ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD. 
25 
Divisions and so on, the rules that guide are the same as for batteries, 
only that the difficulties are largely increased, A single Battery lies, or 
should lie, in “ the palm of the Major's hand," but it will take a very 
large fist to include three batteries. Further, for one opportunity of 
drilling the Brigade Division that falls to the lot of the Lieut.-Colonel, 
the Major gets quite half-a-dozen of drilling his battery; and also for 
one position that suits a Brigade Division, there are many that will 
comfortably hold a battery, and with larger bodies still it becomes more 
a scheme of positions than a position, as it is rarely indeed that the 
conformation of the ground will allow of a large number of batteries 
being brought into action in anything like a continuous line. 
And how is the art of taking up all these varied positions to be 
practised ? I mean beyond the practice given on parades, field days, 
and manoeuvres. Well, I think that we who are constantly riding 
about the country to exercise ourselves or our horses, can do a great 
deal by thinking out positions as we go along. Let us view the 
country over which we are riding as if it were one over which we 
were conducting either an attack or retreat, aud let us ever be looking 
out for suitable positions for our guns. I know many officers who do 
this habitually—I do myself—and recommend it to the attention of 
those who up to this time have not done so. 
Cross country riding is an excellent way to train our non-commiss¬ 
ioned officers, and on odd days when the guns are not out, instead of 
keeping to the roads, Commanding Officers can give much instruction 
by working with their mounted men—by forming skeleton detach¬ 
ments, sending forward ground scouts, and indeed working as if the 
guns were present. 
But in whatever light you view these methods—and I know there 
are lots of opinions on these subjects—do it somehow—remember that 
practice is better than precept, that the habit of looking at a country 
from a military point of view, and the habit of taking up Artillery 
positions, cannot be learned entirely from books, and though to a 
certain extent it comes as a natural gift to some, yet it can always be 
improved by the best , and cultivated more or less by those even who 
are most deficient in this particular. We know that every man is not 
a born rider, but there are very few recruits who have to be returned 
from the riding school as “ unable to learn." Read up all that is said 
in the text books by all means, that of course you must do. But some 
way or another you must practise, and practise habitually working in 
the open, if you are to avoid failure in the hour of trial. 
The massing of Guns for action is a necessity now universally 
admitted, that is to say, it is a necessity iu war time. But how seldom 
have we the opportunity of practising in peace time the massing of 
guns even in Brigade Divisions. At only one camp did we get over two 
batteries together this year. 
With regard to the movements aud massing of larger bodies of 
Artillery very few of us have any practical experience, but should a war 
of any size break out there is no doubt that we should be called upon 
at a short notice to operate with a considerable force of Artillery. 
4 
