"Artillery battery deployments" Topic

What was the average distance between guns in a battery during a normal ACW deployment? I am curious about the total frontage of a 6 gun and 4 gun batteries.

What was the average depth of a battery considering limbers, water and ammo were needed near the battery?

I am also curiou about the height of a 12 pdr Napoleon wheel from the ground to the top of the wheel. Same thing for a 6 pdr? I know the wheels were fairly tall and I suspect both the 12 pdr and 6 pdr had similiar wheels.

Thanks all!

Jack Coggins, "Arms and Equipment of the Civil War": spacing between pieces is 14 yards. Allowing 2 yards for each piece, the battery covers 82 yds. Terrain and tactical situation may require adjustments.
US Ordnance Manual 1861 ( and CS 1863, same info): No. 1 Wheel for 6 pdr gun carriage, No. 2 Wheel for 12 pdr gun carriages. Both wheels are 57 inches diameter. The No. 2 wheel is intended for the Lt 12 pdr (Napoleon) as well.

The wheels for the 6 & 12lb guns, the 12 & 24lb howitzers and the 32lb howitzer are all 57". The only other wheel in use on a field gun carriage is the 12lb Mountain Howitzer, which has 42" diameter wheels (and a smaller carriage for use with pack mules).

From:

Field Artillery tactics, (1864) by French, Barry & Hunt, pp 186, para 480, 2nd table: "Measures of the Elements Composing A Battery, and of It's Formations.

Mounted Battery (regular foot guns)
Line in Battery: Depth 47yds, Front 82yds

Horse Artillery
Line in battery: Depth 47yds Line 97yds

These measures are for a 6-gun battery. Each individual gun is 2yds wide, the remaining distance being that between guns to provide sufficient room for the limbers to pass through to limber/unlimber.

other measures,(same section) to wit:

Gun drawn by six horses: 14yds deep by 2yds wide
Caisson drawn by six horses: 14yds deep by 2yds wide
Limber drawn by six horses: 11yds deep by 2yds wide

Respects,

Thanks all. I am trying to decide the size of bases for my artillery. It looks like a 5 figure infantry base with a bit of extra depth will work fine for one artillery model.

"It looks like a 5 figure infantry base with a bit of extra depth will work fine for one artillery model."

Depends on your ground scale and what each artillery model represents.