A FIELD DAY.
We had been drilling and going through the motions of artillery firing
every day for a month, and a few days ago it was thought best to test our
theory by a little practice. Each gun was to fire eight rounds. The targets,
about the size of a large barn, were set up 600 yards in front of the guns.
At noon the pickets were called in from out the woods and soon after
the firing commenced. I ordered a blank to commence with to see if the old gun
would shoot. It spoke out splendidly; I was pleased with it; I then ordered a
solid shot. It was fired and went somewhere, I don't know where; but it didn't
hit the target. Calculating that a shell will travel a mile in seven seconds
and the target was about a third of a mile away, I thought I would try one with
the fuse at three seconds. It was fired and burst at the muzzle of the gun.
That was not satisfactory. I then ordered another with the fuse at five
seconds. This exploded when about half way to the target. I began to think
those shell were all intended for short range anyway, and ordered one at one
second. It was tired, and I heard it whizzing off through the woods a mile
away. I was disgusted with shell practice and thought I would try canister. We
tired one and I could see the bushes cut away ai about 200 yards. Those shots
had been fired at two degrees elevation. I ordered the corporal to sight the
gun at the tops of the trees out in the woods, and tried another canister. This
was better, the shot scattering about the target. : We had now only one more
shot, I thought I would try a solid one, and ordered the gun sighted at the top
of the target. This was an excellent shot and I know it must have gone very
near the target as I saw the top of a tree shake out in the woods in a direct
line of the target.
On the whole, the firing was not entirely satisfactory, but the gunnery
was all that could be desired and I am inclined to think the fault was in the
ammunition. I think it must have been shopworn or second-hand). But perhaps I
ought not to find too much fault, as this was our first practice. I am now
impatient for an attack, for I know we can hold this post against any force
that would be likely to be brought against it, and demonstrate to the country
that we are heroes descended from heroes.
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