The limber in this case is fixed exactly as in retreating with a
limber; but at the distance of two drag ropes length: this therefore
employs two _pair_ of drag ropes. In firing and retreating, if the
gun retreat loaded, 10 is not to light his port fire, nor 11 to point
till ordered. Upon the word _Halt_, Nᵒ 7 must ram home the cartridge,
and the whole face about. In preparing for action from any of these
positions, the same numbers undo exactly what they have just done, and
immediately fall into their places for action; and the duties are the
same with the heavy field pieces as with the light ones.
_Exercise of a Field Gun with 15 Men._
When a light gun has 6 drag rope men attached to it, the duties of
the standing numbers, that is, the numbers from 7 to 15 continue the
same in all the exercises just mentioned; but they assist also in the
movements of the gun by drag ropes.
In the _line of march_, 1, 2, and 3, are on the left of the gun in the
rear of 7; and 4, 5, and 6 on the right, in the rear of 8.
In the _position for action_, 1, 2, and 3, hold the right drag rope,
and 4, 5, and 6 the left, and dress in a line with the axletree. On the
word _Load_, 3 and 4 unhook the drag ropes from the drag washers, 3
holds the hook in his left hand, and 4 in his right; and they hook on
again at the word _Cease firing_.
On the word _Prepare to advance quick_, 2, 3, 4, and 5, slip under the
drag ropes; 2 and 5 man the loop ends on the inside; 3. and 4 the first
pins on the inside; 7 and 8 move to the second pins on the inside; 1
and 6 remain at their pins: 9 and 10 move to the second pins on the
outside; and 12 and 13 to the rear pins on the outside; 14 assists 11
at the traversing handspike; 13 lifts up the trail for 11 to put in the
truck; and 12 gives his match to 10.—Then the word,
_Prepare for Action._
2, 3, 4, and 5, slip back again under the drag ropes, and the whole
resume their places for action.
_Word—With two pair of Drag Ropes, prepare to retreat quick._
3 and 4 unhook from the drag washers, and march to the rear; 2 and 5
follow, and 1 and 6 hook the loop ends of the drag ropes to the trail
hooks. 12 sticks his linstock in the ground, and with 13 brings the
spare drag ropes from 14, and gives the chain ends to 7 and 8 to hook
to the drag washers; 7, 9, and 12, man the right drag rope, and 8, 10,
and 13, the left. To resume the position for action, on the
_Word—Prepare for Action._
7 and 8 unhook the spare drag ropes, and 12 and 13 carry them back to
14; 1 and 6 unhook from the trail, and 3 and 4 hook the other ends to
the drag washers.
_Word—Prepare for Action retreating._
The drag rope men change as in retreating. Upon the word _Load_, 1 and
6 unhook from the trail, and hook on again at the word _Cease firing_.
It must be here remarked, that in the exercise with 15 men, only the
additional duties have been detailed; the duties of the standing
numbers in action, advancing or retreating, being still the same as
without drag rope men. In limbering and unlimbering, the drag rope men
have no duties, but are ready to assist with the drag ropes. The truck
is always put on in all movements with the drag ropes, and thrown off
at the word _Load_.
_Exercise with Heavy Ordnance in a Battery._
_32, or 42 Pounder._
_10 Men._
1 spunges; 2 loads.
3 and 5 run the gun up.
4 and 6 run up and elevate.
7 serves the vent, traverses, primes and runs up.
8 runs up, traverses, and fires.
9 brings cartridges.
10 points and commands.
_9 Men._
1 spunges, 2 loads.
3 and 5 run up.
4 runs up and elevates.
6 brings cartridges, runs up, and elevates.
7 serves the vent, runs up, traverses, and primes.
8 runs up, traverses, and fires.
9 points and commands.
_8 Men._
1 spunges; 2 loads and runs up.
3 runs up.
4 and 5 run up and elevate.
6 brings cartridges, runs up, and traverses.
7 serves the vent, runs up, traverses, and primes.
8 points, fires, and commands.
_7 Men._
1 spunges and runs up.
2 loads and runs up.
3 runs up and elevates.
4 brings cartridges, runs up and elevates.
5 serves the vent, runs up, traverses, and primes.
6 runs up, traverses, and fires.
7 points and commands.
_6 Men._
1 spunges and runs up,
2 loads, runs up, and elevates.
3 runs up and elevates.
4 brings cartridges, runs up and traverses.
5 serves the vent, runs up, traverses and primes.
6 runs up, points, fires, and commands.
_24 Pounder_, &c.
_8 Men._
1 spunges, 2 loads.
3 and 4 run up and elevate.
5 serves the vent, runs up, traverses, and primes.
6 runs up, traverses, and fires.
7 brings cartridges.
8 points and commands.
_7 Men._
1 spunges, 2 loads.
3 runs up and elevates.
4 brings cartridges, runs up, and elevates.
5 serves vent, traverses, and primes.
6 runs up, traverses, and fires.
7 points and commands.
_6 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, elevates.
2 loads, runs up, and elevates.
3 serves the vent, runs up, traverses, and primes.
4 runs up, traverses, fires.
5 brings cartridges.
6 points and commands.
_5 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, elevates.
2 brings cartridges, loads, runs up, and elevates.
3 serves vent, runs up, traverses, and primes.
4 runs up, traverses, fires.
5 points and commands.
_4 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, points.
2 brings cartridges, loads, runs up and elevates.
3 serves vent, runs up, traverses, elevates, and primes.
4 runs up, traverses, fires.
_3 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, points, and fires.
2 brings cartridges, loads, runs up, elevates, traverses.
3 serves vent, runs up, elevates, traverses, and primes.
_4⅖, or 5½ Inch Mortar._
_2 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, brings shells, puts them in,
traverses, and primes.
2 serves the vent, runs up, brings cartridges,
puts them in, points, and fires.
_3 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, traverses, brings shells, and puts them in.
2 brings cartridges, puts in, serves the vent, runs up, primes,
and fires.
3 points, elevates, and commands.
_8 Inch Mortar, or Howitzer._
_5 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, dredges.
2 runs up, brings cartridges and puts them in.
3 runs up, brings shells, puts them in, traverses, primes.
4 runs up, traverses, fires.
5 serves vent, points, and commands.
_4 men._
1 spunges, runs up, dredges.
2 runs up, brings cartridges, and puts them in.
3 serves the vent, brings shells, and puts them in,
runs up, traverses, and fires.
4 runs up, points, commands.
_10, or 13 Inch Mortar._
_10 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, puts in shells, and dredges.
2 runs up, brings cartridges, puts them in, and puts in the shells.
3 brings cartridges.
4 and 5 bring shells.
6, 7, 8, and 9, run up, and traverse.
8 serves vent and primes.
9 fires, 10 points, and commands.
_6 Men._
1 spunges, runs up, puts in shells, dredges, and traverses.
2 runs up, brings cartridges, and puts them in, puts in shells,
and traverses.
3 and 4 run up, bring, shells, and traverse.
5 runs up, serves vent, and primes.
6 runs up, points, fires, and commands.
_Exercise of the Gin._
The complement of men for a gin is usually 1 noncommissioned officer
and 10 men; they are numbered from 1 to 10, the noncommissioned officer
being 11.
_To carry a Gin._
1 and 2 carry the prypole, 3 and 5 the right cheek, 4 and 6 the left,
7 the windlass and fids, 8 and 9 the blocks and tackles, 10 the
handspikes, &c.
_To Set up a Gin._
1 and 2 put a common handspike through the ring, near the foot of the
prypole, at which they lift; 3 and 4 steady the cheeks, by placing each
a handspike against the lower cross bar; 5, 7, and 9 lift the right
cheek; 6, 8, and 10 the left cheek; 11 gives directions. The tackles
must be hooked on before the gin is raised.
_To work a Gin._
1 and 3 man the right handspikes of the gin; 2 and 4 the left; 5, 6,
7, and 8 hold on the fall, and pull in the slack; 9 and 10 steady the
gun, 9 at the muzzle, 10 at the breach. The tackle hook must be fixed
directly over the dolphins, if any, or a little behind the trunnions.
In heaving, when the ends of 1 and 4 handspikes come as low as their
knees, 2 and 3 put theirs into the upper holes of the windlass, and
3 gives the word _Fetch_, upon which 1 and 4 clear their handspikes
from the windlass, and 1 gives the word _Heave_; 2 and 3 then bear
down their handspikes, and remain fast till 1 and 4 having taken their
fresh purchase, 1 gives the word _Fetch_, when 2 and 3 clear their
handspikes, and 3 gives the word _Heave_; and so on alternately, till
the gun is at its proper height, when the handspikes in the upper
holes are made to rest against the upper cross bar, and 5 makes fast
the fall to the lower cross bar; and if required to lower the gun,
eases the fall off from the windlass; 5, 6, 7, and 8 move the carriage,
as required, under the gun.
_Exercise of the Sling Cart._
The men for the service of the sling cart are numbered from 1 to 7; the
noncommissioned officer being No. 7; No. 1 and 2 sling the gun. The gun
must be laid with 1 trunnion touching the ground, and the sling passes
diagonally round the gun; being before one trunnion, and behind the
other; and that end of the sling which goes round the lower side of the
gun must be the end to be acted on by the windlass; as by that means
the trunnions become horizontal when the gun is raised; No. 1, 3, and 5
man the right lever; 2, 4, and 6 the left lever; and upon the word from
the noncommissioned officer they heave together: the noncommissioned
officer then directs _left hand lever hold on, right lever fetch_; the
right lever takes a fresh purchase: then, _right lever hold on, left
lever fetch_; the left lever takes a fresh purchase; they then heave
together again. When the gun is high enough, 7 puts in the pall; 1
and 2 take out the levers, and put in the prypole; 3 and 4 raise the
breech of the gun with two common handspikes, and 5 and 6 lash it to
the prypole: 1 and 2 then lay their levers along side the prypole, and
3 and 4 their handspikes on the top of them, which 5 and 6 lash all
fast together.
_FASCINES_—have different names, according to their size and use.
1. _Saucissons_ are usually made 18 feet long, and from 10 to 12 inches
in diameter; and are used for the revetement of embrazures, or for the
corners of the parapet.
2. _Battery Fascines_—are made from 8 to 12 feet long, and from 10 to
12 inches thick; used for the revetement of the parapet, &c.
3. _Trench Fascines_—from 4 to 6 feet long, and from 4 to 9 inches
thick; used at sieges.
4. _Water Fascines_—6 feet long, from 1 to 2 feet thick; used to cover
marshy and wet situations; they must be loaded with stone to make them
sink.
5. _Covering Fascines_—are used to form the tops of magazines or saps.
They ought therefore to be composed of the strongest branches, with the
addition of a few poles, that they may bear a considerable weight.