Warfare is much more than battles, operations, admirals and generals. This was as true in the long eighteenth century as it is today. Essential to any victory, either at sea or on land, are adequate and guaranteed logistics, a firm administrative structure and clear lines of command. This chapter will examine the latter two areas during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It is not possible to present a full study of these in one chapter so the case study of Royal Artillerymen serving on Royal Navy warships will be used to exemplify the larger issues.

In the period under examination the military forces of Great Britain had three different, and very distinct, command structures: there was the navy run through the Admiralty; the artillery and engineers run through the Office of Ordnance; and the army run through the Commander-in-Chief and the War Office. Each of these three departments needed to communicate and co-ordinate their actions if the British war effort was to succeed. However, the true story was far more complicated than this: food and drink for the officers and men was provided by the Victualling Board, transport was provided by the Transport Board and weaponry was provided by the Office of Ordnance. In addition, the Navy Board was also involved in fitting out warships when they were commissioned.

Each of these boards was involved when artillerymen served at sea. They were fed by the Victualling Board, although as will be shown they were not part of the official crew and so were carried as supernumeraries.