A man must appear somewhat vain, who declares that he has been obliged
to reject much useful information, for fear of increasing too much the
size of his work: and yet manages to find room for a few pages of his
own, by way of Preface: but lest the objects which the compiler of this
little work has had in view should be mistaken, he finds it absolutely
necessary to say a few words in explanation of them. This small
collection of military memorandums was originally intended only for the
compiler’s own pocket; to assist him in the execution of his duty: but
it occurred to him, that many of his military friends stood in equal
need of such an aid, and would willingly give a few shillings for what
they would not be at the trouble of collecting. The compiler has seen
young men, on their first entry into the regiment of artillery, give
a guinea for manuscripts, which contained a very small part of the
information offered in this little book. From a persuasion that a very
principal part of its merit is derived from its portability, every
endeavor has been used to press much into a little compass; and it is
hoped, that this power has not been so far exerted, as to make the
whole unintelligible: but, it must be understood, that the compiler
does not propose to convey instruction to the untaught, but only to
make a few memorandums of reference to facts; which those already
versed in the military profession are supposed to have the knowledge
to apply. The totally ignorant of these matters, he has, therefore,
nothing to say to; they must consult more voluminous works. An
alphabetical arrangement is merely adopted as the best calculated for
this purpose; and as nothing like a military dictionary is intended,
all terms are omitted, not within the compiler’s plan. All reference to
plates has, likewise been avoided; as they not only very much increase
the cost, but the bulk of a book. The principal difficulty which the
compiler has had in making this little collection, has been to confine
it within the limits of his original plan. The quantity of useful
information which has pressed for admittance, has been with reluctance
rejected. Such authors only have been quoted, as are generally esteemed
the best; and every advantage has been taken of such information,
as the compiler has been able to collect from experienced friends;
but he has ventured to offer nothing whatever of his own. The French
military authors have been principally consulted, on all subjects not
immediately confined to our own system; and such notes as are given
respecting their ordnance, may be of use in drawing a comparison with
our own; and may serve as references to those in the habit of reading
their military works. The compiler has not, in any instance, attempted
to offer changes which he may have been led to imagine improvements;
or to point out what he thinks deserve the title of defects in our own
system; but he has given every information according to the present
practice in our service. He cannot, however, help expressing a hope,
that he will one day see his little book laid by as totally obsolete,
and a better built upon a system less complicated, and more applicable
to that particular nature of service which this country has in every
war the greatest reason to expect.
Our armies will never, it is to be hoped, find a field of battle but on
the other side of the water: they must therefore always be subject to
the inconveniencies attendant upon the embarkation, and the confusion,
too often the companion of a disembarkation of a quantity of ordnance
and other military stores upon an enemy’s coast: how peculiarly
necessary is it, therefore, that our military system should be the
simplest and the best arranged. The French system of artillery was
established as far back as the year 1765, and has been rigidly adhered
to, through a convulsion in the country, which has overturned every
thing else like order; and which even the government itself has not
been able to withstand. We should therefore conclude that it has merit,
and, though in an enemy, ought to avail ourselves of its advantages.
At the formation of their system, they saw the necessity of the most
exact correspondence in the most minute particulars; and so rigidly
have they adhered to this principle, that though they have several
arsenals, where carriages and other military machines are constructed;
the different parts of a carriage may be collected from these several
arsenals in the opposite extremities of the country, and will as well
unite and form a carriage, as if they were all made and fitted in the
same workshop. As long as every man who fancies that he has made an
improvement is permitted to introduce it into our service, this cannot
be the case with us.
Gunpowder has been so much improved of late years, under the direction
of Col. Congreve, that the experiments made with the old powder are now
of little service: only such tables of ranges with different natures of
ordnance have therefore been inserted, as have been ascertained since
the improved powder has been in use. As experiments are daily making
at Woolwich and elsewhere, a blank leaf may be bound up after each
nature of ordnance, in order to insert an abstract of them.
The compiler thinks it necessary to address himself to two classes
of persons in particular; perhaps they may comprise the whole of
his readers. First, those who think his little book might have been
made much more complete. Second, those who think it improper that
any information upon such matters should be offered to the public.
To the first, he acknowledges the justice of the remark, but has to
remind them, of the very great difficulties which they may themselves
have experienced, in collecting information at Woolwich. To the
second, he has but to remark, that he is well aware of the objections
urged against publications which may give information as well to our
enemies as our friends; but he does not imagine his little book to
contain matter of sufficient consequence to do such mischief: and he
is supported in an opinion by the most powerful and best organized
military nations in Europe, that such secresy is the surest mark of
ignorance.
The first edition being out of print, the compiler has endeavored to
improve this, by _every_ correction, and by _some_ of the additions
which his friends have been kind enough to suggest to him as necessary:
but if he has neglected much of the valuable information offered
him, it has not been from an insensibility of its merit, but from its
entering more into the detail of matters than his little book would
afford room to profit by; for it still professes not to instruct, but
only to remind.
The compiler has added to this edition a short alphabetical index to
the contents. This may appear to some superfluous, considering the
alphabetical arrangement of the subjects: but it has been impossible to
avoid a great deal of reference from one part of the work to another:
beside, the compiler has observed in several of the copies in the
possession of his friends, notes in manuscript, (entered on sheets
bound up for the purpose) which are also to be found in the body of
the work. This the compiler attributes to a cause which the index may
probably remedy, by enabling the reader to know, at one view, the whole
contents.
_AMMUNITION_—For small arms, in the British service, is generally
packed in half barrels, each containing 1000 musquet, or 1500 carbine
cartridges. An ammunition waggon will carry 20 of these barrels, and an
ammunition cart 12 of them: their weight nearly 1 cwt. each.
The cartouch boxes of the infantry are made of so many different
shapes and sizes, that it is impossible to say exactly what ammunition
they will contain; but most of them can carry 60 rounds. See the word
_Cartridges_; and for Artillery Ammunition, see the word _Artillery_,
for the field, for the siege, and the defence of a fortified place.
The French pack all their ammunition in wagons without either boxes or
barrels, by means of partitions of wood. Their 12 Pr. and 8 Pr. waggons
will contain each 14,000 musquet cartridges, but their 4 Pr. waggons
will contain only 12,000 each.
_AMMUZETTE_—See the word _Guns_.
_APRONS_—of lead for guns—
_lbs._ _oz._
Large—1 foot long—10 inches wide 8 4 weight.
Small—6 inches ” —4½ ” ” 1 12 ”
_ARMS_—Small
+---------------+---------+-------+---------------------------+
| | Length | Diam. | Balls weight for |
| Nature. | of | of +-------------+-------------+
| | Barrel. | Bore. | Proof. | Service. |
+---------------+---------+-------+-------------+-------------+
| | Ft. In.|Inches.| oz. dr. gr. | oz. dr. gr. |
|Wall pieces | 4 6 | .98 | 2 8 8 | 2 5 7 |
|Musquet | 3 6 | .76 | 1 6 11½ | 1 1 12 |
|Carbine | 3 0 | .61 | 0 14 13 | 0 12 11 |
|Pistol, common | 1 2 | .58 | 0 8 15 | 0 7 4½ |
| ” carbine | 1 0 | .66 | 0 14 13 | 0 12 11 |
+---------------+---------+-------+-------------+-------------+
_ARTILLERY._—The proportion of artillery and ammunition necessary to
accompany an army in the field, to lay siege to a fortified place,
or to defend one, must depend upon so many circumstances, that it
is almost impossible, in a small work of this kind, to lay down any
satisfactory rules as guides on the subject: the following principles
are, however, drawn from the best authorities: