ever, left the presidential chair on the 3d of March following; and, instead of the regiment being organized, the horses of Peter's troop were sold, that gallant officer having, like almost every other man of merit in the southern army, been so ill-treated by General Wilkinson, that he resigned. Since that day, doubtless many improvements have been made in light artillery; yet Peter's artillery was of this arm, and of nearly as excellent discipline as the company of Ringgold and those of Duncan, Washington, &c., modelled on it during the last twelve years. Now every light artilleryman is mounted. In Peter's company, those who moved the pieces when limbered, and those in charge of the ammunition, were mounted; the rest of the men were in cars, drawn by horses with as much facility as the guns. This was a mode adopted in the French army at that time. When this corps was revived, Ringgold was assigned to the command of the company of his regiment, and, by patient study abroad and untiring diligence at the cavalry school at Carlisle, then commanded by Captain Sumner, 1st dragoons (now major, 2d dragoons), made this company worthy of being what it was, a model company for this small but favorite arm.

Identified with this arm is the memory of Major RINGGOLD, a member of a family already illustrious in the annals of the state of Maryland, of which he was a native.

Major Ringgold was the son of General Samuel Ringgold, formerly a senator of the United States, from Maryland, and was born near Hagerstown. He was graduated at West Point, when in his twentieth year, in June, 1818, and consequently was born about 1798 or 1799. After serving in the Black Hawk and Florida wars, in his regiment (the 1st artillery), to which he was

assigned on the breaking up of the old artillery corps, in which he had previously (July 24, 1818) received the commission of second lieutenant, he proceeded to Europe; and, with the courtesy ever extended by the French government towards officers of the United States, was permitted to avail himself of the facilities of the Polytechnic school, and, after a visit to the English academy or artillery at Woolwich, returned to America, admirably calculated to organize a new corps. This was about the year 1836 or 1837. He organized this corps, made it what it is, and had the credit of its conduct at the battle-field of Palo Alto (where he was mortally wounded) exclusively to himself, while he is a participant of the renown of those who, at other battles, marched to victory by treading in his footsteps.

Randolph Ridgely, his lieutenant, was a younger officer, having entered the service in July, 1837. He, too, was a native of Maryland, and a kinsman of Ringgold.

Braxton Bragg is an officer of the same regiment and of the same date. The history of his services would require a full account of the battle of Buena Vista. He is a native of North Carolina, and, like the two others, a graduate of the military academy.

Captain Washington, of the 4th artillery, who did such service at Buena Vista, is a native of Virginia, from which state he was appointed July 17, 1817. He is not a graduate of the military academy, but has won the reputation of being one of the most scientific men of the army.

The uniform of this corps is a blue coatee turned back with red, overalls of sky-blue, with red stripes, and a shacko surmounted by a pompon of red horsehair. The arms, besides the guns, which are of brass,

are a sabre, worn with a white waist-belt, with a yellow hilt and steel scabbard, and the Harper's Ferry pistol. In the opinion of most officers of the army, the uniform might be improved by being made more simple.

CHAPTER III.

Heavy Artillery-Colonels of artillery-Bankhead-General Roger Jones-Colonel Payne-Colonel Walbach-Colonel Bomford.

We next have to treat of artillery. This is a corps essentially of the new art of war, having been the first consequence of the invention of gunpowder. We first hear of artillery in the wars of the English Edwards, in France, and the contemporary Italian contests.

The word artillery is of Gallic origin, being probably derived from the obsolete French word artiller, to fortify; a word used when the old ballista and other machines were used. The manufacturer of these was called an artillier, a term which subsequently acquired the restricted meaning of a bow-maker.

The old artillery was of strange appearance. The guns used at first were trunks of trees, strongly banded with hoops of iron,-a device more than once had recourse to in our own and the South American revolution. For some centuries, however, permanent artillery has been nearly perfect, modern art having been directed rather to the manipulation than the manufacture of the arm. Knox's artillery, in the revolution, Scott's and Macomb's, in the last war with England, were very popular, and deservedly so.

After the reduction of 1815, all the regiments of artillery were embodied into one corps, called the corps of artillery. With the exception of the few appointed into the light artillery, all the officers who entered this