small-arms, etc., is measured; said to have been invented by an
artificer of Nuremberg, 1540.
=Caliver.= A hand-gun or arquebuse; probably the old name for the
match-lock or carabine.
=Call.= A military musical term, signifies a signal given by a trumpet,
bugle, or drum.
=Callao.= A fortified seaport of Peru. Lord Cochrane gallantly cut out
the “Esmeralda,” a Spanish ship-of-war, from under the guns of the fort
in 1821. Its roadstead (the best on the Peruvian coast) was the scene of
a combat between the Spaniards and the Independents; the Colombians took
it in 1826. The attempt of the Spanish admiral Nuñez to bombard Callao
on May 2, 1866, was defeated by the Peruvians.
=Calle, La.= A seaport on the coast of Algeria. The French, who
possessed it before the revolution of 1789, lost it during that epoch;
again occupied it in 1815, but lost it in 1827. It has been in the
possession of the French since the conquest of Algeria.
=Callinger.= One of the hill-forts of Bundelcund. From its position and
size, Callinger must at one time have been a place of great strength. It
was stormed by the British in 1812.
=Calmar.= See KALMAR.
=Calones.= A term applied to menials of the Roman armies; also slaves
belonging to the Roman soldiers, who followed their masters to the wars.
=Calore.= A river in Italy; on its banks the Romans (composed of
slaves), commanded by Tiberius (Gracchus), defeated the Carthaginian
general Hanno in 215. After the battle each Roman (slave) who could
present the head of an enemy slain by him was granted his freedom.
=Calpee=, or =Kalpee=. A city of India, in Bundelcund, on the right bank
of the river Jumna. It was conquered by the British in 1803, and in May,
1858, was captured by Gen. Rose from the mutinous Sepoys, it being the
headquarters of the Gwalior contingent.
=Caltrop=, or =Crow’s-foot=. An instrument with 4 iron points, so
disposed that, three of them being on the ground, the other projects
upward. They are scattered on the ground where an enemy’s cavalry are to
pass, to impede their progress by endangering the horses’ feet.
=Calumet.= A kind of pipe used by the North American Indians for smoking
tobacco, having the bowl usually of soft red stone, and the tube a long
reed ornamented with feathers. The calumet is used as a symbol or
instrument of peace. To accept the calumet is to agree to the terms of
peace, and to refuse it is to reject them. The calumet is used to seal
or ratify contracts and alliances, and to receive strangers kindly.
=Calvi.= A seaport on the island of Corsica, situated on a peninsula in
the Gulf of Calvi. It is strongly fortified and has a good port. It was
captured by the English in 1794, after a siege of 51 days.
=Calvi.= A decayed town of Naples. Here the French gained a victory over
the Neapolitans, December 9, 1798.
=Cam.= A river in England. On its banks was fought a battle between the
Saxons and Danes during the reign of Edward I.
=Camail.= Ancient armor, consisting of a guard for the throat made of
chain-mail coming down from the helmet.
=Cambrai=, or =Cambray=. A fortified city of France, department of the
North. It was fortified by the Romans; besieged and captured by
Childebert in 535; taken by Edward III., king of England, in 1337; in
1544 by Charles V.; by the Spaniards in 1595; captured by the French and
annexed, 1667; taken by Clairfait, the Austrian general, on September
10, 1798. The French were defeated at Cæsar’s camp, in the neighborhood,
by the allied army under the Duke of York, April 24, 1794. Cambray was
seized by the British under Sir Charles Colville, June 24, 1815. Several
important treaties were entered into at this place.
=Cambria.= See WALES.
=Cambridge.= The Roman _Camboricum_ and the Saxon _Granta_; a town of
England, in Cambridgeshire. It was burned by the Danes in 870 and 1010.
Roger de Montgomery destroyed it with fire and sword, to be revenged of
King William Rufus. During Wat Tyler’s and Jack Straw’s rebellion, the
rebels entered the town, seized the University records and burned them
in the market-place, 1381.
=Cambuskenneth= (Central Scotland). Here Wallace defeated the English
under Warrenne and Cressingham, September 10, 1297.
=Camden.= A village in Kershaw Co., S. C. Gen. Gates was defeated here
August 16, 1780, by Lord Cornwallis, and April 25, 1781, Gen. Greene was
here defeated by Lord Rawdon. During the civil war this place was
captured, February 24, 1865, by the Federal forces under Gen. Sherman,
and the bridge over the Wateree, the railroad depot, and a considerable
quantity of stores, etc., burned by the 15th Corps.
=Camel.= See PACK AND DRAUGHT ANIMALS.
=Camelford.= A town of England, in Cornwall. It was the scene of a
famous battle between King Arthur and his nephew Modred in 543, in which
the former was victorious. The West Saxons, under Egbert, had a battle
with the Britons here in 823.
=Cameron Highlanders.= The designation given to the 79th Regiment of
Infantry in the British service, in consequence of the corps having been
raised by Allan Cameron of Erroch in 1793. This gallant regiment, which
wears the Highland garb, performed distinguished services in the
Peninsula and at Waterloo, and has been engaged in the principal warlike
struggles of more recent times.
=Camisado.= A shirt formerly worn by soldiers over their uniform, in
order to be able to recognize one another in the darkness, in a night
attack.
=Camisado.= An attack by surprise at night, or at break of day, when the
enemy is supposed to be in bed, by soldiers wearing the camisado.
=Camouflet= (_Fr._). A small mine containing about 10 pounds of powder,
sufficient to compress the earth all around it without disturbing the
surface of the ground. It is sometimes formed in the wall or side of an
enemy’s gallery, to blow in the earth and cut off the retreat of the
miner.
=Camp.= From the Latin word _campus_, a “plain”; is the whole extent of
ground covered by an army when under canvas. Its breadth should not
exceed the line occupied by the troops when drawn out in order of
battle. As a general rule, camps should be located in a position
convenient to wood and water, with the front close and well covered, and
the rear perfectly open.
=Campaign.= A connected series of military operations, forming a
distinct stage or step in a war. Formerly, when troops kept the field
only during the summer months, the term was used to include all that was
done from the time an army took the field until it went again into
winter quarters. In modern times, when no ordinary degree of cold is
allowed to arrest military operations, the term is frequently used to
include all steps taken to accomplish one immediate object.
=Campaigner.= One who has served in an army several campaigns; an old
soldier; a veteran.
=Camp and Garrison Equipage.= All the tents, fittings, utensils, etc.,
carried with an army, applicable to the domestic rather than to the
warlike wants of the soldier. The allowance of camp and garrison
equipage to U. S. troops is prescribed in general orders from the War
Department.
=Campania= (Southern Italy). Was occupied by Hannibal and various cities
declared in his favor, 216 B.C.; conquered by the Romans, 213. Its
capital was Capua (which see).
=Camp-bedstead.= A bedstead made to fold up within a narrow space, as
used in war; a trestle bedstead.
=Campbell’s Station.= A post-village of Knox Co., Tenn. Here on November
16, 1863, Gen. Burnside, marching from Knoxville to meet the Confederate
forces under Gen. Longstreet, was attacked by them, and after several
hours’ fighting succeeded in repulsing them. Burnside then withdrew to
the neighborhood of Knoxville and fortified his position.
=Camp-boy.= A boy that serves in camp.
=Campeachy.= A city of Central America, and the principal seaport of
Yucatan. The country was discovered about 1517, and settled in 1540.
This city was taken by the English in 1659; by the buccaneers in 1678,
and by the freebooters of St. Domingo in 1685. These last burnt the town
and blew up the citadel.
=Campestre.= A kind of girdle or apron worn by Roman soldiers around
their waists at certain exercises, where the rest of their bodies
remained naked.
=Camp-followers.= The sutlers, traders, and dealers generally; also
civilian employés, servants, and women who follow troops, and are
amenable to the regulations and restrictions of the service.
=Camp-guard.= A camp-guard consists of one or two rows of sentinels
placed around a camp, and relieved at regular intervals. The number of
rows of sentinels, and the distance between each man, will depend upon
the character of the ground and the degree of danger apprehended.
=Campidoctores.= Officers who drilled the Roman soldiery.
=Camp, Intrenched.= Is a position fortified by field-works, which may be
selected by an army in the field, for important operations during a
campaign or a war,--such as to secure itself while covering a siege, or
in winter quarters to accommodate a corps of observation, while the
active army is engaged elsewhere, or to defend a position near a
fortified place.
=Camp of Instruction.= Is an encampment of troops in the field to
habituate them to the duties and fatigues of war. They may be either
temporary or permanent. Of the latter description are the camps at
Aldershott, England, and the Curragh of Kildare, Ireland.
=Campo Formio.= A town of Northern Italy; here a treaty was concluded
between France and Austria, the latter yielding the Low Countries and
the Ionian Islands to France, and Milan, Mantua, and Modena to the
Cisalpine Republic, October 17, 1797. By a secret article the emperor
gained the Venetian dominions.
=Campo Mayor.= A stronghold which covers the district between the
Guadiana and the Tagus, where the French, retreating from this place in
March, 1811, were suddenly confronted by a large British force under
Marshal Beresford, and a combat ensued which was disastrous to the
French.
=Campoos.= Regiments of infantry in the service of the Mahratta
confederates.
=Campo Santo.= A town of Northern Italy, situated on the Panaro. In 1743
a sanguinary battle was fought here between the Spanish and Austrian
forces.
=Camp Out, To.= To rest for the night without a standing roof; whether
under a light tent, a screen of boughs, or any makeshift that the
neighborhood may afford.
=Camprodon.= A fortified town of Catalonia, Spain. This town was taken
by the French in 1689, and again in 1794.
=Camp-stool.= A portable seat used on campaigns. It is usually made with
crossed legs, so as to fold up, and with a full-sized seat of leather or
canvas, or else of strips of dressed hide.
=Canada, Dominion of.= A country of North America which embraces all of
the American possessions of Great Britain lying north of the United
States. It was discovered by John and Sebastian Cabot, June 24, 1497;
the French founded Quebec in 1608. The English general Wolfe captured
Quebec in 1759, and the conquest of Canada was completed in 1760. The
Americans under Montgomery invaded Canada, and surprised Montreal,
November, 1775; expelled by Carleton, March, 1776; the Americans under
Gen. Hull again invaded Canada; defeated at Brownstown, August 8, and
surrendered August 16, 1812. The Americans took York April 27, Fort
George May 27, 1814; they were defeated at Chippewa July 25, and peace
was signed at Ghent, December 24, 1814. Several rebellions took place in
Canada, but were speedily suppressed. Invasions of Canada by armed
Fenians from the United States were attempted in 1866 and 1870, but were
repelled without difficulty.
=Cananore.= A seaport town of British India, in the presidency of
Madras; it is the chief military station of the British in Malabar. In
1501 a small fort was built here by the Portuguese, which was taken by
the Dutch in 1664. These were subsequently driven out by Tippoo Saib,
and in 1790 the British took possession.
=Candahar=, or =Kandahar=. A fortified city of Afghanistan; stands in a
fertile plain, 200 miles southwest from Cabool. This city is supposed to
have been founded by Alexander the Great. Candahar was held by Tartary,
India, and Persia in turn. During all the disasters of the Afghan war,
the British succeeded in holding possession of the city, 1839-42.
=Candia= (anc. _Crete_). An island in the Mediterranean Sea. It was
conquered by the Romans, 68 B.C.; seized by the Saracens, 823; retaken
by the Greeks, 960; sold to the Venetians, 1204; gained by the Turks
after a 24 years’ siege, during which more than 200,000 men perished,
1669; ceded to the Egyptian pasha, 1830; restored to Turkey, 1840; in
1866 the Christian inhabitants revolted against the Turks, and demanded
an annexation to the kingdom of Greece. This war excited much sympathy
among Christian nations, but the Cretans were subdued in 1869.
=Candle Bombs.= Pasteboard shells filled with pyrotechnic compositions
which make a brilliant display upon explosion. They are used for
signaling, and are made up with a powder charge attached to one side; a
strand of quick-match leads to the charge when placed in the mortar. The
mortars used are very light, being simply hollow cylinders of stout
paper, sole-leather, or wood. They are made very light for ease of
transportation.
=Candy.= A kingdom of Ceylon; it was taken by a British detachment,
February 20, 1803, who capitulated June 23, following, anxious to
evacuate the place on account of its unhealthiness; on the third day
many were treacherously massacred at Columbo. The war was renewed in
October, 1814; the king made prisoner by Gen. Brownrigg, February 19,
1815, and the sovereignty vested in Great Britain, March 2, 1815.
=Canister.= In the U. S. service, a round of canister consists of a
hollow tin cylinder filled with cast iron or lead balls, which vary in
size and number with the caliber and kind of piece; the cylinder is
closed at the bottom by a thick cast-iron plate, and at the top by one
of sheet-iron. The interstices between the balls are filled with dry
sawdust, the object of which is to give more solidity to the mass, and
to prevent the balls from crowding on one another when the piece is
fired. In the English service this is called case-shot.
=Canister-shot.= One of the lead or iron balls in a round of canister.
=Cannæ.= A town of Naples, province of Terra di Bari. It is celebrated
for the great victory gained there by Hannibal over the Romans, in the
summer of 216 B.C. The loss of the Romans is stated by Livy at 45,000
infantry and 3000 cavalry.
=Cannon.= A military engine of which the general form is that of a
hollow cylinder closed at one end, and variously mounted, used for
throwing balls and other instruments of death by force of gunpowder.
Cannons are made of iron, brass, bronze, and sometimes of steel rods
welded together, and are of different sizes. They are classified, from
their nature, _guns_, _howitzers_, and _mortars_; also from their use,
as _field_, _mountain_, _prairie_, _sea-coast_, and _siege_; also as
_rifled_ and _smooth-bore_. See ORDNANCE.
The following are the most famous cannon of all ages, arranged according
to the diameter of the bore:
1. The _Tsar Pooschka_, the great bronze gun of Moscow, cast in 1586;
bore 36 inches, weight 86,240 pounds; threw a stone ball weighing 2000
pounds.
2. _Mallet’s Mortar_, English, 1857-58; built up of cast and wrought
iron; bore 36 inches; cast-iron shell weighing 2986 pounds.
3. The _Malik-I-Mydan_, “Master of the Field,” the great bronze gun of
Bejapoor, India; cast 1538; bore 28.5 inches; basalt ball, 1000 pounds.
4. _The Bronze Gun of Mahomet II._, A.D. 1464; bore 25 inches; granite
ball, 672 pounds.
5. The _Dulle-Griete_ of Ghent, wrought iron, A.D. 1430; bore 25 inches;
stone ball, 700 pounds.
6. The _Dhool-Dhanee_, bronze gun of Agra, India; bore 23.2 inches;
stone balls, 520 pounds.
7. _Mons Meg_ of Edinburgh; wrought iron, A.D. 1455; bore 20 inches;
stone ball, 400 pounds.
8. _Rodman Gun_, American, 1863; cast iron; bore 20 inches, weight
117,000 pounds; cast-iron solid shot weighing 1080 pounds.
The most powerful cannon the world has ever seen have been made within
the present decade (1870-80). They are rifles.
The _100-ton Armstrong guns_ sold to Italy to arm the “Duilio” and
“Dandolo”; bore 17 inches, weight of oblong shot of chilled iron 2000
pounds, charge of _Fossano powder_ 552 pounds. _Muzzle-loading._
The _80-ton Woolwich guns_ made to arm the “Inflexible”; bore 16 inches,
weight of shot 1700 pounds, charge of _cubical powder_ 440 pounds.
_Muzzle-loading._
The _72-ton Krupp guns_; bore 15.75 inches, weight of steel shot 1700
pounds, charge of _prismatic powder_ 452 pounds. Guns all steel.
_Breech-loading._
=Cannonade.= The act of discharging shot or shells from cannon for the
purpose of destroying an army, or battering a town, ship, or fort;
usually applied to an attack of some continuance.
=Cannon-ball.= A ball usually made of cast iron, to be thrown from
cannon.
=Cannon Baskets.= The old English phrase for gabions.
=Cannon-bullet.= A cannon-ball.
=Cannoneer.= A man who manages cannon.
=Cannoneering.= The use of cannon.
=Cannoneers’ Seats.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR, NOMENCLATURE OF
ARTILLERY CARRIAGES.
=Cannon-lock.= A contrivance, like the lock of a gun, placed over the
vent of a cannon to explode the charge.
=Cannon-metal.= An alloy of copper with about 9 per cent. of
tin;--called also _gun-metal_.
=Cannon-perer.= An ancient piece of ordnance throwing stone shot.
=Cannon-proof.= Proof against cannon.
=Cannon Royal.= A 60-pounder of 8¹⁄₂ inches bore.
=Cannonry.= Cannon collectively; artillery.
=Cannon-shot.= A ball for cannon.
=Canonnière= (_Fr._). This name was given formerly to a tent which
served to shelter four canonniers, but later the term was applied to all
infantry tents which contained seven or eight men.
=Canonnière= (_Fr._). An appellation formerly given to a gun-proof
tower; it also designated an opening in the walls of cities, forts,
etc., through which the defenders of these places could fire on an enemy
without being exposed.
=Canonniers= (_Fr._). Artillerymen, gunners. In 1671, during the
administration of Louvois in France, the name of _canonniers_ was given
to the first company of the regiment of the king’s fusileers; in April,
1693, this regiment was named _artillerie royal_, but the first company
retained the name of _canonniers_.
=Canonniers Gardes-côtes= (_Fr._). Were instituted in 1702, by Louis
XIV. of France, for the service of coast batteries. They are similar to
the Artillery Coast Brigade in the British service.
=Canstadt=, or =Cannstadt=. A town of Würtemberg, on the river Neckar.
In the vicinity a battle was fought in 1796, between Gen. Moreau and the
Archduke Charles of Austria.
=Cantabri.= A rude race of ancient mountaineers who lived in Cantabria,
the northern part of Spain, near the Bay of Biscay. They made a brave
resistance to the Romans in the Cantabrian war, 25-19 B.C. They are said
to have been of Iberian origin.
=Cantabrum.= A large banner used during the time of the Roman emperors,
and borne on festive occasions.
=Canteen.= A tin vessel used by soldiers to carry water on the march, or
in the field. It is usually suspended by a strap from the shoulder. In
the British service the canteen is made of wood. The name is also
applied to the store authorized within the precincts of British barracks
for the sale of liquors, small stores, etc. (See POST TRADER.) A leather
or wooden chest divided into compartments, and containing the table
equipage of an officer when on active service, is also called a canteen.
=Canterbury= (the _Durovernum_ of the Romans). A town in Kent, England.
Its cathedral was sacked by the Danes, 1011, and burnt down, 1067;
rebuilt, 1130; again burnt down, 1174, and again rebuilt. During the
civil war in England, Cromwell’s dragoons used Canterbury Cathedral as a
stable.
=Cantinière= (_Fr._). Women who are authorized to establish themselves
in the barracks or follow the troops in time of war, selling them
liquors and provisions. The _cantinières_, whether attached to regiments
or barracks, are selected from the wives of non-commissioned officers or
privates, and wear a uniform. See VIVANDIÈRE.
=Cantle.= The hind-bow or protuberance of a saddle; also written
_cantel_.
=Canton.= The only city in China with which Europeans were allowed to
trade till the treaty of August 29, 1842. In 1856 a serious
misunderstanding arose between Great Britain and China, on account of
the Chinese having boarded the “Arrow,” a small vessel, lying in the
Canton River, with a British colonial register. The Canton forts were
taken, and Canton was bombarded by Sir Michael Seymour in 1856, and in
the following year the Chinese fleet was entirely destroyed. In 1858
Canton was taken, and the forts at the mouth of the Pei-ho River were
taken by the allied French and English forces.
=Canton.= One of the nine honorable ordinaries in heraldry. It occupies
a corner of the shield either dexter or sinister, and is a third of the
chief.
=Cantonments.= In the general operations of European armies are
temporary resting-places. In cantonments the men are not under canvas,
as in camps, but occupy during an armistice, or in intervals between
active operations, adjacent towns and villages. In India cantonments are
permanent places, being regular military towns, distinct and at some
little distances from the principal cities.
=Cantonné.= In heraldry, when a cross is placed between four other
objects it is said to be _cantonné_.
=Canusium= (now _Canosa_). An important and very ancient city of Apulia,
in Italy. It was probably founded by the Greeks. Here a battle took
place between the Carthaginians under Hannibal, and the Romans under
Marcellus, 209 B.C.; it lasted two days; the first day the
Carthaginians were victorious, but on the second day the Romans gained
the victory after committing great havoc among their adversaries. It was
captured by the Romans, 318 B.C.
=Canvas.= A coarse hempen or linen cloth which is extensively used in
the form of tents, etc.
=Cap-a-pie= (_Fr._). “Head to foot.” In military language of the Middle
Ages, this term was applied to a knight or soldier armed at all points,
with armor for defense and weapons for attack.
=Caparison.= The bridle, saddle, and housing of a military horse.
=Cape Breton.= A large island of British North America, separated from
Nova Scotia by the Gut of Canso. Said to have been discovered by Cabot,
1497; by the English in 1584; taken by the French in 1632, but was
afterwards restored, and again taken in 1745, and retaken in 1748. The
fortress of Louisburg was captured by the English, July 26, 1758, when
the garrison were made prisoners, and 11 French ships were captured or
destroyed. The island was ceded to England, February 10, 1763.
=Cape Coast Castle.= In Southwest Africa; it was settled by the
Portuguese in 1610, but it soon fell to the Dutch; it was demolished by
Admiral Holmes in 1661. All the British factories and shipping along the
coast were destroyed by the Dutch admiral, Ruyter, in 1665. It was
confirmed to the English by the treaty of Breda, in 1667. See ASHANTEES.
=Cape Colony.= See CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
=Capeline= (_Fr._). A helmet without a visor, nearly in the form of a
round head; it was formerly worn by infantry.
=Cape of Good Hope.= In Southern Africa; long held by the Dutch; was
captured by the British, September 16, 1795; restored to the Dutch at
the general peace, but was again taken by the British, January 9, 1806;
it still belongs to the British, though a severe desultory warfare has
often been carried on with the native tribes.
=Capital.= In technical fortification, is an imaginary line bisecting
the salient angle of a work.
=Capitulation.= The surrender of a fortress or army on stipulated
conditions.
=Caponiere.= A covered passage across the ditch of a fortified place,
for the purpose either of sheltering communication with outworks or of
affording a flanking fire to the ditch in which it stands. If the
caponiere is protected only on one side, it is single; if on both sides,
and covered, it is double.