A standard Field Artillery battery consisted, at full strength, of six guns. Each gun was attached to a limber pulled by six horses, and was supported by a caisson, also attached to a limber pulled by six horses. The caisson carried two ammunition chests (also a spare wheel), and there was one chest on each limber for a total of about 1,200 rounds for the battery. There were drivers on the left side horses, each responsible for two horses. When horses were in short supply, (a battery needed about 125) mules were used, though they tended to shy in battles, so horses were used for the guns unless unavailable. There was also a battery wagon, a forge wagon and an ambulance, for a total of 18 vehicles.

A battery had five officers; one captain commanding, one lieutenant in charge of the caissons, and one lieutenant in charge of each of the three sections. A section consisted of two guns and their crews, and were referred to as "left", "center" and "right", even though in a battle, the "left" section might be deployed to the right of the "right" section.

Sources:
Dean S. Thomas
Cannons, An Introduction to Civil War Artillery

C. Peter Jorgenson
Civil War artillery authority, and former Commander of the 10th Mass Battery, N-SSA, publisher of the Civil War News and The Muzzloading Artilleryman

John D. Billings
(A member of the 10th; also the author of Hard Tack and Coffee, a book of his experiences as a soldier in the Civil War)
The History of the Tenth Massachusetts Battery

Last Updated 14 April 2002

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