ARTILLERY, ROYAL REGIMENT OF, is the collective name for the whole of the A. belonging to the British army. Under ARTILLERY CORI'S, the origin of similar bodies On the continent of Europe is briefly noticed. There was no regular regiment or corps of A. soldiers in the English army till the time of queen Anne, when the present royal regiment was formed. Since that period, from some anomaly which is not easily explained, all time additions have been made to the same regiment, instead of forming new regiments, to be combined into a division or corps. The regiment is now almost an army in itself; and to increase the anomaly, it comprises horse as well as foot. The foot-A., with medium guns, attend infantry in the battlefield; and with heavier guns, besiege and defend fortified places; while the horse•A., with lighter guns, accompany the cavalry. The mounted artillerymen were organized into a body long after those who maneuver on foot. Though both corps form one regiment, they have distinct designations—the Royal-A., and the Royal Horse-A. Besides these two corps, the regi ment is considered to include the Master Gunners and the Coast Brigade.
The regiment has varied from 18,000 to 30,000 strong (including those placed upon the East India establishment), during the last 20 years. Formerly, the foot were divided into battalions, and the horse into troops. Each company, with its quota of guns and stores, constituted a field-battery; and each troop, with its quota, constituted a horse battery. The terms "company" and "troop" are now altogether abandoned as being properly applicable to infantry and cavalry, and both foot and horse are divided into brigades and batteries. Under the old organization, there was no major among the work
ing officers, the designations being captain, second-captain, and lieutenants. The grades now are major, captain, and three lieutenants per battery. A battalion in former times usually comprised 8 companies. When the number of the regiment was 18,000, it com prised 119 companies and troops, averaging somewhat over 150 men each; at other times, the companies varied from 130 to 200 men each. At present, a brigade usually com prises 8 batteries of horse, or 10 of field, or 7 of garrison artillery. A horse-battery has 5 officers and 151 men; a field-battery (at home), 5 officers and 152 men; and a garrison battery, 4 officers and from 100 to 150 men, according to the guns of position in its charge. The brigades of foot-A. are designated by ordinal numbers; the brigades of horse-A. are designated by letters, from A to F (omitting E). In the old nomenclature, the companies and battalions of foot-A. had numbers—i.e., 6th company, 12th battalion; and the troops of horse-A. were designated by letters.
The army estimates for 1878-1879 will afford correct information concerning the state of the royal artillery: Of this number of men 11,928 are placed at the disposal of the East Indies, to be paid for out of Indian revenues.
The internal organization of the royal A., and the relation between the men and the guns which they serve, as well as some specialties of the several kinds of service, will be described under BATTERY. See also the article WAR-SERVICES.