188 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
ON 
AXLE-TREE SEATS FOR FIELD BATTERIES. 
BY 
CAPTAIN IT. L. BALFOUR, E.A. 
The want of some means of mounting a certain number of the detach¬ 
ments of field batteries, and conveying them rapidly to the front when 
required, is generally acknowledged. 
The subject has been much discussed, not only in the corps, but by the 
press and other writers, and has been again brought forward quite recently, 
in consequence of the prominent part taken in the present war by the 
Prussian field artillery, a large proportion of which are field batteries. They 
differ in many respects from those in our service, but principally in the 
manner in which they are manoeuvred. They move more rapidly, unac¬ 
companied by ammunition wagons, and they are enabled to convey a sufficient 
number of men to the front to work the guns by carrying three men on 
the limbers and two on the axle-tree seats. 
The Special Committee assembled to report on Pield Artillery Equipment 
for India, recommended that the height of the axle-tree boxes of the new 
9-pr. M.L.E. gun should be reduced, and rails added to render them 
available for carrying two gunners. This, however, was not approved of 
by the Director-General of Ordnance, who stated in his reply to the Com¬ 
mittee forwarding their report, “The proposal to provide means for mounting 
two men on the gun axle-tree boxes, is a matter of minor importance, and 
Mr. Cardwell does not consider it desirable to adopt the Committee's 
recommendation in this particular." The question, therefore, has been 
brought under consideration, but the final approval not yet obtained. It is 
understood, however, that the axle-tree boxes for the new field gun are to 
be constructed so as to admit of being easily fitted for seats. 
The axle-tree seats in the accompanying sketch were made in 1868, at the 
time of the Eenian raids in Canada, when the field batteries were required, 
under the circumstances, to perform duties which in our service are not 
considered as properly belonging to them. 
An instance of this occurred at the time of the first Fenian raid, when 
two guns of the 4th Brigade were disembarked off a train at St. Arm and, 
in Lower Canada, and ordered to proceed as rapidly as possible with an 
escort of cavalry to Pigeon Hill, about three or four miles distant. 
The officer in charge could only mount three men on the gun limbers, 
leaving the remaining numbers of the detachment to keep up on foot. The 
ammunition wagons, fully packed, and horsed with teams of only four 
instead of six horses, followed at a walk. The guns consequently were 
brought into action with only three numbers besides the No. 1, giving an 
instance of the incomplete footing on which our field batteries are kept, and 
