Summary of Gaya's The Art of War and Treatise on Arms:

To save anyone who is interested in writing, or amending, rules for the 1660-1680 period from trawling through the two works on Gaya I have translated – The Treatise on Arms and The Art of War – I thought I would pick out what I think is the most relevant points.

From the Treatise on Arms:

-          Weapons:

-          Most ordinary soldiers have little or no training in the use of their sword, they just do the best they can.

-          Cavalry usually use the edge of the sword (usually called a sabre, though not curved), not the point.

-          Bayonets are used mainly by dragoons and fusiliers, these having flintlock muskets.

-          The matchlock musket with a standard charge of powder has a range of about 230 metres or 250 yards, but the best shooting is done at half that range, so 115 metres or 125 yards.

-          The matchlock musketeer’s bandolier has up to twelve charges.

-          Flintlock muskets are more accurate, but have the same range as matchlock muskets.

-          Pistols have a range of about 40 metres/45 yards.

-          Most helmets are proof against edged weapons, a cuirass should be proof against a musket ball, very few pikemen still wear helmet, cuirass, arm guards, thigh guards and gauntlets.

-          Buff coats are widely worn by cavalry, the best made sort can resist a sword.

-          Cannons are sighted by aiming wedges to raise or lower the barrel.

-          A cannon is usually provided with 100 cannonballs and 2,400 pounds of powder, enough for a day’s shooting.

-          Cannons are usually deployed in earthworks with embrasures.

-          Types of artillery:

-          Cannon – 19’ long on carriage, 4,800 pounds barrel weight, 6” calibre, 33⅓ pounds ball weight, range about 680 metres or 750 yards; usually reserved for siege operations.

-          Culverin – 19’ long on carriage, 3,700 pounds barrel weight, 4⅚” calibre, 16½ pounds ball weight, range about 680 metres or 750 yards; heaviest field gun.

-          Bastard – sixteen feet long on carriage, 2,500 pounds barrel weight, 3¾” calibre, 7½  pounds ball weight, range about 975 metres or 1,050 yards; heavy field gun.

-          Demi-Cannon – sixteen feet long on carriage, 1,500 pounds barrel weight, 3¼” calibre, 2¾ pounds ball weight, less range than Bastard (Gaya is not specific here); a medium field gun.

-          Falcon – eleven feet long on carriage, 800 pounds barrel weight, 2⅙” calibre, 1½ pounds ball weight, no range given by Gaya; a light field gun.

-          Falconet – nine and a half feet on carriage, 740 pounds barrel weight, 1⅚” calibre, 14 ounces ball weight, range about 490 metres or 530 yards; usually used in defence of fortresses.

-          Mortars usually fire shells and fire bombs, the former explosive devices, the latter incendiaries, but they can also fire carcasses, which was a combined explosive/incendiary device.

-          Cannons fired cannonballs, canister, red-hot shot, and in France they also had hollow shot, the latter being like an explosive shell, but which was used only in siege work.

-          Grenades thrown by infantry were exclusively for siege work; petards are also used in siege work, being explosive devices to demolish doors or bridges.

-          Colours and instruments:

-          Infantry carry “flags” about 170 centimetres or 67 inches square.

-          Cavalry carry “ensigns”, “guidons” and “standards”, the latter 45 centimetres or 18” square.

-          Infantry have drums and fifes, bagpipes and oboes.

-          Cavalry have trumpets and kettle drums.

From the Art of War:

-          Organisation of troops:

-          Cavalry, infantry, dragoons, artillery and supply.

-          Armies have brigades.

-          Brigades up to twelve squadrons or six battalions, of varying numbers of companies and strength.

-          Dragoons generally operate independently of the main battle line.

-          Cavalry brigades are organised into “wings” of an army.

-          Camps are invariably established at the end of a day’s march.

-          The artillery park provides ammunition and equipment for all troops, not just the artillery.

-          Marches:

-          Armies usually march in three columns, with the artillery and baggage as the central column, cavalry and dragoons form the advance guard or operate on the wings.

-          Sieges:

-          Fortresses are invested first by cavalry.

-          Lines of circumvallation and contravallation are built by the besiegers.

-          The besiegers’ camp is always out of range of the defenders’ artillery.

-          The besiegers’ battalions are mixed with squadrons around the fortress, with each unit responsible for its own sector.

-          Cavalry, apart from providing outposts and patrols, spend most of their time making fascines and gabions.

-          There is usually one main line of attack, known as “the trench”, but there can be supporting lines of attack as well.

-          Regiments rotate on a daily basis when working in “the trench”.

-          Defending units also rotate their duties, only undertake essential sorties, only fire at close range, use plenty of canister-style munitions, countermine where possible, use local counterattacks if the besiegers gain a foothold on the works.

-          Battles:

-          Armies deploy in two lines, plus a reserve.

-          Cavalry deploy on the wings, infantry in the centre, artillery in front of the latter; the reserve can be of both cavalry and infantry.

-          Units of the second line should be positioned opposite the gaps in the first line, not directly behind the units in front.

-          Dragoons can be used for advance detachments or flank guards.

-          The commanding general should be with the reserve.

-          Units should try to keep their spacing so that if the first line has to retire it can pass through the intervals of the second line; the latter needs to advance, it can pass through the intervals of the first line.

-          Cavalry and Infantry:

-          Cavalry and infantry manoeuvre by wheeling on a fixed point.

-          Infantry colonels and all other officers, except the major, fight on foot; only the major is mounted. The colonel takes post in front of the pikes. The major’s role is to pass on commands to the other officers.

-          For defence against cavalry, infantry draw up so that the pikes surround the musketeers, enclosing them in a square, or the ranks of pikes are between the ranks of musketeers, pikes thrust forward, so that the musketeers can still shoot.

-          Battalions draw up by companies, six ranks deep, then the pikes are assembled in the centre and the musketeers on the wings.

-          Battalions can double their ranks, i.e. reduce from six to three ranks, the simplest way was by even numbered ranks moving into the intervals between the soldiers of odd numbered ranks.

-          Infantry can fire by rank, with the front five ranks kneeling, and the rear rank standing, which then shoots over the heads of the ranks in front, who then rise in sequence to shoot in turn, with those who have fired reloading.

-          In battle, officers take post in front of the soldiers, at the end, and at the rear. The battalion advances at a slow pace until at half musket range, the flags join the pikes, the ranks close up, then fire by rank.

-          Cavalry squadrons deploy in three ranks.

There is a lot of other information in the Art of War about duties of all grades of officers and men, supplying an army, medical care, enforcing discipline, fortress guard duties, siege methods and tactics, and matters specific to the French army, as well as a glossary of military terms and some diagrams to support the text.