THE EOYAL ART1LLEEY INSTITUTION. 
209 
THE MOBILITY OP FIELD ARTILLERY; 
PAST AND PRESENT. 
BY CAPTAIN HI ME, U.A. 
[No. IV.] 
“ Les progres (tie l’artillerie de campagne) ont pi’incipalement consiste dans le pertcctionnC* 
ment de sa mobilite.”— Col. Vave. “ Hist, et Tact, des Trois Armes 
When the 19th century dawned upon the world, every civilised nation 
possessed a light field artillery, which in most cases was well organised 
and efficient, and in all cases was established upon a permanent footing. 
Medium and heavy field artillery, however, had almost disappeared from off 
the face of the earth. Austria, indeed, retained what are commonly called field 
batteries and batteries of position, but scarcely a vestige of these services 
remained during peace time in those countries in which light field artillery 
on the detachment system had been adopted. Medium and heavy field guns 
and carriages might, it is true, be found hidden away in the obscure corners 
of arsenals and repositories; but their officers, N.C. officers, gunners, drivers, 
horses, and harness, were no more, and these batteries existed only in name. 
The corpse was there—the flesh and bones, the nerves and sinews; but the 
principle of life was fled, as it seemed for ever. 
Had the light field artillery failed on its general introduction throughout 
Europe, its failure would have demanded a long and elaborate explanation— 
if, indeed, any explanation were possible. Its success requires none, for every 
element of success was present at its birth. 
In the horse artillery the world saw for the first time batteries endowed 
with real mobility; batteries in which the three elements of which field 
artillery consists—the gunners, the guns, and the ammunition—were fused 
into one complete whole, and brought into action together. The means of 
draught—the horses and the harness—were excellent, and the mode of draught 
was good. The men were magnificently dressed, they were amply paid, 
and they were not haunted by the constant dread of being suddenly and 
forcibly torn from the field artillery service which they loved, and thrust 
into the garrison artillery service, which was strange to them and which 
they hated. Their esprit de corps, therefore, was admirable, and they threw 
themselves with enthusiasm into their special profession. Indeed, at the 
beginning of the present century the horse artillery was the only field 
artillery in Europe in time of peace, except in Austria. The horse artillery 
was the field artillery, and the field artillery was the horse artillery; for the 
H 
