CHAPTER II. THE NECESSITY, BIRTH, AND PROGRESS OF HORSE ARTILLERY. THE RO OF all the so-called Battalion Records, which were kep the various Head-quarter offices at Woolwich up to year 1859, and the details of which are, at the best, of most scanty description, perhaps the most meagre and disappointing are those of the Royal Horse Artillery. From the well-known esprit of this branch of the ser it might have been expected that its earlier history w have been treated almost with effusion by those in w custody was a book purporting to contain a record of services. But it may be said with truth that for one of information obtained from the written records of brilliant arm, ten have been obtained from the tradit handed down verbally, and fondly treasured by succes generations of officers; and even a greater part of required information has been obtained from works of gen military history, and from extant official letter-books. The first section of these old Record Books professe treat of the circumstances of the original formation of particular part of the Regiment concerned. In the Rec of the Royal Horse Artillery this section is compressed two lines. "The Royal Horse Artillery was formed as "additional corps to the Regiment of Artillery on the "February, 1793." Remarkable for its brevity, this acco of the formation of the Royal Horse Artillery is remarkable for its inaccuracy. It was not an additio corps to the Royal Artillery, but from the very commer ment an essential, integral part of it. The Driver Co formed in 1794, was an additional corps to the Ro Artillery; but its officers were, until after Waterloo, dra from a different source, and its men were never Artillerymen. The Royal Horse Artillery, on the other hand, was invariably officered by the Royal Artillery, and was recruited from its ranks. Of the wisdom, or otherwise, of this policy, it will be necessary to treat hereafter; but of the fact there can be no doubt. Yet again, in the brief record quoted above, are compressed other inaccuracies. The Horse Artillery did. not spring into existence, as a corps, on 1st February, 1793, as the words would imply. Two troops were authorized in January of that year, but not for twelve years of straggling augmentations of staff-officers and troops, can it be said to have attained its proper maturity. The earlier wars of the French Revolution were the boyhood of the Royal Horse Artillery, as the Peninsular campaign was its glorious manhood. After Waterloo, until the Crimean War, its history was a blank page. Hime, Artillery. It is fortunate that an officer of the Regiment has been found, at once so capable and so patient in tracing out the circumstances which impressed on the world the necessity of this arm, as the author of the papers on 'The Mobility Captain of Field Artillery, Past and Present.' According to this H. W. L. writer, England was the last among the leading nations in Royal Europe to adopt the use of Horse Artillery. As early as Proceed1788, the subject had strongly attracted the attention of ings R. A. the Master-General of the Ordnance; but, unfortunately, he referred it to a committee. The period of gestation, so to speak, in committees on military subjects is very great; in this particular instance the winter of 1792 had arrived without any result from their laboure. The introduction of Horse Artillery into the Prussian service dates from 1759; and in 1792 this arm was introduced into the French and Swedish armies. In other European countries improvement had been made in Field Artillery, without, however, adopting the system of mounted detachments; but this latter is the distinctive mark of Horse Artillery. It has been asserted, and on good authority, that Horse Artillery was used in India prior even to its adoption by Frederick the Great--and dating as far back as Institution. the Mili the British 1756. If the existence of an Artillery without mobility sufficient to impress on the authorities in that count sense of the necessity of some improvements, the argu was not wanting. In an engagement between the En "History of and French troops near Trichinopoly in 1753, "the En tary Trans-"for more expedition, marched without any field-pied actions of and when the infantry advanced against the French i Nation in action fought shortly afterwards, "the artillery, in the h "could not keep up with the battalion." The advantage pp. 312 more mobile artillery must certainly have been app after such melancholy exhibitions. Hindos tan,' vol. i. 368. Hime. 'Aide-Mémoire to the Military Sci ences,' art. 'Ordnance,' Gleig. It has already been mentioned in this work that rap of movement, more especially under fire, was ren hopeless by the frequent employment of peasants to a drivers to the batteries. The formation of the Royal I Artillery did not free the Field Batteries from this A quaint circumstance in proof of this is narrated b author already mentioned. "In 1798, the Commanda "Woolwich inspected some guns manned by gunners o "8th Battalion, R.A. The guns were each drawn by "horses in single file, which were driven by contract di "on foot, hired for the occasion, dressed in white sn "with blue collars and cuffs, and armed with long ca whips of the ordinary farm pattern. When this for "able array had been reviewed, the Commandant, Ge Lloyd, and the Garrison Adjutant, expressed their opinion that field artillery movements could not be "formed quicker." The increase of mobility over the system-of which the above is a real, although, per exceptional illustration-which followed the introducti Horse Artillery can best be shown by another and instance. At the battle of Fuentes d'Onor, Bull's tro Horse Artillery-now D Battery, B Brigade-was surrou and cut off by the French cavalry. It was at the under the command of the 2nd Captain, Norman Ra "Guns thus dealt with are almost always lost, and sequently the army ceased to think of Ramsay an "men, except as prisoners. Presently, however, a 66 66 66 66 "commotion was observed among the French squadrons; men and officers closed in confusion towards one point, "where a thick dust was rising, and where loud cries and "the sparkling of blades and flashing of pistols indicated some extraordinary occurrence. . . Suddenly the multi- Napier. "tude became violently agitated; an English shout pealed high and clear; the mass was rent asunder, and Norman Ramsay burst forth, sword in hand, at the head of his troop, his horses, breathing fire, stretched like grey"hounds along the plain; the guns bounded behind them "like things of no weight, and the mounted gunners followed "close, with heads bent low, and pointed weapons, in desperate career." Between the crawling peasant-driven team on Woolwich parade, and this glowing description of a Horse Artillery battery but a very few years later, there is a contrast, which shows at a glance the immense stride in the direction of mobility, which had followed the introduction of that branch of the Regiment to whose story this chapter is devoted. Much of this improvement was due to the fostering care of the Master-General, and of the DeputyAdjutant-General, afterwards Sir John Macleod; much also was due to the encouragement of General Officers, who found to their amazement a force of Artillery, which could conform to their most rapid movements; and not a little was due to the practical school of experience opened in the Peninsula; but, to their honour be it stated, the rapid progress towards the standard of perfection attained by the Royal Horse Artillery was mainly due to the labours and the devotion of the officers belonging to it, who were inspired by the same esprit and the same conscientious regard for their duties, as have continued to animate the officers of that brilliant arm to this day. While the Committee, appointed to decide the question of Horse Artillery in connection with our service, wasaccording to wont-babbling harmlessly and fruitlessly in the fourth year of its existence, a virtual rupture took place between England and France. The Duke of Richmond, then Master-General, immediately took the matter himself VOL. II. Ꭰ |