500 {runs 
could be 
horsed in¬ 
stead of 400. 
Proposed 
conversion 
of material 
gradual and 
economical. 
116 LIMBEB SYSTEM FOE FIELD AETILLEEY. 
for instance—be found that extra draught power was required, then 
2 of the 3 mounted men with each gun could readily hook in their 
horses as leaders until the difficulty were surmounted. In the above 
manner, great economy of horses and drivers could go hand-in-hand 
with the up-keep of a large number of guns on a plan of considerable 
efficiency, which would further be capable of rapid expansion to a war 
footing when required. 
Experience has proved that the difficulty of making gun horses 
stand fire is almost nominal, and further that it takes less time and 
trouble to accustom horses to pole than to shaft draught. In the field 
a horse artillery gun and detachment (including drivers) would com¬ 
prise 13 men and 14 horses; a field battery gun (2 mounted men 
included) would have 10 men and 8 horses; a gun on the proposed 
plan (including 3 mounted men) would have 11 men and 9 horses. 
This is leaving out wagons or extra limbers. Suppose each gun 
on these several footings to lose 3 men and 3 horses in action. 
Then the horse artillery gun would still have 10 men and 11 horses, 
and be efficient; the field battery gun would still have 7 men and 
5 horses, but its mobility would be destroyed; the gun on the limber 
system would have 8 men and 6 horses, and retain greater mobility 
than the old Bengal Horse Artillery, and this latter plan would only 
then take up 6 horses per gun to 11 still required for every gun of 
horse artillery! 
It has often occurred that, in a fit of economy, a number of field 
batteries have been either reduced or transformed into garrison artillery 
—presumably on account of the expense of keeping up the horses; 
and then we have as frequently been driven to remount those batteries 
for the field in hot haste, and at war prices, in one of our periodical 
panics. This can hardly be considered either good economy or 
becoming the dignity of a great nation. It is obvious that if we 
simply have a two-horse limber following a field gun in time of peace 
instead of a four-horse wagon, there would be 1 driver and 2 horses 
less required for each piece. How the gun and its wagon takes 
10 draught horses, and a limber system would require 2 less : that 
is, 2 horses in every 10 could be reduced. One driver less out 
of every 5 would also suffice. Therefore four-fifths of the present 
number of drivers and horses would turn out the same number of 
guns, or the same number of horses and drivers would put one-fifth 
more guns on parade, or 500 guns for the present cost of 400. True, 
the limbers would carry only 48 rounds each, while the wagon holds 
108 rounds; but the gun and its limber together with 1 extra limber 
would carry in all 100 rounds, or more than sufficient on a peace 
footing. 
Very nearly all the present artillery material could be utilised if the 
change were carried out, as the modifications proposed are almost 
entirely confined to the boxes containing the ammunition; and the 
conversion of the wagon equipment into a limber system would only 
necessitate a reconstruction of the boxes on the carriages with some 
minor details of fittings, and an alteration of some wagon body frames, 
in order to carry a spare wheel in rear as well as in front. There need 
