combination of four fortresses, not necessarily connected together, but
mutually supporting each other; and from the fact that if one be
attacked, the garrisons of the others, unless carefully observed, will
harass the besiegers, rendering it necessary that a very large army
should be employed to turn the combined position. As a remarkable
instance, and a very powerful one, may be cited the celebrated
quadrilateral in Venetia, comprising the four strong posts of Mantua,
Verona, Peschiera, and Legnago. These form a sort of outwork to the
bastion which the southern mountains of the Tyrol constitute, and divide
the north plain of the Po into two sections by a most powerful barrier.
Napoleon III., in 1859, even after the victories of Magenta and
Solferino, hesitated to attack this quadrilateral.
=Quadrille= (_Fr._). Small parties of horse richly caparisoned, etc., in
tournaments and at public festivals. The quadrilles were distinguished
from one another by the shape or color of the coats which the riders
wore.
=Quadruple Alliance.= Between Great Britain, France, and the emperor of
Germany (signed at London, July 22, 1718); it obtained its name on the
accession of the states of Holland, February 8, 1719. It guaranteed the
succession of the reigning families of Great Britain and France, settled
the partition of the Spanish monarchy, and led to war.
=Quadruple Treaty.= Concluded in London, April 22, 1834, by the
representatives of Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal, which
guaranteed the possession of her throne to Isabella II., the young queen
of Spain.
=Quaker-guns= (Fr. _passe-volans_). Were wooden pieces of ordnance which
were made to resemble real artillery. They subsequently were used in
other countries, and placed in the embrasures of forts, in order to
deceive an enemy.
=Quarrel=, or =Quarry=. An arrow with a square head, for a cross-bow,
was so called.
=Quarrels.= See APPENDIX, ARTICLES OF WAR, 24.
=Quarte.= In tactics, a word of command given in the bayonet exercise;
as, quarte parry, to thrust in quarte.
=Quarter.= A fourth part of anything.
=Quarter.= To furnish with shelter or entertainment; to supply with the
means of living for a time; especially to furnish shelter to; as, to
quarter soldiers.
=Quarter.= In heraldry, one of the divisions of a shield, when it is
divided into four portions by horizontal and perpendicular lines meeting
in the fesse point; especially either of the two divisions thus made.
Also, to bear as an appendage to the hereditary arms. “The coat of
Beauchamp ... quartered by the Earl of Hertford.”
=Quarter.= In war, signifies the sparing of the life of a vanquished
enemy, which by the laws of war is forfeit to the victor. The expression
seems to be derived from the use of the word “quarter” to designate the
lodging of the particular warrior; to _give quarter_ to a prisoner being
to send him to his captor’s quarter for liberation, ransom, or slavery.
The refusal of quarter is a terrible aggravation of the horrors of war,
and is only at all justifiable towards an enemy who has been guilty of
atrocious cruelty himself, or of some flagrant breach of faith.
=Quarter Arms, To.= In heraldry, to place the arms of other families in
the compartments of a shield, which is divided into four quarters, the
family arms being placed in the first quarter. When more than three
other arms are to be quartered with the family arms, it is usual to
divide the shield into a suitable number of compartments; and still the
arms are said to be _quartered_.
=Quarter Guard.= The guard which is stationed in front of the centre of
the camp of each corps, at about 80 paces from it.
=Quarter of Assembly.= The place where the troops meet to march from in
a body, and is the same as the place of rendezvous.
=Quarter Upon, To.= Is to oblige persons to receive soldiers, etc., into
their dwelling-houses, and to provide for them. In the United States no
soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the
consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be
prescribed by law.
=Quarter-block.= See IMPLEMENTS.
=Quartering.= In heraldry, the division of a shield containing many
coats. See QUARTER.
=Quarterly.= In heraldry, in quarters or quarterings; as, to bear arms
quarterly.
=Quartermaster.= A regimental staff-officer, of the relative rank of
lieutenant, whose duty is to look after the assignment of quarters, the
provision of clothing, forage, fuel, and all other quartermaster’s
supplies; and when on the march he sees to the marking out of the camp.
He is appointed by the colonel of the regiment, subject to the approval
of the Secretary of War. He vacates his staff position when promoted to
the rank of captain, or at the discretion of the colonel. In the British
service the regimental quartermaster rises, with scarcely any exception,
from the ranks. He has no further promotion to look forward to; but
after thirty years’ service in all--including ten as an officer--he may
retire with the honorary rank of captain.
=Quartermaster-General.= A staff-officer in the U. S. army, who has the
rank of brigadier-general, and is at the head of the quartermaster’s
department.
=Quartermaster’s Department.= This department provides the quarters and
transportation of the army, except that, when practicable, wagons and
their equipment are provided by the ordnance department; storage and
transportation for all army supplies; army clothing; camp and garrison
equipage; cavalry and artillery horses; fuel, forage, straw, and
stationery. The incidental expenses of the army (also paid through the
quartermaster’s department) include per diem to extra-duty men; of the
pursuit and apprehension of deserters; of the burials of officers and
soldiers; of hired escorts; of expresses, interpreters, spies, and
guides; medicines for horses; and of supplying posts with water; and,
generally, the proper and authorized expenses for the movements and
operations of an army not expressly assigned to any other department.
The present organization of the quartermaster’s department consists of 1
quartermaster-general, with the rank of brigadier-general; 3 assistant
quartermaster-generals, with the rank of colonels; 8 deputy
quartermaster-generals, with the rank of lieutenant-colonels; 14
quartermasters, with the rank of majors; and 30 assistant
quartermasters, with the rank of captains.
=Quartermaster-Sergeant.= A non-commissioned officer who assists the
quartermaster. He ranks among the regimental non-commissioned staff, and
is appointed by the colonel of a regiment upon the recommendation of the
quartermaster.
=Quarters.= In military affairs, are, generally, the positions assigned
to persons or bodies of men. In a more special sense, the quarters in
the army are the places of lodging assigned to officers or men when not
actually on duty.
=Quarters.= The encampment on one of the principal passages round a
place besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys.
=Quarters, Choice of.= In the U. S. service, when officers arrive in a
garrison they shall have choice of quarters according to rank; but the
commanding officer may direct the officers to be stationed near their
troops. The commanding officer of a post cannot be displaced by his
senior who does not command, though assigned to the same post. An
officer who has made his choice of quarters cannot again displace a
junior, unless himself displaced by a senior.
=Quarters, Intrenched.= A place fortified with a ditch and parapet to
secure a body of troops.
=Quarters of Refreshment.= The place where the troops that have been
much harassed are put to recover themselves, during some part of the
campaign.
=Quarters, Out of.= Beyond the prescribed limits. For punishment of
soldiers sleeping out of quarters, see APPENDIX, ARTICLES OF WAR, 31.
=Quarter-sights.= In gunnery, are divisions marked on the upper quarters
of the base-ring, commencing where it would be intersected by a plane
parallel to the axis of the piece, and tangent to the upper surface of
the trunnions. These sights are used for giving elevations up to three
degrees; but especially for pointing a piece at a less elevation than
the natural angle of sight. Quarter-sights are not used in the U. S.
service.
=Quarter-staff.= Formerly a favorite weapon with the English for
hand-to-hand encounters; was a stout pole of heavy wood, about 6¹⁄₂ feet
long, shod with iron on both ends. It was grasped in the middle by one
hand, and the attack was made by giving it a rapid circular motion,
which brought the loaded ends on the adversary at unexpected points.
=Quasi Officers.= See SURGEONS, ACTING-ASSISTANT.
=Quatre Bras.= See WATERLOO.
=Quatrefoil.= A heraldic bearing meant to represent a flower with four
leaves. It is not represented with a stalk unless blazoned as _slipped_,
in which case the stalk joins the lower leaf.
=Quebec.= The capital of the province of Quebec, formerly Canada East,
is situated on a steep promontory at the junction of the rivers St.
Lawrence and St. Charles, and its citadel is the most impregnable
fortress on the continent of America. The site of Quebec, originally
occupied by an Indian village named Stadacona, was discovered by Jacques
Cartier in 1535; but the city was founded by Champlain in 1608. It was
taken from the French by the English in 1626, restored in 1632, and
fortified in 1690. It remained in the possession of the French till
1759, when in consequence of the victory of Wolfe, it was surrendered to
the British, and finally confirmed to them by the treaty of Paris in
1763. Quebec was attacked by the American republicans in 1775, but the
siege was raised in the following year. Since then its capture has not
been attempted.
=Queen Anne’s Pocket-piece.= An ancient 18-pounder cannon at Dover,
England. See ORDNANCE, HISTORY OF.
=Queen’s Color.= In the British service, the one which is carried on the
right of the two colors of a battalion of infantry. It is, in the line,
the great union or union-jack, with the imperial crown in the centre and
the number of the regiment in gold Roman characters below the crown. In
the Guards the queen’s color is crimson, with various devices on it.
=Queen’s County.= An inland county of the province of Leinster, Ireland.
Queen’s County anciently formed part of the districts of Leix and
Ossory; and after the English invasion, on the submission of the chief
O’More, the territory retained a qualified independence. Under Edward
II., the O’Mores became so powerful, that for a long series of years an
unceasing contest was maintained by them with the English, with various
alternations of success. In the reign of Edward VI., Bellingham, the
lord-deputy, succeeded in re-annexing the territory of the O’Mores to
the Pale; and in Mary’s reign it was reduced to a shire.
=Queenstown.= A town of Upper Canada. It was taken by the U. S. troops
October 13, 1812; but was retaken by the British forces, who defeated
the Americans with considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners,
on the same day. Queenstown suffered severely in this war.
=Quell.= To crush; to subdue; to put down; to reduce; as, the military
were called out to quell the riot.
=Quentin, Saint-.= See SAINT-QUENTIN.
=Queretaro.= An important town of Mexico, capital of a state of the same
name, situated on a hilly plateau, 110 miles northwest of the city of
Mexico. The peace between Mexico and the United States was ratified here
by the Mexican congress in 1848. The town was besieged and taken
(through the treachery of Lopez) by the Liberal general Escobedo, May
15, 1867. The emperor Maximilian, and his generals Miramon and Mejia,
were taken prisoners, and after trial, were shot on June 19 following.
=Quesnoy.= A fortified town of France, in the department of Nord. It was
taken by the Austrians, September 11, 1793, but was recovered by the
French, August 16, 1794. It surrendered to Prince Frederick of the
Netherlands, June 29, 1815, after the battle of Waterloo.
=Queue.= A tail-like twist of hair formerly worn at the back of the head
by soldiers.
=Queues d’Hironde= (_Fr._). In fortification, lines composed of
projecting tenailles, or works, which, from the facility with which an
enemy can enfilade their long branches, are considered extremely
defective, and consequently are seldom employed.
=Quiberon.= A town of France, in the department of Morbihan, situated on
a long and narrow peninsula of the same name, which, with some islands,
forms one of the largest bays in Europe, 20 miles southwest from Vannes.
A body of French emigrant royalists, under D’Hervilly and Puisaye,
landed here from an English fleet, on June 27, 1795, and endeavored to
rouse the people of Brittany and La Vendée against the Convention, but
were defeated, in July, and driven into the sea by Gen. Hoche. A large
number of prisoners taken were shot, by order of the Convention. During
the war of the Austrian Succession, an English force attempted a landing
here (1746), but was repulsed.
=Qui Vive? Qui va La? Qui est La?= (_Fr._) Literally means, Who is
alive? Who goes there? and Who is there? These terms are used by the
French sentinels when they challenge, and are equivalent to the English
challenge, Who comes there?
=Quick Time.= In tactics, the length of the direct step in quick time is
28 inches, measured from heel to heel; the cadence is at the rate of 110
steps per minute, or 2 miles 1613 yards in an hour.
=Quick-match.= See LABORATORY STORES.
=Quickstep.= A lively, spirited march generally played by military
bands.
=Quiloa=, or =Keelwa=. A seaport town of Zanguebar, on the east coast of
Africa, 225 miles north of Mozambique. It was taken and burned by the
Portuguese, in 1505, but abandoned by them soon after.
=Quincunx.= Forming a body of men checkerwise.
=Quintain=, or =Quintin=. An instrument used in the ancient practice of
tilting. It consisted of an upright post, on the top of which a cross
post turned upon a pivot; at one end of the cross post was a broad
board, and at the other a bag of sand. The practice was to ride against
the board with a lance, at such speed as to pass by before the sand-bag
could strike the tilter on the back.
=Quinte.= The fifth guard in fencing.
=Quirites.= In ancient Rome the citizens were so called as distinguished
from the soldiery.
=Quischens.= The old term for _cuisses_, the pieces of armor which
protected the thighs.
=Quit.= To leave; to abandon. _To quit your post or ranks_, is to
retire, without having received any previous order for that purpose,
from a station intrusted to your care, or a position in which you may
be. For punishment inflicted upon persons quitting their posts, see
APPENDIX, ARTICLES OF WAR, 40.
=Quiver.= A case or sheath for arrows.
=Quoin.= In gunnery, is a wedge used to lay under the breech of a gun to
elevate or depress it.
=Quota.= A proportional part or share; or the share, part, or proportion
assigned to each. “Quota of troops and money.”
R.
=Raab=, or =Nagy-Gyor=. A town of Hungary, 67 miles west-northwest of
Buda. A battle was fought under its walls in June, 1809, in which
Napoleon totally defeated the disorderly force of the Hungarian nobles.
=Rabinet.= A small piece of ordnance formerly in use. It weighed but 300
pounds, and fired a small ball of 1³⁄₈ inch diameter; with a very
limited range.
=Rachat des Cloches= (_Fr._). Redemption of bells. Formerly in France
when a fortified place was taken, the bells became the property of the
master-general of artillery, which were usually redeemed by the
inhabitants at a certain price; it was necessary that the place should
be attacked by artillery in order to secure this right over the bells.
=Rack, Forage.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR, BATTERY-WAGON.
=Rack-stick and Lashing.= Consist of a piece of two-inch rope, about 6
feet long, fastened to a picket about 15 inches long, having a hole in
its head to receive the rope. Rack lashings are used for securing the
planks of a gun or mortar platform, between the ribbons and the
sleepers.
=Radius.= In fortification, a term applied to a line drawn from the
centre of the polygon to the extremity of the exterior side. There are
the _exterior_, the _interior_, and the _right radii_.
=Radstadt.= See RASTADT.
=Raft.= A species of floating bridge for the passage of rivers, on which
the soldiers and light artillery may be safely conveyed.
=Raft of Casks.= This raft may be constructed by forming a frame of
timber to contain the casks.
The frame consists of four longitudinal pieces halved into four
transoms. The long pieces must be at least 20 feet long, and their
distance apart be a little less than the head diameter of the casks. The
under edges are beveled so as to give them a good bearing on the casks.
In default of square timber, poles may be used in the construction of
the frame. The string-pieces and transoms may be spiked or lashed at
their points of junction.
The four exterior casks in the raft should be lashed to the frame,
otherwise they may be carried off by the current when the raft lurches.
For other kinds of rafts, see PONTONS.
=Raft, Prairie.= See PONTONS.
=Rafts, Timber.= Employ the largest and longest timber, giving at least
35 feet length to the raft. Shorter than this it will not have
sufficient stability, but will be subject to dangerous oscillations,
especially in a rapid stream. Squaring the timber will be worse than
useless. Any irregularities, such as branches and knots, should be
trimmed off. The raft must be built in the water. Select a place where
there is little current, and where the bank slopes gently to the water.
The timber is then arranged in the position it is to have in the
raft,--the butts alternately up and down the stream,--the upstream ends
forming a right angle, salient up-stream.
Suppose the case of a raft to be composed of 20 logs, 47 feet long, and
averaging 12 inches in diameter.
The first log is brought alongside the shore, and the end of a plank or
small trunk of a tree is spiked to it, about 3 feet from each end; it is
pushed off a little, and a second log is brought up, under the transoms
and in close contact with the first.
The second log is spiked like the first, and so on for each of the
remaining logs; care being taken to alternate the butts, placing the
whistle ends up-stream with the bevel underneath, and to spike the
transoms perpendicular to the logs. When the current of the river in
which the raft is to be used is very gentle, the up-stream ends may be
on a line parallel to the transom; but if rapid, they should form a
right-angle salient upstream, the vertex being in the middle log.
When the bank is too steep to admit of this construction, the trees may
be floated into their proper positions, lashed together, and the
transoms spiked on; if the logs are nearly of the same size, the centre
of gravity will be near the centre of the raft.
Two additional transoms are spiked at equal distances from the centre of
gravity of the raft, and at a distance apart equal to the width of the
roadway or platform.
The transoms should be about 8 inches wide by 6 inches thick, and should
have a bearing on all the logs forming the raft. When a platform is to
be constructed on the raft, intermediate transoms are laid, and at a
distance apart depending on the strength of the planking. The size of
the platform must be regulated by the buoyant power of the raft. A
single course of logs will not have sufficient power to sustain troops
enough to cover its whole surface. When the raft is to be used in a
bridge the two intermediate transoms are separated by a distance a
little less than the length of the chess, and placed at equal distances
from a point somewhat astern of the centre of gravity of the raft, in
order to correct the downward action of the cable on the bow.
For use in a bridge, a raft should be able to sustain at least 15,000
pounds. The same expedients are employed for the anchorage of rafts as
boats.
Rafts are sometimes constructed for flying-bridges in the form of a
lozenge, the acute angles being about 55°,--so that when two of the
sides are parallel to the action of the current, the up-stream side,
which in this form is the only one acted on by the current, is in the
most favorable position.
=Raguled=, or =Ragguld=. In heraldry, jagged or notched in an irregular
manner.
=Raguled, Cross.= One made of two trunks of trees without their
branches, of which only the stumps appear.
=Raguly.= In heraldry, a term applied to an ordinary whose bounding
lines are furnished with serrated projections.
=Ragusa.= A town of Austria, formerly the capital of an independent
republic which now forms part of the kingdom of Dalmatia, on a peninsula
on the east side of the Adriatic, and built in terraces on the side of
Mount Sergio, the upper streets communicating with the lower by a flight
of steps. It is strongly fortified with citadels, forts, and walls. It
was taken by the Venetians in 1171, but became an independent republic,
1358; was taken by the French in 1806, and given up to Austria in 1814.
=Rahmanieh.= A town of Lower Egypt, situated at the junction of the Nile
with the canal of Alexandria, 25 miles southeast from Rosetta. The
French, during their occupation of Egypt, made it a fortified station.
It was taken from them by the British in 1801.
=Raid.= A hostile or predatory incursion, especially an inroad or
incursion of mounted men; a sudden and rapid invasion by a cavalry
force.
=Raillon= (_Fr._). A quarrel; a short arrow.
=Rail-platform.= See PLATFORM.
=Rails.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR, SEA-COAST CARRIAGES.
=Rain=, or =Rhain=. A town of Bavaria, 22 miles north from Augsburg,
where the Austrian general Tilly received his mortal wound in 1632.