The Origin and Services of the 3rd (Montreal)

Flanders, and for a short time two three-pounder guns were attached to each ofthe seven infantry battalions on active service on that campaign. During thenext two years three more companies were sent, and there were thirty-two sixpoundersserving with the infantry battalions. The guns were as a rule attachedin pairs,under a subaltern and two non-commissioned officers, to the differentinfantry battalions. One waggon accompanied each pair of guns. These gunsseriously impeded the movements of the infantry, and sometimes had to beabandoned altogether. Their loss diminished the confidence of all the infantrywho had been trained to consider their assistance necessary. In 1795 the "Battalion" (Field) guns marched past at the head of the regiments to which theywere attached. The ammunition waggon followed the column. ^At this periodto instruct in eachthe artillerymen of the Battalion guns in Ireland were requiredinfantry regiment at least thirty rank and file under a subaltern and twosergeants.In 1798 there were a large quantity of field guns in the British service, buta marked deficiency of trained gunners and horses. The British field artillerysteadily improved during the Peninsular War, until it was acknowledgedto be thebest in Europe. Its value was much enhanced by the use of Colonel Shrapnel sshells. When Waterloo brought peace to war-sick Europe,there were no lessthan 114 troops and companies of field artillery.Among the ordnance stores sent out in the early days of artillery werenumerous sets of men-harness, and in many cases the guns were drawn by dragropeinstead of horses. The first pieces used bymoved about.the British in America were soArtillery played no important part in the wars of the French and Englishcolonists against the Indians. This is natural considering the insurmountabledifficulties of transport. But when the war which resulted in the conquest ofCanada began, the importance of maintaining artillery in the field in spite ofuntrodden forests and almost impassable bogs was realized by both combatants,but especially, apparently, by the British. When Braddock arrived at Alexandria,Virginia, to conduct his fatal expedition to the Ohio Valley there were sent himfrom Ireland the 44th and 48th Regiments and the battalion guns attached tothem, manned by a detachment of fiftymen of the regiment of artillery. TheFrench do not appear to have been so careful to keep their colonial forces suppliedwith ordnance. When the French were in possession of Fort Beausejour theyhad no artillery but ; they managed to deceive their watchful enemies in FortLawrence, near by. They provided sections of trunks of birch, maple and otherhard, well-grown trees, which they shaped and bored after the fashion of cannon,securing them from end to end with cordage, and from one of these they regularlyfired a morning and evening gun as is customary in garrisons. Upon the reduction of the place by Monckton, an enquiry was made for the cannon, and it wasthen discovered how the force in Fort Lawrence had been deceived.12