coast of Malabar, and was taken possession of by them in 1722; retaken
by the British in 1761; restored at the peace of Paris in 1763, but was
again taken in 1793. It was restored to the French in 1815.
=Mahrattas.= A people of Hindoo (Hindu) race, inhabiting Central India,
south of the Ganges, from Gwalior to Goa, and supposed by many to be the
descendants of a Persian or North Indian people. They are first
mentioned in history about the middle of the 17th century. Under the
leadership of Sevaji, a freebooter or adventurer, they overran and
subdued a large portion of the emperor of Delhi’s territory. They
subsequently were divided into tribes under powerful leaders, and
endeavored to overcome the Mogul; but they sustained a frightful defeat
in January, 1761, at the hands of Ahmed Shah Abdalli, the ruler of
Afghanistan, on the field of Paniput, where they lost 50,000 men, and
all their chiefs except Holkar. They still, however, continued to be the
hired mercenaries of the Delhi emperor, till the growing influence of
the British compelled them to look to their own safety. After many long
and bloody contests with the British and their allies, in which
sometimes the whole, but more frequently a portion of the Mahrattas
joined, they were one by one, with the exception of Scindiah, reduced to
a state of dependence. This last-mentioned chief having raised a
powerful army, officered by Frenchmen and disciplined after the European
method, continued the contest for a number of years, till his power was
finally broken in 1843. The Mahratta chiefs still possess extensive
dominions under British protection.
=Maida.= A town of Naples, in Calabria Ulta, 9 miles south from
Nicastra. It is noted for the defeat of the French under Regnier by the
British under Sir John Stuart, in an action that took place in the
plains near the town in 1806.
=Maiden.= An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in
Scotland for beheading criminals. Also, a fortress which has never been
taken.
=Maidstone.= A town of England, in Kent, 29 miles southeast from London,
on the Medway. In 1648 this town was stormed by the Parliamentary
troops.
=Mail= (Fr. _maille_, It. _maglia_; from the Lat. _macula_, a “spot,
hole, or mesh of a net”). Signifies a metal net-work, and is ordinarily
applied to such net-work when used as body defensive armor. Well-made
mail formed an admirable defense against all weapons except fire-arms,
and its pliability and comparative lightness gave it favor over the more
cumbrous plate-armor.
=Mail.= To put a coat of mail or armor upon; to arm defensively.
=Maillet= (_Fr._). A mallet. The French formerly made use of this
instrument as an offensive weapon in their engagements. In 1351 the
mallet was used at the famous battle “des Trente” (of thirty), which
derived its name from the number of combatants that fought on each side.
This extraordinary combat holds a distinguished place in the history of
Brittany, and was entered into by the partisans of Charles of Blois and
the king of France on one side, and by the Count Montfort and the king
of England on the other. Under the reign of Charles VI. a Parisian mob
forced the arsenal, and took out a large quantity of mallets, with which
they armed themselves for the purpose of murdering the custom-house
officers. The persons who assembled on this occasion were afterwards
called _Maillotins_. In the days of Louis XII. the English archers
carried mallets as offensive weapons.
=Maillotin= (_Fr._). An old French term which signified an ancient
weapon that was used to attack men who wore helmets and cuirasses. A
faction in France was also distinguished by this appellation. See
MAILLET.
=Mainade= (_Fr._). A body of marauders commanded by a chief.
=Main Body.= The line or corps of an army which marches between the
advance- and rear-guard; in camp, the body which lies between the two
wings.
=Main Guard.= See GUARD, MAIN.
=Main Work.= In fortification, is the principal work as distinguished
from the outworks.
=Maine.= The largest of the New England States, and the most easterly of
the United States. The first settlement was made in it at Phippsburg, in
1607, but was subsequently abandoned. Settlements from New Hampshire
gradually extended themselves into it, and it was afterwards annexed to
Massachusetts, as far as the Kennebec River. In the latter part of the
17th century it suffered much from the incursions of the savages and the
French, many of the towns being laid waste and the inhabitants
slaughtered. This state of affairs was terminated by the treaty of
Utrecht in 1712. During the Revolutionary war Portland was bombarded by
the British in 1775, and much property destroyed. Maine was admitted
into the Union as a State in 1820. Its northern boundary formed a
subject of controversy with Great Britain, which threatened a war, but
was settled by compromise in 1842. During the civil war, Maine was one
of the most active of the Northern States in the cause of the Union.
=Mainotes.= The inhabitants of the mountainous district of Maina, a
peninsula between the bays of the Kolokythia and Koron, forming part of
the province of Laconia, in Greece. They number about 60,000, and are a
wild and brave race, but addicted to robbery. While the Turks held
possession of Greece, the Mainotes were almost completely independent,
and when not engaged in a common struggle against the Turks their chiefs
were at war with each other. The Mainotes, under their principal chief
or bey, took a prominent part in the war for the liberation of Greece;
but subsequently their independence was destroyed.
=Maintain.= When any body of men defend a place or post against the
attacks of an adverse party, they are said to maintain it.
=Maintenance, Cap of.= Sometimes called Cap of Dignity, a cap of crimson
velvet lined with ermine, with two points turned to the back, originally
only worn by dukes, but afterwards assigned to various families of
distinction. According to Sir John Fearne, “the wearing of the cap had a
beginning from the duke or general of an army, who, having gotten
victory, caused the chiefest of the subdued enemies whom he led to
follow him in his triumph, bearing his hat or cap after him, in token of
subjection and captivity.” Most of the reigning dukes of Germany, and
various families belonging to the peerage both of England and Scotland,
bear their crests on a cap of maintenance.
=Maison-du-Roi= (_Fr._). The king’s household. Certain select bodies of
troops were so called during the monarchy of France, and consisted of
the _gardes-du-corps_, or body-guards, the _gendarmes_,
_chevaux-legèrs_, or light-horse, _mousquetaires_, or musketeers, _la
gendarmerie_, _grenadiers à cheval_, or horse-grenadiers, the regiments
belonging to the French and Swiss guards, and the _cent Suisses_, or
hundred Swiss guards. The _maison-du-roi_, or king’s household, was not
considered a separate establishment from the rest of the army until the
reign of Louis IV. This establishment was successively formed by
different kings out of militia companies, which they took into their
body-guard.
=Maitre d’Armes= (_Fr._). A term in general use among the French,
signifying a fencing-master. Every regiment has a _maitre d’armes_
attached to it.
=Majesty.= A title applied to sovereigns; as, Her Britannic Majesty.
=Major.= An officer next in rank above a captain and below a
lieutenant-colonel; the lowest field-officer.
=Major, Aid-= (_Fr._). See AID-MAJOR.
=Major, Brigade-.= See BRIGADE-MAJOR.
=Major, Drum-.= See DRUM-MAJOR.
=Major, Etat-= (_Fr._). See ÉTAT-MAJOR.
=Major, Farrier-.= See FARRIER-MAJOR.
=Major, Fife-.= See FIFE-MAJOR.
=Major, Sergeant-.= See SERGEANT-MAJOR.
=Major, Town-.= See TOWN-MAJOR.
=Major, Trumpet-.= See TRUMPET-MAJOR.
=Majorate.= The office or rank of major.
=Majorca.= The principal of the Balearic Isles, in the Mediterranean,
lying about 120 miles to the east of Spain. Majorca rebelled against
Philip V. of Spain in 1714; but submitted July 14, 1715.
=Major-General.= See GENERAL, MAJOR-, and GENERAL OFFICER.
=Majority.= High rank; specifically, the military rank of a major.
=Make Good.= A phrase used sometimes in the wording of sentences in
proceedings of courts-martial in the case of deserters; as, he will make
good the time lost by desertion.
=Make Ready.= See READY.
=Malabar.= An extensive province of Hindostan, in the presidency of
Madras. It is supposed that Malabar was, at a very early period,
conquered by a king from above the Ghauts. It was invaded by Hyder Ali
in 1760, and subdued by him in 1761. On the downfall of Tippoo Sahib,
this country was annexed to the British dominions.
=Malabar Guns.= Heavy pieces of ordnance, which were made in the Malabar
country, and were formed by means of iron bars joined together with
hoops. They were very long, and extremely unwieldy.
=Malacca.= A British settlement situated on the west coast of the Malay
Peninsula, about 100 miles northwest from the settlement of Singapore.
This district was annexed to the Portuguese dominions about 1511, taken
by the Dutch in 1640, and given by the Dutch to the English in 1825.
=Malacca.= The capital of the above country, is situated on the coast,
upon the strait which bears its name. In 1507 this town was visited by
the Portuguese, and afterwards stormed by them. It was subsequently
taken by the Dutch, who retained possession of it till 1795, when it was
occupied by a British force.
=Malaga.= A city of Spain, in Granada, on the coast of the
Mediterranean, 66 miles northeast from Gibraltar. It fell into the hands
of the Moors in 714, and was not wrested from them until 1487, when it
was taken by Ferdinand the Catholic. In 1810 it was occupied by the
French, and remained in their possession till 1812.
=Malakoff.= A hill near Sebastopol, on which was situated an old tower
strongly fortified by the Russians during the siege of 1854-55. The
allied French and English attacked it on June 17-18, 1855, and after a
conflict of forty-eight hours were repulsed with severe loss. On
September 8, the French again attacked the Malakoff; at 8 o’clock the
first mine was sprung, and at noon the French flag floated over the
conquered redoubt. In the Malakoff and Redan were found 3000 pieces of
cannon of every caliber, and 120,000 pounds of gunpowder.
=Malandrins=, or =Tard-venus= (_Fr._). Companies of banditti, who chose
their own chief, and overran France and Italy in the 14th century.
=Malatesta.= A noble Italian family, which acquired the lordship of
Rimini in the 13th century, and furnished several leaders of the Guelph
party. Malatesta II. and Galeotto Malatesta, sons of Pandolfo I., began
to reign over Rimini in 1355. They had a great military reputation, and
next to the Visconti were perhaps the most powerful princes of Italy.
The former died in 1364, and Galeotto in 1385, leaving two sons, Carlo
and Pandolfo III. These two became able generals, and commanded the army
of Visconti, duke of Milan, from 1393 to 1408. Carlo, who was lord of
Rimini, died without issue in 1429. The descendants of Pandolfo III.
possessed Rimini until 1528, when it was added to the papal dominions.
=Malavilly.= A town of Hindostan, in the province of Mysore, where the
English troops under Gen. Harris defeated Tippoo Sahib’s army in 1799.
=Maldon.= A town of England, in the county of Essex, which was built in
28 B.C. It is supposed to have been the first Roman colony in Britain;
was burnt by Queen Boadicea, and rebuilt by the Romans. It was burnt by
the Danes in 991, and rebuilt by the Saxons.
=Malignant.= In English history, one of the adherents of the house of
Stuart; a cavalier; so called by the opposite party.
=Malinger.= To feign illness, or to protract disease in order to avoid
duty.
=Malingerer.= A soldier who feigns himself sick. Any soldier convicted
of malingering, feigning or producing disease, or of intentionally
protracting his cure or aggravating his disease, is liable to be tried
by a court-martial for “conduct prejudicial to good order and military
discipline,” and to suffer the punishment attached to that offense.
=Malingery.= A feigning of illness, or protracting of disease in order
to escape duty.
=Malkin.= A sponge with a jointed staff for cannon.
=Malleable Iron.= Iron which can be worked under the hammer. The term is
specifically applied to cast iron which has had a part of its carbon
extracted by cementation with an oxide.
=Mallet.= A wooden hammer, to drive into the ground the pegs by which a
tent is fastened; it is likewise used on various other occasions,
especially in fortification and artillery.
=Malmesbury.= A town of England, in Wiltshire. This town was taken from
the royalists by Sir William Walter in 1643, but it was soon recovered,
and again taken a short time after.
=Malo, St.= A seaport of France, in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine,
on the small island of Aron. This port sustained a tremendous
bombardment by the English under Admiral Benbow in 1693, and under Lord
Berkely in July, 1695. In 1758 the British landed in considerable force
in Cancalle Bay, and went up to the harbor, where they burnt upwards of
a hundred ships, and did great damage to the town, making a number of
prisoners.
=Maloi-Jaroslavitz.= A town of Russia, in the government of Kaluga. It
is noted for being the scene of a most sanguinary action between the
French and Russians, in October, 1812, in which the former were
defeated.
=Malplaquet.= A village of France, in the department of the North. It
was the scene of a sanguinary battle in 1709, between the French under
Marshal Villars, and the allies commanded by the Duke of Marlborough and
the Prince Eugène, in which the latter were victorious.
=Malta.= An island belonging to Great Britain, situated in the
Mediterranean, 54 miles from the Sicilian coast, and about 200 from Cape
Bon, on the African coast. It is strongly fortified around the capital,
Valetta, which was built by the Knights of St. John. Malta was colonized
by the Carthaginians about 500 B.C., and as early as the first Punic war
it was plundered by the Romans, but did not come finally into their
possession until 242 B.C. During the 5th century it fell successively
under the sway of the Vandals and Goths. The Romans, however, regained
it under Belisarius in 533 A.D., and kept possession of it till it was
conquered by the Arabs in 870. In 1090, Count Roger of Sicily drove out
the Arabs, and established a popular council for the government of the
island. Charles of Anjou, after overrunning Sicily, made himself master
of it; but after a time, the houses of Aragon and Castile successively
held the island. Subsequently, the emperor Charles V. took possession of
Malta, and in 1530 granted it to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem,
from whom the Turks had recently captured their great stronghold at
Rhodes. The knights raised by degrees the stupendous fortifications,
and, moreover, spent their large income in beautifying the island in
every way. Meanwhile they rendered incessant services to Christendom in
the chastisement of the ferocious Barbary pirates. To revenge these
acts, the Turks brought immense forces against Malta in 1557, and again
in 1565. The siege in the latter year was carried on by the sultan
Solyman himself, with the flower of the Ottoman army; but the grand
master, La Valette, opposed a heroic resistance, and he was forced to
re-embark, with the loss of more than 25,000 of his best troops. The
defenders lost 260 knights and 7000 Maltese soldiers; and their
gallantry was the theme of admiration throughout the world. After this
siege the knights built Valetta. In 1571, they, with the Maltese,
behaved most courageously at the battle of Lepanto, where the Turks lost
30,000 men. Though waging perpetual war with the Turks, the knights
continued in possession of Malta until 1798, when it surrendered to
Napoleon, and received a French garrison. In 1800 it was blockaded by a
British squadron, and was forced to surrender to the English, in whose
possession it has remained as a dependency.
=Malta, Knights of.= See ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM, KNIGHTS OF.
=Maltese Cross.= A cross of eight points, of the form worn as a
decoration by the Hospitallers and other orders of knighthood.
=Malvern Hill.= Near the James River, in Virginia. Here, on the night of
June 30, 1862, all the divisions of the Army of the Potomac, under Gen.
McClellan, were united in a strong position, after five days of
incessant marching and fighting. About 4 A.M. on July 1 the Confederate
forces advanced to storm this position, but were mowed down by a
destructive fire of grape from the land batteries, and were obliged to
seek shelter in the woods. The gunboats, also, which were within range,
opened a destructive fire of shells on the enemy. The attack was a
complete failure, the loss of the Confederates being considerable, while
that of the Federals was insignificant. After this repulse, the
Confederates retired to Richmond, and McClellan pursued his way to the
James, arriving at Harrison’s Landing on July 3.
=Mameliere= (_Fr._). Armor for the breast, from which depended two
chains, one attached to the pommel, and the other to the scabbard of the
sword.
=Mamelukes= (Arabic, _mamluk_, a “slave”). The name given to the slaves
of the beys, brought from the Caucasus, and who formed their armed
forces. When Genghis Khan desolated a great part of Asia in the 13th
century, and carried away a multitude of the inhabitants for slaves, the
sultan of Egypt bought 12,000 of them, partly Mingrelians and Tartars,
but mostly Turks, and formed them into a body of troops. But they soon
found their own power so great that, in 1254, they made one of their own
number sultan of Egypt, founding the dynasty of the Baharites, which
gave place to another Mameluke dynasty in 1382. The Caucasian element
predominated in the first dynasty, the Tartar element in the second.
Selim I., who overthrew the Mameluke kingdom in 1517, was compelled to
permit the continuance of the 24 Mameluke beys as governors of the
provinces; but in the middle of the 18th century they regained such a
preponderance of power in Egypt that the pasha named by the Porte was
reduced to a nominal ruler. The number of them scattered throughout all
Egypt was between 10,000 and 12,000 men. Their number was kept up
chiefly by slaves brought from the Caucasus, from among whom the beys
and other officers of state were exclusively chosen. Their last
brilliant achievements were on the occasion of the French invasion of
Egypt, and during the time immediately following the retirement of the
French. At this time Murad Bey stood at their head. But in 1811 they
were foully massacred by Mehemet Ali.
=Mamertini.= Sons of Mamers, or Mars, were Campanian soldiers of
Agathocles. They seized Messina, in Sicily, in 281 B.C., and when
closely besieged by the Carthaginians and Hiero of Syracuse in 264, they
implored the help of the Romans, which led to the first Punic war.
=Mammoth Powder.= See GUNPOWDER.
=Man.= To supply with men; to furnish with a sufficient force or
complement of men, as for management, service, defense, or the like.
Also, to supply with strength for action; to prepare for efficiency; to
fortify.
=Man, Isle of.= An island of Great Britain, in the Irish Sea, nearly
equidistant from the coasts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was
subdued by the king of Northumberland, 621; by Magnus of Norway, 1092;
ceded to the Scots, 1266, and taken from them in 1314 by Montacute,
afterwards earl of Salisbury; it subsequently fell to the Earl of Derby.
The brave Countess of Derby held this island against the troops of the
Parliament in 1651, after her husband had been beheaded at Bolton,
England, in the same year for his devotion to the royal cause.
=Manassas.= A town in Prince William Co., Va., which was an important
military position during the civil war, and where the Alexandria and
Manassas Gap Railways meet, near a creek called Bull Run; it was held by
the Confederates in 1861, when they were attacked by the Federal general
Irvin McDowell. He began his march from Washington on July 16, and
gained some advantage on the 18th at Centreville. On the 21st was fought
the _first_ battle of Bull Run. The Federals, who began the fight, had
the advantage till about 3 o’clock P.M., when the Confederate general
Johnston brought up reinforcements, which at first the Federals took for
their own troops. After a brief resistance, the latter were seized with
sudden panic, and in spite of the utmost efforts of their officers, fled
in disgraceful rout, abandoning a large quantity of arms, ammunition,
and baggage. The Confederate generals, Johnston and Beauregard, did not
think it prudent to pursue the fugitives, who did not halt till they
reached Washington. The Federal army is said to have had 481 killed,
1011 wounded, and 1216 missing. The loss of the Confederates was stated
to be about 1500. In March, 1862, when the Army of the Potomac under
Gen. McClellan marched into Virginia, they found that the Confederates
had quietly retreated from the camp at Manassas. On August 30, 1862,
this place was the site of another great battle between the Northern and
Southern armies. In August, Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson, after compelling
the Federal general Pope to retreat, defeated him at Cedar Mountain on
the 9th, turned his flank on the 22d, and arriving at Manassas repulsed
his attacks on the 29th. On the 30th, Gen. R. E. Lee (who had defeated
Gen. McClellan and the invading Northern army before Richmond, June 26
to July 1) joined Jackson with his army, and Pope received
reinforcements from Washington. A desperate conflict ensued, which ended
in the Confederates gaining a decisive victory, compelling the Federals
to a hasty retreat to Centreville, where they were once more routed,
September 1. The remains of their army took refuge behind the lines of
Washington on September 2. Pope was at once superseded, and McClellan
resumed the command to march against the Confederates, who had crossed
the Potomac and entered Maryland.
=Manch=, or =Maunch=. A charge frequently used in heraldry to represent
a sleeve with long pendent ends, of the form worn by ladies in the reign
of Henry I.
=Manchester.= A city of England, in Lancashire, on the Irwell. In the
time of the Druids, it was one of their principal stations. It was one
of the seats of the Brigantes, who had a castle or stronghold called
_Mancenion_; and was, about 79, selected by the Romans as a station, and
called _Mancunium_. Called by the Saxons _Manceastre_. Taken from the
Britons, 488; captured by Edwin of Northumbria, 620; taken by the Danes,
877; retaken, 923.
=Mandans.= A tribe of Indians of the Dakota family, who are located with
the Arickarees and Gros Ventres on a reservation near Fort Berthold,
Dakota. They were hostile to the Sioux, and more friendly to the whites
than the neighboring tribes. They number about 250.
=Mandarin.= A general term applied to Chinese officers of every grade by
foreigners. It is derived from the Portuguese _mandar_, “to command”;
the Chinese equivalent is _kwan_. There are nine ranks, each
distinguished by a different-colored ball or button placed on the apex
of the cap, by a peculiar emblazonry on the breast, and a different
clasp of the girdle. The military mandarins are selected by the emperor
of China to superintend and command the militia of the country.
=Mandilion.= A soldier’s loose coat; an outer garment without sleeves.
=Mandrel.= In forging, is a rod used to preserve the interior form of
hollow-work. Also, the spindle upon which an article is placed in
shaping it in a lathe.
=Manduria= (now _Casal Nova_). A town in Calabria, on the road from
Tarentum to Hydruntum, and near a small lake. Here Archidamus III., king
of Sparta, was defeated and slain in battle by the Messapians and
Lucanians, 338 B.C.
=Manège.= The art of horsemanship or of training horses. Also, a school
for teaching horsemanship, and for training horses; a riding-school.