468 
MINUTES OF PKOCEEDINGS OF 
advancing with swift and irresistible progress in Prance; 1 the spirit of reform 
was fast undermining the strongholds of Dulness; and her chief priest, de 
Valliere was laid with his fathers in 1776. On his death, Gribeauval 
was recalled to office. 
Judged by his work, taken as a whole, Gribeauval was the greatest 
reformer, certainly in the materiel , probably in the personnel , the artillery 
world has yet seen ; and the uniformity, simplicity, solidity, and lightness of 
his system, which was founded upon the complete separation of field from 
siege artillery, 2 have deservedly gained for him an honourable and enduring 
reputation. But his system by no means attained to that absolute perfection 
which critics whose criticism consists of either unqualified praise or unmixed 
blame would have us believe. His carriages, though lighter than those of 
the Yallieresystem, 3 were still too heavy; his gunners were afoot; not a shot 
could be fired on coming into action until his guns had been shifted from 
the travelling to the firing trunnion holes; 4 and holding fast by the antiquated 
notion that guns should be dragged about by men when under fire, he laid, 
much stress on the man-harness he constructed for that purpose. Finally, 
thwarted by the irrational and malicious opposition of a self-interested faction, 5 
he was unable to force into the French service the two great inventions of 
1 Buckle’s “ History of Civilisation,” chaps. 9, 10,11,12, 13. 
2 “ L’Artillerie de compagne n’avait ete reellement separe de l’Artillerie de siege que par 
Gribeauval.”— “ Etudes, &c.” par l’Empereur Napoleon III. Avant propos, p. IX. 
Weight of 12-pr.gun. 
Weight of 12-pr. 
carriage and limber. 
Total. 
Weight of 8-pr. gun. 
Weight of 8-pr. 
carriage and limber. 
Total. 
[ Weight of 4-pr. gun. 
Weight of 4-pr. 
carriage and limber. 
Total. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
cwt. 
He Valliere’s system . 
28-5 
15-7 
44-2 
18-8 
13-2 
32*0 
10*2 
11-5 
21*7 
Gribeauval’s u . 
16-0 
17-4 
33-4 
10-7 
15*4 
26-1 
5-3 
10-8 
16-1 
Difference. 
12-5 
-1-7 
10-8 
8*1 
-2-2 
5-9 
4-9 
•7 
5*6 
“ Etait ce la peine de faire tant de depense et tant de bruit, pour perdre d’un cote et gagner 
si peu de 1’autre?” Such is the comment of a supporter of Yalliere on these conclusive figures ! 
“ Lettre d’un Officier du Corps ftoyal de l’Artillerie au Lieut.-Colonel du Begiment D.” 
1774, p. 34. Scharnhorst’s “Handbuch der Artillerie,” Band II. p. 589. 
4 With the carriages of the 18th century it was necessary, before limbering-up, to change the 
gun from the firing to the travelling trunnion holes. The prolonge was consequently highly 
thought of and extensively used, because it saved a long and laborious operation. 
5 “ Allein die meisten Officiere von der Artillerie, und insbesondere die beiden Yaliere, Yater und 
Sohn, welche bisher an der Spitze des Artillerie-Corps sich befanden, und grosse Yerdienste urn 
dasselbe hatten, waren mit dieser Erleichterung nicht zufrieden .”—“ Handbuch der Artillerie,” 
von Scharnhorst, Band II. p. 588. 
