Handbook for Light ArtilleryDyer, A. B. (Alexander Brydie)
History
Handbook for Light Artillery
Dyer, A. B. (Alexander Brydie)
Artillery, Field and mountain
One section of picket-rope, coiled around spare-wheel axle-bolster, or
around floor-rods and rear cross-bar.
Two extra boxes of ammunition can also be carried, one on each side of
spare-wheel axle, resting on the floor-rods and lashed on.
STOWING OF CAISSON IMPLEMENTS.
=Long-handled Shovels.=--The concave faces of the blades are toward and
resting against the axle, under side, the shovel-points being passed
into staple-straps in rear of the axle and the shovel handles afterward
into catches on the front cross-bar, against which the ends of handles
rest.
=The Pickaxes=, which must be put on _before_ the shovels, are carried
beneath by fixtures attached to both middle and side-rails. The ends
of the handles are brought together, the _pointed_ halves of the
blades overlapped, one in advance of the other (if the spare pole be
on, this must be done _above_ the pole); handle-ends are then passed
into a broad strap of sheet metal depending from the middle rail, and
at the same time the outer blade-ends into brackets or shelves on the
side-rails. In this position the overlapping blades should be under
a catch and immediately in front of a bracket or shelf on the middle
rail, which is to support the picks, and to get them into which they
should be pressed up against the spring and toward the axle until the
spring falls behind them.
This spring has, toward the axle, a long branch on which to place the
hand when pressing up the spring to remove the picks.
=The Axes and Spades= are carried between the chests. A board is
there, permanently riveted to the side-rails at each end. Within the
rails, on opposite sides, are slots, into which the blades are placed
vertically, the halves resting on top of the board. The spade-blades,
spade-handles crossed, are placed on the board, one at each side,
between the helve of one and the blade of the other axe, concave face
toward the axe-blade, the ends of spare blades against the outer branch
of the upright metal stops fastened to the board-ends; the handles of
the spades are then forced down until the ends rest on top of the axes.
=The Canvas Buckets= are carried in left compartment under limber
foot-boards.
=The Lanterns.=--Lanterns are carried in canvas bags hung across the
spare-wheel axle-bolster. They hang below the floor-rods and do not
swing.
The picket-rope section, manœuvring-handspike, and spare pole or
spare wheel are carried as already indicated. _Spare wheels, spare
poles, and manœuvring-handspikes are not considered part of the
regular caisson equipment._ In war-time it is proposed to carry on each
spare caisson a spare wheel, on the left caisson of each platoon a
spare pole, and on the right caisson of each platoon a spare handspike.
In horse-artillery the front chest of each caisson-body should be
removed to bring the gun-team and caisson-team loads to an equality and
give space for forage.
CAISSON, WEIGHTS AND EQUIPMENT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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