The term, however, admits of one exception. Hungarian insurgents
(_Insurgenten die Ungarischen_) mean the Hungarian militia, called out
or summoned by general proclamation, as under the old feudal system.
=Insurrection.= A rising against civil or political authority; the open
and active opposition of a number of persons to the execution of law in
a city or state; a rebellion; a revolt.
=Intenable.= Incapable of being held; untenable; not defensible; as, an
intenable fortress.
=Intendant=, or =Intendant Militaire=. An officer in the French army
charged with the organization and direction of all the civil services
attending a force in the field. The officers acting under his orders are
those in charge of all the finance services, the provisions, stores,
hospitals, artillery train, and transport departments, besides the
interpreters, guides, and such like temporary services. The
_intendant-en-chef_ of an army is the representative of the minister of
war; and, short of superseding the general’s orders, can exercise, in
case of need, all the functions of that high officer of state. The
intendance is divided into intendants, ranking with general officers,
sub-intendants with colonels, and assistant-intendants with majors;
besides these there are cadets, who receive no pay, and constitute a
probationary grade.
=Intercept.= To interrupt communication with, or progress towards; to
cut off; as, to intercept the march of an army.
=Intercombat.= A combat between.
=Interior.= A word of varied application; as, the _interior flanking
angle_ is formed by the curtain and line of defense. _Interior radius_
is that part of an _oblique radius_ extending from the centre of the
polygon to the centre of the bastion. _Interior side_ is the line of the
curtain produced to the two oblique radii of the front, or a line drawn
from the centre of one bastion to that of the next.
=Interior Form of Cannon.= The interior of cannon may be divided into
three distinct parts: 1st, the _vent_, or channel which communicates
fire to the charge; 2d, the _seat of the charge_, or chamber, if its
diameter be different from the rest of the bore; 3d, the _cylinder_, or
that portion of the bore passed over by the projectile. See also GROOVES
FOR RIFLE CANNON.
=Interior Guards.= Are police guards, guards of property, etc., who are
liable to come in contact with the enemy.
=Interior Slope.= Is the inclination towards the inner part of a work
which is given to the earth forming the rampart or parapet. _Interior
crest_ is the crest of the interior slope.
=Interval.= In military dispositions and manœuvres, any given distance
or space. In tactics the term is used to signify taken parallel to the
front, as opposed to distance or space perpendicularly to the front.
_Interval between two battalions_ is the space which separates them when
they are drawn up for action or when they are encamped. This space is
generally wide enough to admit the march of another regiment; that is to
say, it is equal to the extent of its front when in line. _Interval
between the line and the camp_ comprehends the space which lies between
the camp and the line of intrenchments. It is generally from 180 to 200
toises in breadth; so that the different sections of troops which are
necessary for the security of the camp, may have room to move in, while
sufficient ground is left in rear for troops to pass and repass as
occasion may require. The same observation holds good with respect to
contrevallation.
=Intrench.= Is to make secure against the attack of an enemy by digging
a ditch or trench, etc. _To intrench upon_, to invade, to make
encroachments upon the property or territories of another.
=Intrenched Camp.= A large space capable of containing an entire army,
surrounded by works of fortification. Frequently an intrenched camp
joins a fortress, in which case it is protected by permanent works of
considerable strength--detached forts, for instance.
=Intrenching Tool.= An implement used for intrenching. In view of the
deadly fire of modern small-arms it is a matter of great importance that
the soldier should be able to get cover. For this reason it has been
proposed to make an intrenching tool a part of the soldier’s equipment.
In the United States army a combination bayonet and intrenching tool is
used. See TROWEL BAYONET.
=Intrenchment.= Is generally a ditch or trench with a parapet. The earth
removed to form the ditch is used to construct the parapet. Fascines,
with earth thrown over them, gabions, hogsheads, or bags filled with
earth, are often employed to revet or strengthen the work when the earth
is loose or sandy. _Intrenchments of armies_ are the whole works or
obstacles by which an army or large body of troops cover themselves for
their defense.
=Intrepidity.= An unqualified contempt of death; an indifference to
fortune as far as it regards personal safety; a fearlessness of heart,
and a daring enterprise of mind.
=Inundation.= The act of letting water into a country so that it shall
be overflowed, to prevent the approach of an enemy. It is among the most
considerable of the various methods which have been devised for
impeding the approach to a field-work, or indeed, any fortification.
=Invade, To.= To make a forcible or clandestine entry into the territory
of another state; to pass the regular line of frontier of any country,
in order to take possession of the interior.
=Invalid.= A soldier who has been wounded, or has suffered in his
health, and in consequence of his good conduct has been recommended to a
certain provision for life. Chelsea Hospital is the place allotted for
the reception of such objects of public gratitude and benevolence in
England; the Soldiers’ Home, in Washington, D. C., in the United States,
and the Hôtel des Invalides, at Paris, France. In England numbers of
invalids are, however, allowed to reside where they choose, and are then
known as “out-pensioners.”
=Invalides.= Wounded veterans of the French army, maintained at the
expense of the State. See HÔTEL DES INVALIDES.
=Invaliding.= Signifies the return home, or to a more healthy climate,
of soldiers or sailors whom wounds or the severity of foreign service
has rendered incapable of active duty. The man invalided returns to his
duty as soon as his restored health justifies the step.
=Invasion.= In war, is the entrance or attack of an enemy on the
dominions of another.
=Inventory of Effects of Deceased Officers and Soldiers.= See APPENDIX,
ARTICLES OF WAR, 125, 126.
=Inverness.= A royal burgh of Scotland, capital of a county of the same
name, situated on both sides of the river Ness. It was a city of the
Picts up to 843; taken by Edward I.; retaken by Bruce, 1313; burnt by
the Lord of the Isles, 1411; taken by Cromwell, 1649; and by Prince
Charles Edward in 1746. The latter was defeated at Culloden, about 5
miles from Inverness, April 16, 1746.
=Inversion.= A movement in tactics by which the order of companies in
line is inverted, the right being on the left, the left on the right,
and so on.
=Invest.= To invest a place is to seize upon all the avenues leading to
a town or fortress. On the occasion of an investment, the hostile troops
are distributed on the principal commands, to prevent any succor from
being received by the garrison, and to keep the ground until the rest of
the army, with the artillery, can arrive to form a regular siege. To
invest a place is, in fact, to take preparatory measures for a blockade
or close siege.
=Invincible.= Incapable of being conquered or overcome; unconquerable;
insuperable; as, an invincible army, etc.
=Inwall.= To inclose or fortify with a wall.
=Iona=, =Icolmkill=, or =Hii=. The most famous of the Hebrides, in
Argyle Co., Scotland. It is about 3 miles long, and varies in breadth
from a mile to a mile and a half. It was founded by Saint Columba, a
native of Ireland, in the 6th century, and long remained the chief seat
of learning and the centre of missionary enterprises undertaken by the
Culdees. In 795, 802, 806, 825, and 986 the island was ravaged by
Norsemen, by whom its monks were martyred in the three latter dates.
=Ionia.= In Asia Minor. About 1040 B.C., the Iones, a Pelasgic race,
emigrated from Greece, and settled here and on the adjoining islands.
They were conquered by the great Cyrus about 548 B.C.; revolted in 504,
but were again subdued. After the victories of Cimon, Ionia became
independent and remained so till 387, when it was once more subjected to
Persia. It formed part of the dominions of Alexander and his successors;
was annexed to the Roman empire, and conquered by the Turks.
=Ionian Islands.= A group of islands running round the west coast of
Epirus, and west and south of Greece. After the division of the Roman
empire these islands were included in the eastern half, and so continued
till 1081, when the Duke of Calabria took possession of them. From this
time they underwent a continual change of masters till the commencement
of the 15th century, when they by degrees came into possession of the
Venetians, who in 1797 ceded them to France. They were seized by Russia
and Turkey in 1800, by France in 1807, by Great Britain in 1809, and
November 15, 1815, they were formed into a republic under the
protectorate of the latter power. In May, 1864, they were formally
annexed to Greece.
=Ionie Indians.= A tribe of aborigines allied to the Caddos, who resided
in Texas, and were generally peaceable and friendly.
=Iowa.= One of the Central States of the United States, lying between
the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It originally formed a portion of
the Louisiana Territory; and permanent settlements commenced to be
formed in it about 1833; organized as a Territory in 1838, and admitted
as a State in 1846. During the civil war it contributed its full quota
of troops to the cause of the Union.
=Iowa Indians.= A tribe of aborigines of Dakota stock, who inhabited the
State which now bears their name. They were closely allied to the Sacs
and Foxes.
=Ipsara=, or =Psara=. A small island in the Grecian Archipelago, west of
Scio; belongs to Turkey. It was taken by the Turks in 1824.
=Ipsus.= A town of Phrygia, in Asia Minor. Here in 301 B.C., a battle
was fought between Antigonus, king of Asia, and the forces of Cassander,
Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus, which resulted in the defeat and
death of Antigonus.
=Ipswich.= The chief town of the county of Suffolk, England, situated on
the Orwell. This town was destroyed by the Danes about 1000.
=Ireland.= Anciently named _Ierne_ and _Hibernia_, is said to have been
first colonized by Phœnicians. Some assert that Partholani landed in
Ireland about 2048 B.C.; that the descent of the Damnonii was made about
1403 B.C.; and that this was followed by the descent of Herber and
Heremon, Milesian princes, from Galicia, Spain, who conquered Ireland,
and gave to the throne 171 kings. The Danes and Normans invaded Ireland
in 795; but were totally defeated by Brian Boriomhe at Clontarf, April
23, 1014. In 1172, King Henry II. of England invaded Ireland with a
formidable armament, and received homage from several of the minor
native chiefs, and from the chief Norman adventurers, granting to the
latter charters authorizing them, as his subjects, to take possession of
the entire island in his name; which they partially succeeded in
accomplishing. Subsequently the authority of the English crown became
limited to a few towns on the coast, and the district termed “the Pale,”
comprising a small circuit about Dublin and Drogheda. Henry II. received
the title of “king of Ireland” in 1541, by an act passed by the
Anglo-Irish Parliament in Dublin; and about the same period, some of the
native princes were induced to acknowledge him as their sovereign, and
to accept peerages. The attempts of the English government to introduce
the reformed faith stirred up dissensions in Ireland. Among the first to
revolt was the Earl of Desmond, after whose death, in 1583, his vast
estates in Munster were parceled out to English settlers. Soon after the
chief clans of Ulster took up arms; and in opposing them, the forces of
Queen Elizabeth, commanded by officers of high military reputation,
encountered many reverses, the most serious of which was that in 1598 at
the battle of the Yellow Ford, where the English army was routed and its
general slain. Philip III. of Spain, at the solicitation of the Irish
chief, dispatched a body of troops to their assistance in 1601, which
landed in the extreme south, instead of in the north, as had been
expected, were unable to effect anything, and were constrained, to
surrender. Although Elizabeth was supported by numbers of native Irish,
the northern chiefs, O’Neill and O’Donnell, held out till the queen’s
government came to terms with them in 1603, recognizing them as earls of
Tyrone and Tirconnell. In 1608 these noblemen having apprehensions for
their personal safety quitted Ireland, and retired to the continent.
Their withdrawal enabled James I. to carry out that project of parceling
out the north of Ireland to Protestant Scotch and English settlers. The
Irish took advantage of the contentions in England to rise in
insurrection (1641) and massacre the Protestants. It is believed that
nearly 40,000 fell victims to their fury. The country continued in a
state of anarchy till 1649. when Cromwell overran it. At the revolution
the native Irish generally took the part of James II., the English and
Scotch “colonists” that of William and Mary; and the war was kept up for
four years (1688-1692). The Irish again rebelled in 1798, and were not
suppressed until 1800. Ireland was incorporated with England and
Scotland in 1801. Several insurrections have taken place since the
latter date but were quickly suppressed. For important military events
in Ireland, see separate articles.
=Irish Brigade.= A body of men who followed the fortunes of James II.,
and were formed into regiments under the monarchy of France.
=Iron Cross.= A Prussian order of knighthood, instituted on March 10,
1813, by Frederick William III., and conferred for distinguished
services in the war which was then being carried on. The decoration is
an iron cross with silver mounting. The grand cross, a cross of double
the size, was presented exclusively for the gaining of a decisive
battle, or the capture or brave defense of a fortress. It was revived by
William I. in the Franco-Prussian war, and awarded by him to his son for
his victory at Weissembourg, August 4, 1870.
=Iron Crown.= The crown of the ancient Lombard kings; is a broad band of
gold set with jewels, within which is a thin plate or fillet of iron,
and is declared by tradition to have been hammered from one of the nails
of the true cross. It has been used at the coronation of 34 different
monarchs, including Charlemagne, Henry VII. of Germany, Charles V., and
Napoleon. After the peace of Vienna in 1866, the crown was presented by
the emperor of Austria to Victor Emmanuel, king of Italy.
=Iron Ores.= _Character of Pig-iron._--Ores suitable for “gun-metal”
should be reduced in the smelting-furnace, with charcoal and the warm
blast, varying from 125° to 300° Fahr., depending upon the ore used.
Iron thus made, or pig-iron, should be soft, yielding easily to the file
and chisel; the appearance of the fracture should be uniform, with a
brilliant aspect, dark gray color, and medium-sized crystals. _Character
of Gun-metal._--When remelted and cast into cannon, it should approach
that degree of hardness which resists the file and chisel, but not so
hard as to be bored and turned with much difficulty. Its color should
be a bright, lively gray; crystals small, with acute angles, and
sharp to the touch; structure uniform, close, and compact.
_Magnetite._--_Octahedral Iron Ore._--Color iron-black. Streak black.
Brittle. The black streak and magnetic properties distinguish this
species from the following: _Specular Iron Ore._--_Hematite._--Often
massive granular; sometimes lamellar or micaceous. Also pulverulent and
earthy. Color, dark steel-gray or iron-black, and often when
crystallized having a highly splendid lustre; streak-powder cherry-red
or reddish-brown. The metallic varieties pass into an earthy ore of a
red color, having none of the external characters of the crystals, but
perfectly corresponding to them when they are pulverized, the powder
they yield being of a deep red color, and earthy or without lustre.
Sometimes slightly attracted by the magnet. _Limonite._--_Brown Iron
Ore._--Usually massive, and often with a smooth botryoidal or
stalactitic surface, having a compact fibrous structure within. Also
earthy. Color, dark brown to ochre-yellow; streak, yellowish-brown to
dull yellow. Lustre, sometimes sub-metallic; often dull and earthy; on a
surface of fracture frequently silky. _Spathic Iron._--_Carbonate of
Iron._--_Chalybite._--Usually massive, with a foliated structure,
somewhat curving. Sometimes in globular concretions or implanted
globules. Color, light grayish to brown; often dark brownish-red, or
nearly black on exposure. Streak, uncolored. Lustre, pearly to vitreous;
translucent to nearly opaque.
=Irons.= Fetters or instruments made of iron, with which a prisoner is
shackled. _To be put in irons_, is to be handcuffed and confined in
fetters.
=Ironsides.= A strong man. A cuirassier;--applied also to Cromwell’s
cavalry.
=Iroquois=, or =Six Nations=. The name given by the French to the Indian
confederacy of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, to
which were afterwards added the Tuscaroras, after being driven from
their hunting-grounds in North Carolina. This once formidable
confederacy is now nearly extinguished, but remnants of it are still
found scattered through the State of New York.
=Irregular.= Not regular; not according to common form or rules; as, an
irregular building or fortification. See FORTIFICATION, IRREGULAR.
=Irregular Cavalry.= A term now almost obsolete. It applied a few years
ago to regiments of horsemen raised under certain conditions in the East
Indies. These conditions were that each man should provide his own
horse, arms, accoutrements, and clothing, receiving in return a monthly
sum, which also included his pay. To these regiments only three English
officers were appointed, the other officers being natives. These
regiments are still paid in the same way, but they are clothed, armed,
and equipped in a uniform manner; the number of British officers is
increased, and they are no longer styled irregular cavalry.
=Irregularity.= A violation of the customs of service,--a delinquency
which is subject to censure but not serious enough to be brought before
a court-martial.
=Irun.= A town of Spain, near the left bank of the Bidassoa. It is a
place of great antiquity, having been in existence in the time of the
Romans. The Carlists were defeated by the British Legion, under Gen. Sir
de Lacy Evans, in the battle of Irun, May 16, 1837.
=Isabella the Catholic, Order of.= A Spanish order of knighthood,
founded by Ferdinand VII., March 24, 1815, as a reward of loyalty, for
the defense of the possessions of Spanish America. At present, it is
conferred for all kinds of merit. The sovereign is the head of the
order, which is divided into the three classes of Grand Crosses,
Commanders, and Knights.
=Isauria.= A province in Asia Minor, the inhabitants of which were a
wild and semi-barbarous race, who lived by rapine and plunder. The
Romans surrounded Isauria with a chain of fortresses, but the Isaurians
broke through them and remained as untamable as before. Under the
empire, army after army was sent against Isauria, which stood to Rome,
and afterwards to Constantinople, very much in the relation that
Circassia now does to Russia. In the 8th century their national vanity
was gratified by a countryman of their own being appointed to the
throne. From this date they gradually ceased to be formidable.
=Ischia.= An island in the Gulf of Naples, 6 miles from the coast, and
17 miles west from Naples. In 1807, Ischia was taken by a British and
Sicilian force.
=Isernia.= A place in Southern Italy, on the west slope of the
Apennines, where the Sardinian general Cialdini defeated the
Neapolitans, October 17, 1860.
=Isle of France.= See MAURITIUS.
=Ismail=, or =Ismailov=. A strong town of Turkey in Europe, on the north
side of the Kilia arm of the Danube. This place was long in the
possession of the Turks; it was stormed by the Russians, under Suwarrow,
in 1790. It remained in the possession of Russia until 1856, when it was
restored to Turkey by the removal of the Russian frontier.
=Isolé= (_Fr._). This word is used among the French, to express any body
or thing which is detached from another. It is variously applied in
fortification. Thus a pavilion or a barrack which is not joined to any
other wall or building is called isolé, because it stands alone, and a
person may walk entirely round it. A parapet is also said to be isolé
when there is an interval of 4 or 5 feet existing between the rampart
and its wall; which interval serves as a path for the rounds.
=Ispahan.= A famous city of Persia, capital of the province of
Irak-Ajemi, situated on the Zendarud. In 1722 it was taken by the
Afghans, and in 1729 was retaken by Nadir Shah. It has fallen gradually
into decay.
=Issue.= Event; consequence; the ultimate result of any undertaking; the
termination of any contest. A term also applied to the distribution of
supplies; as, issue of rations, issue of clothing, etc., to troops.
=Issues.= In the British service, are certain sums of money which are,
at stated periods, given to public accountants for public service; and
for the honest distribution of which, every individual so intrusted is
responsible to Parliament. _Regimental issues_ are moneys paid by
regimental agents, acting under the authority of their respective
colonels, for regimental purposes.
=Issus.= An ancient city and seaport in Cilicia, in Asia Minor, close to
the frontier of Syria, on or near the head of the Sinus Issicus, now the
Gulf of Scanderoon. It was in the neighborhood of this city that
Alexander the Great annihilated the Persian army under Darius in 333
B.C. Here too was fought (194 A.D.), the bloody battle between Septimus
Severus and Pescennius Niger, by virtue of which the former became sole
master of the Roman empire. The exact site of Issus has not yet been
discovered.
=Istalif.= A town of Afghanistan, province of Cabul (Cabool). It was
taken and partly destroyed by the British in 1842.
=Italy.= A peninsula in the south of Europe. The invading Pelasgians
from Greece, and the aborigines (Umbrians, Oscans, and Etruscans),
combined, formed the renowned Latin race still possessing the southern
part of Europe. The history of Italy is soon absorbed into that of Rome,
founded 753 B.C. Previous to the 15th century it was desolated by
intestine wars and the interference of the German emperors; since then,
Spain, France, and Germany have struggled for the possession of the
country, which has been divided among them several times. Spain
predominated in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries; but was
compelled to yield to the house of Austria at the beginning of the 18th
century. The victories of Bonaparte in 1797-98 changed the government of
Italy; but the Austrian rule was re-established at the peace of 1814. In
1848 the Milanese and Venetians revolted and joined Piedmont, but were
subdued by Radetzky. The hostile feeling between Austria and Piedmont
gradually increased till war broke out in April, 1859, in which the
Austrians were defeated, and the kingdom of Italy was re-established in
1861. Another war with Austria was declared in June, 1866, but peace was
signed in October, same year, and Venetia was ceded to Italy. For other
details, see ROME and the various Italian cities throughout this volume.
=Ithome.= A mountain fortress of Messenia, memorable for the defense
there made for many years against the Spartans in the first Messenian
war. It was afterwards the citadel of Messene, when that city was
founded by Epaminondas.