315 
BOLE OF HORSE ARTILLERY. 
the enemy’s ponderous columns before they could be deployed; at 
another they dashed round his flank, and by their unexpected fire 
threw his troops into irretrievable confusion.”* Such was the use of 
the horse artillery in the Waterloo era ; but the days of long range and 
breech-loading small-arms, and the development of line tactics, put an 
end at once and for ever to this brilliant system of attack. The days 
of “ canister tactics ” are over, and, in so far as its fire is concerned, 
horse artillery has been a heavy loser. 
So much for horse artillery in the past. Passing on to the more Presentuses 
important branch of the subject, its present and future, it may be well 0 
to commence by inquiring, Has horse artillery lost, on the whole, by 
recent tactical developments, and by the improvements in firearms? 
This will be best answered by another question: Has the value of 
mobility decreased? The reply to this can be in no way doubtful. 
Far from having decreased, the value of mobility has increased 
enormously. The causes of this increase in the value of mobility are 
so numerous, so apparent, and so generally acknowledged, that it will 
be unnecessary to enter into them here. It may be just stated that 
the great increase in the extent of positions occupied by armies on the 
defensive, as well as in the area of ground over which troops will have 
to move to the attack of points defended by long-ranging arms of 
precision, has done much to enhance the value of mobility. It is true, 
beyond doubt, that the old tactics of horse artillery have disappeared 
for ever, and with them happily has been swept away a collection of 
absurd theories as to the sacred nature of this arm, and the supposed 
differences between it and the field batteries; yet there still exists in 
modern tactics a role for horse artillery, the duties of which are more 
important and more onerous, and therefore more honourable, if less 
brilliant, than any it ever had to perform in the past. A very little con¬ 
sideration will show that this is the case. It is no mere figure of speech 
to say that horse artillery will be called upon to play a part in war 
second in importance to that of no other branch of the service at the 
present day. It is the one arm whose labours never cease from the 
moment that an army enters upon a campaign till its conclusion. Cavalry, 
infantry, even the divisional artillery, have their periods of inaction, but 
for the horse artillery there is no rest. With the cavalry of the 
advance, or with the advanced or rear-guard; at every stage of the 
attack or defence of a position; in pursuit or retreat, the presence of 
horse artillery will always be necessary. There is hardly any conceiv¬ 
able phase of war, in fact, except where the ground precludes its 
employment, in which its services will not be required. 
In order to consider the duties of horse artillery in detail, the subject 
may be divided into the following heads :— 
(1) Duties in connection with .the cavalry. 
(2) Corps artillery. 
Before entering upon this branch of the subject, I may as well say 
* “ The Mobility of Field Artillery.” Capt. Hirne. 
