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Quote: stuart
My sources are for the most part freely available on line such as De Tousard's work "American artillerist's companion: or Elements of artillery." as well as my own book shelf, the most important one there being "A Guide to the Discipline of the Field Atillery of the United States" by Captain William Stevens.
This is a scan of an original work published in 1797 by an officer who served with the Continental Artillery during the war and was the basis for the first formal drill manual in the United States Army and has recently been reprinted - you can get a copy via Amazon. Steven's work is a study of actual practice by someone who was there, not an official 'do it this way' manual.
I also have eight years "hands on" experience with a 3pdr gun crew so I've got a fair idea which about side of the gun to stand and on what equipment was used :)
If you ever make it Mount Vernon (George Washington's estate) on July 4th come over and say hi!
More like it - especially the use of original sources, love it. Sorry to hear of your illness, and truth be told after I had written that I looked back at your contributions and wondered whether I should have deleted the comment. In the end I decided to let it stand.
It really hacks me off when people quote modern sources or worse other figure ranges, though to misquote Shepherd Book "there is special hell is a special hell for people who just criticise and offer no justification" - them, spammers, trolls and people who talk in the".
I think the telling point is that Stevens's book is a book written by a serving officer in action and not a theorist. So as you have said it's about what was and not what thought should have been. I shall have a look at that, thanks.
If I ever get to Mount Vernon be very sure I will look you up - I have worked black powder pieces myself - I once spend a very pleasant weekend bombard Hinchinbrook House in Peterborough, in England, the home of that warty-faced dog-robber Oliver Cromwell. We did no damage, but for a died in the wool royalist like me Dayum! that felt good.
