Introduction

A matross was a soldier of artillery, who ranked next below a gunner.

The duty of a matross was to assist the gunners in loading, firing and sponging the guns. They were provided with firelocks, and marched with the store-wagons, acting as guards. In the US Army, a matross ranked as a private of artillery.

The word is probably derived from French matelot, a sailor. It is believed that the word is borrowed from the Dutch Matroos (‘a sailor of the lowest rank’), and is cognate with similar terms in German, Danish and Swedish.