inhabited the valley in the State of New York which bears their name.
They were allied with the Onondagas, Oneidas, Senecas, Cayugas, and
Tuscaroras, the confederation constituting what was known as the “Five
Nations.” They were allies of the English in their wars with the French,
and in the Revolutionary war. After the peace of 1783 they removed to
Upper Canada, and settled on Grand River upon lands procured for them by
their chief, Brant.
=Mohegans=, or =Mohicans=. A tribe of Indians of Algonkin stock, who
formerly inhabited a considerable part of New England, and a part of New
York. The town of Norwich, Conn., called Mohegan by the Indians, is
situated about the centre of their ancient country. When the English
first settled at Hartford, Uncas, the chief of the tribe, formed a
treaty of amity with them, which appears to have been generally
observed. The Mohegans were long the sworn foes of the Narragansetts.
The latter, under their chief, Miantonomoh, invaded the Mohegan country
in 1643, but were defeated by Uncas, who captured Miantonomoh and put
him to death in September of that year. In 1645, the Narragansetts,
under Passacus, the brother of Miantonomoh, burning to avenge the death
of that chief, again invaded the Mohegan territory. On this occasion
they were more successful. They laid waste the country in all
directions, and compelled Uncas and his warriors to take refuge in his
strong fortress at Shantock, which they would probably have become
masters of but for the timely assistance of the English, who furnished a
supply of provisions to the besieged. The invasion was again repeated,
and with almost fatal effect to Uncas. The English again saved him,
however, and after nearly twenty years of strife the hatchet was at
length buried between these tribes.
=Mohilow.= A town in Russia, where the Russian army under Prince
Bagration was signally defeated by the French under Marshal Davoust,
prince of Eckmühl, July 23, 1812.
=Mohrungen.= A town of East Prussia, 62 miles south-southwest of
Königsberg. The French defeated the Russians here in 1807.
=Moienne= (_Fr._). A piece of ordnance, which is now called a 4-pounder,
and which is 10 feet long, was formerly so called.
=Moineau.= A small, flat bastion, raised in front of an intended
fortification, to defend it against attacks from small-arms.
=Mojave Indians.= A tribe of aborigines, of Apache stock, residing in
Arizona. They number about 2100, of whom about one-third are located on
a reservation on the Colorado River, and about an equal number (known as
Mojave Apaches) at the San Carlos agency, Arizona.
=Moldavia.= A province in the northeastern part of Turkey in Europe. The
princes of Moldavia were formerly called _voyvodes_, or military
leaders, a name which was afterwards changed by the Turks to that of
_hospodars_, which is still retained. In the 13th century Moldavia was
frequently disturbed by civil war, occasioned by rival claimants for the
crown, and these dissensions rose to such a height that the country was
divided into two parts, one of which acknowledged the sovereignty of
Poland, and the other that of Hungary. A union was, however, soon after
effected, and Moldavia became subject to Hungary, paying at the same
time a tribute to the Poles. In 1536 Moldavia came under the protection
of the sultan; for a considerable time after this period, it was the
scene of constant wars between the Poles and Turks, until the claims of
the former to the sovereignty of the state were finally abandoned in
1621, and peace concluded between Turkey and Poland; in 1738, during the
war of Austria and Russia against Turkey, Moldavia was invaded by a
Russian force, and occupied for two years, but was evacuated after the
peace of Belgrade; in 1769 it was again occupied by the Russians, and
became for a short time subject to the czar, but was restored to Turkey
in 1774; in 1789 this unfortunate principality was again the scene of
contest between Russia and Turkey, until the peace of Jassy in 1792,
when the Russian frontier was fixed by the Dneister; in the war of
1807-12, Moldavia again fell into the hands of the Russians, who, by the
treaty of Bucharest, acquired possession of Bessarabia, and thus
extended their frontier to the Pruth. At the commencement of the Greek
war in 1820 an insurrection broke out in the Danubian principalities,
but it was suppressed by the Turks; in 1828 another war between Turkey
and Russia broke out, and Moldavia was occupied by the Russians without
opposition until peace was established by the treaty of Adrianople in
1829. A conspiracy was formed in 1840, to unite the principalities of
Moldavia and Wallachia into one state, but without success. In 1848 the
influence of revolutionary sentiments was felt in Moldavia; the people
of Jassy demanded a new constitution, and, although the hospodar
successfully resisted this movement, he laid down his authority in the
same year. In 1853 a Russian army took possession of Moldavia and
Wallachia; after attempting in vain to cross the Danube in Wallachia,
the Russians, in the spring of 1854, crossed that river at Galatz, and
seized the fortresses in the Dobrudscha; they then proceeded to lay
siege to Silistria, but this town was so vigorously defended that they
were obliged to raise the siege, and the British and French troops
having arrived at Varna, the Russian army evacuated the principalities
in the autumn of 1854; the hospodars then returned to their respective
governments, and the principalities were occupied by an Austrian army.
At a conference at Paris, August 19, 1858, it was decided that the
principalities should thenceforth be called the United Principalities of
Moldavia and Wallachia, and should have in common a central commission
and court of appeal, but be governed by different hospodars, to be
elected by the people, and confirmed by the Porte.
=Molded Powder.= See GUNPOWDER.
=Mole.= A mound or massive work formed of large stones laid in the sea,
extended either in a right line or an arc of a circle before a port,
which it serves to defend from the violence of the waves, thus
protecting ships in harbor; also, sometimes the harbor itself.
=Molino del Rey.= A range of massive stone buildings, about 500 yards
long, forming the western side of an inclosure which surrounds the rock
and castle, groves and fields of Chapultepec, 2 miles southwest of the
city of Mexico. These buildings were occupied by the troops of Santa
Anna in September, 1847, to intercept the march of the American army
under command of Gen. Scott upon the city of Mexico. They were attacked
on the morning of the 8th by Gen. Worth’s division, and, after a severe
contest, the buildings were captured, with a loss to the Americans of
787 killed and wounded (including 59 officers), out of 3447, the whole
number engaged. The Mexican forces numbered about 10,000 men.
=Mollwitz.= A village of Prussian Silesia; to the east of it lies the
celebrated battle-field where Frederick II. of Prussia gained his first
victory over the Austrians, April 10, 1741.
=Moluccas=, or =Spice Islands=. A numerous group of islands in the
Asiatic Archipelago, situated between Celebes on the west, and New
Guinea on the east, and stretching from lat. 2° N. to lat. 9° S. They
were discovered by the Portuguese about 1510; became dependencies of
Holland, 1795; during the French war of 1796, however, they were taken
by the British, who held possession of them till 1800, when they were
returned to Holland. The islands were again occupied by the British in
1810, but were finally restored to the Dutch in 1814, by the treaty of
Paris.
=Molycrium.= A town in the most southerly part of Ætolia; it was founded
by the Corinthians, but was afterwards taken possession of by the
Ætolians.
=Mombas.= A seaport town of Africa, on a small island, in a bay on the
coast of Zanzibar. It was first visited by the Portuguese under Vasco de
Gama in 1498. In 1505, Francisco de Almeida, the Portuguese viceroy of
India, took and burnt the town; in 1529 the Portuguese returned and
repeated their work of destruction, and retained the city from that date
to 1720, when Mombas fell into the hands of the imam of Muscat, but he
was soon dispossessed by a rebellion of the inhabitants. It was under
British protection from 1824 to 1826, and is now governed by an Arab
sheikh.
=Momentum.= Is that force possessed by a body in motion; and is measured
by the product of the mass of the body into its velocity.
=Mona= (now _Anglesey_). An island off the coast of the Ordovices, in
Britain; it was invaded by Suetonius Paulinus, 61, and was conquered by
Agricola, 78.
=Moncontour.= A town near Poitiers, in France. Here Admiral Coligny and
the French Protestants were defeated by the Duke of Anjou, October 3,
1569.
=Mondovi.= A town of Northern Italy, near the river Ellero, about 47
miles south from Turin. The town is defended by walls and a small
citadel, and contains a great number of religious houses. The French,
under Napoleon I., defeated the Sardinian troops, under Colli, near this
town in 1796, and in 1799 the town was sacked by the French under Soult.
=Monghir.= A town of Hindostan, East Indies, situated on the southern
bank of the Ganges. It was an object of contention between the kings of
Behar and Bengal in the early part of the 16th century; taken by the
British in 1763.
=Mongolia.= A vast district in Asia. Its present boundaries east and
north are Manchuria and Siberia, respectively, and on the south and
west Thibet and Turkestan; but these boundaries have varied greatly at
different periods of history. The whole of what is now usually
recognized as Mongolia is considered to belong to the Chinese empire.
See TARTARY.
=Mongols.= See TARTARY.
=Monmouth, Battle of.= Was fought June 28, 1778, between the
Revolutionary forces under Gen. Washington and the British under Sir
Henry Clinton. Gen. Washington, whose army of about 12,000 men was
encamped at Valley Forge, being informed of the intention of the enemy
to evacuate Philadelphia and proceed to New York, placed his forces in a
condition to march immediately in pursuit. Accordingly, when
intelligence of the evacuation reached him, he broke up his encampment,
and detaching a small force under Gen. Arnold to take possession of
Philadelphia, marched rapidly with his whole army toward the Delaware.
On the morning of June 28 the advance of the Colonial army, under Gen.
Lee, became engaged with the enemy’s rear on the plain near Monmouth
Court-house, in New Jersey; but the English line being soon reinforced,
the Americans were compelled to give way, upon which Lee ordered a
retreat. Gen. Washington, who was riding ahead of the main body of his
army, met the retreating force, and peremptorily ordered Lee to reform
his troops and hold his position. This he for a time partially effected,
but was being again driven back, when the main body of the army arrived
to his assistance. The battle now became general, and under the
inspiring influence of their commander-in-chief the Americans fought
with such desperate resolution that the British were at length obliged
to give way. Washington made preparations to follow up his advantage,
but owing to the broken character of the ground, and twilight coming on
before a proper disposition of his troops could be made, the attack was
postponed until next morning. When morning dawned, however, it was found
that Sir Henry Clinton with his whole force had retreated during the
darkness of the night toward Sandy Hook, and Washington, on account of
the heat of the weather and the fatigue of his men, did not pursue them.
This was one of the most severely contested battles of the war. The
American loss was 227 killed and wounded, the English was a little
greater.
=Monomachy= (Fr. _monomachie_). A single combat, or the fighting of two,
hand to hand. It is derived from the Greek. A duel may properly be
called a monomachy.
=Mons= (Flemish, _Berghen_). A strongly-fortified town of Belgium, in
the province of Hainault, on the Trouille, 33 miles southwest from
Brussels. It has been frequently besieged and taken; in 1709 it was
taken by the allies under Marlborough and Eugène; in 1746 by Marshal
Saxe; and in the wars of the French revolution in 1792-94 it was taken
alternately by the French and the allies, the former of whom held the
town from 1784 to 1814.
=Monsoon.= A wind blowing half the year in one direction, and the other
half in the opposite;--a term applied particularly to certain winds of
the Indian Ocean, which blow from the southwest from April to October,
and from the northeast the rest of the year. The term is sometimes used
to designate similar winds in other parts of the globe.
=Mont St. Jean.= A village of Belgium; it is near the scene of the
battle of Waterloo, called by the French the battle of Mont St. Jean.
=Montana Territory.= A Territory of the United States, which is bounded
on the north by the British possessions, east by Dakota, south by
Wyoming and Idaho, and west by Idaho. This Territory has been overrun by
hostile Indians, who, under the management of the military, are being
rapidly subjugated. It was formed into a separate Territory in May,
1864, before which time it formed part of Idaho.
=Montauban.= A town of France, capital of the department of
Tarn-et-Garonne, 342 miles south by west from Paris. At the Reformation
the people embraced the Protestant cause; and the town was ineffectually
besieged by the adverse party in 1580. It afterwards, in 1621, resisted
for three months the assaults of Louis XIII., and did not yield till
after the fall of Rochelle in 1629. The fortifications were soon after
destroyed.
=Montbéliard=, or =Montbélliard=. A town of France, in the department of
Doubs, 48 miles northeast from Besançon. It was in former times a place
of some strength, and the capital of a county that originally formed
part of the kingdom of Burgundy, but was transferred to the Würtemberg
family in 1395. Although twice taken by the French in the 17th century,
it was not finally ceded to them till 1796.
=Monte Aperto, Battle of.= See SIENA.
=Monte-Baldo.= A mountain of Lombardy; the Austrians were defeated in
its vicinity by the French in 1797.
=Montebello Casteggio.= A village of Northern Italy, in the province of
Voghera; here the Austrians were defeated by a French army under Gen.
Lannes, after a desperate conflict, June 9, 1800; in the last Italian
war the Austrians were again defeated here by the united armies of the
French and Piedmontese in May, 1859.
=Montemaggiore Belsito.= A town of the island of Sicily, 31 miles
southeast of Palermo. It was occupied by the Saracens when they first
took possession of the country.
=Montenegro.= A principality of Europe, situated between the Turkish
eyalets of Bosnia and Albania, and separated from the Adriatic by the
narrow strip of land known as the circle of Cattaro, in Austrian
Dalmatia. The Montenegrins are Slavs of the Servian race, knit together
in clans and families, and have many fights among themselves, which are
perpetuated by the hereditary obligation of avenging blood. Montenegro
belonged in the Middle Ages to the great Servian kingdom, but after the
dismemberment of the latter, and its conquest by the Turks at the battle
of Kossovo (1389), the Montenegrins, under their prince, who was of the
royal blood of Servia, maintained their independence, though compelled
to relinquish the level tracts of land, and confine themselves to the
mountains, in 1485. The Turks continued to assert their claims to
Montenegro, but they were only defeated in their plans, and in 1710 the
Montenegrins sought and obtained the protection of Russia, the czar
agreeing to grant an annual subsidy on condition of their harassing the
Turks by inroads. In 1860 the Montenegrins excited an insurrection
against the Turkish rule in Herzegovina, which was soon suppressed, and
in return they themselves were so hard pressed by the Turks that they
were glad to agree to a treaty (September 8, 1862) by which the
sovereignty of the Porte over Montenegro was recognized.
=Montenotte.= A small village of Northern Italy; here the Austrians were
defeated by the French under Bonaparte, April 12, 1796.
=Monter= (_Fr._). This word means to rise from one rank to another in
the way of promotion, as from lieutenant to captain, etc., or from
having the command of the youngest company to be promoted to that of the
oldest.
=Montereau.= A town of France, in the department of Seine-et-Marne. In
its immediate vicinity Napoleon, on February 18, 1814, gained his last
victory over the allies.
=Monterey.= A city of Mexico, capital of the state of Nuevo Leon, about
85 miles east by north of Saltillo. Gen. Taylor with an army of about
6000 men, the first division under Gen. Worth, appeared before this
place, September 21, 1846. It was defended by a force of about 10,000
Mexicans under Gen. Ampudia. In approaching the city the first obstacles
to be overcome were two batteries, which were in a commanding position.
These were soon taken and their guns turned on a third battery erected
in a large stone building, called the Bishop’s Palace. This was stormed
on the morning of the 22d, and a vigorous sortie of the garrison having
been repulsed, the Americans entered the city with the flying Mexicans.
During the day a feigned attack on the defenses in front was soon
converted into a real one, and after a severe contest the Americans
entered the city, though with great sacrifice of life; for every street
was barricaded, and guns were pointed from almost every wall. On the
morning of the 23d, the defenses on the opposite side were assaulted and
carried by the division of Gen. Worth, and the garrison soon after
surrendered.
=Monterey.= A port of entry and capital of the county of the same name
in California, about 95 miles south-southeast of San Francisco. It was
once a populous and thriving city, but has greatly declined since the
rise of San Francisco. Being led to suppose that war existed between the
United States and Mexico, Commodore Sloat took this place July 7, 1846,
and raised the American flag without opposition.
=Montero.= A military cap and hood formerly worn in camp.
=Monterotondo.= A town of Central Italy, situated about 26 miles
south-southwest of Rieti. An engagement took place here October 25,
1867, between the French and pontifical troops and the volunteers of
Garibaldi, in which the latter were victorious.
=Montevideo.= The capital of the republic of Uruguay, in South America.
It was taken by the British forces under Sir Samuel Auchmuty, February
3, 1807, but was evacuated by them July 7 of the same year, in
consequence of the severe repulse the British met with at Buenos Ayres
(which see). Montevideo was given up to Uruguay in 1828.
=Montgomery.= The capital of the State of Alabama. A convention of
delegates from the Southern States met here February 4, 1861, to
organize a provisional government for the seceded States, which were
thereafter to be known as the Confederate States of America, and
Montgomery was chosen as the seat of government. Richmond being
afterwards made the capital of the Confederacy, the seat of government
was transferred thither on May 20 in the same year.
=Montiel= (Spain), =Battle of=. Took place on March 14, 1369, between
Peter the Cruel, king of Castile, and his brother, Henry of Transtamare,
aided by the French warrior, Bertrand du Guesclin. Peter was totally
defeated, and afterwards treacherously slain.
=Montilla.= A town of Spain, in Andalusia; in 1508 the fortifications of
this place were destroyed by Ferdinand the Catholic.
=Montlhery= (Seine-et-Oise, France). The site of an indecisive battle
between Louis XI. and a party of his nobles, termed “The League of the
Public Good,” July 16, 1465.
=Montmartre.= A village of France immediately to the north of Paris, and
standing within the new line of fortifications; it was the scene of some
sharp fighting in March, 1814.
=Montmirail.= A town of France, in the department of the Marne;
Bonaparte defeated the Russians near this place in 1814.
=Montmorency=, or =Montmorenci=. The name of a noble French family,
whose celebrity dates as far back as the 11th century, and which has
produced many famous princes, peers, and generals. Among them were 6
constables and 11 marshals of France.
=Mont-Pagnote= (_Fr._). In fortification, an eminence where persons post
themselves out of the reach of cannon, to see a camp, siege, battle,
etc., without being exposed to danger. It is also called the post of the
invulnerables.
=Montreal.= The largest city of the Dominion of Canada and of British
America; it was surrendered to the English by the French, September 8,
1760; taken by the Americans, November 12, 1775, and retaken by the
English, June 15, 1776.
=Montserrat.= A West India island, discovered by Columbus in 1493; it
has several times been taken by the French, but was secured to the
British in 1783.
=Moodkee.= A small town of Hindostan; it is only remarkable for a
victory gained by the British over a greatly more numerous force of the
Sikhs on December 18, 1845.
=Mook.= A village of Holland, in the province of Limburg; Louis of
Nassau was defeated by the Spaniards near this place in 1574, and was
slain in the action.
=Mooltan=, or =Moultan=. A city of India, in the Punjab; this place was
stormed by Runjeet Sing, 1818; it was taken by the British after a
protracted siege, in January, 1849.
=Moon.= A crescent-formed outwork. See HALF-MOON.
=Moors.= Formerly the natives of Mauritania (which see), but afterwards
the name given to the Numidians and others, and now applied to the
natives of Morocco and the neighborhood. They assisted Genseric and the
Vandals in the invasion of Africa, 429, and frequently rebelled against
the Roman emperors. They resisted for a time the progress of the Arab
Mohammedans, but were overcome in 707, and in 1019 by them introduced
into Spain, where their arms were long victorious. In 1063 they were
defeated in Sicily by Robert Guiscard. The Moorish kingdom of Granada
was set up in 1237, and lasted till 1492, when it fell before Ferdinand
V. of Castile. The expulsion of the Moors from Spain was decreed by
Charles V., but not fully carried into effect till 1609, when the
bigotry of Philip III. inflicted this great injury on his country. About
1518 the Moors established the piratical states of Algiers and Tunis. In
the history of Spain the Arabs and Moors must not be confounded.
=Mootiana.= In the East Indies, the soldiers are so called, who are
employed to collect the revenue.
=Moppat.= An early name for a sponge of a cannon.
=Moquis.= A body of Pueblo Indians, in Arizona, numbering about 1700,
inhabiting seven villages in the region southwest of the Navajoes. Their
towns would be almost impregnable to an Indian assault. Each pueblo is
built around a rectangular court, and is surrounded by a wall 15 feet
high, the top of which forms a landing, upon which the doors of the
houses open. The exterior walls, which are of stone, have no openings,
and would have to be scaled or battered down before access could be
gained to the interior. The successive stories are set back, one behind
the other. The lower rooms are reached through trap-doors from the
first landing; the latter is reached by means of detached ladders. The
houses are three rooms deep, and open from the interior court; the
arrangement is as strong and compact as could be well devised; but as
the court is common, and the landings are separated by no partitions, it
involves a certain community of residence.
=Morat.= An old town of Switzerland, situated on a lake of the same
name, in the canton of Friburg. Charles the Bold of Burgundy was
defeated before Morat by the Swiss in 1476.
=Moravia.= An Austrian province, occupied by the Slavonians about 458,
and conquered by the Avars and Bohemians who submitted to Charlemagne.
About 1000 it was subdued by Boleslas, king of Poland, but recovered by
Ulric of Bohemia in 1030. After various changes, Moravia and Bohemia
were amalgamated into the Austrian dominions in 1526. Moravia was
invaded by the Prussians in 1866.