BRITISH ARTILLERY. dust before the English wars on the Continent, which began in 1793, the British artillery consisted of a train composed of both field and siege guns, organized in brigades of 12 pieces each. Two guns were assigned to each infantry battalion. Draft was by three horsees in single file, the drivers being carters on foot. The necessity for reorganization and improvement was soon made apparent. The driver corps for the gulls was established in 1794. The dispersion of the gulls among the infantry battalions was abol ished in 1802, the guns being formed into field batteries or brigades of ti guns each. Shrapnel was invented by Major Shrapnel in 1503, and Congreve rockets by Sir W. Congreve in 1806. Horses were harnessed in pairs. the drivers rid ing the off-horses. There were 6 horses to each gun and 4 to each caisson. The armament for
cacti battery was 5 guns and I howitzer. uniform in each field-batte•y, either or 12-pounders. The howitzers were brass pieces. At first the horse-batteries contained two 9- and three 6-pounders, but later all five guns were 9-pounders. Congreve rockets were unique re versions to earlier artillery weapons, but seem to have been effective. The rocket consisted of a sheet-iron case inclosing the explosive, and was fired from a tube. They were first used at Leip zig (1813) and with great success; also in the Peninsular War at the passage of the lower Adour (1814), and at Bladensburg. against American troops. Notwithstanding the above improvements, the British artillery still lacked mobility. Improvement in this direction was steady up to the time of the Crimean War.