipments, with some chevaux-de-frise,
and the tools necessary to throw up intrenchments, or facilitate the landing.
These pieces may be placed upon the deck in positions where they will not
interfere with the manoeuvering of the vessel.
Horses.- In transporting horses by sea, great care should be taken, both
of their food, and to prevent their being injured. With regard to the
arrangements made for their reception and the manner of regulating them on board
ship, the method pursued on board the English horse-transport steamer Himalaya,
as described by Capt. McClellan, will be inserted, as the whole system is
represented as very perfect, and well worthy of imitation. Two rows of stalls,
with the rear ends 2' at least from the vessel's sides, are arranged on each
deck. These stalls, Fig. 266, are each furnished with movable side -boards, a
movable breast -board, and a axed tail-board, all padded, the side -boards on
both sides, the tail -board next to the horse and nearly to the bottom of the
stall, and the breast -board on top and on the side next the horse. The
padding used consists of felt, or raw hide (the latter objectionable on
account of the odor), stuffed with cow's hair wherever the animal can gnaw it,
with straw in other parts. It is from 2" to 3" thick. The feed
-troughs are of wood, bound on the edges with sheet -iron or zinc, and attached
to the breast -boards with two hooks. The breast and side boards ship in
grooves.
Fig. 266 represents the horizontal projection of one stall.
In front of each head -post a halter-ring A is placed, and over this near the
top of the post is a hook, to which the sea -halter is hung when not in use. The
feed -troughs, head -boards, and stalls are whitewashed and numbered.
Fig. 267 represents a section Of One Of these stalls through
the axis. The flooring is raised above the deck on battens, and is divided into
separate platforms for every two stalls, so that it can easily be raised to
clean the deck beneath; four strong battens are nailed across to give the
animals a foothold.
Fig. 268 is a section through the side -boards of a stall,
and shows the dimensions of the timbers and height of side -boards, as well as
the manner of inserting them in their grooves.
S' is the hook for hanging up the sea -halter. This halter
is made of double canvas, 2" wide, and has two ropes, which, being fastened
one to each post, keep the animal's head still, and prevent him from interfering
with his neighbor. C and E are battens for securing the ropes of the sling,
shown in Fig. 269. D, bolts, for the same purpose. when the sling is of the form
represented in Fig. 270.
On the spar-deck, the stalls are under sheds, every eight
stalls forming a separate set, so that they scan readily be moved about when the
decks are to be cleaned. Water -proof curtains are provided for the front and
rear; a passage -way of at least 2' is left between the sheds and the bulwarks.
When practicable, a staging is erected alongside, that the
horses may be walked on and off the vessel; when this cannot be done, they are
hoisted on board in the sling, a small donkey engine being used for the purpose.
In this way, horses may be shipped or unloaded at the rate of one per minute.
The slings are of canvas, of the shape and dimensions
represented in Figs. 269 and 270. For hoisting in and out the horses, the sling
is provided with a breast-strap and breeching. On the main and or lop decks the
sling ropes are attached to the bolts; on the spar deck to battens. It was
intended to adopt the sling represented in Fig. 269, as diminishing vibration.
At sea, the sling is used only when the animals show signs of weakness in bad
weather, in which case about 1" play is given to the slings, as it is only
intended to prevent the horses from falling.
To place the horses in the stalls, all the side -boards are
removed except the one at the end of the row; a horse is then walked along to
the last stall, and the other Bide -board put in, and so on with all the rest.
They should be placed in the same order that they are accustomed to stand in the
stable or at the picket rope. If it becomes necessary to remove a horse from his
stall during the voyage, the breast -board is taken away, and he is walked out.
All wooden parts are washed with some disinfecting compound, or simply
whitewashed. Chloride of zinc is freely used.
The desks are washed every day, and the stalls cleaned after
every feed, especially at 7 p. m. From the spar and main decks, the stale passes
as through the scuppers; from the orlop deck it passes to the hold, and is
pumped out by the engine. On the Himalaya not the slightest disagreeable odor
could be detected.
The feed-troughs and horses' nostrils are washed every
morning and evening with vinegar.
A scraper, brush, and shovel are allowed to every eight
stalls.
A guard always remains over the horses, and in cases of
necessity a farrier or non-commissioned officer is sent for. Great attention is
paid to ventilation. The orlop -deck, although hotter than the others, appears
to be the most favorable one for the horses.
So long as cleanliness is preserved, the commander of the
vessel does not interfere as to the hours for feeding, which are usually at 6
and 11 a. m., and 5 ˝ p. m. If any horse refuses his food, the fact is at once
reported. A supply of forage is always carried on board the ship. The horses
drink condensed steam.
The ration at sea was established at 10 lbs. of hay, 6 lbs.
of oats, half peck of bran, and 6 galls. of water, as a maximum; but it is
generally considered this is too great, and that two-thirds the allowance,
except the water, would be ample, as it is found there is great danger from over
-feeding at sea. No grain is given the day the horses come on board, but simply
a mash of bran, which is considered the best habitual food at sea.
For the men, bunks and hammocks are generally used. Standing
bunks are found to be very objectionable, on account of the difficulty of
keeping them clean. Hammocks are regarded as preferable for men in good health,
while many officers consider it best to provide neither hammocks nor bunks, but
to allow the men to lie down on the fore -decks, with their blankets and
overcoats.
When the transports are numerous, each one should have on
the starboard and larboard, and on a broad pennant at the top of the main -mast,
an easily distinguished number. By means of these numbers, which are marked on
the bills of lading, the disposable resources of the expedition are known at any
time. Vessels carrying some particular flag should be specially appropriated for
the transportation of powder, fireworks, and ammunition, which may be separated
from the pieces.
Disembarking .- The pieces required to act against the enemy at once are
first disembarked, and the remainder of the cargo is taken out in the inverse
order in which it was placed upon the vessels. The wagons which are to serve as
transportation, are put together as quickly as possible. The different articles
are placed together by kind, at a sufficient distance from the beech, in order
not to embarrass the lauding. All necessary precaution should be taken with the
powder and ammunition which is not to be transported immediately, to prevent
confusion, damage and accidents.
If it becomes necessary to transship, or leave any articles
upon the vessels, the facts should be carefully noted on the manifests.
The ships' crews are used in embarking and disembarking,
using for these purposes the yard-arms and tackles. It is ordinarily sufficient
to furnish them with rollers and skids, in order to place the articles
convenient to the tackle. Under some circumstances, it becomes necessary to
establish bridge abutments, shears, gins, &c. For the want of the ordinary
means, a temporary crane may be established. To do this a long mortise is cut in
a beam about one-third of the distance from its end, and upon the ground is
fixed a framework, furnished with a strong vertical pin. The beam is laid on
this frame with the pin in the mortise, like an ordinary pintle, but in such a
way that the ends of the beam can be raised and lowered. The shortest part of
the beam is then turned towards the load, and the different weights being slung
to it, are raised by lowering the opposite end, previously raised to make the
lashings shorter. The beam is then turned around on its pintle until the weight
is in the proper position, when it is lowered gently and unlashed. If a tree or
beam fit for the purpose cannot be obtained, several small pieces may be lashed
and pinned together.
Railroad Transportation .- In railroad transportation, when several trains are
required, they should be in proportion to the power of the engines employed, and
full loads should be placed on them regardless of the divisions made in the
command, such as batteries, half-batteries, sections, &c.
The men are provided, before starting, with provisions to
last during the trip, which should be cooked and carried in the haversacks. The
canteens are filled with water; the French, in warm weather, mixing brandy with
it. As the horses can eat in the cars, even whilst the train is in motion, hay
(pressed if possible) should be distributed at the rate of about 8, 14, or 24
lbs. per horse, according as the trip is to last less than 12, between 12 and
24, or more than 24 hours. A feed of oats (half a ration, 6 lbs.) is carried in
bags, and placed in the baggage cars. It should not be given to the horses on
the road, but after they have arrived at the terminus.
The horses are carried in cattle -cars, or if possible, in
box -cars, which are covered. They are provided with bars at the doors to
prevent the horses from backing out when the doors are opened. By talking care
to keep the horses quiet, however, these bars may be dispensed with. The
saddles, &c., the valises of the drivers, and the bags of oats, are placed
in the baggage cars, which should be provided with brakes.
The "material" is carried on trucks or common
platform-cars. The command should be at the station at least two hours before
starting. The horses should have finished feeding about two hours previous to
their arrival at the station, as they are then more docile. The baggage should
arrive half an hour before the command, under charge of an officer, and be
loaded under the direction of the employees of the road.
The ears should be arranged as near as possible in the
following order: 1st, a baggage -car; 2d, a truck carrying the beams, platforms,
&c., necessary in disembarking; 3d, the horse-cars; 4th, the cars for the
men, one, at least, of which should be provided with a brake; 5th, trucks loaded
with material; 6th, baggage -cars (with brakes) loaded with saddles, &c.
Cars with brakes should always be placed at the head and tail of the train.
Guards should be detailed and so stationed on the train as
to preserve order both when in motion and during stoppages. The commanding
officer should pay especial regard to the wishes of those having the train in
charge, and enforce an observance of the road regulations in his command. On
arriving at the station, the commander at once divides his command and material
into the portions to occupy the different cars.
Horses.- An officer is detailed to superintend the embarkation of the
horses. He furnishes each car with two bundles of litter, and places forage
along the long side of the car opposite
to the door. A non -commissioned officer is charged with loading the saddles,
&c. The men are, under an officer, formed into detachments proportional to
the importance of the material to be embarked.
In a battery, the front and middle teams are unhitched and
assembled, under charge of a non-commissioned officer, with the saddle horses,
in a convenient position nea r the station.
The carriages are drawn up near the cars by the rear teams,
which are then unhitched and placed near the others. The horses are divided,
according to the capacity of the cars, into groups, so that those of any
carriage may be, as much as possible, placed together. The several groups are
arranged in front of the cars they are to occupy.
The saddle horses and near horses of the teams are
unsaddled, but not unbridled. In bad weather the blankets may be placed en and
secured with the surcingles. The harness is left upon the draft horses, and the
traces, breeching, &c., lashed to the collar in such a way that the whole
will be axed as compactly as possible in rear of the horses' breasts. The
crupper, breast -strap, girth, and blanket, are placed together on the shabrac,
and secured with the surcingle. The stirrups are tied together. The saddles, so
arranged, are carried, and laid on the ground at a designated point near the
baggage-ear, as are also the valises, &c., of the drivers.
As soon as the horses of the first carriage are ready, the
officer in charge of the horses directs the loading to commence. The driver of
the leading team of the first piece, assisted by another man, leads successively
his two horses in, lowering their heads to clear the top of the door, and
placing them at the right -hand end of the car, with their heads on the side
opposite to the door. The driver of the second team places his horses next the
first and the wheel team is placed on their left. The teams of the caissons are
placed at the left end in the same order, the wheel team going in first, and the
saddle horses of the piece are placed in the middle. The cars used in this
country will contain from twelve to fifteen horses, and it is found that the
tighter they are packed the better and more comfortably will they travel.
When so packed no men are left in the cars, but when they
are placed at each end, and confined by bars, two men are left in the space
between with some hay to distribute to the horses. Should any horse resist
entering, the next one should be taken and the refractory animal led in
immediately behind him. The docile horses should as much as possible be placed
in first, and mild means are employed in preference to any other in inducing
them to enter.
When the last horse enters, the cannoneers on the outside
place in the bar, remove the ramp, and close the door, after which the bar is
removed and passed to the men inside the car. The horses are tied to the head
bar with the halter strap, which enables them to be unbridled, if the order
should be given. In this case, three or four bridles are united, tied together
near the head stalls by the reins of one, and attached to one of the bars of the
car near the corner, by the same reins. The awnings with which the cars should
be provided, should be left up, unless the state of the weather requires them to
be let down on either side. When the last ear is not completely filled with
horses, they must be kept in place in one or two groups, by bars placed across
the car in the same manner as the door-bars.
Each ear of men or horses is placed in charge of a
non-commissioned officer, or the oldest soldier in it. His duty as chief of the
car is to maintain good order, and to see to the execution of all directions
that are given.
Saddles, &c.-- The non-commissioned officer in charge of the saddle car,
has the saddles loaded by placing one man in the car, who packs them away as
they are handed to him, packed and tied up as directed, by another man outside.
The first saddle is placed upon a bundle of straw with the valise resting
against the side of the car; the saddles of the other teams belonging to the
same carriage, are piled on top of this in their proper order. The saddles of
the other teams are piled successively in the same manner, so as to form
separate piles for each carriage. The officers' saddles are placed on top of the
piles. The chief of the car, with two assistants, inside the car, takes a
memorandum of the arrangement adopted.
Carriages .- Trucks are the most convenient vehicles for the transportation
of the carriages of a battery. Two field -carriages, one and a half, or a single
one, can be placed on one truck, according to its size.
The carriages are unlimbered. and placed, just as they are,
upon the trucks. The following are the principles which should govern the manner
of loading. 1st. The weight should be distributed equally over the surface of
the truck, occupying the least space possible. 2d. Arrange the carriages in such
a way that the ends of the tongues and the extra wheels shall not project beyond
the edge of the truck; and 3d. Consolidate, by chocking and lashing with great
care every part of the load in such a way that the whole is rendered perfectly
solid and arm in position.
With trucks 14' long, two are required for every three
carriages. They are loaded at the end by placing on, first, the rear train with
the stock to the rear, and running it forward until the wheels strike the front
end of the truck, when the stock is rested on the floor. A. limber is then
placed on with the tongue to the front and raised, and run forward until its
wheel will touch those of the rear train already in place; a second rear train
is now put on with the stock to the front resting on the floor, taking care not
to allow its box, if it has one, to touch that of the limber in front of it. In
like manner, a rear train and limber are placed upon the second truck. The third
limber is placed in the rear with its tongue to the front, and resting on the
floor, under the carriages already on the truck.
With trucks seventeen feet long, two carriages can be placed
on a single one. In this case, the rear train is placed on as before, but the
limber is backed towards it till the wheels touch, or, if possible, overlap
those of the rear train, and the tongue is rested on the floor; the second
limber is placed on in the same way, and the second rear train with its stock to
the front, resting on the floor.
When these trucks are so situated in the depot that they can
not be loaded from the end, the carriages are first placed upon ,the second
truck, from which they are crossed to the first on a bridge communicating
between the two, and arranged on it as already described. The second truck is
loaded like the first, by making use of a third, and so on. The last truck is
loaded as hereafter described, for those which can be loaded only at the side.
Trucks which can be loaded only at the side, should be at least fifteen feet
long to carry a carriage and a half, and nineteen feet for two carriages. To
load the former, place two rear trains, or a limber and a rear train
successively, in position at the ends of the truck, as before described, with
the stock or tongue to the rear, and resting on the floor. Then introduce
between these two a limber, raising it by hand, with the tongue up so as to pass
one of its wheels over the tongue and stocks of the trains already in position.
For the trucks nineteen feet long, the first carriage is
established at the end of the truck, as described with the truck fourteen feet
long. The rear train of the second carriage is placed in the same way at the
other end, and its limber is passed in by hand with the tongue up, passing one
of its wheels over the stocks of the rear trains to get it into its position.
In trucks less than fifteen feet long, which can be loaded
only at the side, the two parts of a carriage are placed, one at each end, the
stock and tongue to the rear, and then placed closer together by making the
wheels on one side overlap; the stock being on the floor, the tongue elevated.
In some cases the spare wheel is taken off, and either laid flat on the floor or
leaned against one of the carriages.
During the operation of loading, the tongues should be held
by a sling axed at the end. They are afterwards strongly lashed to one of the
parts of the rear train already on the truck. The lunettes of the caisson
stocks, which. are provided with extra tongues, rest upon blocks high enough to
prevent the weight bearing upon the ends of the tongues, and consequently on the
keys which hold them in position in their stirrups.
As soon as a truck has received its load, the wheels of the
different trains are locked together with cord from .5 to .6 inch in diameter,
chocks are placed under the wheels and nailed to the floor, and the stability of
the whole secured by tying the carriages to the rings of the truck. Straw ropes,
or other means, are made use of to prevent friction between the parts.
The Men.- The men, with their knapsacks and side -arms, are divided, under
the superintendence of an officer, into portions corresponding to the capacity
of the cars. Each division is conducted promptly to the car it is to occupy, the
men entering first going to the end farthest from the door, and so on. They seat
themselves, holding their arms between their legs, the stock or scabbard resting
on the floor. Firearms should never be laid on the seats or stood in corners,
except when leaving the cars at the principal stopping places and stations.
Numbering .- The commanding officer. should cause each car to be marked in
chalk, with the number of the piece to which the men, horses, and baggage
occupying it, belong.
Inspecting .- Immediately before starting, the commanding officer and
conductor of the train inspect the ears to ascertain that every thing is in
order. They should see that the couplings of the cars containing the
"material" are short enough to insure the contact of the buyers. The
officers then enter the car assigned them.
Regulations .- The command being all aboard, the men are strictly
prohibited putting their heads or arms out of the car while it is in motion;
passing from one car to another; uttering loud cries of any hind; and from
leaving the cars at the station before the signal for doing so is given.
The men with the horses keep them from putting their heads
outside the car. They feed them with hay from the hand, until they get used to
the motion, hold them by the bridle or halter, and quiet their fears whilst the
locomotive is whistling. In case of any accident, they make a signal outside the
car, by waving a handkerchief.
If at any station the commander deems it necessary for the
men to leave the cars, after the time indicated by the conductor, he informs the
officers of the length of the halt. The officers remain in the vicinity of the
cars containing their men, in order to direct and govern their movements. The
guard posts sentinels wherever it is necessary, especially at the doors, to
prevent the men from gathering near or opening them.
At a given signal on the bugle, the men leave the cars in
order, and without side -arms. The men in the horse -cars get out over the side.
If it becomes necessary to open the doors of these cars, the door -bars are
first placed in position.
About the middle of the trip, as near as possible, the
police guard and men with the horses, are relieved. At each halt of more than
ten minutes, the commander, or some other officer, and the conductor, inspect
the cars, and especially those which carry the ammunition wagons.
Five minutes before starting, a bugle -call gives the signal
for entering the cars. At the station immediately preceding the terminus, the
horses are bridled, and the forage is collected and formed into one bundle for
each car.
During feeding time there should be at least one man to
every two horse -cars. In general, oats should be distributed only after the
horses leave the cars. Hay is fed by hand by the drivers whilst the train is in
motion. In ordinary weather, the horses are watered only when the trip exceeds
twelve hours; and even in this case they need but little, and a single
ordinary-sized pailful suffices for two horses.
Unloading .- On arriving at the terminus, the offic ers leave the cars first,
and a bugle-call gives the signal for the men. The officers assemble the
cannoneers, with their knapsacks and sidearms on, and form them into detachments
according to the number and position of the discharging points.
The officer who superintended the embarkation of the horses,
assembles the drivers, and if necessary, some of the cannoneers, and marches
them to the point where the horses are to be discharged.
To prevent accidents, it is well to provide one or several
movable bridges for discharging the horses, which are carried on the train. They
are about sixteen feet long, a little wider than the ear door, and are provided
with hand -rails or ropes, movable at will. The bridge is supported at its upper
extremity by a movable horse of a height corresponding to the sill of the door,
and the cars are unloaded by passing them in succession in front of this bridge.
The horse may be suppressed by fixing to the forepart of the bridge two strong
flanges of iron which rest upon the floor of the car and the bridge is applied
in succession to each of the cars to be unloaded.
The non-commissioned officers in charge of the freight cars,
immediately on arriving at the station, have the harness unloaded and placed in
portions as originally divided in the cars.
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