137 
MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY DRILL, 1337. 
BY 
MAJOR H. C. C. D. SIMPSON, R.A. 
The first experience of British artillery in mountain warfare was that 
acquired by the writer's late company, 4 Southern 1 (then 3 Company, 
Bengal Artillery) in the first Bhootan expedition, 1772. The form of 
transport for the light guns was, however coolie, and it was not until 
the first Afghan campaign, that in 1840, under Captain Backhouse, 
the first mule mountain battery (a native one) was organized in India. 
A section of this battery was destroyed at Jagdallak in the retreat 
through the Cabul Pass, and the remainder of the battery was broken 
up at the conclusion of the war in 1843. It has always been the belief of 
artillery officers that the Mountain Artillery branch of the Regiment 
is an Indian product. This is incorrect, as Backhouse, the father of 
the Indian Mountain Artillery, was guided in raising the native battery 
referred to above, by the experience he had gained from service with 
the mountain battery, Royal Artillery, which formed part of the 
artillery command under Colonel Colquhoun, in the expeditionary 
force under Sir de Lacy Evaus, operating on the north coast of Spain 
in 1837, against the Carlists, in the war of the Spanish Succession. 
A drill-book in MSS., drawn up for the guidance of this battery by 
Colonel Colquhoun, has been recently discovered by the Secretary of 
the R.A. Institution in the archives. It is our first M.A. drill-book 
and its provisions, although written 60 years ago, constitute the 
foundation of the principles of our present M.A. drill-book; con¬ 
sequently a review of its contents may prove somewhat interesting to 
M.A. officers. 
cc The constitution and distribution of the battery 99 is dealt with as 
under:— 
The battery consists of four light 12-prs. (or 4f") howitzers, and 
1 It was this company also as A/22,’ which in 1869, under Captain Manderson, made the 
experimental march from Jutogh to Mussoorie, with the first steel mountain battery equipment 
adopted in India. The battery was accompanied by the C.-in-C. in India, Lord Napier of 
Magdala, then just returned from the Abyssinia campaign. 
3. YOL. XXIY. 
