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This procedure for artillery instruction and drilling is based on the 1860 US manual, Patten's Artillery Drill, other various manuals of the period and follow the military protocol of Teaching, Practicing, and Demonstrating the loading and firing of artillery "by Detail". Loading "by detail" need not be used in the field, unless a slow controlled fire is required. The NCWAA has never required the use of loading by detail, other than while teaching and drilling. Some commanders find this to be a safer method for reenacting, and allows them more control over their guns and crews, but this has never been a requirement of the NCWAA. Necessary steps have been added, to address specific safety issues that were not addressed in the original drill. The original procedure had very little concern for the safety of the crew, and none for those in front of the guns. In the spirit of honoring those who fought in this terrible conflict, both the Drill and/or the Procedures, have been kept as close to the original manual as safety will allow.
Remember
Drill means to teach, practice or demonstrate..... and is performed by Detail.
A "Procedure or Standard Operating Procedure" is a method of performing a task or group of tasks in a specific order.
A military procedure is taught, practiced, and demonstrated by drilling by detail.
*Please Note: The Mortar and Mt Howitzer drills are adaptations of the full scale field gun drill. This was done to allow the transfer of skills, muscle memory, and safe practices to these applications. These drills and procedures can be downloaded from the download section.