History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Vol. 1

Two Courts-martial, one upon an officer, and one upon a gunner, are mentioned here, as probably interesting to the reader. Lieutenant McCulloch, having been tried and found guilty by a General Court-martial, of disobedience to Colonel Belford's orders, was suspended for the space of three months, and ordered to make the following submission: "I am very sorry I am guilty of a neglect of my duty, and I do particularly ask Colonel Belford's pardon, and will, for the future, avoid being guilty of a thing of the like nature." Having complied with the submission, and Colonel Belford having requested that the remaining part of the sentence might be remitted, the Duke of Cumberland, being highly pleased with the conduct of the Artillery at the recent battle of Val, was pleased to accede to the request.

The gunner, who was tried, had been guilty of insubordination towards a sergeant, and being formally convicted by a Regimental Court-martial, was sentenced to be "reduced in pay and duty for one month to matross, ride the gun, ask the sergeant's pardon at the head of the Regiment, and that the difference of his pay be employed for the use of the sick."

In reading the accounts of this war between the Allies and the French, one feels how just was the remark of Louis XV. after Val, that the "British not only paid all, but fought all." On them fell all the brunt of every engagement, and the discussion and misunderstanding which so often prevailed among the Allied commanders had no effect upon the bravery of the British troops. At Val, the Artillery had thirty men killed, Major Michelson, Lieutenants McLeod, Farrington, Dexter, Stephens, Pedley, and nineteen men wounded; and twenty-five taken prisoners. They received the special thanks of the Duke for their conduct during this obstinate and bloody engagement.

The next thing that strikes one is the cool and able generalship of Marshal Saxe. He had superior numbers under his command; nor did he suffer from divided counsels, but these advantages do not conceal his military talent.

Next, to the student's mind, the absurdly luxurious way of making war then prevalent suggests itself, if the term can be applied to any contest where loss of life was so great. It was, indeed, a game at which the leaders played; and in the quiet of their systematic winter-quarters they devised and matured new moves for the coming season. How changed is modern warfare! What a different system is to be read in the stories of the trenches before Sebastopol, or the winter encampment of the Germans round Paris!

The war gradually filtered itself away into the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. After Val came the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom, where fourteen men of the Royal Artillery were killed; then came winter quarters at Breda; then came preparations for a new campaign in 1748; although peace was in every one's mind, and the plenipotentiaries to conclude it had already met; then came the siege of Maestricht, with its Quixotic ending; and at last came peace itself. A peace which brought profit neither to England nor to France; which could not obliterate the long list on the rolls of each nation which war had entered in the books of death; which, if possible, only made the folly of the contest more apparent; and which, while it ceased the actual roll of cannon, and crossing of bayonets, did not stop the pulsation of hatred in each nation's breast, which was to throb with increasing vigour, until a new and more bitter war should gratify the unsmothered longings of each. A peace which – with the solitary exception of Prussia – seemed to do good, or bring rest to none but unhappy Flanders, the battleground of Europe, the victim in every international contest.

But a peace, also, which closed for a time that sterner school of discipline in which the Royal Artillery had now for years been studying; in which there had been officers such as Macbean, Desaguliers, Phillips, and Pattison, learning lessons, which were to bear fruit in yet grimmer warfare, both in Europe and America; and on whose black-boards – blank in this respect, when the war commenced – there had now been indelibly inscribed the words, that "an Army without Artillery is no Army at all!"

Before closing this chapter, there are one or two points connected with the Artillery in the field, which deserve mention. First; the amount of ammunition which was carried in the field with each gun was as follows: – 100 round-shot, and 30 rounds of grape; with the exception of the long 6-pounder guns, which carried 80 round-shot, and 40 grape. Second; the stores and ammunition were issued direct by the Commissaries to the officers commanding Brigades of guns, i. e. Batteries – on requisition – who had, however, to make their own cartridges, and fix the wooden bottoms to the round-shot and grape, after receipt. The wooden bottoms were made by the artificer, called the turner; and were fastened by the tinman. Another of the tinman's duties was the manufacture of the tubes – and of boxes to contain them. Third; luxurious in one sense, as the war was, it had its hardships, as the following extract will show: – August 27th, 1746. – "Arrived at camp after a most difficult march, the Artillery constantly moving for four days and three nights without encamping – nearly starved; through woods, over mountainous country, with the bottoms full of rapid little rivers and deep marshes. Almost all the horses lost their shoes, and men and horses nearly starved. 3rd September. – Marched from the camp at 3 A.M., and crossed the Maise, 170 yards broad, over the pontoon bridges, near Maistricht. The bridges were commenced laying at one o'clock in the morning, and were completed by seven, when the heads of the column made their appearance. The French army was in order of battle on the heights of Hautain, opposite to Visel, where he supposed we were to pass, with a design to fall upon us when we were partly crossed the river. 5th September. – The enemy attacked our light troops posted opposite to Visel, on the Maise, and handled them very roughly; those that were not killed, being forced into the river, where they were drowned." Lastly, it is to be noted that, as in all our later wars before they have lasted any time, the ranks were thinned by disease and death, and there was a difficulty in replenishing them, even with recruits. It is to be hoped that the system of reserves recently organized in the English Army will in future mitigate this evil.

On the return of the Army to England in 1748, three companies of Artillery were reduced; the officers being gradually brought in, as vacancies occurred. Among other customs brought by the companies from Flanders was that of employing fifers as well as drummers: "the first fifers in the British Army having been established in the Royal Regiment of Artillery at the end of this war, being taught by John Ulrich, a Hanoverian fifer, brought from Flanders by Colonel Belford, when the Allied Army separated."12

So much for the school of discipline in Europe. But there had been a class-room opened in the East, to which the Regiment sent some pupils. Admiral Boscawen had been ordered to the East Indies, in command of a mixed naval and military force, including a company of the Royal Artillery, under Major Goodyear. The force of the enemy, and the strength of his defences, had been underrated; and it cannot be said that the expedition was very successful. The ordnance which accompanied the Artillery consisted of twelve 6-pounders, six 3-pounders, two 10-inch, three 8-inch, fifteen 5½ inch, and twenty-five 4⅖-inch mortars, all of brass. It was at the siege of Pondicherry that these guns were used, a siege which lasted from the 11th of August to the 6th of October, 1748, when Admiral Boscawen was compelled to raise it after a loss of over 1000 men. The Royal Artillery lost, out of a total of 148 of all ranks, no less than forty-three, including Major Goodyear, who fell, mortally wounded, during the siege, his leg being carried away by a round-shot.

A stop was put to the hostilities by the declaration of peace, but the presence of Admiral Boscawen enabled him to ratify, in a prompt manner, that part of the treaty which restored Madras to the English. Many men of Major Goodyear's company were allowed, in 1749, to volunteer for the East India Company's service.

But this expedition has an interest to the Artilleryman beyond the military operations. Before sailing, Admiral Boscawen asserted his intention, in spite of Major Goodyear's remonstrances, of filling up, as Commander-in-Chief, any vacancies which might occur in the company of Artillery.

The Board of Ordnance was appealed to, and most warmly protested against such an interference with its prerogative, – declaring that none of the appointments made by the Admiral would be recognized by the present or any succeeding Master-General. Doubtless, the Board was right; and Admiral Boscawen, being anxious to retain the favour of all under his command, let the matter drop. With a seniority corps, essentially detached when on service, it was absolutely necessary that promotion should be general, not local. At the same time, the restraint of the Board was irksome – not the less so because just; and the feeling could never be agreeable to a commander, that serving under him were those who owed a special allegiance to another. As time went on, and the military department of the Ordnance increased, this irritation would become more general, and the points of difference between Generals and the Board would multiply.

The wisdom of the change which put Generals and the Ordnance Corps under one head might have been proved by à priori, as it has been by à posteriori reasoning; and this trifling episode between Admiral Boscawen and the Board is interesting, as showing that, thirty years after the Regiment had been called into existence, the Dual Government of the Artillery was already producing natural consequences. But it is also interesting, as manifesting the affection which the Board already evinced for the child they had begotten – an interest sometimes too paternal, but never unlovely.

An excellent letter from the principal officers of the Ordnance is extant, urging the claims to Army Rank of the officers of the Artillery, which had been again questioned by some belonging to the other arms of the service. The difficulty was, in a very few years, settled by the King, in place of the Master-General, signing the commissions of Artillery officers; but this letter from the Board is interesting, as pleading, on grounds of justice and in language far warmer than could have been expected, the claims of the corps which they had created. The letter bears date 24th February, 1744, and, after quoting the decision in favour of Artillery officers arrived at by the King in 1724, and confirmed in 1735, and mentioning two Courts-martial held in 1737 and 1742, at which officers of Artillery sat with those of the other arms, according to date of Commission, goes on to say that, notwithstanding these facts, there are not wanting those who deny any military status to Artillery officers in the field. The writers then state a case, to show the absurdity of the view objected to: – "If a Captain of Artillery, with a number of guns and Artillery people, should happen to be escorted by a Lieutenant of a Regiment on Foot, with a number of men belonging thereto, the Captain (according to the sentiments of those with whom we differ) must take his orders from the Lieutenant, which he would, with reason, think a great hardship; for the Lieutenant would not obey one whom he deems to be no more than a titular Captain, and who, he is taught to believe, has no rank in the Army. And if the said Lieutenant should be killed, and the command devolve to the eldest sergeant, according to the notion before mentioned, the Captain of Artillery must take his orders from the said Sergeant of Foot, – the consequence of which is so obvious, that we need not enlarge upon it."

"But further, my Lord, should this opinion prevail, it would be a total discouragement to the officers of Artillery, as well as highly prejudicial to His Majesty's Service."

"The ordinary duty and discipline of the officers and private men of the Artillery is, in every respect, the same with that of every other Regiment of the Army. The qualifications of Artillery officers are not acquired by practice only, but are the result of long study and application. They must be proficients in several sciences, and Masters of several arts, which is not required from other officers. They are subjected to the Articles of War, and all the penalties of the Act for Mutiny and Desertion, and are equally a part of His Majesty's Forces with any other Regiment of the Army. The service of the Artillery is generally understood to be more dangerous and severe than any other; and although they are an essential part of one and the same Army, yet if they bear no rank in it, but at Courts-martial only, they are in a worse situation and under greater difficulties and discouragements than any part of the Army; for, let their service have been ever so long, – their conduct and bravery ever so conspicuous and meritorious, – they can only rise gradually and slowly in their own little corps, if they have no rank in the Army, and can never be promoted in any other, which is the usual and almost only reward of distinguished merit in other officers."

While sympathizing with the spirit which animated the writers of the above, one may differ as to the nature of the reward they sought for meritorious officers of Artillery, in promotion into the other arms. For more than forty years after this letter was written this reward was one which was coveted by the senior officers of the corps for the younger members. Doubtless, the intention was to obtain a promotion for them which could not be found in the stagnation of a seniority corps. But, to the modern Artilleryman, the promotion which involved separation from the Regiment for whose duties he had been specially trained would be but a doubtful reward.

CHAPTER XII.

Woolwich in the Olden Time

Life in the Barracks in the Warren, where the Artillery at Woolwich were stationed, with the exception of one company, which was detached at Greenwich whenever the Warren was overcrowded, can be gathered from the Standing Orders which survive in the old MS. order-books in the Royal Artillery Regimental Library and Royal Artillery Record Office. A few of these orders, extracted from the books whose contents extend over the period between 1741 and 1757, cannot fail to be interesting.

The establishment of each company at the commencement of that period was as follows: – One Captain, one Captain-Lieutenant, one First Lieutenant, one Second Lieutenant, three Lieutenant Fireworkers, three Sergeants, three Corporals, eight Bombardiers, twenty Gunners, sixty-four Matrosses, and two Drummers – in all, one hundred and seven.

The uniform dress of the officers was a plain blue coat, lined with scarlet, a large scarlet Argyle cuff, double-breasted, and with yellow buttons to the bottom of the skirts; scarlet waistcoat and breeches – the waistcoat trimmed with broad gold lace, – and a gold-laced hat. The Sergeants' coats were trimmed, the lappels, cuffs, and pockets with a broad single gold lace; the Corporals' and Bombardiers' with a narrow single gold lace; the Gunners' and Matrosses', plain-blue coats; all the non-commissioned officers and men having scarlet half-lappels, scarlet cuffs, and slashed sleeves with five buttons, and blue waistcoats and breeches; the Sergeants' hats trimmed with a broad and the other non-commissioned officers' and men's with a narrow gold lace. White spatterdashes were then worn. The Regimental clothing was delivered to the non-commissioned officers and men once a year, with the exception of the Regimental coats, which they only received every second year; receiving in the intermediate year a coarse blue loose surtout, which served for laboratory work, cooking, fatigue duties, &c. The arms of the officers were fusees without bayonets, and not uniform. The sergeants, corporals, and bombardiers were armed with halberds and long brass-hilted swords; "the gunners carried field-staffs about two feet longer than a halberd, with two lintstock cocks branching out at the head, and a spear projecting between and beyond them (great care was paid to keeping these very bright); a buff belt over the left shoulder, slinging a large powder-horn, mounted with brass over the right pocket; and the same long brass-hilted swords as worn by the non-commissioned officers. The matrosses had only common muskets and bayonets, with cartouche-boxes."13

The variations in the dress of the Regiment which subsequently were made will be noted in their proper places.

A few of the orders issued by General Borgard are given to show the interior economy of the Regiment in 1743 and subsequent years:

March 13, 1743. "That the corporals and bombardiers do not drink with any of the private men."

March 29, 1743. "That if any non-commissioned officer or gunner make himself unfit for the King's duty, either by drinking, whoring, or any other bad practice, he will send them to the Hospital at London for cure, and discharge them out of the Regiment."

January 30, 1744. "That no man go out a-shooting, on any account whatever."

August 15, 1744. "The Captains to advertise all their deserters in the newspapers."

October 29, 1744. "That none of the people go three miles out of quarters without a passport, in writing, from the Captain or officer commanding the Company to which they belong."

February 15, 1745. "That neither non-commissioned officers, cadets, nor private men go a-shooting, either in the Warren or Country, without leave of their officer who commands the company to which they belong."

April 18, 1746. "That none of the non-commissioned officers strike any of the men, on any pretence whatsoever; but in case they are guilty of any misbehaviour, confine them prisoners and report them to the commanding officer. That the Sergeants, Corporals, and Bombardiers enrol in duty all alike."

July 22, 1746. "That the Sergeants and Corporals go round all the Public-houses in Town, and acquaint them that it is the General's orders that they trust none of the Train people on any account whatever."

October 20, 1746. "That none of the men carry their victuals from the Baker's or any other weight on their Regimental Hats. That the Orderly Sergeants and Corporals make these orders known to the same."

November 21, 1746. "That the Captains have all their men provided with a knapsack, two pair of shoes, three pair of stockings, and three shirts and stocks each."

March 2, 1747. "That none of the men be suffered to go to work in their Regimental coats, but either in frocks or surtouts."

March 16, 1747. "The men who are taken sick and sent to the Infirmary are to be paid only 3s. 6d. per week, which money is to be paid the nurse for subsistence; The remainder of their pay to be kept until they are recovered."

June 16, 1747. "That none of the officers turn any of their horses to graze in the Warren."

January 8, 1749. "That none of the Lieutenants go to London, stay all night out of quarters, change his guard, or any other duty without the General's or Commanding Officer's leave; that they first apply to their Captain or Commanding Officer of the Company to which they belong for his consent to be absent, which if obtained, they may then apply to the commanding officer, and not before; that if any officer change his guard or other duty without leave, or does not attend the Parade exactly at the Hour of Mounting, or the proper time when visiting the Barracks, or any other duty is to be done, that the Adjutant report the same directly to the Commanding Officer in quarters."

February 27, 1749. "The Roll to be called in the Barracks at nine o'clock at night, in presence of the Officer on Guard, who is to have a Report made to him in writing of those absent. Immediately after the Roll is called the Orderly Corporals are to go into Town, and each go round their men's quarters (those in private lodgings as well as those billeted in Public-houses), and make a report to the Officer of the Guard of those who are absent. The Orderly men are then to go to their Rooms, and the Sergeant of the Guard to lock both Barrack doors, and bring the keys to his officer, who is to send the Sergeant to open the doors at Reveillé beating in the morning. The officer shall confine any of those men who are found absent if they come in during his Guard, and report them to the Commanding Officer at his being relieved. But, in case they do not come in during his Guard, he is to leave their names with the relieving officer. If the orderly men find any men absent from quarters over night, they are to go early next morning to see if they are come home, and, if they find they are, to bring them to the Guard in order to be examined by the officer and give reasons for being absent the night before. If the orderly men, in going round, find any man drinking in Public-houses where they are not quartered, they are to order them home, which if they refuse to comply with, are to bring them directly to the Guard, and confine them for disobeying orders."

April 1, 1749. "The Orderly Corporals are to report to their respective Captains all non-commissioned officers and private men who do not parade for church, in order to their being stopped a day's pay, according to the Articles of War; and if any man is seen to quit his rank after marching from the parade, and does not go to Church, he shall be punished the same as if he had not paraded, of which the non-commissioned officers who go to Church are to report at their return to the Orderly Corporals, and they to the Captains."

There was immense excitement in Woolwich in the spring of 1749. A great firework, made at Woolwich, was to be exhibited in the Green Park, and the Regiment, for the first time, was to be reviewed by the King. The Order-books bristle with threats and admonitions, and some of them reveal a power in the Commanding Officer of which he has long been deprived.

April 16th, 1749. "The officers and men to be under arms to-morrow both morning and afternoon. The officers to endeavour as much as possible to perfect themselves, both in taking posts and saluting. The captains to see that their companies march strong, and in as good order as possible, on Tuesday morning at seven o'clock, in order to their being reviewed on Wednesday by the King. Every man to parade with his arms and accoutrements as clean as hands can make them; and in case any of their clothes want mending or buttons, the person so offending shall be severely punished. And the first man that is seen drunk, or the least in liquor, he shall be immediately brought to ye halberts, and there receive 300 lashes, and afterwards be drummed out of the Regiment with a rope about his neck. The guard to mount to-morrow in black spatterdashes, and the officers in boots."

After order. "That all the cadets who desire to see the fireworks be under arms at five o'clock in black spatterdashes, and their officers in boots, in order to march by Lambeth to the Green Park. They are to take white spatterdashes in their pockets to appear in."

The discipline among the cadets may be comprehended from the following order: —

October 10, 1840. "Complaints having been made to the Board that the following persons belonging to the Company of Gentlemen Cadets in the Royal Regiment of Artillery have been very negligent of their duty, viz., Francis Volloton, Archibald Douglas, &c. &c. And that Francis Volloton has been absent above twelve months, and not so much as attended the muster, and has otherwise misbehaved himself. It is the Board's orders that the said Francis Volloton be broke, and the rest suspended from their pay till they show cause to the contrary."

A previous order to that just quoted shows that boyishness was not confined to the Cadets. An order, twice issued, appeared on

July 23, 1749. "That none of the men play at long bullet on Plumstead Road, of which they are all to be acquainted."

August 26, 1749. "When any of the men die or desert, the Captain of the company is to put down the day in the muster-roll against his name, and the money to be left in the agent's hands from the day such men died or deserted for recruiting others in their room."

March 14, 1750. "The Captains or commanding officers of companies are to observe that henceforward no man is to be enlisted under five feet nine inches without shoes."