ROLE OF HORSE ARTILLERY, 
327 
the necessity of defeating or disarranging the plans of the assailant by 
a vigorous offensive use of cavalry and horse artillery. This force 
might eventually be posted on the threatened flank and prolong the 
line, so as to throw the enemy farther off* and to compel him to make 
a wider detour, in order to envelope the flank. The artillery which 
takes part in the defence of a position should never quit the position 
for the purpose of retiring as long as there remains the smallest chance 
of the enemy being repulsed. When the horses and limbers are under 
cover, which would almost always be the case when artillery is 
defending a position, there can be no reason why the guns should not 
remain in support of the infantry till the latter are compelled to retire. 
To leave the infantry at the critical stage of the attack, even though a 
better position can be found in rear, is to ignore Napoleon’s famous 
maxim as to the comparative value of moral force; and to encourage 
in artillery officers the commonly received idea that the appearance 
of the enemy’s infantry at any range under 1000 yards is to 
be the signal for the immediate removal of their guns to a place 
of security is surely not prudent. In the event however of its 
being necessary to withdraw from a position, the horse artillery 
batteries will have to cover the retreat of the infantry and to disengage 
it. Their superior mobility will enable them to remain in action till the 
last moment, and they must seek to occupy the enemy whilst the 
infantry is taking up a fresh position. Before retiring, the ground 
should be carefully examined in rear. If this is not done, confusion, 
crowding, and px-obably great loss, will be the result. It is especially 
necessary to guard against this in a retirement, not only for the sake of 
the artillery, but also on account of the infantry in rear, whose morale 
it must ever be the object of the artillery to preserve. 
The grand conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing remarks, and Conclusion, 
the facts they embody is, that it must always be the endeavour of 
horse artillery to gain in time what is lost in power. Horse artillery, 
using the word in its original and ordinary sense, is the lightest branch 
of the field artillery service, with its gunners mounted, and it was called 
into, and has been kept in existence for the purpose of carrying out 
duties for which ordinary field batteries are too heavy. Be it desired to 
send forward a force of cavalry at all speed to anticipate the arrival of 
a train full of troops, or to occupy an important position at a 
considerable distance to the front of the main body: be it desired to 
despatch a division of infantry through some mountainous and difficult 
country, such as the north of Spain; then if the artillery is to 
accompany these troops, the artillery should be horse artillery. And 
why should horse artillery be selected % Obviously because field 
batteries would be too cumbrous. But it may be said, such duties 
could frequently be performed by field batteries, i.e., the mobility of 
field batteries is sufficient in certain cases to enable them to act wdth 
cavalry or infantry for the performance of special duties. When this 
is the case, then field batteries should by all means be sent, for common 
* “ Precis of Modern Tactics.” Home. 
