VERY interesting post, and provides some insight into why the army detailed so many men to the artillery. I know that the actual manning of the guns in battle was as choreographed as a ballet. Every man had to do his particular task quickly, correctly, efficiently and in absolute coordination with the other men -- the result of training and experience. So I felt pretty sure that the infantry details weren't brought in to actually man the guns. I figured it had to be for specific, limited purposes, and all I could come up with was because they had skills needed by the artillery.

Thanks for a very informative post.