perforated with a square opening, so as to show the field. A cross
square-pierced is often improperly confounded with a cross
quarter-pierced, where the intersecting part of the cross is not merely
perforated, but entirely removed.
=Squire.= An attendant on a warrior was formerly so called.
=Stab.= To pierce with a pointed weapon; as, to be stabbed by a bayonet,
dagger, etc.
=Stabiæ= (now _Castella Mare di Stabia_). An ancient town in Campania,
between Pompeii and Surrentum; was destroyed by Sulla in the Social war.
=Stable Guard.= In each squadron, the stable guard generally consists of
a corporal and one man for every 20 horses. It is their duty to feed the
horses, watch over their safety during the night, and attend to the
general police of the stables, being assisted by an additional detail at
the hours of stable call.
=Stable Horse.= A name formerly applied to that part of the Tippoo
Sahib’s cavalry which was best armed, accoutred, and most regularly
disciplined.
=Stack Arms.= To set up muskets or rifles together, with the bayonets
crossing one another, and forming a sort of conical pile.
=Stack of Arms.= A number of muskets or rifles set up together, with the
bayonets crossing one another, forming a sort of conical pile.
=Stacket.= A stockade.
=Stadia.= A very simple aid in estimating distances, consists of a small
stick, held vertically in the hand at arm’s length, and bringing the top
of a man’s head in line with the top of the stick, noting where a line
in the eye of the observer to the feet of the man cuts the stick or
_stadia_, as it is called. To graduate the stadia, a man of the ordinary
height of a foot-soldier, say 5 feet 8 inches, is placed at a known
distance, say 50 yards, and the distance on the stick covered by him
when it is held at arm’s length is marked and divided into eight equal
parts. If the distance is now increased until the man covers only one of
these divisions, we know he is at a distance equal to 50 × 8 = 400
yards. This instrument is not very accurate, except for short distances.
A much more accurate stadia is constructed by making use of a metal
plate having a slit in it in the form of an isosceles triangle, the base
of which, held at a certain distance from the edge, subtends a man (5
feet 8 inches), say at the distance of 100 yards. A slider moves along
the triangle, being always parallel to the base, and the length of it
comprised between the two sides of the triangle represents the height of
men at different distances, which are marked in yards on the side of the
triangle, above or below, according as the object looked at is a
foot-soldier or horseman. In order to keep the stadia always at the same
distance from the eye, a string is attached to the slider, the opposite
end having a knot tied in it, which is held between the teeth while
using the instrument, which is held in the right hand, the slider being
moved with the left-hand finger. The string should always be kept
stretched when the instrument is used, and the line in a vertical
position. It must be graduated experimentally by noting the positions in
which the slider represents the height of the object. The instrument
used is not, however, reliable. Its uncertainty increases in an equal
ratio with the distance of the object observed. At the extreme ranges it
is quite useless. At the school for firing, at Vincennes, therefore,
they rely entirely on the eye alone for the judgment of distances, and
great pains by careful practice and instruction is taken to perfect that
judgment. A simple instrument by which distances can be determined is,
therefore, still a great desideratum.
=Staff.= The staff of an army consists of a body of skilled officers
whose duty it is to combine and give vitality to the movements and
mechanical action of the several regiments and drilled bodies composing
the force. The distinction between an officer on the staff of an army
and a regimental officer is that the latter is concerned with his own
regiment alone, while the former deals with his army (of course under
the orders of his commanding officer), or section of an army, and
regulates the combined action of the several arms and bodies of men. A
good staff is all-important to the success of a military enterprise. In
the British service the _general staff_ of an army comprises the general
in actual command, with the subordinate generals commanding the several
divisions and brigades; as assistants to these the officers of the
adjutant-general’s department,--_i.e._, the adjutant-general,
his deputy, assistants, and deputy-assistants, if the army be
large enough to require them all. Similarly, the officers of the
quartermaster-general’s department; the brigade-major; the
provost-marshal, and the judge-advocate.
In the U. S. service the general staff consists of the officers of the
several military bureaux, such as of the adjutant-general’s department,
the quartermaster’s department, etc. For the officers comprising these
corps, see appropriate headings throughout this work.
The _general staff_ of the British army consists at present of a
field-marshal commanding-in-chief, whose headquarters are at London;
under him, of a lieutenant-general commanding-in-chief in Ireland. This
command includes, of course, the general officer commanding in each
military district of the United Kingdom and in each colony; each of
these generals having the usual subordinate staff subject to his orders.
India forms a nearly independent command, under a commander-in-chief,
whose headquarters are at Bengal. There are subordinate
commanders-in-chief in Bombay and Madras; and in each presidency there
are several military divisions.
The _personal staff_ consists of the aides-de-camp and military
secretaries to the respective general officers. These officers, who are
treated of separately in this work, are appointed within certain limits
by the generals whom they serve, and their appointments expire on those
generals ceasing to command.
The _garrison staff_ consists of the officers governing in fortresses
and garrisons; as commandants, fort-majors, town-majors, fort-adjutants,
and garrison-adjutants.
The _civil_ or _department staff_ includes those non-combatant officers
who have to provide for the daily requirements of the troops. These are
the commissaries, barracks, medical, chaplains, purveyors, store, and
veterinary departments.
The _recruiting staff_ consists of inspecting field-officers, district
paymasters, district adjutants, and superintending officers.
The _pensioner staff_ includes only the staff-officers of the enrolled
force.
_Regimental Staff._--(See OFFICERS, STAFF-.) Staff-officers should carry
in their heads all general information regarding the army with which
they are serving; the composition and distribution of corps, divisions,
brigades, etc.; they should remember as accurately as possible the
strength of each battalion in their immediate division, and the names of
the respective commanding officers. Officers of the headquarters staff
should know the position of every division or detachment each night;
their composition and strength, and the names of their commanders, etc.
In communicating orders to others, staff-officers must speak and write
in the name of their generals. They must remember that they have no
power of themselves to confer favors, and that all patronage rests with
the general. In theory they are merely his agents, and, although, in
practice, officers of importance have much in their power, they should
be careful to prevent its being generally known. Their commander must
never be ignored, even when they know him to be a fool. It is not that
you injure an individual by slighting him, but that by doing so you
deprive of that general confidence which for the public good it is
essential he should possess.
In delivering verbal orders, and in their dealings with superior
officers, the staff should be most respectful. A staff-officer should
feel bound by his position, if not by his breeding, to treat every one
with the courtesy due from one gentleman to another. The motto for the
staff should be “affability and reticence.”
=Staff, Cylinder.= See INSPECTION OF CANNON.
=Stafford.= A town of England, in Staffordshire, 123 miles northwest by
west from London. In the civil war of the 17th century, it was occupied
by the king’s forces, after the capture of Lichfield by their
adversaries. An indecisive battle was fought at Hopton Heath, in the
vicinity, in 1643, and at a later period the town was taken by the
Roundheads, under Sir William Brereton. The castle was also taken
shortly after, and at the close of the war was entirely demolished.
=Stakes, Pointing-.= See POINTING-STAKES.
=Stalwart.= Brave; bold; strong; redoubted; daring.
=Stamford.= An ancient town of England, in Lincolnshire, 12 miles
northwest from Peterborough. The Britons and Saxons here defeated the
Picts and Scots in 449. Many of the Jews of Stamford were slain, and the
whole community plundered in 1190 by those who had enlisted for the
Crusade.
=Stand.= The act of opposing. Thus, troops that do not yield or give
way, are said to make a stand.
=Stand, To.= To _stand one’s ground_, to keep the ground or station one
has taken; to maintain one’s position; as, raw troops are not able to
stand their ground against veteran soldiers. _To stand fire_, to receive
the fire of arms from an enemy without giving way. _To make a stand_, to
halt for the purpose of offering resistance to a pursuing enemy.
=Stand at Ease.= In the British service, is to be allowed, when in the
ranks, a certain indulgence with regard to bodily position, with or
without arms.
=Stand Fast.= Is the term used as a caution to some particular part of a
line or column, to remain quiescent while the rest are moving.
=Stand of Arms.= See ARMS, STAND OF.
=Stand of Ammunition.= See AMMUNITION, STAND OF.
=Stand of Colors.= A single color, or flag.
=Stand to the Guns.= Is to prepare for action, by taking one’s station
at the guns.
=Stand to your Arms.= Is a cautionary command, when soldiers are put
upon the alert.
=Standard.= A measure by which men enlisted into the army have the
regulated height ascertained.
=Standard.= In its widest sense, a standard is a flag or ensign under
which men are united together for some common purpose. The use of the
standard as a rallying-point in battle takes us back to remote ages. The
Jewish army was marshaled with the aid of standards belonging to the
four tribes of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan; and the Egyptians had
ensigns with representations of their favorite animals. The flag of
Persia was white, and, according to Xenophon, bore in his time a golden
eagle with expanded wings; it was fixed on a chariot, and thus conveyed
to the field of battle. Æschylus, in enumerating the six chiefs who,
headed by Polynices, set themselves in battle array against Thebes,
describes the device on the standard of each. In the earliest era of
Roman history, a bundle of hay or fern is said to have been used as a
military standard, which was succeeded by bronze or silver figures of
animals attached to a staff, of which Pliny enumerates five,--the eagle,
the wolf, the minotaur, the horse, and the boar. In the second
consulship of Marius, 104 B.C., the other animals were laid aside, and
only the eagle retained, and down to the time of the later emperors, the
eagle, often with a representation of the emperor’s head beneath it,
continued to be carried with the legion. On the top of the staff was
often a figure of Victory or Mars. Each cohort had also an ensign of its
own, consisting of a serpent or dragon woven on a square piece of cloth,
and elevated on a gilt staff with a cross-bar. Under the Christian
emperors, the _Labarum_ was substituted for the imperial standard.
Standards or ensigns among the Greeks were of different kinds; some had
the representations of different animals, bearing some relation to the
cities they belonged to. Among the earlier Greeks the standard was a
piece of armor at the end of a spear; though Agamemnon, in Homer, uses a
purple vail to rally his men, etc. Afterwards the Athenians bore the
olive and owl; the Thebans, a sphinx; the other nations, the effigies of
their tutelary gods, or their particular symbols, at the end of a spear.
The Corinthians carried a pegasus, the Messenians their initial Μ, and
the Lacedæmonians Λ. But the most frequent ensign among the Greeks was a
purple coat upon the top of a spear. The flag or standard elevated was a
signal to begin the battle, and the standard depressed was a signal to
desist. The Anglo-Saxon ensign was splendid. It had on it the white
horse, the Danish being distinguished by the raven. Various standards of
great celebrity occur in mediæval history, among which may be enumerated
the Flag of the Prophet (which see); the standard taken from the Danes
by Alfred of England; and the Oriflamme, originally belonging to the
Abbey of St. Denis, and borne by the counts of Vexin, which eventually
became the standard of the French kingdom. In the Middle Ages the
ensigns of the army were the banderols, banners, guidons, pencels, and
pennons, for which see appropriate headings. In strict language, the
term standard is applied exclusively to a particular kind of flag, long
in proportion to its depth, tapering towards the fly, and, except when
belonging to princes of the blood royal, slit at the end. Each baron,
knight, or other commander in feudal times, had a recognized standard,
which was distributed among his followers. The length of the standard
varied according to the rank of the bearer. A king’s standard was from 8
to 9 yards in length; a duke’s, 7 yards; a marquis’s, 6¹⁄₂ yards; an
earl’s, 6 yards; a viscount’s, 5¹⁄₂ yards; a baron’s, 5 yards; a
banneret’s, 4¹⁄₂ yards; and a knight’s, 4 yards. There was never a
complete coat of arms on the standard; it generally exhibited the crest
or supporter with a device or badge of the owner, and every English
standard of the Tudor era had the cross of St. George at the head.
Standards were registered by the heralds, and the charges on them
selected and authorized by an officer-of-arms.
=Standard, Battle of the.= See NORTHALLERTON.
=Standard Hill.= A hill in England, so called because William the
Conqueror upon it set his standard, before he gave battle to Harold.
=Standard-bearer.= An officer of an army, company, or troop, who bears a
standard; an ensign of infantry or a cornet of horse.
=Standard-rule.= See INSPECTION OF CANNON.
=Standing.= Settled, established, not temporary. _Standing army_, is an
army which is kept up by a country, and is liable to every species of
duty, without any limitations being fixed to its service.
=Standing.= Rank; condition. It likewise signifies length of time; as,
such an officer is of very old standing in the army.
=Stanford Bridge.= In Yorkshire, England. In 1066, Tostig, brother of
Harold II., rebelled against his brother, and joined the invading army
of Harold Hardrada, king of Norway. They defeated the northern earls and
took York, but were defeated at Stanford Bridge by Harold, September 25,
and both were slain.
=Stang-ball.= A projectile consisting of two half-balls united by a bar;
a bar-shot.
=Stanislaus, Saint.= A Polish order of knighthood, founded by
Stanislaus, king of Poland, in 1765; renewed by the emperor Alexander in
1815.
=Star.= In heraldry, the star is of frequent occurrence; it sometimes
represents the heavenly body so called, and sometimes the rowel of a
spur. In the latter case it is blazoned a _Mullet_. Stars of more than
five points should have the number of points designated, and the points
may be wavy. The star, or _estoile_, with wavy points, is often
designated a blazing star; and when the points are more than six in
number, it is usual to represent only every second point as waved. The
star is a well-known ensign of knightly rank. A star of some specified
form constitutes part of the insignia of every order of knighthood.
=Star Fort.= An inclosed field-work, in shape like the heraldic
representation of a star.
=Star, Order of the.= An order of knighthood formerly existing in
France, founded by John II in 1350, in imitation of the then recently
instituted order of the Garter in England. The ceremony of installation
was originally performed on the festival of the Epiphany, and the name
of the order is supposed to have been allusive to the Star of the Magi.
=Star of India, The Order of the.= An order of knighthood instituted by
Queen Victoria in June, 1861, with the view of affording the princes,
chiefs, and people of the Indian empire a testimony of her majesty’s
regard, commemorating her majesty’s resolution to take on herself the
government of India and rendering honor to merit and loyalty. The order
consists of the sovereign, a grand master, who is to be the
governor-general of India for the time being, and 25 knights, together
with such extra and honorary knights as the crown may appoint. The
members of the order are to be military, naval, and civil officers who
have rendered important service to the Indian empire, and such native
princes and chiefs of India as have entitled themselves to her majesty’s
favor. The insignia consists of a collar, badge, and star. The collar of
the order is composed of the heraldic rose of England, two palm branches
in saltire tied with a ribbon, and a lotus-flower alternating with each
other, all of gold enameled, and connected by a double golden chain.
From an imperial crown, intervening between two lotus-leaves, depends
the _badge_, consisting of a brilliant star of five points, and hanging
from it an oval medallion, with an onyx cameo profile bust of Queen
Victoria, encircled by the motto, “Heaven’s light our Guide,” in gold
letters, on an enriched border of light-blue enamel. The _investment
badge_ is similar to the collar-badge, but with the star, the setting of
the cameo, and the motto all of diamonds; it is worn pendent from a
ribbon of pale blue with white borders. The _star_ of the order is a
five-pointed star or mullet of diamonds on an irradiated field of gold.
Around it, on an azure fillet bordered with gold, is the same motto in
diamonds, the whole encircled by wavy rays of gold.
=Star-gauge.= See INSPECTION OF CANNON.
=Statant.= In heraldry, a term applied to an animal standing still, with
all the feet touching the ground. If the face be turned to the spectator
it is said to be _statant gardant_, or in the case of a stag, at gaze.
=State.= In the British service, is a statement of the number of
officers and men of any body of troops, distinguishing those present,
those employed, absent, or sick, and the different ranks under separate
headings.
=States of the Church.= See PAPAL STATES.
=Station.= To place; to set; or to appoint to the occupation of a post,
place, or office; as, to station troops on the right or left of an army;
to station a sentinel on a rampart.
=Station, Military.= A place calculated for the rendezvous of troops, or
for the distribution of them; also, a spot well calculated for offensive
or defensive measures. The name of _stationes_, or stations, was given
by the Romans to the guard which was kept in the daytime at the gates of
the camp, and at the intrenchments. The _statio agraria_ was an advanced
post to prevent surprise, insure the safety of prisoners, etc. The chief
use was to keep the military sway secure from hostile incursions, whence
we find them at the concurrence of roads. The word is also extensively
applied to the old military stations of the Romans, when encampments of
towns existed. The _statira castra_ were encampments for a short time;
the _æstiva castra_ were the same, but might be occupied only for one
night. The _hyberna castra_, or winter camps, were elaborately
fortified, even with stone walls, houses within, etc., so that many
towns grew out of them.
=Status in Quo=, or =Status Quo= (_Lat._). A treaty between
belligerents, which leaves each party _in statu quo ante bellum_,--that
is, in the state in which it was before the war.
=Stays.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.
=Steam-gun.= A machine or contrivance by which balls or other
projectiles may be driven by the force of steam.
=Steed.= A horse either for state or war.
=Steel.= See ORDNANCE, METALS FOR.
=Steel Punches.= See INSPECTION OF PROJECTILES.
=Steenkerke=, or =Steenkerque=. A village of Belgium, province of
Hainaut, 15 miles north-northeast of Mons. The allies, commanded by
William III. of England, were here defeated by the French, July 24,
1692.
=Step.= Progression by one removal of the foot. It likewise signifies
pace. _To step_, to move forward or backward by a single change of the
place of the foot. _To step out_, is to lengthen the step, without
altering the cadence. _To step short_, is to diminish or slacken the
pace, according to the tactics. These phrases are frequently used in
military movements when it is found necessary to gain ground in front,
or to give the rear of a column, etc., time to acquire its proper
distance. _To step off_, is to take a prescribed step from a halted
position, in common or quick time, in conformity to some given word of
command or signal. _Balance-step_, is so called from the body being
balanced upon one leg, in order to render it firm and steady in military
movements, etc. Step is likewise figuratively used to signify promotion;
as, the next step from a lieutenancy is a captaincy, from a captaincy a
majority, etc.
=Stettin.= A fortified town of Prussia, capital of the province of
Pomerania, on the left bank of the Oder, 78 miles northeast from Berlin.
In 1121, Boleslas, duke of Poland, gained possession of it. The peace of
Westphalia gave it to the Swedes. From them it passed to the Prussians,
with whom, though not without some interruptions, it has since remained.
In 1171 it was besieged by the Danes; in 1677 by the elector of
Brandenburg; in 1713 by the Prussians; and from 1806 to 1813 it was
occupied by the French.
=Steward, Hospital.= See HOSPITAL STEWARD.
=Stick, Gold.= See GOLD STICK.
=Stick, Silver.= See SILVER STICK.
=Stickler.= A sidesman to fencers, or second to a duelist.
=Sticklestadt= (Norway). Here Olaf II., aided by the Swedes, was
defeated and slain in his endeavors to recover his kingdom from Canute,
king of Denmark, July 29, 1030.
=Stiletto.= A small dagger with a round pointed blade.
=Stillwater.= A township of the United States, on the Hudson River and
on Saratoga Lake. The township includes the incorporated village of
Mechanicsville and the post-village of Bemis’s Heights, notable for the
two battles of September 19 and October 7, 1777 (sometimes called the
battles of Stillwater), which led to the surrender of Burgoyne.
=Stink-pot.= Is a shell, often of earthenware, charged with
combustibles, which, on bursting, emit a foul smell and a suffocating
smoke. It is useful in sieges for driving the garrison from their
defenses; also in boarding a ship, for effecting a diversion while the
assailants gain the deck. The stink-pot is a favorite weapon of the
Chinese. Under the more elegant title of _asphyxiated shell_, the French
and other modern nations have experimented considerably on this mode of
harassing an enemy.
=Stipendium.= The amount of pay for soldiers, a term in general use
among the Romans.
=Stirling.= An ancient town of Scotland, the chief town of
Stirlingshire, 31 miles northwest from Edinburgh. During the Danish
invasion in 1009, it was the headquarters of the Scottish army. In the
vicinity was fought the battle of Stirling in 1297. The town was taken
by Edward I., after a siege of three months, in 1304. It was held by the
English for ten years, until it was retaken by Robert Bruce after the
battle of Bannockburn. In 1651, after the battle of Dunbar, the castle
was taken by Gen. Monk; and it withstood a siege by the Highlanders in
1745.