Friedrich Engels 
Volunteer Artillery 

The Volunteer Journal, 
for Lancashire and Cheshire. 
Nr. 6, 13. Oktober 1860 

Volunteer Artillery. 

We give, in another column of this week's journal, some remarks from the 
London correspondent of the Manchester Weekly Express, on volunteer 
artillery. The subject is one of great importance, and ought to be widely 
discussed; the more so, as the part which the volunteer artillery is to take 
in the defence of the country, does not appear to have been, as yet, very 
clearly defined. The very article to which we refer, while it wishes to see 
the formation of artillery corps confined to the sea-board, still expects 
volunteer gunners to act as a kind of field artillery, not confining themselves 

10 to the attendance upon heavy guns inf ortif ied places, but also galloping about 

with "light six-pounders or Whitworth's twelves." 

Now, it is evident that the first question to be settled is the proper sphere 
of action of the volunteer artillery. Unless this be done, there will never be 
any uniform system of training in the different corps; and as the science of 

artillery comprises the most multifarious subjects, the whole of which it 
would be difficult indeed, theoretically and practically, to teach to all the 
volunteer officers and privates, the different corps, when wanted for action, 
would arrive with very different qualifications for the duties to be performed 
by them; and many a company, on being put to a particular task, would be 
found to be very little qualified to carry it out. 

In the following observations, we do not by any means profess to say what 
volunteer artillery ought, or ought not to be; we merely wish to point out 
some of the conditions under which volunteer, as well as any other artillery, 
has to be formed, to open the field for that discussion which we invite, and 
from which, ultimately, an understanding must arise, as to the proper sphere 
of action of volunteer artillery corps. 

All artillery is divided into field artillery which has to operate with the 
infantry and cavalry in the field, and is provided with horsed guns; and in 

Volunteer Artillery 

with machinery, such as engineers, mechanics, blacksmiths, will form the 
best material, and on this ground, the great manufacturing centres ought to 
form the best corps. Practice with heavy guns may be an impossibility in the 
interior of the country, but the sea is not so very far from our Lancashire 
and Yorkshire inland towns that occasional trips to the sea-side might not 
be organised for the purpose; besides, with heavy guns in battery, where the 
first graze of every shot can be seen, and the men can correct themselves, 
actual target practice is not of such paramount importance. 
There is another thing against the attempt at getting up volunteer field 
artillery—the expense of the guns and the horsing of them. A few companies 
combining amongst themselves may, indeed, be able to raise the expense of 
horsing a couple of guns for the summer months, and drill with them in turns, 
but neither men nor officers will thereby be formed into efficient field-artil- 
lerists. The expense of equipping a field-battery of six guns is generally 
reckoned about equal to that of getting up a whole battalion of infantry; no 
company of volunteer artillery could afford such an outlay; and considering 
the disgrace attached to the loss of a gun on the battle-field, it may well be 
doubted whether any government would ever be inclined, in case of invasion, 
to entrust volunteer artillery with field-guns, horses, and drivers, on the terms 
on which rifle volunteers are supplied with small arms. 
On these and other grounds, we cannot but come to the conclusion that 
the proper sphere for the volunteer artillery is the manning of heavy guns 
in stationary batteries on the coast. An attempt at field artillery may be 
inevitable in inland towns, to keep up the interest in the movement, and it 
will certainly do no harm to either officers or men to be made acquainted, 
as far as possible, with the handling of horsed light guns; but we confess we 
have, from our own personal experience in the arm, our great doubts as to 
their eventual proficiency in field-service. Still, they will have learned a great 
many things which will be quite as useful to them in the use of heavy guns, 
and they will soon be up to the mark when placed in charge of them. 
There is another point we wish to allude to. Artillery, far more than infantry 
and cavalry, is an essentially scientific arm, and as such, its efficiency will 
chiefly depend upon the theoretical and practical knowledge of the officers. 
We have no doubt that by this time Major Griffiths' "Artillerists' Manual" 
will be in the hands of every officer of volunteer artillery. The contents of 
that book show with what a variety of subjects an artillery officer, and even 
a non-commissioned officer has to make himself familiar before he can lay 
claim to any proficiency in his arm; yet, that book is merely a short abstract 
of what an efficient artillerist ought to know. Besides the regular company 
and battalion drill common to infantry and artillery, there is the knowledge 
of the many different calibres of ordnance, their carriages and platforms, 

Friedrich Engels 

charges, ranges, and various projectiles; there is the construction of bat- 
teries, and the science of sieges; permanent and field fortification; the 
manufacture of ammunition and fireworks; and, finally, that science of 
gunnery which, at the present moment, is receiving such wonderful and new 
additions by the introduction of rifled guns. All these things have to be learnt 
both theoretically and practically, and they are all of equal importance; for 
whenever the volunteer artillery are embodied for active service, they will 
come to a dead lock unless all these branches have been attended to. Of all 
volunteer corps, therefore, the artillery is the one in which the efficiency of 
the officers is of the greatest importance; and we do hope and trust that they 

will exert themselves to the utmost to attain that practical experience and 
theoretical knowledge without which they must be found wanting on the day 
of trial.