Bengal Artillery

The Bengal Artillery, part of the Bengal Army, consisted of:

The Bengal Artillery were the first artillery in India to be tractor drawn.

Chronology

1749 first company raised
1756 company perished in the Black Hole of Calcutta
1765 re-formed with four companies
1770 fifth company raised and the five companies formed into a battalion of total complement 548 Europeans plus 2912 Lascars employed hauling the guns
1778 re-formed into one European Regiment (7 field and 1 mounted or garrison company) and three Native battalions (8 companies each)
1779 re-formed into 2 European battalions of 5 companies with 6 companies of Lascars to each company
1787 Artillery constituted as one of the brigades of the Army
1801 draught horses used for the first time instead of bullocks for field artillery; formation of the Horse Artillery

Originally constituted on 18th December 1925 when the I. (Calcutta) Field Brigade and the V. (Cossipore) Field Brigade amalgamated.

The Cossipore Artillery became the Cossipore Brigade on 1st February 1884. Reorganised 7th September 1888 as the Cossipore Artillery Volunteers and later became I. (Cossipore) Brigade Mobile Artillery on the 1st April 1917. Then reconstituted on the 1st October 1920 as the IV. (Cossipore) Field Brigade.

"The Bengal Artillery", article in the Calcutta Review Volume 9, January-June 1848.