ARTILLERY

, the heavy equipage of war; comprehending all sorts of large fire-arms, with their appurtenances; as cannon, mortars, howitzers, balls, shells, petards, musquets, carbines, &c; being what is otherwise called Ordnance. The term is also applied to the larger instruments of war used by the ancients, as the catapult, balista, battering ram, &c.

The term Artillery, or Royal Artillery, is also applied to the persons employed in that service; and likewise to the art or science itself; and formerly it was used for what is otherwise called pyrotechnia, or the art of fireworks, with the apparatus and instruments belonging to the same.

There have been many authors on the subject of artillery; the principal of which are, Buoherius, Braunius, Tartalea, Collado, Sardi, Ufano, Hanzelet, Digges, Moretti, Simienowitz, Mieth, d'Avelour, Manesson, Mallet, St. Julien; and the later authors, of still more consequence, are Belidor, St. Remy, le Blond, Valiere, Morogue, Puget, Coudray, Robins, Muller, Euler, Antoni, Tignola, Scheele; to which may be added the extensive and accurate experiments published in my 1st vol. of Tracts, and in the Philos. Trans. for 1778.

Park of Artillery, is that place in a camp which is set apart for the Artillery, or large fire arms.

Traile or Train of Artillery, a number of pieces of ordnance, mounted on carriages, with all their furniture fit for marching. To this commonly belong mortars, cannon, balls, shells, &c.—There are trains of Artillery in most of the royal magazines; as in the Tower, at Portsmouth, Plymonth, &c, but, above all, at Woolwich, from whence the ships commonly receive their ordnance, and where they are all completely proved before they are received into the public service.

The officers and men of the artillery were formerly called also the Train of Artillery, but are now called the Royal Regiment of Artillery; consisting at present of four battalions, besides a battalion of invalids, and four troops of Horse or Cavalry Artillery.