It was a rare thing for a general in the 17th Century to take to the field without an artillery train to intimidate and pulverise the enemy lines. These cannon and mortars were terrifying weapons, belching smoke and flames with a frightening roar that no simple country lad was likely to have heard before.
The cannon’s range of a thousand yards or more, although inaccurate at such extreme distances, could deliver its solid iron cannon balls to smash through the tightly packed enemy ranks to devastating effect.
A wily master gunner would position his guns where they could do the most damage whilst not risking them to the enemy – it being a great shame to lose ones guns in battle, not least because of the enormous cost incurred in manufacturing, transporting and crewing them.