(1.) When the enemy is at a distance.
(2.) When he is in mass.
(3.) When he is in several lines.
(4.) When his line may be enfiladed.
11. In _silencing a battery_, our fire should be concentrated on one
piece at a time, while some of our guns throw spherical case, from a
raking position, if possible, on the gunners.
12. Though grape has a much less range than ball, yet _within four
hundred yards_, on account of its scattering, its effect is superior to
it.
The fire of guns double shotted with ball and a stand of grape, is
fearfully destructive when used at a short distance to repel a charge.
13. It is artillerymen's point of honor _not to abandon their pieces
till the last extremity_. They should always remember that when the
enemy is closing on them, the last discharge will be the most
destructive of all, and may suffice to repulse the attack and turn the
tide of battle.
In our attack on Quebec, in our War of Independence, on the near
approach of our assaulting column, the British gunners fled from their
pieces; but the one who fled last, before leaving, discharged his gun,
which was loaded with grape. The discharge killed and wounded several of
our men; among them the brave General Montgomery, who was leading the
column in person. The effect was decisive. The assailants fell back,
panic-struck at the loss of their commander; and our attack failed.
14. To prevent our own captured pieces from being turned on us by the
enemy, it is the artillerymen's last duty, when it has become evident
that the guns cannot be saved, to _spike_ them. The operation requiring
but a few moments, it can rarely be omitted without disgrace.
VII.--Its Supports.
1. Artillery must always be protected from the _melee_, in which it is
helpless whether against infantry or cavalry; and should therefore have
a strong _support_.
2. A portion, at least, of every artillery support, should consist of
_sharpshooters_, whose fire will be the most effective in driving off
skirmishers sent forward to threaten or attack the guns, or to pick off
the gunners.
3. Batteries must be secured _on both flanks_, and their supports will
be posted with that view; on one or on both flanks, according to
circumstances, and more or less retired.
4. A support should never be directly _in rear_ of the battery, where it
would be in danger, not only of receiving the shots aimed at the
battery, but also of killing the gunners belonging to it, as has
repeatedly happened during the late war.
5. A battery and its support owe each other _mutual protection_.
Therefore, when an infantry support, after holding the enemy in check,
to enable the battery to limber up and retire, is obliged, in its turn,
to retreat, the battery should take such a position as will enable it to
cover the retreat by its fire.
6. A battery consisting of any considerable number of pieces may be
able, sometimes, to _dispense with a support_.
During the battle of Ucles, in Spain, in 1809, the French artillery,
under General Senarmont, had been left behind, owing to the badness of
the roads. The Spaniards came down upon it in large force. On their
approach, the guns were formed in square, and, by their fire on every
side, defended themselves successfully, and finally repulsed the enemy.
So, at Leipsic, in 1813, when the grand battery of the Guard, which had
been left temporarily without a support, was charged by the Russian
hussars and Cossacks, Drouot, its commander, rapidly drew back its
flanks till they nearly met; and the cavalry were soon repulsed by its
fire.
7. At the battle of Hanau, in 1813, Drouot's eighty guns were charged by
the Allied cavalry. Having no supports, he placed his gunners in front
of them with their carbines. This checked the cavalry, who were then
covered with grape, which drove them back to their lines.
Ought not our gunners also to have _carbines slung on their backs_ for
such emergencies? Against infantry, our guns would often need no other
support. The carbines could be used to reply to the enemy's skirmishers;
and the example just cited shows that, thus equipped, artillerymen may
sometimes successfully defend their pieces even against cavalry.