is situated about 2 miles from the main stream of the Danube, 251 miles
southeast of Prague by railway. Vienna was the Roman _Vindobona_. On the
decline of the Roman empire it experienced the common fate, and was
pillaged by the Goths and Huns. In the 13th century Vienna was subjected
to a six weeks’ siege, in consequence of the refusal of Ottokar of
Bohemia (who was then in possession of Vienna) to acknowledge the
election of the emperor Rudolph. It was besieged by the Turks under
Solyman the Magnificent, with an army of 300,000 men; but the defense,
though conducted by only about 16,000 regular troops, and 4000 citizens,
was so valiant that the Turks were forced to retire with the loss of
70,000 of their best troops. In July, 1683, it was again besieged by the
Turks, headed by the grand vizier Kara-Mustapha. The defense was most
valiantly conducted by Count Rudiger of Starhemberg, but had become
almost hopeless, when John Sobieski, king of Poland, suddenly appeared
with an army, and the Turkish host was almost annihilated, September 12,
1683. Vienna was taken by the French under Prince Murat, November 14,
1805; evacuated January, 1806; was again captured by the French, May 13,
1809; but was restored on the conclusion of peace, October 14, 1809. The
revolt in Hungary induced an insurrection in Vienna, March 13, 1848. A
second insurrection broke out, barricades were raised, and Count Latour,
the war minister, was murdered, October 6, 1848; the emperor took
flight, October 7; and the city was bombarded by Windischgratz and
Jeliachich, October 28; it surrendered to the imperial troops on October
30, having suffered considerably from the bombardment. The
fortifications were demolished, and the city enlarged and beautified,
1857-58. The Prussians encamped near Vienna, and a state of siege was
proclaimed, July, 1866. The following treaties were concluded in Vienna:
(1) The treaty between the emperor of Germany and the king of Spain, by
which they confirmed to each other such parts of the Spanish dominions
as they were respectively possessed of; and by a private treaty the
emperor engaged to employ a force to procure the restoration of
Gibraltar to Spain, and to use means for placing the Pretender on the
throne of Great Britain. Spain guaranteed the Pragmatic Sanction, April
30, 1725. (2) Treaty of alliance between the emperor of Germany, Charles
VI., George II., king of Great Britain, and the states of Holland, by
which the Pragmatic Sanction was guaranteed, and the disputes as to the
Spanish succession terminated (Spain acceded to the treaty on July 22).
This treaty was signed March 16, 1731. (3) Treaty of peace between the
emperor Charles VI. of Germany and the king of France, Louis XV., by
which the latter power agreed to guarantee the Pragmatic Sanction, and
Lorraine was ceded to France. Signed November 18, 1738. (4) Treaty
between Napoleon I. and Francis (II. of Germany) I. of Austria, by which
Austria ceded to France the Tyrol, Dalmatia, and other territories,
which were shortly afterwards declared to be united to France under the
title of the Illyrian Provinces, and engaged to adhere to the
prohibitory system adopted towards England by France and Russia, October
14, 1809. (5) Treaty between Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and
Prussia, confirming the principles on which they had acted by the treaty
of Chaumont, March 1, 1814. Signed March 23, 1815. (6) Treaty between
the king of the Netherlands on the one part and Great Britain, Russia,
Austria, and Prussia on the other, agreeing to the enlargement of the
Dutch territories, and vesting the sovereignty in the house of Orange,
May 31, 1815. (7) Treaty by which Denmark ceded Swedish Pomerania and
Rugen to Prussia, in exchange for Lauenburg, June 4, 1815. (8)
Commercial treaty for twelve years signed between Austria and Prussia.
Signed at Vienna, February 19, 1853. (9) Treaty for the maintenance of
Turkey, by the representatives of Great Britain, France, Austria, and
Russia. Signed April 9, 1854. (10) Treaty between Austria, Prussia, and
Denmark, by which Denmark ceded the duchies, October 30, 1864. (11)
Treaty of peace between Austria and Italy; Venetia given up to Italy,
October 3, 1866.
=View of a Place.= A reconnoissance of a fortified town, its situation,
the nature of the country about it, as hills, valleys, rivers, marshes,
woods, hedges, etc.; taken in order to judge of the most convenient
place for opening the trenches, and carrying out the approaches; to find
out proper places for encamping the army, and for the park of artillery.
=Vigne= (_Fr._). In ancient times, a shed, or gallery with a roof and
sides, made of double hurdles, 18 or 20 feet long, and 7 or 8 feet wide,
upon wheels. Vignes were used to establish a covered communication
between the towers, testudos, etc., of the besiegers.
=Vigo.= A seaport town of Spain, in Galicia, situated on an inlet of the
Atlantic called the Ria de Vigo, 78 miles southwest from Corunna. Vigo
was attacked and burned by the English under Drake and Norris in 1589.
Vigo was taken by Lord Cobham in 1719, but relinquished after raising
contributions. It was again taken by the British, March 27, 1809.
=Vikings.= Scandinavian chiefs, Swedes, Danes, and Norsemen, who in the
4th century migrated eastward, to the countries beyond the Baltic, and
westward and southward, chiefly to the British Isles.
=Villafranca.= A town of Austrian Italy, in the delegation and 9 miles
southwest from Verona, on the Tartaro. This place is remarkable for the
personal interview which took place here between the emperors of France
and Austria, July 11, 1859, and the peace in consequence concluded, by
which Lombardy was given to Sardinia.
=Villages.= Cavalry, the better to preserve their horses, should occupy
villages whenever the distance of the enemy, and the time necessary to
repair to its posts in battle, will permit. Their quarters should be
preferably farm-houses or taverns having large stables. Posts are
established by the colonel or commanding officer, and the squadrons
conducted to their quarters by their respective captains. Where in an
exceptional case regular distributions are not made, the resources which
the household assigned as quarters presents are equally divided. About
two hours after their arrival, the squadrons in succession water their
horses and then give forage. Cavalry, and infantry also, should,
wherever thus cantoned near an enemy, occupy, when it can be done,
houses which will hold an entire company or some constituent fraction of
a company, and at break of day stand to their arms. When in the same
cantonment, cavalry should watch over the safety of the cantonment by
day and the infantry by night; and in the presence of an enemy they
should be protected by an advance guard and natural or artificial
obstacles.
=Villa Viciosa.= A village of Spain, in New Castile, in the province of
Guadalajara. Here, in 1710, was fought the battle which closed the War
of Succession, and placed Philip V. upon the Spanish throne.
=Villa Vicosa.= A town of Portugal, province of Alemtejo. Here the
Portuguese under the French general Schomberg defeated the Spaniards,
1665.
=Villeta.= In Paraguay, South America, where Lopez and the Paraguayans
were totally defeated by the Brazilians and their allies, December 11,
1868.
=Vimeira.= A village of Portugal, in the province of Estremadura, 7
miles north from Torres Vedras. At this place the British under Sir
Arthur Wellesley defeated the French and Spanish forces under Marshal
Junot, August 21, 1808. The attack made by the French with great bravery
was gallantly repulsed; it was repeated by Kellerman at the head of the
French reserve, which was also repulsed, and the French being charged
with the bayonet, withdrew on all points in confusion, leaving many
prisoners.
=Vincennes.= A town of France, department of Seine, 5 miles
east-southeast from the Louvre in Paris. In reality, the town is merely
a great fortress and barracks, and is famous for its arsenal, and for
its school for the practice of shooting. At the latter the Chasseurs de
Vincennes, and all the best marksmen of the army, are trained. Among the
famous men who have been confined in this fortress may be mentioned
Henry IV., the Prince of Condé, Cardinal de Retz, Mirabeau, and the Duc
d’Enghein, who was shot in the moat of the castle by order of Bonaparte.
=Vincent, St.= An island in the West Indies; it was long neutral, but at
the peace of 1703 the French agreed that the right to it should be
vested in the English. The latter soon after engaged in a war against
the Caribs, on the windward side of the island, who were obliged to
consent to a peace. In 1779 the Caribs greatly contributed to the
reduction of this island by the French, who, however, restored it in
1783. In 1795 the French landed some troops, and again instigated the
Caribs to insurrection, which was not subdued for several months.
=Vincible.= Capable of being overcome or subdued; conquerable.
=Vindelicia.= A Roman province south of the Danube, bounded on the north
by the Danube which separated it from Germany, on the west by the
territory of the Helveti in Gaul, on the south by Rhætia, and on the
east by the river Œnus (now _Inn_). It was originally part of the
province of Rhætia, and was conquered by Tiberius in the reign of
Augustus. The southern portion of this province was inhabited by the
Vindelici, a warlike people. The other tribes in Vindelicia were the
Brigantii, the Licatii, and the Brunii. Vindelicia fell into the hands
of the Alemanni in the 4th century, and from this time the population of
the country appears to have been entirely Germanized.
=Vinegar.= In transportation by water vinegar is essential to the
comfort of horses, and should be freely used by sponging their mouths
and noses repeatedly, and also their mangers. A small portion of vinegar
drank with water supplies the waste of perspiration of men in the field.
It is better than rum or whisky; it allays thirst, and men who use it
avoid the danger of drinking cold water when heated, and are not fevered
as they are too apt to be by the use of spirituous liquors.
=Vinegar-Hill.= Near Enniscorthy, in Wexford, Southeast Ireland. Here
the Irish rebels encamped and committed many outrages in the surrounding
country. They were gradually surrounded by the British troops, commanded
by Lake, June 21, 1798, and after a fierce struggle, with much
slaughter, totally dispersed.
=Violence.= See APPENDIX, ARTICLES OF WAR, 21 and 56.
=Vireton= (_Fr._). An arrow formerly made very long, light, and so
feathered as to revolve round its own axis; also called vire.
=Virginia.= One of the thirteen original United States of America, and
is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia,
east by Maryland and the Atlantic Ocean, south by North Carolina and
Tennessee, and west by Kentucky and West Virginia. The shores of
Virginia were first explored by Sebastian Cabot, 1498, and again under
the auspices of Sir Walter Raleigh in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in
whose honor it was named; was first settled by an English colony, on the
James River, May 13, 1607, which consisted mostly of gentlemen of
fortune, and persons of no occupation. The friendly Indians sold them
land and provisions; but the diseases of a damp climate swept off half
the settlers the first autumn. The energy of Capt. John Smith saved the
colony from destruction; and in 1609 it was reinforced by 500 persons,
who were reduced by sickness and starvation to 60. They had embarked to
abandon the settlement, when Lord Delaware came with emigrants and
supplies. In 1622 the colony was reduced by wars and massacres from 4000
to 2500; but in 1624 it became a crown colony, and increased, so that in
1649 there were 15,000 English and 300 negroes in it. In 1754, the
colonial militia took part in the French war; and Maj. George Washington
took part in Gen. Braddock’s campaign. In 1769, Thomas Jefferson, a
member of the House of Burgesses, asserted for the colony the right of
self-taxation, denying the right of Parliament to tax the colonies. In
1773, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and Richard Henry Lee were
appointed a committee to confer with the other colonies, and urged upon
their delegates the Declaration of Independence. Virginia, the earliest
settled, largest, and most populous of the thirteen original States,
called the Old Dominion, was the first to propose the confederacy and
the Constitution. On April 17, 1861, this State passed the ordinance of
secession. The Confederate government was invited to Richmond, which
became the centre of military operations. Virginia was occupied by the
Federal troops during the whole of the civil war, and a great many
hotly-contested battles were fought on her soil. The State was restored
to the Union, January 26, 1870.
=Virginia, West.= A new State of the American Union, and separated from
the above, because antagonistic in political interests; it was organized
in August, 1861, and admitted into the Union by act of Congress,
December 31, 1862, taking effect June 20, 1863. The State comprises 52
counties, lying west of the Alleghanies.
=Virole.= In heraldry, the hoop, ring, or mouth-piece of a bugle or
hunting-horn.
=Viroled.= In heraldry, furnished with a virole or viroles.
=Visigoths.= See GOTHS.
=Visit, To.= To go to any place, as guard quarters, barracks, hospital,
etc., for the purpose of noticing whether the orders or regulations
which have been issued respecting it are observed.
=Visiting Officer.= He whose duty it is to visit the guards, barracks,
messes, hospital, etc. The same as orderly officer.
=Visor.= That part of the helmet which covers the face.
=Vitrified Forts.= The name given to certain remarkable stone inclosures
bearing traces of the action of fire, about 50 of which exist in
various parts of Scotland. They are generally situated on a small hill,
overlooking a considerable valley, and consist of a wall, which may have
originally been about 12 feet in height, inclosing a level area on the
summit of a hill. The most remarkable feature of these structures is,
that the wall is always more or less consolidated by the action of
fire,--in some cases only giving a glassy coating to its inner side,
while in other instances the vitrification has been most complete, the
ruins assuming the character of vast masses of coarse glass.
=Vittoria.= A town of Spain, the chief town of the province of Alava, 30
miles southeast from Bilboa. This place is the site of a brilliant
victory obtained by Wellington over the French army commanded by Joseph
Bonaparte, king of Spain, and Marshal Jourdan, June 21, 1813. The
hostile armies were nearly equal, from 70,000 to 75,000 each. After a
long and fearful battle, the French were driven, towards evening,
through the town of Vittoria, and in their retreat were thrown into
irretrievable confusion. The British loss was 22 officers and 479 men
killed; 167 officers and 2640 men wounded. Marshal Jourdan lost 151
pieces of cannon, 451 wagons of ammunition, all his baggage, provisions,
cattle, and treasure, with his baton as marshal of France. Continuing
the pursuit on the 25th, Wellington took Jourdan’s only remaining gun.
=Vivandière.= In continental armies, and especially that of France, a
female attendant in a regiment, who sells spirits and other comforts,
ministers to the sick, marches with the corps, and contrives to be a
universal favorite. Although a familiar friend to all, these women
contrive to maintain themselves respectable, and generally respected;
and a corps is usually extremely jealous of the slightest discourtesy
being shown to its vivandière. The woman wears the uniform of the
regiment, short petticoats taking the place of the man’s tunic.
=Vlissingen=, or =Flushing=. See FLUSHING.
=Vocontii.= A powerful and important people in Gallia Narbonensis,
inhabiting the southeastern part of Dauphiné, and a part of Provence.
They were allowed by the Romans to live under their own laws, and,
though in a Roman province, they were the allies and not the subjects of
Rome.
=Voided.= In heraldry, having the inner part cut away or left vacant, a
narrower border being left at the sides, the color of the field being
seen in the vacant space;--said of a charge or ordinary.
=Voider.= In heraldry, one of the ordinaries, whose figure is much like
that of the flanch or flasque.
=Volant.= In heraldry, flying. A bird volant is represented flying
bendways towards the dexter side of the shield; and its position may be
distinguished from that of a bird rising, by the legs being drawn up
towards the body.
=Volant.= A piece of steel on a helmet, presenting an acute angle to the
front.
=Volcæ.= A powerful Celtic people in Gallia Narbonensis, divided into
the two tribes of the Volcæ Tectosages and the Volcæ Arecomici,
extending from the Pyrenees and the frontiers of Aquitania along the
coast as far as the Rhone. They lived under their own laws, without
being subject to the Roman governor of the province, and they also
possessed the Jus Latii. The Tectosages inhabited the western part of
the country from the Pyrenees as far as Narbo, and the Arecomici the
eastern part from Narbo to the Rhone. A portion of the Tectosages left
their native country under Brennus, and were one of the three great
tribes into which the Galatians in Asia Minor were divided.
=Volhynia.= A frontier government of West Russia, bounded on the
southwest by Galicia, and on the west by Poland, from which it is
separated by the river Bug. Volhynia in early times belonged to the
ancient Russians, but was conquered by the Lithuanians and Poles in
1320, and remained in their hands till its annexation to Russia in 1798.
=Volley.= The simultaneous discharge of a number of fire-arms.
=Volokolamsk.= A town of Russia in Europe, in the government of Moscow,
60 miles northwest from Moscow. It has suffered many misfortunes, having
been twice plundered and almost destroyed by the Tartars, and taken by
the Poles in 1613.
=Volsci.= An ancient people in Latium, but originally distinct from the
Latins, dwelt on both sides of the river Liris, and extended down to the
Tyrrhene Sea. Their language was nearly allied to the Umbrian. They were
from an early period engaged in almost unceasing hostilities with the
Romans, and were not completely subdued by the latter till 338 B.C.,
from which time they disappear from history.
=Volsinii=, or =Vulsinii= (now _Bolsena_). Called _Velsina_, or
_Velsuna_, by the Etruscans, one of the most ancient and most powerful
of the twelve cities of the Etruscan Confederation, was situated on a
lofty hill on the northeastern extremity of the lake called after it,
_Lacus Volsiniensis_ and _Vulsiniensis_ (now Lago di Bolsena). Volsinii
is first mentioned in 392 B.C., when its inhabitants invaded Roman
territory, but were easily defeated by the Romans, and were glad to
purchase a twenty years’ truce on humiliating terms. The Volsiniensis
also carried on war with the Romans in 311, 294, and 280, but were on
each occasion defeated, and in the last of these years appear to have
been finally subdued. On their final subjugation their city was razed to
the ground by the Romans, and its inhabitants were compelled to settle
on a less defensible site in the plain.
=Voltigeurs.= Are picked companies of irregular riflemen in the French
regiments. They are selected for courage, great activity, and small
stature. It is their privilege to lead the attack.
=Volturno.= A river of Naples, which rises in the province of Sannio or
Molise, and, after a course of 90 miles, falls into the Gulf of Gaeta 20
miles from Naples. A great battle was fought on the banks of this river
in 1800, between the troops of Francis II., king of Naples, and the
followers of Garibaldi.
=Volunteers.= See MILITIA.
=Vorant.= In heraldry, a term applied to an animal represented as
swallowing another; as, sable, a dolphin naiant, vorant a fish proper.
=Vossem, Peace of.= Between the elector of Brandenburg and Louis XIV. of
France; the latter engaged not to assist the Dutch against the elector;
signed June 6, 1673.
=Votes.= See FINDING.
=Vougle=, or =Vouillé= (Southwest France; near Poitiers). Here Alaric,
king of the Visigoths, was defeated and slain by Clovis, king of France,
507. Clovis immediately after subdued the whole country from the Loire
to the Pyrenees, and thus his kingdom became firmly established. A peace
followed between the Franks and the Visigoths, who had been settled
above one hundred years in that part of Gaul called Septimania.
=Vulned.= A heraldic term, applied to an animal, or part of an
animal,--as, for example, a human heart, wounded, and with the blood
dropping from it.
=Vulnerable.= Susceptive of wounds; liable to external injuries; capable
of being taken; as, the town is extremely vulnerable in such a quarter.
It is also applied to military dispositions; as, the army was vulnerable
in the centre, etc. An assemblage of men without arms, or with arms but
without discipline, or having discipline and arms, without officers, are
vulnerable.
W.
=Wad.= To insert or crowd a wad into; as, to wad a gun.
=Wad.= See GROMMET, and JUNK-WADS.
=Wad-hook.= A screw or hook to draw wadding out from a gun.
=Wage Battle, To.= To give gage or security for joining in the
_duellum_, or combat.
=Wager of Battle.= In ancient law, the giving of gage or pledge for
trying a cause by single combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal,
and civil causes. In writs of right, where the trial was by champions,
the tenant produced his champion, who, by throwing down his glove as a
gage or pledge, thus waged or stipulated battle with the champion of the
demandant, who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge. The
wager of battle, which has long been in disuse, was abolished in England
in 1820.
=Wagon.= A vehicle for the conveyance of goods or passengers, is mounted
on four wheels, but varies considerably in the construction of its other
parts, according to the species of traffic in which it is employed. They
are used by armies for the transportation of subsistence, other military
stores, baggage, ammunition, sick and wounded. The following wagon has
been adopted for use in the service of the U. S. army: The body to be
straight, 3 feet 6 inches wide, 1 foot 9 inches deep, 9 feet 6 inches
long at the bottom, and 10 feet at the top, sloping equally at each end,
all in the clear or inside; the floor 9 feet 10¹⁄₂ inches long, 3 feet 6
inches wide, and 7¹⁄₈ inches thick. Top sides 6 inches wide, 7¹⁄₈ inches
thick, 10 feet 2 inches long on the bottom edge, sloping the same as the
lower side boards. Six bows of good ash or oak, 2 inches wide, ¹⁄₂ inch
thick, with three staples to confine the ridge-pole to its place; one
ridge-pole 11 feet 3 inches long, 1³⁄₄ inches wide, ⁵⁄₈ inch thick;
seat-boards 3 feet 6 inches long, 1 foot wide, ⁷⁄₈ inch thick to rest on
top edge of sides on upright spiral springs, so arranged as to be used
with or without the top sides; two plates 7 inches long, 1¹⁄₂ inches
wide, ³⁄₄ inch thick, with two bolts in each, for the front wheels to
strike against in turning the wagon. The tongue to be 10 feet 6 inches
long, 4 inches wide, 2¹⁄₄ inches deep at front end of hounds, 1³⁄₄
inches wide, and 2¹⁄₄ inches deep at point or front end, and so arranged
as to lift up the front end of it to hang within 2 feet 6 inches of the
ground when the wagon is standing at rest on a level surface; front
hounds 6 feet long, 2¹⁄₄ inches deep, 3¹⁄₂ inches wide over axle, and to
retain that width to the back end of tongue; jaws of hounds 1 foot 6
inches long and 2¹⁄₄ inches square at the front end. Axle-stock 4 feet
¹⁄₂ inch long, 3¹⁄₂ inches wide, 3¹⁄₄ inches deep. Hind hounds 4 feet 11
inches long, 2¹⁄₄ inches deep, and 2³⁄₄ inches wide back, and 2¹⁄₂
inches wide front; jaws 10 inches long and 4 inches wide at the end
where they rest on coupling-pole. Coupling-pole 8 feet 9 inches long,
3¹⁄₂ inches wide, 2³⁄₈ inches deep, with a rivet through front end.
Wheels 3 feet 8 inches and 4 feet 8 inches high; sixteen spokes 2 inches
wide and 2 inches thick at hub, and 2 inches wide and 1¹⁄₂ inches thick
at felloes; eight felloes 2 inches wide, 2³⁄₈ inches deep; hubs 9 inches
diameter at flanges, 3¹⁄₂ inches diameter at front, 4 inches diameter at
back end, 12 inches long; tires 2 inches wide, ¹⁄₂ inch thick, fastened
with 8 screw-bolts, one in each felloe. Distance from the centre of
king-bolt hole to centre of back axle, 5 feet 9¹⁄₂ inches; and from
centre of king-bolt hole to the centre of bolt in jaw of hind hounds, 1
foot 10 inches; distance from the centre of hind axle to centre of bolt
in jaw of hind hounds, 3 feet 11¹⁄₂ inches, and from the centre of
king-bolt to centre of slider 2 feet 2¹⁄₂ inches; distance between the
inside of front and hind standards, 5 feet 8¹⁄₂ inches,--to receive the
body, which is 5 feet 8 inches from outside to outside of cleats of
sides. Weight of model wagon, 1325 pounds, complete, for four horses or
mules. See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR, TRAVELING KITCHEN, and TRAVELING
FORGE.
=Wagon-body, Ponton.= See PONTONS, WAGON-BODY PONTONS.
=Wagoner.= One who conducts a wagon; a wagon-driver. The number of
master-wagoners and wagoners allowed in the quartermaster’s department
U. S. army is limited only by the exigencies of the service.
=Wagon-master.= A person in charge of one or more wagons, especially of
those used for transporting freight, as the supplies of an army, and the
like. The quartermaster-general is authorized to employ from time to
time as many forage-masters and wagon-masters as he may deem necessary
for the service, not exceeding 20 in the whole, who shall be entitled to
receive $40 per month and three rations a day, and forage for one horse;
and neither of whom shall be interested or concerned directly or
indirectly in any wagon or other means of transport employed by the
United States, nor in the purchase or sale of any property procured for
or belonging to the United States, except as an agent of the United
States.