This picture is from an album by Captain (later Honorary Major) Charles James Fox of the Bedfordshire Regiment who was in India from 1886 to 1894. It shows a 40-pounder artillery piece with a two elephant team harnessed in tandem with mahouts and artillery crew. Elephant batteries were used by the British in a number of campaigns including the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859), Abyssinia (1867-1868) and the 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880). Elephants were regarded as efficient and intelligent draught animals but less reliable under fire which is when the oxen would take over.
