Also known as: flying artillery, mounted artillery.
| Role | Fast light artillery serving with cavalry |
|---|---|
| Distinction | All cannoneers mounted, not riding the carriages |
| Effect | Moves at cavalry speed |
Guns with the cavalry
Horse artillery was a form of light field artillery designed for speed. Instead of some cannoneers walking or riding on the carriages, every man of the crew was mounted, so the whole battery could move at the pace of cavalry and keep up with the mounted arm.
This gave commanders artillery that could gallop into action on the flanks or with the cavalry, and horse batteries were among the most mobile and dashing of the field artillery.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- Gibbon, John. The Artillerist's Manual. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1860.