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Transcriber’s Notes
Text in italics has been transcribed between _underscores_, bold text
between =equal signs= and underlined text between ~tildes~. Small
capitals have been changed to ALL CAPITALS. ^{text} and _{text}
represent super- and subscript text, respectively.
More Transcriber’s Notes can be found at the end of the text.
A
MILITARY DICTIONARY
AND
GAZETTEER.
COMPRISING
ANCIENT AND MODERN MILITARY TECHNICAL TERMS, HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS
OF ALL NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, AS WELL AS ANCIENT WARLIKE
TRIBES; ALSO NOTICES OF BATTLES FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD
TO THE PRESENT TIME, WITH A CONCISE EXPLANATION OF
TERMS USED IN HERALDRY AND THE OFFICES THEREOF.
THE WORK ALSO GIVES VALUABLE GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION.
COMPILED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES OF ALL NATIONS.
WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING THE ARTICLES OF WAR, ETC.
BY
THOMAS WILHELM,
CAPTAIN EIGHTH INFANTRY.
REVISED EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA:
L. R. HAMERSLY & CO.
1881.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by
THOMAS WILHELM, U.S.A.,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
TO
BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL AUGUST V. KAUTZ,
COLONEL EIGHTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY, U.S.A.,
BY WHOSE SUGGESTIONS, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND AID THE WORK WAS UNDERTAKEN,
PERSEVERED IN, AND COMPLETED,
THIS COMPILATION
IS, WITH RESPECT AND GRATITUDE, DEDICATED
BY HIS OBEDIENT SERVANT,
THE COMPILER.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
It is with no small degree of relief that the compiler of this work now
turns from a self-imposed task, involving some years of the closest
application, to write a brief preface, not as a necessity, but in
justice to the work and the numerous friends who have taken the warmest
interest in its progress and final completion.
It is inevitable that in the vast amount of patient and persistent labor
in a work of this kind, extending to 1386 pages, and containing 17,257
distinct articles, there should be a few errors, oversights, and
inconsistencies, notwithstanding all the vigilance to the contrary.
Condensation has been accomplished where it was possible to do so, and
repetition avoided to a great extent by reference, where further
information was contained in other articles of this book.
The contributions to the Regimental Library, which afforded the
opportunity for this compilation, of standard foreign works, were of
infinite value, and many thanks are tendered for them.
To G. & C. MERRIAM, Publishers, for the use of Webster’s Unabridged
Dictionary; J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., Publishers, Philadelphia; D. VAN
NOSTRAND, Publisher, New York; Maj. WILLIAM A. MARYE, Ordnance
Department, U.S.A.; Maj. W. S. WORTH, Eighth Infantry, U.S.A.; Maj. D.
T. WELLS, Eighth Infantry, U.S.A.; Lieut. F. A. WHITNEY, Adjutant Eighth
Infantry, U.S.A.; Lieut. C. A. L. TOTTEN, Fourth Artillery, U.S.A.;
Lieut. C. M. BAILY, Quartermaster Eighth Infantry, U.S.A.; and Lieut. G.
P. SCRIVEN, Third Artillery, U.S.A., the compiler is indebted for
courteous assistance in the preparation of this volume.
OCTOBER, 1879.
PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION.
In submitting this volume to the public it is deemed proper to say that
the design of the work is to bring together into one series, and in as
compact a form as possible for ready reference, such information as the
student of the science and art of war, persons interested in the local
or reserve forces, libraries, as well as the editors of the daily press,
should possess. In short, it is believed that the work will be useful to
individuals of all ranks and conditions.
The compiler has labored under some disadvantages in obtaining the
necessary information for this volume, and much is due to the
encouragement and assistance received from accomplished and eminent
officers, through which he was enabled to undertake the revision of the
first issue of this work with greater assurance; and among the officers
referred to, Lieut. WILLIAM R. QUINAN, of the Fourth Artillery, U.S.A.,
deserves especially to be mentioned. It may not be out of place here to
state that the compiler takes no credit to himself beyond the labor
contributed in the several years of research, and bringing forward to
date the matter requiring it, with such changes as the advance of time
and improvements demand.
As it was thought best to make this work purely military, all naval
references which appeared in the first edition have been eliminated.
MAY, 1881.
AUTHORITIES CONSULTED IN THE COMPILATION OF THIS WORK.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN WORKS.
A HANDY DICTIONARY OF MILITARY TERMS--Knollys.
AIDE MEMOIRE TO THE MILITARY SCIENCES--Originally edited by a
Committee of the Royal Engineers in England (Revised and Enlarged).
ANALYTICAL DIGEST OF THE MILITARY LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES--Scott.
A TREATISE ON THE LAW OF EVIDENCE--Greenleaf.
BEETON’S DICTIONARY OF UNIVERSAL BIOGRAPHY.
BEETON’S DICTIONARY OF UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY.
CHAMBERS’S ENCYCLOPÆDIA.
CUSTOMS OF SERVICE FOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF THE
ARMY--Kautz.
CUSTOMS OF SERVICE FOR OFFICERS OF THE ARMY--Kautz.
CLASSICAL DICTIONARY--Smith.
DIGEST OF OPINIONS OF THE JUDGE-ADVOCATE-GENERAL--Winthrop.
DICTIONARY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY--Gardner.
DICTIONARY OF GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES--Smith.
DICTIONARY OF GREEK AND ROMAN BIOGRAPHY AND MYTHOLOGY--Smith.
DICTIONARY OF GREEK AND ROMAN GEOGRAPHY--Smith.
DICTIONARY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES, AND MINES--Ure.
DICTIONARY OF EVERY DAYS DIFFICULTIES--Shilton.
DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE, LITERATURE, AND ART--Brande.
ELEMENTS OF THE ART AND SCIENCE OF WAR--Wheeler.
ELEMENTS OF MILITARY ARTS AND SCIENCES--Halleck.
ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA.
FRENCH AND ENGLISH PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY--Spiers and Surenne.
FIELD EXERCISE (English), 1870.
FIELD-BOOK OF THE REVOLUTION--Lossing.
HAND-BOOK OF ARTILLERY--Roberts.
HAYDN’S DICTIONARY OF DATES--Payne.
HAYDN’S DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE--Payne.
HAYDN’S DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE--Payne.
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES--Bancroft.
HISTORY OF THE WAR IN THE PENINSULA AND IN THE SOUTH OF
FRANCE--Napier.
HISTORY OF ENGLAND--Knight.
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION--Tenney.
INFANTRY, CAVALRY, AND ARTILLERY TACTICS, U.S.A.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FIELD ARTILLERY.
JOMINI’S ART OF WAR--Translated from the French by Captains Mendell
and Craighill, U.S.A.
JOMINI’S TREATISE ON GRAND MILITARY OPERATIONS, OR A CRITICAL AND
MILITARY HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FREDERICK THE GREAT--Translated by
Colonel S. B. Holabird, U.S.A.
JOHNSON’S NEW UNIVERSAL ENCYCLOPÆDIA.
JUDGE-ADVOCATE AND RECORDER’S GUIDE--Regan.
LAW DICTIONARY--Bouvier.
LIPPINCOTT’S PRONOUNCING GAZETTEER OF THE WORLD--Thomas.
MANUAL FOR ENGINEER TROOPS--Duane.
MAXIMS OF WAR--Napoleon.
MILITARY BRIDGES--Haupt.
MILITARY CATECHISM AND HAND-BOOK--Walshe.
MILITARY DICTIONARY--Duane.
MILITARY DICTIONARY--Scott.
MILITARY ENGINEERING--Mahan.
MILITARY LAW AND COURT-MARTIAL--Benet.
MILITARY MISCELLANY--Marshall.
MILITARY SCHOOLS AND COURSES OF INSTRUCTION IN THE SCIENCE AND ART OF
WAR--Barnard.
NATIVE RACES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE--Bancroft.
NAVAL AND MILITARY TECHNICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE--Burns.
ORDNANCE AND GUNNERY--Benton.
PICTORIAL FIELD-BOOK OF THE WAR OF 1812--Lossing.
PRACTICAL TREATISE ON ATTACK AND DEFENSE--Jebb.
QUEEN’S REGULATIONS AND ORDERS FOR THE ARMY (British).
REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, 1870.
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE, 1878.
SHIFTS AND EXPEDIENTS OF CAMP-LIFE--Lord and Baines.
THE ARMIES OF EUROPE--McClellan.
THE LAST CENTURY OF UNIVERSAL HISTORY, 1767-1867--Fiwald.
THE MILITARY LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES--Callan.
THE SOLDIER’S POCKET-BOOK FOR FIELD-SERVICE--Major-General Sir G.
Wolseley.
UNITED STATES ARMY REGULATIONS.
UNITED STATES BRIDGE EQUIPAGE--Prepared by a Board of Engineer
Officers--Lieutenant W. R. Quinan, 4th U. S. Artillery.
UNITED STATES REVISED STATUTES.
WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY--G. & C. Merriam.
GERMAN WORKS.
DIENST-VORSCHRIFTEN DER KÖNIGLICH PREUSSISCHEN ARMEE--Karl von
Helldorff.
DIE LEHRE VOM NEUEREN FESTUNGSKRIEG--W. Rüstow.
GRUNDZÜGE DER TAKTIK DER DREI WAFFEN, INFANTERIE, KAVALLERIE, UND
ARTILLERIE--Dr. H. v. Brandt.
HEERWESEN UND INFANTERIEDIENST DER KÖNIGLICH PREUSSISCHEN ARMEE--A. v.
Witzleben.
KRIEGSFEUERWERKEREI ZUM GEBRAUCH FÜR DIE KÖNIGLICH PREUSSISCHEN
ARTILLERIE--A. Bath.
KRIEGSWÖRTERBUCH--Carl Ad. Loehr.
MILITAIR CONVERSATIONS-LEXIKON--Hans Eggert Willibald von der Lühe.
FRENCH WORKS.
ENCYCLOPÉDIE MILITAIRE ET MARITIME.
GÉOGRAPHIE PHISIQUE, HISTORIQUE ET MILITAIRE--Théophile Lava.
LÉGISLATION ET ADMINISTRATION MILITAIRES--M. Léon Guillot.
SUR LA FORMATION DES TROUPES POUR LE COMBAT--Jomini.
IMPORTANT MAXIMS.
Misfortune will certainly fall upon the land where the wealth of the
tax-gatherer or the greedy gambler in stocks stands, in public
estimation, above the uniform of the brave man who sacrifices his life,
health, or fortune in the defense of his country.
Officers should feel a conviction that resignation, bravery, and
faithful attention to duty are virtues without which no glory is
possible, no army is respectable, and that firmness amid reverses is
more honorable than enthusiasm in success.
It is not well to create a too great contempt for the enemy, lest the
_morale_ of the soldier should be shaken if he encounter an obstinate
resistance.
It would seem to be easy to convince brave men that death comes more
surely to those who fly in disorder than to those who remain together
and present a firm front to the enemy, or who rally promptly when their
lines have been for the instant broken.
Courage should be recompensed and honored, the different grades in rank
respected, and discipline should exist in the sentiments and convictions
rather than in external forms only.--_Jomini._
An army without discipline is but a mob in uniform, more dangerous to
itself than to its enemy. Should any one from ignorance not perceive the
immense advantages that arise from a good discipline, it will be
sufficient to observe the alterations that have happened in Europe since
the year 1700.--_Saxe._
If the first duty of a state is its own security, the second is the
security of neighboring states whose existence is necessary for its own
preservation.--_Jomini’s “Life of Napoleon.”_
A good general, a well-organized system, good instruction, and severe
discipline, aided by effective establishments, will always make good
troops, independently of the cause for which they fight. At the same
time, a love of country, a spirit of enthusiasm, a sense of national
honor, will operate upon young soldiers with advantage.
The officer who obeys, whatever may be the nature or extent of his
command, will always stand excused executing implicitly the orders which
have been given to him.
Every means should be taken to attach the soldier to his colors. This is
best accomplished by showing consideration and respect to the old
soldier.
The first qualification of a soldier is fortitude under fatigue and
privation. Courage is only the second; hardship, poverty, and want are
the best schools for a soldier.
Troops, whether halted, or encamped, or on the march, should be always
in favorable position, possessing the essentials required for a field of
battle.
Some men are so physically and morally constituted as to see everything
through a highly-colored medium. They raise up a picture in the mind on
every slight occasion, and give to every trivial occurrence a dramatic
interest. But whatever knowledge, or talent, or courage, or other
good qualities such men may possess, nature has not formed them
for the command of armies or the direction of great military
operations.--_Napoleon’s “Maxims of War.”_
MILITARY DICTIONARY.
A.
=Aachen.= See AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
=Aar.= A river in Switzerland, flows into the Rhine opposite and near
Waldshut, in Aargau. Prince Charles, while crossing the river, August
17, 1799, was repulsed by the French generals Ney and Heudelet.
=Aarau.= A city in Switzerland. Peace was here declared, July 18, 1712,
ending the war between the cantons Zurich and Berne on one side, and
Luzerne, Uri, Schuyz, Unterwalden, and Zug on the other.
=Abad= (_Abadides_). A line of Moorish kings who reigned in Seville from
1026 to 1090.
=Abaisse.= In heraldry, when the fesse or any other armorial figure is
depressed, or situated below the centre of the shield, it is said to be
_abaisse_ (“lowered”).
=Abandon.= In a military sense, used in the relinquishment of a military
post, district, or station, or the breaking up of a military
establishment. To abandon any fort, post, guard, arms, ammunition, or
colors without good cause is punishable.
=Abase, To.= An old word signifying to lower a flag. _Abaisser_ is in
use in the French marine, and both may be derived from the still older
_abeigh_, to cast down, to humble.
=Abatement.= In heraldry, is a mark placed over a portion of the
paternal coat of arms, indicating some base or ungentlemanly act on the
part of the bearer.
=Abatis=, or =Abattis=. A means of defense formed by cutting off the
smaller branches of trees felled in the direction from which the enemy
may be expected. The ends of the larger branches are sharpened and the
butts of the limbs or trees fastened by crochet picket, or by imbedding
in the earth, so that they cannot be easily removed. Abatis is generally
used in parts of a ditch or intrenchment to delay the enemy under fire.
=Abblast.= See ARBALEST.
=Abblaster.= See ARBALIST.
=Abdivtes.= A piratical people descended from the Saracens, who lived
south of Mount Ida (Psilorati), in the island of Crete (Candia), where
they established themselves in 825.
=Abduction= (_Fr._). Diminution; diminishing the front of a line or
column by breaking off a division, subdivision, or files, in order to
avoid some obstacle.
=Abencerrages.= A Moorish tribe which occupied the kingdom of Granada.
Granada was disturbed by incessant quarrels between this tribe and the
Zegris from 1480 to 1492. They were finally extinguished by
Abou-Abdoullah, or Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada, and the
same who was dethroned by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.
=Abensburg.= A small town of Bavaria, on the Abens, 18 miles southwest
of Ratisbon. Here Napoleon defeated the Austrians, April 20, 1809.
=Aberconway=, or =Conway=. A maritime city of the Gauls in England,
fortified by William the Conqueror, and taken by Cromwell in 1645.
=Abet.= In a military sense it is a grave crime to aid or abet in mutiny
or sedition, or excite resistance against lawful orders.
=Abgersate.= Fortress of the Osrhoene, in Mesopotamia. The Persians took
it by assault in the year 534.
=Abii.= A Scythian tribe which inhabited the shores of the Jaxartes, to
the northeast of Sogdiana. They were vanquished by Alexander the Great.
=Abipones.= A tribe of Indians living in the Argentine Confederation,
who were formerly numerous and powerful, but are now reduced to a small
number.
=Able-bodied.= In a military sense applies to one who is physically
competent as a soldier.
=Ablecti.= Ancient military term applied to a select body of men taken
from the _extraordinarii_ of the Roman army to serve as a body-guard to
the commanding general or the consul. The guard consisted of 40 mounted
and 160 dismounted men.
=Abo.= A Russian city and seaport, on the Aurajoki near its entrance
into the Gulf of Bothnia. It formerly belonged to Sweden, but was taken
with the whole of Finland by the Russians in the war begun by Sweden in
1741. By a treaty of peace concluded hero in 1743 the conquered
possessions were restored to Sweden. They were ceded to Russia in 1809.
=Abolla.= A warm kind of military garment, lined or doubled, worn by
both Greeks and Romans.
=Abou-girgeh.= A city of Upper Egypt where the French defeated the
Egyptians in 1799.
=Aboukir= (anc. _Canopus_). A village of Egypt on a promontory at the
western extremity of the bay of the same name, 15 miles northeast of
Alexandria. In the bay Nelson defeated the French fleet, August 1, 1798.
This engagement, which resulted in a loss to the French of 11
line-of-battle ships, is known as the “battle of the Nile.” In 1801 a
British expedition under Sir Ralph Abercromby landed at Aboukir, and
captured the place after an obstinate and sanguinary conflict with the
French (March 8). Here also a Turkish army of 15,000 men was defeated by
5000 French under Bonaparte, July 25, 1799.
=Aboumand.= Village of Upper Egypt, near the river Nile, where the
French fought the Arabs in 1799.
=About.= A technical word to express the movement by which a body of
troops or artillery carriages change front.
=Abraham, Heights of.= Near Quebec, Lower Canada. In the memorable
engagement which took place here September 13, 1759, the French under
Gen. Montcalm were defeated by the English under Gen. Wolfe, who was
killed in the moment of victory.
=Abri= (_Fr._). Shelter, cover, concealment; arm-sheds in a camp secure
from rain, dust, etc.; place of security from the effect of shot,
shells, or attack.
=Absence, Leave of.= The permission which officers of the army obtain to
absent themselves from duty. In the U. S. service an officer is entitled
to 30 days’ leave in each year on full pay. This time he may permit to
accumulate for a period not exceeding 4 years. An officer, however, may
enjoy 5 months’ continuous leave on full pay, provided the fifth month
of such leave is wholly distinct from the four-year period within and
for which the 4 months’ absence with full pay was enjoyed. An officer on
leave over this time is entitled to half-pay only.
=Absent.= A term used in military returns in accounting for the
deficiency of any given number of officers or soldiers, and is usually
distinguished under two heads, viz.: _Absent with leave_, such as
officers with permission, or enlisted men on furlough. _Absent without
leave_; men who desert are sometimes reported _absent without leave_, to
bring their crimes under cognizance of regimental, garrison, or
field-officers’ courts; thus, under mitigating circumstances, trial by
general court-martial is avoided. Absence without leave entails
forfeiture of pay during such absence, unless it is excused as
unavoidable. An officer absent without leave for three months may be
dropped from the rolls of the army by the President, and is not eligible
to reappointment.
=Absolute Force of Gunpowder.= Is measured by the pressure it exerts on
its environment when it exactly fills the space in which it is fired.
Various attempts have been made to determine this force experimentally
with widely different results. Robins estimated the pressure on the
square inch at 1000 atmospheres, Hutton at 1800, and Count Rumford as
high as 100,000 atmospheres. While Rodman, by experiments upon strong
cast-iron shells, verified the accuracy of Rumford’s _formulas_, he
found that his estimate of the force was greatly in error. According to
Rodman the pressure is approximately 14,000 atmospheres. Dr. Woodbridge,
another American philosopher and inventor, has shown that, fired in
small quantities, the force of gunpowder does not exceed 6200
atmospheres. This agrees closely with the conclusion arrived at by the
English “Committee on Explosives,” 1875, who found that even in large
guns the force did not exceed 42 tons.
=Absorokas.= A tribe of North American Indians. See CROWS.
=Absterdam Projectile.= See PROJECTILE.
=Abydus.= An ancient city of Mysia on the Hellespont nearly opposite
Sestus on the European shore. Near this town Xerxes placed the bridge of
boats by which his troops were conveyed across the channel to the town
of Sestus, 480 B.C.
=Abyssinia.= A country of Eastern Africa, forming an elevated table-land
and containing many fertile valleys. Theodore II., the king of this
country, having maltreated and imprisoned some English subjects, an
expedition under Lord Napier was sent against him from Bombay in 1867.
On April 14, 1868, the mountain fortress of Magdala was stormed and
taken with but little trouble, and Theodore was found dead on the hill,
having killed himself. The country is at present governed by Emperor
John of Ethiopia, who was crowned in 1872.
=Academies, Military.= See MILITARY ACADEMIES.
=Accelerator.= A cannon in which several charges are successively fired
to give an increasing velocity to the projectile while moving in the
bore. See MULTI-CHARGE GUN.
=Accessible.= Easy of access or approach. A place or fort is said to be
accessible when it can be approached with a hostile force by land or
sea.
=Accintus.= A word in ancient times signifying the complete
accoutrements of a soldier.
=Accolade.= The ceremonious act of conferring knighthood in ancient
times. It consisted of an embrace and gentle blow with the sword on the
shoulder of the person on whom the honor of knighthood was being
conferred.
=Accord.= The conditions under which a fortress or command of troops is
surrendered.
=Accoutre.= To furnish with accoutrements.
=Accoutrements.= Dress, equipage, trappings. Specifically, the
equipments of a soldier, except arms and clothing.
=Accused.= In a military sense, the designation of one who is arraigned
before a military court.
=Acerræ= (now _Acera_). A city in the kingdom of Naples, taken and
burned by Hannibal in 216 B.C. In 90 B.C. the Romans defeated under its
walls the allied rebels commanded by Papius.
=Acerræ.= A city of the Gauls, taken by Marcellus in 222 B.C.
=Achæan League.= A confederacy which existed from very early times among
the twelve states of the province of Achaia, in the north of the
Peloponnesus. It was broken up after the death of Alexander the Great,
but was set on foot again by some of the original cities, 280 B.C., the
epoch of its rise into great historical importance; for from this time
it gained strength, and finally spread over the whole Peloponnesus,
though not without much opposition, principally on the part of
Lacedæmon. It was finally dissolved by the Romans, on the event of the
capture of Corinth by Mummius, 147 B.C. The two most celebrated leaders
of this league were Aratus, the principal instrument of its early
aggrandizement, and Philopœmen, the contemporary and rival, in military
reputation, of Scipio and Hannibal.
=Achern.= A city in the grand duchy of Baden, on the river Acher. Near
this place a monument marks the spot where Marshal Turenne was killed by
a random shot in 1675.
=Acheron.= A small stream in ancient Bruttium. In 330 B.C., Alexander,
king of Epirus, was killed while crossing it.
=Acinaces.= A short sword used by the Persians.
=Aclides.= In Roman antiquity, a kind of missile weapon with a thong
fixed to it whereby it might be drawn back again.
=Acoluthi.= In military antiquity, was a title given in the Grecian
empire to the captain or commander of the body-guards appointed for the
security of the emperor’s palace.
=Aconite.= A poisonous plant. Several ancient races poisoned their
arrows with an extract from this plant.
=Acontium.= In Grecian antiquity, a kind of dart or javelin resembling
the Roman _spiculum_.
=Acquereaux= (_Fr._). A machine of war, which was used in the Middle
Ages to throw stones.
=Acqui.= A walled town of the Sardinian states on the river Bormida in
the division of Alessandria. It was taken by the Spaniards in 1745,
retaken by the Piedmontese in 1746; it was dismantled by the French, who
defeated the Austrians and Piedmontese here in 1794.
=Acquit.= To release or set free from an obligation, accusation, guilt,
censure, suspicion, or whatever devolves upon a person as a charge or
duty; as, the court acquits the accused. This word has also the
reflexive signification of “to bear, or conduct one’s self;” as, the
soldier acquitted himself well in battle.
=Acquittance Roll.= In the British service, a roll containing the names
of the men of each troop or company or regiment, showing the debts and
credits, with the signature of each man, and certificate of the officer
commanding it.
=Acre=, or =St. Jean d’Acre=. A seaport town of Palestine (in ancient
times the celebrated city of Ptolemais), which was the scene of many
sieges. It was last stormed and taken by the British in 1840. Acre was
gallantly defended by Djezzar Pacha against Bonaparte in July, 1798,
till relieved by Sir Smith, who resisted twelve attempts by the French,
between March 16 and May 20, 1799.
=Acre=, or =Acre-fight=. An old duel fought by warriors between the
frontiers of England and Scotland, with sword and lance. This dueling
was also called _camp-fight_.
=Acrobalistes= (_Fr._). A name given by the ancients to warlike races,
such as the Parthians and Armenians, who shot arrows from a long
distance.
=Acropolis.= In ancient Greece, the name given to the citadel or
fortress of a city, usually built on the summit of a hill. The most
celebrated was that of Athens, remains of which still exist.
=Acs.= A village in Hungary on the right bank of the Danube, noted as
the scene of several battles in the Hungarian revolution, that of August
3, 1849, being the most important.
=Acting Assistant Surgeons.= See SURGEONS, ACTING ASSISTANT.
=Action.= An engagement between two armies, or bodies of troops. The
word is likewise used to signify some memorable act done by an officer,
soldier, detachment, or party.
=Actium= (now _Azio_). A town of ancient Greece in Arcanania, near the
entrance of the Ambracian Gulf. It became famous for the great naval
engagement fought near here in 31 B.C. between Octavius and Antony, in
which the former was victorious.
=Active Service.= Duty against an enemy; operations in his presence. Or
in the present day it denotes serving on full pay, on the active list,
in contradistinction to those who are virtually retired, and placed on
the retired list.
=Activity.= In a military sense, denotes attention, labor, diligence,
and study.
=Acto=, or =Acton=. A kind of defensive tunic, made of quilted leather
or other strong material, formerly worn under the outer dress and even
under a coat of mail.
=Act of Grace.= In Great Britain, an act of Parliament for a general and
free pardon to deserters from the service and others.
=Actuarius.= A name given by the Romans to officers charged with the
supplying of provisions to troops.
=Adacted.= Applies to stakes, or piles, driven into the earth by large
malls shod with iron, as in securing ramparts or pontons.
=Adda.= A stream in Italy. The Romans defeated the Gauls on its banks in
223 B.C.
=Addiscombe Seminary.= An institution near Croydon, Surrey, England, for
the education of young gentlemen intended for the military service of
the East India Company; closed in 1861.
=Aden.= A free port on the southwest corner of Arabia. It was captured
by England in 1839, and is now used as a coal depot for Indian steamers.
=Aderbaidjan= (_Fr._). A mountainous province of Persia, celebrated for
raising the finest horses in the province for army purposes.
=Adige= (anc. _Athesis_). A river in Northern Italy formed by numberless
streamlets from the Helvetian Alps. In 563 the Romans defeated the Goths
and Franks on its banks. Gen. Massena crossed it in 1806.
=Adis.= A city in Africa. Xantippe, chief of the Carthaginians, defeated
under its walls the Romans commanded by Regulus.
=Adit.= A passage under ground by which miners approach the part they
intend to sap.
=Adjeighur.= A fortress in Bundelcund, which was captured in 1809 by a
force under the command of Col. Gabriel Martindell.
=Adjourn.= To suspend business for a time, as from one day to another;
said of military courts. _Adjournment without day_ (_sine die_),
indefinite postponement.
=Adjutant= (from _adjuvo_, “to help”). A regimental staff-officer with
the rank of lieutenant, appointed by the regimental commander to assist
him in the execution of all the details of the regiment or post. He is
the channel of official communication. It is his duty to attend daily on
the commanding officer for orders or instructions of any kind that are
to be issued to the command, and promulgate the same in writing after
making a complete record thereof. He has charge of the books, files, and
men of the headquarters; keeps the rosters; parades and inspects all
escorts, guards, and other armed parties previous to their proceeding on
duty. He should be competent to instruct a regiment in every part of the
field exercise, should understand the internal economy of his corps, and
should notice every irregularity or deviation from the established rules
or regulations. He should, of course, be an officer of experience, and
should be selected with reference to special fitness, as so much depends
upon his manner and thoughtfulness in the exercise of the various and
important duties imposed upon him. Unexceptionable deportment is
especially becoming to the adjutant.
=Adjutant-General.= An officer of distinction selected to assist the
general of an army in all his operations. The principal staff-officer
of the U. S. army. The principal staff-officers of generals of lower
rank are called assistant adjutant-generals.
=Adjutant-General’s Department.= In the United States, consists of 1
adjutant-general with the rank of brigadier-general; 2 assistant
adjutant-generals, colonels; 4 lieutenant-colonels, and 10 majors; also
about 400 enlisted clerks and messengers. The officers are generally on
duty with general officers who command corps, divisions, departments,
etc. “They shall also perform the duties of inspectors when
circumstances require it.” The lowest grades must be selected from the
captains of the army.
=Administration.= Conduct, management; in military affairs, the
execution of the duties of an office.
=Administration, Council of.= A board of officers periodically assembled
at a post for the administration of certain business.
=Admissions.= In a military sense, the judge-advocate is authorized when
he sees proper to admit what a prisoner expects to prove by absent
witnesses.
=Adobe= (_Sp._). An unburnt brick, dried in the sun, made from earth of
a loamy character, containing about two-thirds fine sand mixed
intimately with one-third or less of clayey dust or fine sand.
=Adour.= A river in the southwest of France, which Lord Wellington,
after driving the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte across the Pyrenees,
passed in the face of all opposition, on the 26th of February, 1814.
=Adrana.= A river in Germany, at present called Eder. Germanicus
defeated the Germans on its bank in 15.
=Adrianople.= A Turkish city named after the Emperor Adrian;
unsuccessfully besieged by the Goths in the 4th century; the army of
Murad I. took the city in 1361; unconditionally surrendered to the
Russians in August, 1829; peace was declared in this city between Russia
and Turkey, September 14, 1829, and the city relinquished to the Turks.
=Adrumetum=, or =Hadrumetum=. An ancient African city, now in ruins,
situated on the Mediterranean, southeast from Carthage. The Moors took
this city from the Romans in 549, but it was retaken soon after by a
priest named Paul.
=Advance.= Before in place, or beforehand in time; used for advanced;
as, advance-guard, or that before the main guard or body of an army; to
move forward.
=Advanced Covered Way.= Is a _terre plein_ on the exterior of the
advanced ditch, similar to the first covered way.
=Advanced Ditch.= Is an excavation beyond the glacis of the _enceinte_,
having its surface on the prolongation of that slope, that an enemy may
find no shelter when in the ditch.
=Advanced Guard.= A detachment of troops which precedes the march of the
main body.
=Advanced Guard Equipage.= See PONTONS.
=Advanced Lunettes.= Works resembling bastions or ravelins, having faces
or flanks. They are formed upon or beyond the glacis.
=Advanced Works.= Are such as are constructed beyond the covered way and
glacis, but within range of the musketry of the main works.
=Advancement.= In a military sense, signifies honor, promotion, or
preferment in the army, regiment, or company.
=Advantage Ground.= That ground which affords the greatest facility for
annoyance or resistance.
=Adversary.= Generally applied to an enemy, but strictly an opponent in
single combat.
=Advising to Desert.= Punishable with death or otherwise, as a
court-martial may direct. See APPENDIX, ARTICLES OF WAR, 51.
=Advocate, Judge-.= See JUDGE-ADVOCATE.
=Adynati.= Ancient name for invalid soldiers receiving pension from the
public treasury.
=Ægide= (_Æges_). A name, according to Homer, for a protecting covering
wound around the left arm in the absence of a shield; used by Jupiter,
Minerva, and Apollo.
=Ægolethron= (_Gr._). A plant. This word means goat and death. It was
believed by the ancients that this plant would kill goats only, if eaten
by them. Xenophon reports that the soldiers of the army of the “Ten
Thousand” tasted of some honey prepared from this plant which caused
them to be affected with hallucinations.
=Ægospotamos= (“Stream of the Goat”). A small river flowing into the
Hellespont, in the Thracian Chersonese; is famous for the defeat of the
Athenian fleet by the Lacedæmonians under Lysander, which put an end to
the Peloponnesian war, and to the predominance of Athens in Greece, 405
B.C.
=Æneatores.= In military antiquity, the musicians in an army, including
those who sounded the trumpets, horns, etc.
=Ærarium Militare.= In Roman antiquity, the war treasury of Rome,
founded by Augustus; in addition to other revenues, the one-hundredth
part of all merchandise sold in Rome was paid into it.
=Æro.= A basket used by the Roman soldiers to carry earth in to
construct fortifications.
=Ærumnula.= A wooden pole or fork, introduced among the Romans by Consul
Marius. Each soldier was provided with one of these poles, which had
attached thereto a saw, hatchet, a sack of wheat, and baggage; and he
was compelled to carry it on a march.
=Affair.= An action or engagement, not of sufficient magnitude to be
termed a battle.
=Affamer= (_Fr._). To besiege a place so closely as to starve the
garrison and inhabitants.
=Affidavit.= In military law is an oath duly subscribed before any
person authorized to administer it. In the U. S. service, in the absence
of a civil officer any commissioned officer is empowered to administer
an oath.
=Afforciament.= An old term for a fortress or stronghold.
=Afghanistan.= A large country in Central Asia, at war with England
1838, and 1878-79.
=Afrancesados= (_Sp._). Name given to the Spaniards who upheld the oath
of allegiance to king Joseph Bonaparte; also called Josephins (in the
Peninsular war).
=Aga.= Rank of an officer in the Turkish army; the same as a general
with us.
=Age.= In a military sense, a young man must be 14 years old before he
can become an officer in the English army, or be entered as a cadet at
Woolwich, in the English military academy. For admission to the military
academy at West Point, U. S., the age is from 17 to 22 years. Men are
enlisted for soldiers at from 17 to 45 in the English army, and in the
U. S. army at from 18 to 35. Officers in the U. S. army may be retired,
at the discretion of the President, at 62 years of age.
=Agema= (_Gr._). In the ancient military art, a kind of soldiery,
chiefly in the Macedonian army. The word is Greek, and denotes
vehemence, to express the strength and eagerness of this corps.
=Agen.= Principal place of the department Lot-et-Garonne, France, on the
right bank of the river Garonne, which has a city of the same name, and
was the scene of many battles.
=Agency.= A certain proportion of money which is ordered to be
subtracted from the pay and allowances of the British army, for
transacting the business of the several regiments comprising it.
=Agent, Army.= A person in the civil department of the British army,
between the paymaster-general and the paymaster of the regiment, through
whom every regimental concern of a pecuniary nature is transacted.
=Agger.= In ancient military writings, denotes the middle part of a
military road raised into a ridge, with a gentle slope on each side to
make a drain for the water, and keep the way dry; it is also used for a
military road. Agger also denotes a work or fortification, used both for
the defense and attack of towns, camps, etc., termed among the moderns,
lines. Agger is also used for a bank or wall erected against the sea or
some great river to confine or keep it within bounds, and called by
modern writers, dam, sea-wall.
=Agiades.= In the Turkish armies are a kind of pioneers, or rather field
engineers, employed in fortifying the camp, etc.
=Agiem-clich.= A very crooked sabre, rounded near the point; an arm much
in use in Persia and Turkey.
=Agincourt=, or =Azincourt=. A village of France, celebrated for a great
battle fought near it in 1415, wherein Henry V. of England defeated the
French.
=Agmen.= Roman name for an army on the march.
=Agminalis.= Name given by the ancients to a horse which carried
baggage, equipments, etc., on its back; now termed pack-horse.
=Agnadello.= Village in the duchy of Milan, on a canal between the
rivers Adda and Serio, celebrated by the victory of Louis XII., king of
France, over the Venetian and Papal troops in 1509, and by a battle
between Prince Eugene and the Duke of Vendôme in 1705.
=Agrigente= (now _Girgenti_). City in Sicily, situated on the
Mediterranean; sacked by the Carthaginians under Amilcar in 400 B.C.,
and taken twice by the Romans in 262 and 210 B.C.
=Aguebelle.= City in the province of Maurienne, in Savoy. The French and
Spaniards defeated the troops of the Duke of Savoy in 1742.
=Aguerri= (_Fr._). A term applied to an officer or soldier experienced
in war.
=Agustina.= See SARAGOSSA, MAID OF.
=Ahmednuggur.= A strong fortress in the Deccan, 30 miles from Poonah,
which was formerly in the possession of Scindia, but fell to the British
arms during the campaign conducted by Gen. Wellesley.
=Aidan= (_Prince_). See SCOTLAND.
=Aid-de-camp.= An officer selected by a general to carry orders; also to
represent him in correspondence and in directing movements.
=Aid-major= (_Fr._). The adjutant of a regiment.
=Aigremore.= A term used by the artificer in the laboratory, to express
the charcoal in a state fitted for the making of powder.
=Aiguille= (_Fr._). An instrument used by engineers to pierce a rock for
the lodgment of powder, as in a mine, or to mine a rock, so as to
excavate and make roads.
=Aiguillettes.= A decoration, consisting of bullion cords and loops,
which was formerly worn on the right shoulder of general officers, and
is now confined to the officers of household cavalry; also worn in the
U. S. army by officers of the adjutant-general’s department,
aids-de-camp, and adjutants of regiments.
=Aiguillon.= A city in France; while in the possession of the English in
1345, it was besieged by the Duke of Normandy, son of Philip de Valois.
According to some authors, cannons were used on this occasion for the
first time in France.
=Aile= (_Fr._). A wing or flank of an army or fortification.
=Ailettes= (_Fr._). Literally “little wings,” were appendages to the
armor worn behind or at the side of the shoulders by knights in the 13th
century. They were made of leather covered with cloth, and fastened by
silk laces. They are supposed to have been worn as a defense to the
shoulders in war.
=Aim.= The act of bringing a musket, piece of ordnance, or any other
missive weapon, to its proper line of direction with the object intended
to be struck.
=Aim-frontlet.= A piece of wood hollowed out to fit the middle of a gun,
to make it of an equal height with the breech; formerly made use of by
the gunners, to level and direct their pieces.
=Aiming Drill.= A military exercise to teach men to aim fire-arms. Great
importance is justly attached to this preliminary step in target
practice.
=Aiming-stand.= An instrument used in teaching the theory of aiming with
a musket. It usually consists of a tripod with a device mounted upon it,
which holds the gun and allows it to be pointed in any direction.
=Ainadin.= Name of a field near Damas in Syria, celebrated by a battle
on July 25, 633, in which Khaled, chief of the Saracens, defeated
Verdan, a general of the Roman army. Verdan lost 50,000 men and was
decapitated.
=Ain-Beda= (Africa). An engagement at this place between the French and
Arabs in October, 1833.
=Ain Taguin.= “Spot of the little desert,” in the province of Algiers;
here the Duke d’Aumale surprised and dispersed the troops of
Abd-el-Kader.
=Air-cylinder.= A pneumatic buffer used in America to absorb the recoil
of large guns. For 10-inch guns, one cylinder is used; for the 15-inch,
two. They are placed between the chassis rails, to which they are firmly
secured by diagonal braces. A piston traversing the cylinder is attached
to the rear transom of the top carriage. When the gun recoils the
piston-head is drawn backwards in the cylinder, and the recoil is
absorbed by the compression of the air behind it. Small holes in the
piston-head allow the air to slowly escape while the gun is brought to
rest. The _hydraulic buffer_ largely used abroad operates in the same
way, water being used in place of air.
=Air, Resistance of.= The resistance which the air offers to a
projectile in motion. See PROJECTILES, THEORY OF.
=Aire.= A military position on the Adour, in the south of France, where
the French were defeated by the English under Lord Hill, on March 2,
1814.
=Air-gun.= An instrument resembling a musket, used to discharge bullets
by the elastic force of compressed air.
=Aix.= A small island on the coast of France between the Isle of Oleron
and the continent. It is 12 miles northwest of Rochefort, and 11 miles
from Rochelle. On it are workshops for military convicts.
=Aix-la-Chapelle= (Ger. _Aachen_). A district in the Prussian province
of the Lower Rhine. Here Charlemagne was born in 742, and died in 814.
The city was taken by the French in 1792; retaken by the Austrians in
1793; by the French 1794; reverted to Prussia 1814. Congress held by
the sovereigns of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, assisted by ministers
from England and France, at Aix-la-Chapelle, and convention signed
October 9, 1818.
=Akerman= (Bessarabia). After being several times taken it was ceded to
Russia, 1812. Here the celebrated treaty between Russia and Turkey was
concluded in 1826.
=Aketon.= Another name for a portion of armor, used in the feudal times,
called the _gambeson_ (which see).
=Akhalzikh= (Armenia). Near here Prince Paskiewitch defeated the Turks
Aug. 24, and gained the city, Aug. 28, 1828.
=Akindschi.= A sort of Turkish cavalry, employed during the war between
the Turks and the German emperors.
=Aklat.= A small town in Asiatic Turkey, taken by Eddin in 1228, and by
the Turks in the 14th century.
=Akmerjid.= A city in the Crimea; an ancient residence of the khan of
Tartary; taken by the Russians in 1771.
=Akoulis.= A city in Armenia, often pillaged by the Persians and Turks;
taken in 1752 by the Persian general Azad-Khan, by whom the majority of
the inhabitants were put to the sword.
=Akrebah.= At this place, about the year 630, Khaled, general of the
Mussulman troops, fought the army of a new prophet named Mosseilamah,
who perished in the combat.
=Ala.= According to Latin authors, this word signifies the wing of an
army, _i.e._, the flanks, on which were placed troops furnished by the
allied nations; also sometimes used to designate a brigade of cavalry
occupying the same position in battle.
=Alabama.= One of the Southern States of the American confederacy, is
bounded on the north by Tennessee, east by Georgia, south by Florida and
the Gulf of Mexico, and west by Mississippi. The celebrated exploring
expedition of De Soto in 1541 is believed to have been the first visit
of the white man to the wilds of Alabama. In the beginning of the 18th
century the French built a fort on Mobile Bay, but the city of that name
was not commenced till nine years later (1711). In 1763, the entire
French possessions east of the Mississippi (except New Orleans) fell
into the hands of the English. Alabama was incorporated first with
Georgia, afterwards, in 1802, with the Mississippi Territory; but
finally, in 1819, it became an independent member of the great American
confederacy. In 1813 and 1814 the Creek Indians waged war on the
settlers and massacred nearly 400 whites who had taken refuge at Fort
Mimms, on the Alabama River. They were, however, soon reduced to
subjection by Gen. Jackson, and after their defeat at Horseshoe Bend,
March, 1814, the greater portion of their territory was taken from them,
and they were subsequently removed to the Indian Territory. On the
outbreak of the civil war in 1861, the temporary capital of the
Confederate States was established at Montgomery, Ala., but it was soon
afterwards removed to Richmond, Va.
=Alabanda= (_Bour Dogan_, or Arab _Hissar_). A city in Asia Minor;
destroyed by Labienus, a Roman general, in 38 B.C.
=Alacays.= Name given by the ancients to a kind of soldiery, and
afterwards to servants following an army.
=Alage.= A mounted guard of the Byzantine emperors, doing duty in the
palace of Constantinople, and defending, in case of danger, the person
of the emperor.
=Alaibeg.= A Turkish commander of regiments of levied troops.
=Alamo, Fort=, or =The Alamo=. A celebrated fort in Bexar County, near
San Antonio, Texas, where a small garrison of Texans bravely resisted a
body of Mexicans ten times their number, and perished to a man, March 6,
1836. This spot has hence been called the Thermopylæ of Texas, and
“Remember the Alamo!” was used as the battle-cry of the Texans in their
war of independence.
=Alanda.= Name of a legion formed by Julius Cæsar from the best warriors
of the Gauls.
=Aland Isles= (Gulf of Bothnia). Taken from Sweden by Russia, 1809. See
BOMARSUND.
=Alani.= A Tartar race; invaded Parthia, 75; were subdued by the
Visigoths, 452, and eventually incorporated with them.
=Alarcos= (Central Spain). Here the Spaniards under Alfonso IX., king of
Castile, were totally defeated by the Moors, July 19, 1195.
=Alares.= Name given by the Romans to troops which were placed on the
wings of an army; these troops were generally furnished by allies.
=Alarm.= A sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise, or the
notice of such attack being actually made. It is generally signified by
the discharge of fire-arms, the beat of a drum, etc.
=Alarm Gun.= A gun fired to give an alarm.
=Alarm Post.= In the field, is the ground appointed by the
quartermaster-general for each regiment to march to, in case of an
alarm. In a garrison, it is the place allotted by the governor for the
troops to assemble on any sudden alarm.
=Alaska.= A large territory forming the northwest part of North America,
which was purchased by the United States from Russia in 1867, and was
annexed as a county to Washington Territory in 1872. The native
inhabitants are Esquimaux, Indians, and Aleuts, with a few persons of
Russian descent.
=Alba de Tormes.= A city in Spain, where the French defeated the
Spaniards in 1809.
=Albana.= A city in ancient Albania, situated on the coast of the
Caspian Sea; a wall was constructed to the west of the city for the
purpose of staying the progress of the Scythians, by Darius I., or by
Chosrois.
=Albania.= A province in European Turkey, formerly part of the ancient
Epirus, a scene of many battles; a revolt in Albania was suppressed in
1843.
=Albanians=, or =Albaniers=. The inhabitants of the Turkish territory of
Albania, are a very brave and active race, and furnish the best warriors
for the Turkish army.
=Albans, St.= (Hertfordshire, Eng.). Near the Roman Verulam; first
battle of St. Albans took place in May, 1455, between the Houses of
Lancaster and York, wherein the former were defeated, and King Henry VI.
taken prisoner; second battle took place in February, 1461, wherein
Queen Margaret totally defeated the Yorkists and rescued the king.