New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-26
VIIRvS SYSTEM OF FIELD ARTILLEBY'

oucb
lavish profusion to our armies 10 the held anu
that is undenisbly true has been sedulous! ,'''
said, and as far as possible, kept out Oh "s"' 'o'
,aosoro ,rb;cb w;,l become obvious whenever uue
history of our Field Artillery service Ill 'u'' ""' 10
written. n,
To design and prepare simple, powerful CHI
c;ent and consistent system OF Field Ar'iiiery' III
cnding rife and smootbbore guns, proJecties, car
Wages implements and stores, securing at the same
time the least lumber and the utmost allowable uni
formity of cabers and ammunition, occupying the
smallest space when transported on cars or ships and
requiring the least motive power for efficient trans
poYtation, on march, has been to mo the object OF
much thought, research, experiment, anxiety, and
labor and has cost large outlay Of time and money
found, on an examination of the Field Artillery
used in the United States service after the COM
mencement of this a:rocious war Of rebellion, that
there were less than nine different cabers OF rife
and smooih-bore guns adopted and in use, ana that
nothing like system or uniformity prevailed In tn
department presided over by Gen. James w. Ripley,
chief of the War Ordnance Department, at Wash
ington. found also that the variety ana size OF the
proectiles were even much moro numerous than the
calibers of the guns and further, TINT the head OF
tho Department., who alone had the power to nsti-
tute uniformity, System, improvement, and radical
changes had but little ability and less disposition.
70 encourage or permit the most obvious and most
necessary improvements on the following points,
which are of vital importance TO our military ell
cheney in the field, namely: The structure Of gun
carriages; the length, weight, and caliber Of the
guns proportoned to the weight of proectile and
a - a ,ba.a md voriad kinds ~
guns and the caliber Of the same, absolutely nec-
essary to secure to the country the most simple and
efficient system Of ordnance for field service. And
furthermore settle by comparative trials, without
reference to this or that gun founder, with whom
ordnance officers might hold friendly relations the
range accuracy, mobility, and size Of prolecte best
adapted for efficient service and transportation in
connection with guns and carriages. Furthermore,
found that it was necessary 70 adopt more simple
and obviously desirable arrangement Of the nipple
ments % as to carry them the top Of the trail,
with such notifications in the structure Of the
wheels and other parts Of the carriage. as would
make our field artillery model in the material OF
which it is made in strength in lightness, in mobil'
lily, ease of management and in the efficiency OF its
projectiles, al also in its durability and facility Of
repair on march, in camp, OF in time of action and
70 require the least motive power in transportation
Impressed by these facts, aud knowing the needs o.
the country, commenced an investigation, shortly
after the fall Of Fort Sumter, which resulted IL the
design and production Of the system OF field arli lery
hereinafter described have met with the most de-
termined hostility and opposition both from Gen
Ripley, Chief Of Army Ordnance, and from Gen
Barry, late Chief of Arti lery Of the Army Of the
Potomac and now Inspector of Army Ordnance
who wero opposed TO the introduction Of any gun
but the Parrot cast-iron guns with their clums
secession Read.Parrott projectiles, which were tn
psts Of Gen. Barry; and the three-inch wrought.iro
ordnance gun, the only one designed and offered
the Army Ordnance Department. Both classes
guns above named were mounted On carriag
designed for style of gun much Lighter, shorter al
differing from them in form. The result has been
amount of ineficiency lamentabe to contemplate.
The same opposition to real progress has been o.
hibited in the opposition made TO the Hotchkiss pr
iectile in favor of what was called the "Dyer
proiectile, which was first intended for the 3-inc
gun and which, after numerous trials, and the isst
ing of an order for more than q, 000 at q cost
e so each projectile, were discarded as utterl
worthless. Various experiments were afterward il
jsctles were superior 10 every other kind presente
for rife field guns Of every kind in service. ha
arrived at that conclusion long before, and the Orc
nance Department, after wasting hundreds Of thor
sands of dollars upon useless experiments, and afte
immense orders were given for various kinds
worthless projectiles of the Shepkls and Parro
stripe, were, in measure, compelled to ccrrobsrat
my Judgment The last appearance Of the Shenkl
projectile which, 10 a considerable extent, for tim
replaced the unfortunate Dyer projectile for tn
3-incb guns, was at Fredericksburg. About Is, 0O
cut of an order for 0,000 were in the Wsshingto
Arsenal, just before the battle Of Fredericksburg
and were ordered from thence by Gen. Hunt. Chic
Of Artillery Of the Army Of the Potomac
whose brother-in.lsw, Dr. Craig, had an interest i
this proectle and THE too, after repeated trials ha
been made by Col. Ramsey and Capt. Benton, whic
demonstrated that not one in twenty would tax
Tifing or explode st the right time
Yet, With a knowledge Of these facts, Cen RIPPLE
suffered them TO 90 forward Oh the eve Of a erea
battle, instead Of refusing, as patriotic and homes
officer should have DONE the repeated acquisitions
Gen. Hunt. Thousands Of these projectes wer
fired into Fredericksburg, az is well known, will
but little destructive effect.
Knowing the urgent wants Of the service, and
knowing also the wretched Encouragement which
distinguishes the Army Ordnance Department under
General Ripley, / make the prominent facts known
and publish to the public my system of field artillery
which has been approved by the ablest officers o.
the day, and which will, think, if common sense
prevails, revolutionze that WORKOUT routine system
which seems to act as a damper upon the inventive
genius OF the country, while it preserves the most
insufficient medley, dignifed by the title of system OF