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THE
ARTILLERIST’S MANUAL,
AND
BRITISH SOLDIER’S COMPENDIUM.
BY MAJOR F. A. GRIFFITHS,
R. F. P. ROYAL ARTILLERY.
Si quid novisti rectius istis,
Candidus imperti: si non, his utere mecum.
_SEVENTH EDITION._
Published by Authority.
LONDON:
SOLD BY W. H. ALLEN AND CO., LEADENHALL STREET;
PARKER AND SON, 445, WEST STRAND;
CLOWES AND SONS, CHARING CROSS;
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL AND CO., STATIONERS’ HALL COURT;
J. BODDY AND SON, AND W. P. JACKSON, WOOLWICH;
&C. &C. &C.
1856.
Entered at Stationers’ Hall.
PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET, AND CHARING CROSS.
PREFACE.
SEVENTH EDITION.
Similar to each of the preceding editions of “THE ARTILLERIST’S
MANUAL, AND BRITISH SOLDIER’S COMPENDIUM,” the present work contains
much additional matter; and notice has been taken of the subjects
in which improvements, or alterations have been adopted. To those
Officers, and Non-commissioned Officers, who are in possession of the
6th edition of The Manual, it is advisable that I should specify the
chief additions, &c., in the present edition, viz.:—
ALTERATIONS:
Percussion small arms.
Manufacture of cartridges.
Ball cartridge barrels, and boxes.
Carcasses.
Quick match.
Shells, weight, &c.
Ordnance, length, weight, &c.
Service, and management of heavy ordnance.
Wads for heavy ordnance.
Charges for the Royal Navy.
ADDITIONS:
Manual, and platoon exercise of Riflemen.
Instructions for aiming with the rifle musket.
Light infantry signals, and sounds.
Fusil exercise.
Instructions for pitching, and striking tents.
Lights, long. Lights, signal.
Parachute light ball.
Water fuze.
To extricate a shot when jammed in a gun.
To ascertain if a magazine is damp.
Detail for active service of 9-Pounder Troop of Royal Horse
Artillery.
Reserve of gun, and small arm ammunition.
Detail for active service—18-Pounder Field battery.
” ” ” 9-Pounder Ditto.
” ” ” 32-Pounder Howitzer Ditto.
Small arm ammunition reserve.
Exercise of rockets.
To estimate distances in the field.
To find the distance from an object, height known.
Instructions for the exercise, and service of great guns, and
shells, on board Her Majesty’s ships.
Instructions for landing seamen, and marines, with Field pieces.
Charges for the Royal Navy, for boats.
Proportion of charges, for a 51-screw steam frigate.
Ditto Ditto 50-gun frigate.
_Also_—1 New Plate.
2 ” woodcuts.
1 ” diagram.
In the publication of each edition my object has been the same—to
render _The Manual a Compendium_ of all that can be required by
Officers in the Field; and if I may be allowed to judge by the
gratifying manner in which the work has been received by the Officers
of the United Services, my humble exertions have indeed been
successful, ten thousand copies of The Manual, including the present
edition, having been printed.
The extensive circulation of “The Artillerist’s Manual, and
British Soldier’s Compendium,” is no doubt, however, chiefly to be
attributed,—
1st. To the highly favourable notice of the Military Authorities,
as evinced by the GENERAL ORDER of the Master-General of the
Ordnance, dated 25th April 1840, and by the MEMORANDUM, dated Horse
Guards, 10th December 1840.
2nd. To the considerate notice of The Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty, a copy of the work having been ordered to be included in
the libraries of all Vessels of war.
3rd. To the liberal distribution, by the Honourable Court of
Directors of the East India Company, of copies of each edition to
the military authorities at the several Presidencies in India.
In conclusion, I have to express my grateful feelings to His Royal
Highness the General Commanding in Chief, who has been graciously
pleased to promulgate the MEMORANDUM, dated Horse Guards, 13th
October 1856;[1] and my warm thanks are also due to the Officers
of the various Departments at Head Quarters, for the kind manner
in which they have invariably assisted me in the revision of the
work, in order that each succeeding edition may keep pace with the
improvements, alterations, or requirements of the United Services.
_F. A. GRIFFITHS._
_Putney, October 13th, 1856._
(Copy.)
_Horse Guards_,
_Memorandum._ _13th October 1856._
His Royal Highness, the General Commanding in Chief, strongly
recommends to the Officers, and Non-commissioned Officers of the
Army, the Revised edition of a Work, entitled “The Artillerist’s
Manual, and British Soldier’s Compendium,” a work replete with the
most useful Military information, and of which Major Griffiths,
R.F.P., Royal Artillery, is the author.
By command of
His Royal Highness,
The General Commanding in Chief,
(Signed) G. A. WETHERALL,
_Adj.-General_.
GENERAL INDEX TO THE SUBJECTS.
PAGE
Preface iii
_Memorandum_, dated Horse Guards, 13th October 1856 vi
General Index to the subjects vii
Plates viii
Detailed Index to the subjects ix
PART. I. Infantry Exercise, Movements, &c. Sword exercise.
Pitching, and striking tents 1
II. Carbine exercise. Cavalry sword exercise 43
III. Ordnance. Carriages, &c. 48
IV. Ranges. Charges. Elevations. &c. 70
V. Stores. Implements. Combustibles. &c. 83
VI. Field battery Exercise. Detail for active service of a
Troop of Horse Artillery; Field batteries, &c. Interior
management of a Battery. Embarking, and
disembarking. Application of Field artillery. Encamping,
and picketing. Tents. Horses. Forage.
Veterinary directions. Congreve rocket exercise 100
VII. Serving, and working heavy Ordnance 173
VIII. Gunnery 195
IX. Batteries. Fortification 223
X. Bridges, and Pontoons 250
XI. Fireworks 254
XII. Mathematics 265
PLATES.
PAGE
1. Brass Gun, with Names of principal parts 48
2. Field Gun Carriage. Elevation 102
3. ” Plan 103
4. Horse with harness 134
5. Harness. Description 134
6. Garrison Gun Carriage 173
7. Loading, &c. Naval Service 212
8. Vauban’s First system (Plan) 240
9. Do. do. (Profile) 242
10. Modern system of Fortification 243
11. Field Fortification 246
{ Mechanics }
12. { } 294
{ Heights, and Distances }
13. Surveying, and Reconnoitring 307
{ Heights, and Distances }
14. { } 310
{ Practical Geometry }
15. Practical Geometry 324
16. Do. 325
17. Do. 327
INDEX TO THE SUBJECTS, ETC.
PART I.
INFANTRY EXERCISE, MOVEMENTS, &c.
SWORD EXERCISE.
PITCHING, AND STRIKING, TENTS.
PAGE
Musket, Flint lock 1
Percussion Small arms, length, weight, bore, charge, &c. 1
Blank cartridges 3
Manufacture of cartridges 3
Small arm ammunition, boxes, and barrels 5
Instructions for browning Gun barrels 5
Percussion firelocks, Instructions relative thereto 6
INFANTRY EXERCISE, AND MOVEMENTS;
_Extracted from_
“FIELD EXERCISE, AND EVOLUTIONS OF THE ARMY.”
Paces, Length of, &c. 6
_Flint firelocks_, Manual, and Platoon exercise 7
Inspection, and Dismissal of a Company 8
_Percussion firelocks_, Manual, and Platoon exercise 8
Fusil exercise 9
The Manual, and Platoon exercise of Riflemen 10
Instructions for aiming with the Rifle musket 10
Words of command, for Funeral parties 11
COMPANY DRILL.
SECT. PAGE
1. Formation of the Company 11
2. Marching to the front 12
3. The Side, or closing step 12
4. The Back step 12
5. To form four deep 12
6. File marching 12
7. Wheeling from a halt 12
8. Wheeling forward by sub-divisions 12
9. Wheeling backward by sub-divisions 13
10. Marching on an alignement 13
11. Wheeling into line 13
12. Entering into a new direction 13
13. Counter-marching 13
14. Wheeling on the centre 13
15. Diagonal march 13
16. Increasing front of open Column halted 13
17. Increasing front of open Column on the march 13
18. To pass a Defile, by breaking off files 14
19. To move to a flank, in Sections 14
20. Forming Company, &c., from file marching 14
21. To form to either Flank, from open Column 15
22. To gain ground to a flank, by marching in echellon 15
23. To form the rallying square 15
DISMISSING A COMPANY OFF PARADE 15
INSPECTING A COMPANY ON PARADE 15
MOVEMENTS OF A BATTALION.
1. Commands 16
2. Degrees of march 16
3. Marching in line 16
4. Wheeling 16
5. Movements 16
6. The Alignement 17
7. Points of formation 17
8. Dressing 17
9. Open column 17
10. Quarter distance, and close column 17
11. Echellon 18
12. Squares 19
13. Firings 19
Street firing 20
FORMATION OF THE BATTALION 20
EVOLUTIONS OF THE BATTALION 21
MOVEMENTS OF THE BATTALION FROM LINE 21
14. The Battalion, halted, is to advance in Line 21
15. When a Battalion, advancing in line, is to charge 22
16. When the Battalion moving in Line passes a wood, &c., by
the flank march of Companies 22
17. When the Battalion advances, or retires by half battalion,
and fires 22
18. A Battalion in line, to move to attack, &c., to the
front, &c. 23
19. A Battalion in line to retire over a bridge, &c., or retreat
from the flank in the rear of the centre 24
20. A Battalion in line to march off in Column of Divisions,
successively to a flank 24
21. When the Battalion, halted in line, is to form square 25
22. When the Battalion forms a square, &c., to protect baggage
against Infantry 27
23. A Battalion halted, in line, to change front to the rear upon
the centre 27
CHANGES OF POSITION OF THE BATTALION FROM LINE, BY MOVEMENTS OF THE
OPEN COLUMN.
_On a fixed point._
24. The Battalion to change position to the front on the right
halted Company, by throwing forward the whole left 28
_On a distant point._
25. The Battalion in line changes position by breaking into open
column, marching up in column to the point where its
head is to remain, and entering the line by the flank
march of Companies 28
26. The Battalion in line changes position by breaking into open
column, marching to a point where its head is to rest,
and to which its rear divisions form by passing each
other, and wheeling up 29
OPEN COLUMN MOVEMENTS.
27. When the leading flank of the column is changed by the
successive march of divisions from the rear to the front 29
28. To change the wings of a column formed where the space
does not admit of the flank movement 29
29. When the column is required to form a square 29
QUARTER DISTANCE, AND CLOSE COLUMN.
30. When a Battalion forms a close, or quarter distance column
from line 30
31. When the column marches to a flank 31
32. When the column at quarter distance, moving, takes ground
to right, or left, by the echellon march of sections 31
33. When a column, halted, is to wheel 31
34. When a column is to change its front by the wheel, and
countermarch of sub-divisions round the centre 32
35. When a column is to open out to full, or half distance 32
DEPLOYMENTS.
36. When the Battalion, in column of Companies, deploys into
line 33
ECHELLON FORMATIONS, AND MOVEMENTS.
37. When a Battalion, from line, wheels forward by Companies
into echellon 34
38. When the Battalion, having wheeled from line into echellon,
has marched, and halted, and is to form back parallel to the
line it quitted 34
39. When the Battalion, having wheeled from line into echellon,
has marched, and halted, and is to form up oblique to the
line it quitted 34
40. When the Battalion formed in line, changes front, on a fixed
flank Company by throwing forward the rest of the Battalion 35
41. When the Battalion changes front on a fixed flank Company
by throwing back the rest of the Battalion 35
42. When the Battalion changes front on a central Company, by
advancing one wing, and retiring the other 35
43. When, from Open column, the Companies wheel backward
into echellon, to form line on the front Company 36
44. When from line the Companies of a battalion march off in
echellon to the front, and again form line 37
45. When a Battalion in echellon of Companies is required to
form square 37
46. When a Battalion marching in line is to take ground to a
flank by the echellon movement 37
LIGHT INFANTRY. SIGNALS, AND SOUNDS 38
INFANTRY SWORD EXERCISE 38
Extension motions, and positions 38
Preparatory instruction with the sword 39
Review, or inspection exercise 40
Attack, and defence 40
Stick drill 40
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PITCHING, AND STRIKING TENTS 41