II. Artillery-guards.—­These in our service are divided into two classes:  1st. Military Store-keepers. 2d. Ordnance Sergeants. Both are alike charged with the care and preservation of the artillery property and stores at the several garrisons, arsenals, and magazines.  In our army we have fifty-eight of these guards, viz:  fifteen commissioned military store-keepers, and forty-three ordnance sergeants.  We seldom have more than this number of permanent posts; each one can therefore be supplied with an artillery guard for the care of the artillery stores.  In the French service there are three hundred and fifteen of these artillery guards; they are divided into three classes.

III. Artificers.—­This class of men are employed in the construction and repairs of military materials.  In most of our arsenals and armories it is thought to be best to employ unenlisted workmen, by the piece or contract.  Nevertheless a limited number of enlisted men of this description are found to be both useful and necessary.  We have three hundred and thirty of these in our army, viz:  two hundred and fifty enlisted “ordnance men,” and eighty “artificers” attached to the regiments.  In the French army they have for the service of the arsenals and establishments, one hundred and forty-nine “ouvriers,” and twelve “artificers;” there are also three hundred and sixty “ouvriers” and seventeen “armuriers” attached to the corps of artillery, making in all five hundred and thirty-eight.

IV. Artillery Troops.—­Artillery, as an arm of service, is divided in the same manner as its materiel; the field-artillery being intended for field service, and the garrison or siege-artillery, for the attack and defence of places.  The troops of the artillery corps of a modern army usually do duty either in the field, or in sieges, or garrison, as occasion may require.  When employed in the service of a campaign, artillery is usually divided into two classes:  1st. Foot Artillery; and 2d. Horse Artillery.

In the early history of artillery, as has already been shown, but few pieces were ever brought upon the battle-field.  Charles VIII. crossed the Alps with a pretty large train; but a part of these were hand-guns, and but very few of the larger pieces were ever brought into battle; indeed, it was then thought that this arm would be of little use except in sieges.  At the battle of Gravelines the army of Philip II. had only seventeen pieces of artillery; and at the battle of Ivry the French had only four pieces of cannon, and two culverins:  the army of the League had also only four pieces.  At the battle of Moncontour the opposing armies had but eight pieces each.