Description
The French deployed two types of artillery battery; foot artillery (artillerie a pied) and horse artillery (artillerie a cheval). The armée du nord had approximately 350 cannons, Napoleon had 246 of these available at Waterloo whilst the rest were off with Grouchy, chasing shadows. Of that 246 there were actually 150 available to line formations.
French Horse artillery batteries of the Napoleonic era had six guns, four 6-pounder cannon and two 5.5 inch howitzers. The 6-pounder became the standard gun for light artillery batteries from 1805, and was used to deadly effect by their very capable crews. Stout and resolute, the gunners would fight ferociously if their precious guns were threatened. Horse artillery batteries had approximately eighty gunners and a similar number of drivers, all being mounted.
The uniform of the horse artillery had been very much simplified over the years. They too wore the habit veste in blue with red epaulettes and blue overall trousers. They also wore the common shako with red chevrons, and were armed with the light cavalry sabre.
