S. (continued 2)

Lance Serjeant. A corporal who acts as serjeant in a company, but only receives the pay of corporal.

White Serjeant. A term of just ridicule, which is applied to those ladies who, taking advantage of the uxoriousness of their husbands, and neglect their household concerns, to interfere in military matters.

SERMENT, Fr. Oath.

Prêter Serment, Fr. To take an oath.

SERPE, Fr. A billhook.

Serpe d’armes, Fr. An offensive weapon; so called from its resemblance to a hedging bill.

SERPENTEAU, Fr. A round iron circle, with small spikes, and squibs attached to them. It is frequently used in the attack and defence of a breach. It likewise means a fusee, which is filled with gunpowder, and is bent in such a manner, that when it takes fire, it obtains a circular rapid motion, and throws out sparks of light in various directions.

Serpenteaux et serpenteaux brochettes, Fr. A species of lardon or fusee, which is garnished or loaded upon a stick or spit that is a third of the length of the cartridge.

SERPENTIN, Fr. The cock of a musquet or firelock.

SERRE-File, Fr. The last rank of a battalion, by which its depth is ascertained, and which always forms its rear. When ranks are doubled, the battalion resumes its natural formation by means of the serre-files. Serre-file literally signifies a bringer up.

Serre demi File, Fr. That rank in a battalion which determines the half of its depth, and which marches before the demi-file. Thus a battalion standing six deep, has its serre-demi file in the third rank, which determines its depth.

Capitaine de Serre-File, Fr. The officer who commands a rear guard when a regiment is on its march.

SERRER, Fr. To close up. Serrez vos rangs. Take close order.

Serrer la bride, Fr. To pull in the bridle.

SERRURE, Fr. A lock.

SERRURIER, Fr. A locksmith.

SERVANS d’armes, or Chevaliers Servans, Fr. Persons belonging to the third class of the order of Malta are so called. They are not noblemen, although they wear the sword and the cross.

To Serve, (Servir, Fr.) In a military sense, to do duty as an officer or soldier.

To SERVE a piece. In the artillery, to load and fire with promptitude and correctness. The French use the term in the same sense, viz. L’artillerie fut bien servie à ce siege. The artillery was well served at this siege.

SERVICE, (Service, Fr.) In a general sense of the word, as far as it relates to war, every species of military duty which is done by an inferior under the influence and command of a superior. It likewise means exploit, achievement. It also points out the particular profession to which a man belongs, as land service, sea service, and the degree of knowlege which he may have acquired by practice, viz. He has seen a great deal of service.

Service likewise means the period during which a man has done duty, or followed the military profession in an active manner.

To see Service. To be in actual contact with an enemy.

To be on Service. To be doing actual duty with a corps or detachment.

To enter into the Service. To receive a commission in the army. The individual must be recommended to the commander in chief, or to the secretary at war, (as the case may be) stating him to be fully qualified to hold that situation.

To retire from the Service. To quit the army, or resign.

No officer can resign his commission, or retire from the service, without having previously obtained permission through the commander in chief, or the secretary at war, as the case may be.

To retire from the Service, keeping one’s rank. It has sometimes happened, that an officer has obtained permission to quit the army, keeping his rank. By which means he has been enabled to return into the service, and to take advantage of his original standing. A very meritorious officer, of high rank at present, was permitted to retire in this manner. There have been instances of officers retiring not only with their rank, but with a certain allowance from the regiment.

Infantry Service. Service done by foot soldiers.

Cavalry Service. Service done by soldiers on horseback.

Faire son Service, Fr. To do one’s duty.

Etre de Service, Fr. To be on duty.

Etre de Service, chez le roi. To do duty at the palace.

Service likewise means tour of duty, or routine of service.

Service de l’infanterie en marche, Fr. The regular duties, or routine of service which an infantry regiment goes through when it receives orders to march. These are, the general, la génêrale ou le premier. The assembly, l’assemblée. The troop, le drapeau ou le dernier.

Service des places, Fr. The regular duty, or routine of service, which is performed in fortified towns or places. Of this description are garrison duties. See l’Essai sur la science de la guerre par Mons. le baron D’Espagnac, tom. iii. p. 355, and les Elémens Militaires, tom. ii. p. 116, where specific regulations on this head may be seen. We likewise recommend to the perusal of every engineer and artillery officer, a late valuable publication, entitled Essai Générale de Fortification et d’Attaque et Defence des places.

Service de campagne, Fr. Field duties: This subject has been ably treated by several French writers, and among others by the author of les Elemens Militaires, tom. ii. p. 1, &c. and in tom. iv. p. 68, &c.

A letter of Service. See Letter.

Home Service. In a military sense, the duty which is done within the limits of the United States. This term is frequently used to distinguish such troops as are not liable to serve beyond specified limits, from those that have been raised for general service; as the militia in the several stares of the union.

Foreign Service. Military duty, or service done abroad.

Secret Service. Any service performed by an individual, in a clandestine secret manner. It likewise means intelligence, or information given by spies when countries are engaged in war, for which they receive pecuniary compensation.

Secret Service money. The reward, or compensation which is given for secret intelligence.

SERVICEABLE, capable of performing all necessary military duty.

Services. Pecuniary disbursements, or payments which are made for military purposes.

Servir le canon, Fr. To serve the cannon.

Servir l’artillerie, Fr. To serve the artillery.

To SET a sentry, (Poser une sentinelle, Fr.) To place a soldier at any particular spot for its security.

To Set on, (Attaquer, Fr.) To attack.

To Set at defiance, (defier, Fr.) To defy; to dare to combat, &c.

To Set up. To make a man fit for military movements and parade, according to the old and ridiculous method of military instruction; by which a man was placed in stiff and awkward attitudes, with the notion of making him supple and active! But that excess of setting up which stiffens the person, and tends to throw the body backward instead of forward, is contrary to every true principle of movement, and must, therefore, be most carefully avoided. By the new principles nature is consulted, and instead of teaching one man awkward positions, fifty or an hundred are taught at once to move in an easy and natural manner.

SETENDY, Ind. The militia.

SETTER, in gunnery, a round stick to drive fuzes, or any other compositions, into cases made of paper.

SHAFT-rings. See Rings.

SEUIL, Fr. A threshold.

Seuil d’ecluse, Fr. A thick piece of wood which is laid cross-ways between two stakes at the bottom of the water, for the purpose of supporting the flood-gate.

Seuil de pont levis. A thick piece of wood with a groove, which is fixed on the edge of the counterscarp of a fosse or ditch, in order to bear the weight or pressure of the draw-bridge, when it is lowered. It is likewise called sommier, a summer or principal beam.

SEWER. In military architecture, a drain, conduit, or conveyance, for carrying off water, foliage, &c. It is necessary that every building have conveniencies for discharging its refuse water, and other useless and offensive matters. These are obtained by digging and laying sewers and drains at proper depths, and with the necessary outlets: the great care is, that they be large enough; that they be placed sufficiently deep, and have a proper descent; that they be well arched over, and have so free a passage, that there be no danger of their choaking up; the cleaning them being a work of trouble and expence.

Instead of making the bottom of the sewer a flat floor, it should be in the form of an inverted arch, answering in part to the sweep of the arch above. Every one knows that the freest passage is through circular channels; and these might easily be constructed so as to wear that form; they would resemble so many water-pipes of a circular base, and there would be no danger of their filling up. The perpendicular walls would not retain any thing, because there are no angles in their joining; and the bottom being round and free, all would run off. These circular sewers are with us called culverts.

SEX-angled, having six angles.

SEXTANT, (Sextant, Fr.) In mathematics, an instrument which serves to measure angles. It is the segment of a circle, or an arch of 60 degrees, which makes the sixth part of a circle.

SEYMAR-Bassy, or first lieutenant general of the Janizaries. An officer among the Turks who not only commands the Janizaries that are called Seymenis, but when the Aga, (which signifies chief guardian, and Aga-si, chief or guardian of) takes the field, who further takes the title of Kaymekan, or his lieutenant at Constantinople. He is authorised to put his own seal upon the different dispatches which he sends, and takes rank of all the sardars or colonels in his jurisdiction. He is likewise entrusted with the entire direction and management of all that concerns or relates to the interior government of the Janizaries.

SHAKEE, Ind. A small coin, of the value of about three-pence.

SHAKER, Ind. A city.

SHAIT, Ind. Bridge, embankment.

SHAFT, an arrow; a missive weapon.

Shaft, in mining; a narrow, deep perpendicular pit.

Shafts of a carriage, are two poles joined together with cross bars, by which the hind horse guides the carriage, and supports the fore part of the shafts; the hind part turning round an iron bolt.

Shaft-bars, are two pieces of wood to fasten the hind ends of the shafts together, into which they are pinned with wooden pins.

SHALLIE, Ind. The same as batty, which signifies rice in the husk.

SHAMROCK. The Irish word for trefoil, clover, or three leafed grass. It is worn by the Irish in their hats on the 17th of March, St. Patrick’s day.

SHANK. The long part of any instrument.

SHAROCK, Ind. A silver coin, equal in value to about one shilling.

SHAUMIARIS, Ind. A canopy of cotton cloth.

SHAW, Ind. A king.

SHAWZADA, Ind. The king’s son.

SHEED, Ind. A witness.

SHEICK. A chief of a tribe among the Arabs. Mr. Morier, in his account of a campaign with the Ottoman army, relates that in 1800, a fanatic sheick, who pretended to be inspired, headed the Fellahs, (the lowest class of inhabitants are so called among the Arabs) of the district of Demanhour, and caused a detachment of 80 Frenchmen to be put to death in the night; this was effected by first securing the sentinel.

SHELLS, in gunnery, are hollow iron balls to throw out of mortars or howitzers with a fuze hole of about an inch diameter, to load them with powder, and to receive the fuze: the bottom, or part opposite the fuze, is made heavier than the rest, that the fuze may fall uppermost; but in small elevations this is not always the case, nor is it necessary; for, let it fall as it will, the fuze sets fire to the powder within, which bursts the shell, and causes great devastation. The shells had much better be made of an equal thickness, for then they burst into more pieces.

The following shells may also be fired from guns.

Hand grenades from 6 Prs.

4²⁄₅ shells —— 12 Prs.

5¹⁄₂ shells —— 24 Prs.

8 inch —— 68 Pr. carronades.

Shells may likewise be thrown from guns to short distances, in case of necessity, though the bore be not of a diameter sufficient to admit the shell. For this purpose the gun may be elevated to any degree that will retain the shell upon its muzzle, which may be assisted by a small line going from the ears of the shell round the neck of the gun. To produce a greater effect, the space between the shell and the charge may be filled with wads or other substance.

Shells for Mortars and Howitzers—Their Dimensions, Weight, &c.

Kind. Weight. Diam- eter. Powder con- tained in Shells. Powder for bursting. Diameter of Fuze Hole. Thick- ness of Metal.

Out- side. In- side.

Ct. qr. lbs. oz. Inches. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. Inches. Inches. Inches.

13 inch. 1 3 2 12 ³⁄₄ 10 4 6 12 1 ·837 1 ·696 2 ·05

10 —— 3 9 9 ³⁄₄ 4 5 2 10 1 ·57 1 ·45 1 ·575

8 —— 1 11 ¹⁄₂ 7 ³⁄₄ 2 12 1 14 1 ·219 1 ·127 1 ·2

5 ¹⁄₂ —— 15 ¹⁄₄ 5 ¹⁄₄ 1 12 0 ·894 ·826 0 ·822

4 ²⁄₅ —— 8 4 ¹⁄₅ 7 5 0 ·832 ·769 0 ·653

H. Gren. - 3 11 3 ·49 1

1 13 2 ·77

To find the weight of a shell of iron.

Take ⁹⁄₆₄ of the difference of the cubes of the external and internal diameters for the weight of the shell.

To find how much powder will fill a shell.

Divide the cube of the internal diameter of the shell in inches by 57·3, for the pounds of powder.

To find the size of a shell to contain a given weight of powder.

Multiply the pounds of powder by 3.75, and the cube root of the product will be the diameter in inches.

To find the weight of a Shell. Rule.

Double the difference of diameters of the shell and hollow sphere, and 7 times the result gives the weight in pounds, cutting off the two right hand figures of whole numbers.

Example. Let the diameter of the shell be 13 inches, and that of the hollow sphere 9·5. Then the cube of 13 is 2197, and that of 9·5, is 857·357; the difference is 1339·625, its double is 2679·25, which multiplied by 7, gives 18754·625; and cutting off two places in whole numbers, the result is 187 lb. or 1 cwt. 2 qrs. 21 lb. the weight of the shell.

French Shells, in French weights and measures.

Kind. Weight. Diam- eter. Powder con- tained in Shells. Powder for bursting. Diameter of Fuze Hole. Thick- ness of Metal.

Out- side. In- side.

lbs. Inches. lbs. oz. lbs. oz. Lines Po. Lines Po. Lines.

12 inch 150 12 17 5 15 9 15 16

10 —— 100 10 10 3 15 9 15 16

8 —— 43 8 4 1 1 12 11 10

6 —— 23 6 2 8 12 11 10 6 10

Dimensions of shells for guns and carronades made with an equal thickness of metal.

Kind. 42 Pr. 32 24 18 12

Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches.

Guns. - Diameter of the shell - Exterior 6 ·684 6 ·105 5 ·547 5 ·04 4 ·4

Interior 4 ·404 4 ·005 3 ·767 3 ·4 2 ·8

Thickness of metal 1 ·14 1 ·05 0 ·89 0 ·82 0 ·8

Diameter of fuze hole - Exterior 0 ·892 0 ·894 0 ·894 0 ·832 0 ·832

Interior 0 ·826 0 ·826 0 ·826 ·769 ·769

Powder for bursting oz. 14 11 12 9 5 ¹⁄₂

Carronades. - Diameter of shell - Exterior 6 ·64 6 ·05 5 ·48 4 ·935 4 ·295

Interior 4 ·36 3 ·95 3 ·48 3 ·235 2 ·695

Thickness of metal 1 ·14 1 ·05 1 · ·85 0 ·8

Shell’s weight lbs. 22 12

Contains powder oz. 12¹⁄₂ 9

Powder for bursting oz. 10 7

Shells are likewise sometimes quilted into grape. See the word Shot.

For the method of proving shells, see Proof.

The Germans do not name their shells from the diameter of the bore which receives them, but from the weight of a stone ball that fits the same bore as the shell. Thus, a 7lb. howitzer admits a stone ball of that weight; the shell for this weighs 15 lb. and answers to the English 5¹⁄₂ inch. The 30 lb. howitzer shell weighs 60 lb. and is rather more than 8 inches in diameter.

Shells were, till lately, made thicker at the bottom than at the fuze hole; but are now cast of the same thickness throughout, and are found to burst into a greater number of pieces in consequence.

Message-Shells, are nothing more than howitz shells, in the inside of which a letter, or other papers, are put; the fuze hole is stopt up with wood or cork, and the shells are fired out of a royal or howitz, either into a garrison or camp. It is supposed that the person to whom the letter is sent, knows the time, and accordingly appoints a guard to look out for its arrival.

Shell. A particular part of a sword, which serves as a shield to the hand when it grasps the hilt. The British regulation sword, which is directed to be worn in a cross belt, has its shell so constructed that one side can fall down, by which means the hilt hangs more conveniently.

Shell. A short jacket without arms, which was worn by light dragoons, and in some instances by the infantry, before the new regulations took place, respecting the clothing of the British army. At the commencement of the present war, some militia colonels derived no inconsiderable emolument from this mode of dress.

SHERISCHER-war, Ind. A word which corresponds with Saturday.

SHERISTA, Ind. An office; a registry; serishtadar, a linguist or secretary.

To SHIFT. In a military sense, to change place or station. Hence, to shift quarters. In the exercise, &c. of a battalion, officers commanding divisions are, upon particular occasions, such as marching past, &c. to shift from the right to the left, to conduct the heads of files, or the pivot flanks, in column or echellon. Whenever officers shift, they must pass briskly by the rear, and never along the front of the division. The covering serjeants always move with them.

The SHILLINGS. A phrase in familiar use among British army brokers, to express a certain profit or per centage which they gain in the sale, purchase, and exchange of commissions. The regulated price of a company in any regiment of foot being 1500l. only, that sum can be lodged at an agent’s, or a banker’s; but if the company be what is called in the market, the broker who transacts the business, receives one shilling in the pound, and in order to produce this premium, the purchaser gives 1500 guineas, out of which the shillings amounting to 75l. are paid to the broker, leaving the nett regulation untouched.

Head-quarter SHIP. The ship on which the commander in chief of an expedition is embarked, and from which signals are made for the commanding officers, adjutants, &c. of corps, to attend.

Hospital SHIP. The ship in which the sick and wounded soldiers, &c. are taken care of on expeditions, and during sea voyages.

Prison SHIP. A ship appropriated for the reception of prisoners of war, &c.

SHOCCA, Ind. Any letter written by the king.

SNOOKREWAR, Ind. A word which corresponds with Friday.

SHOOTING. See Gunnery and Projectile.

SHORTEN your bridle. A word of command used in cavalry, viz.

1st. Seize the upper end of the reins of the bridle, which is to lie on the right side of the horse, with the right hand.

2d. Bring it up as high as your chin, keeping your right elbow on a level with the shoulder.

3d. Slip your left hand along the reins of the bridle, and take hold of the loop or button, which is near the upper end of the reins.

4th. Slip the loop down with the left hand as low as the pommel of the saddle.

5th. Bring the right hand down with life on the right holster-cap, quitting the reins of the bridle with both hands.

SHORT-roll. See Signals.

SHOT. A denomination given to all kinds of balls used for artillery and fire-arms; those for cannon being of iron, and those for guns and pistols, &c. of lead.

Grape -

Chain

Case

Shot. See Laboratory.

To find the weight of an iron Shot whose diameter is given; and the contrary. Rule. Double the cube of the diameter in inches, and multiply it by 7; so will the product (rejecting the 2 last or right hand figures) be the weight in pounds.

Example. What is the weight of an iron shot of 7 inches diameter. The cube of 7 is 343, which doubled is 686, and this multiplied by 7 produces 4802, which with the right hand figures rejected, gives 48 pounds, the weight required.

N. B. This rule is sufficiently exact for practical uses.

To find the diameter of the Shot, when the weight is given. Rule. Multiply the cube root of the weight in pounds by 1.923, and the product is the diameter in inches.

Example. What is the diameter of an iron shot of 52 pounds? The cube root of 52 is 3.732, which multiplied by 1.923 gives 7.177 inches, the diameter required.

Rule by logarithms.

To ¹⁄₃d of the log. of 52 0.572001

Add the constant log. 0.283979

And the sum is the log. of the diameter 7.177 0.855980

To find the diameter of a Shot, from the impression or cavity it makes by striking a brass gun, or other object. Rule. Divide the square of the radius of the cavity by the depth of it, and add the quotient to the depth; so will the sum be the diameter of the shot required.

Example. A shot having struck upon a brass gun, made a cavity of 1.49 inches deep, and 4.94 inches diameter; what was the size of the shot? The radius of the cavity is 2.47, and its square is 6.1009, which divided by the depth 1.49, the quotient is 4.1, to which adding 1.49, the sum 5.59 inches is the diameter required, answering to a 24 pounder.

Shot.—Rules for finding the number in any pile.

Triangular pile.

Multiply the base by the base + 1, this product by the base + 2, and divide by 6.

Square pile.

Multiply the bottom row by the bottom row + 1, and this product by twice the bottom row + 2, and divide by 6.

Rectangular piles.

Multiply the breadth of the base by itself + 1, and this product by 3 times the difference between the length and breadth of the base, added to twice the breadth + 1, and divide by 6.

Incomplete piles.

Incomplete piles being only frustrums, wanting a similar small pile on the top, compute first the whole pile as if complete, and also the small pile wanting at top; and then subtract the one number from the other.

Rules for finding the dimensions and weight of shot.

The weight and dimensions of shot or shells might be found by means of their specific gravities; (see the word Gravity,) but they may be found still easier, by means of the experimented weight of a ball of a given size, from the known proportion of similar figures, namely, as the cubes of their diameters.

1st. To find the weight of an iron ball from its diameter.—An iron ball of 4 inches diameter weighs 9 lb. and the weights being as the cubes of their diameters, it will be as 64, (the cube of 4,) is to 9, so is the cube of the diameter of any other ball to its weight.

2d. To find the weight of a leaden ball. A leaden ball of 4¹⁄₄ inches diameter weighs 17 lb. therefore, as the cube of 4¹⁄₄ is to 17, (as 9 to 2 nearly,) so is the cube of the diameter of any leaden ball to its weight.

3d. To find the diameter of an iron ball. Multiply the weight by 7¹⁄₉ and the cube root of the product will be the diameter.

4th. To find the diameter of a leaden ball. Multiply the weight by 9, and divide the product by 2; and take the cube root of the quotient for the diameter.

Table of diameters of English iron round shot.

Kind 68 42 32 24 18 12 9 6 3 1

Inches 8· 6·684 6·105 5·547 5·040 4·403 4·000 3·498 2·775 1·92

Diameter of French iron round shot in English inches.

Kind 36 24 16 12 8 4

Inches 6·648 5·808 5·074 4·610 4·027 3·196

Table of grape shot, for sea and land service.

Kind. Weight of each shot. Total weight of the grape complete.

lbs. oz. lbs. oz.

42 pounders 4 0 46 6

32 —— 3 0 34 1

24 —— 2 0 25 5

18 —— 1 8 19 15 ¹⁄₂

12 —— 1 0 10 15

9 —— 0 13 7 6

6 —— 0 8 5 8 ¹⁄₂

4 —— 0 6 3 14 ¹⁄₂

3 —— 0 0 2 10 ¹⁄₂

¹⁄₂ —— 0 ³⁄₄ lead 8 ³⁄₄

Table of English case shot for different services.

Sea service. Carronades.

Kind. Weight of each shot. Number in each case. Weight of each case filled. Kind. Weight of each shot. Number in each case. Weight of each case filled.

Pr. oz. No. lbs. oz. Pr. oz. No. lbs. oz.

32 8 70 33 8 68 8 90 46 2

24 8 42 22 15 42 8 66 32 8

18 6 42 15 8 32 8 40 21 4

12 4 42 11 5 24 8 32 16 1

9 3 44 8 9 18 6 31 12 2

6 2 40 5 2 12 4 32 8 2

4 2 28 4 — Tier shot for field service.

3 2 20 2 15

1 1 ¹⁄₄ 12 1 2 ¹⁄₄

Common land service. Pr. oz. No. lbs. oz.

12 pr. - 18 15 18 8

Med. 6 ¹⁄₂ 42 17 11

6 pr. - 8 - 15 9 —

Pr. oz. No. lbs. oz. Med. 3 - 42 8 14

24 4 84 21 11 3 Pr. - 4 - 15 4 10

12 2 84 12 1 Med. 1 - 42 4 6

6 1 ¹⁄₂ 55 5 10 ¹⁄₂ 12 pr. - 14 12 14 14

3 1 ¹⁄₄ 52 2 14 light 6 34 14 11

6 pr. - 8 - 12 7 3

light 3 - 34 7 7

3 pr. - 4 - 12 3 10

light 1 - 34 3 11

Table of case shot.—Continued.

Kind. For mortars. Howitzers.

Weight of each shot. No. of shot in each. Weight of case filled. Weight of each shot. No. of shot in each. Weight of case filled.

In. oz. No. lbs. oz. oz. No. lbs. oz.

10 8 170 91 8 — — — —

8 6 90 38 4 6 90 38 8

5 ¹⁄₂ 3 55 12 6 3 55 12 8

4 2 55 8 1 2 55 8 2

Small shells, as 4²⁄₅ inches, and hand grenades were quilted into grape for 13 inch mortars at Gibraltar. The fuzes were turned inwards next the iron tompion, and leaders of quick match for communicating fire to the fuzes were introduced through holes made in the wooden bottom, and placed as near the fuzes as possible in the centre of the grape. These answered very well for short ranges.

Hot Shot.—The powder for firing with hot shot must be in strong flannel cartridges, without any holes, lest some grains should remain in the bore, in putting the cartridge home. Over the powder must be rammed a good dry wad, then a damp one, and then the hot shot; and if the gun lays at a depression, there must be a wad over the shot, which may be rammed home. If the above precautions be attended to, the gun may be pointed after being loaded, without the smallest danger, as it is well known that the shot will grow cold in the gun, without burning more than a few threads of the wads next it. This is not the mode usually taught of loading with hot shot, but is that which was practised during the siege of Gibraltar. Mr. Durtubie proposes putting the shot when heated, into a tin cannister, as an effectual method of preventing accidents.

The grates usually made for heating shot will generally make them red hot in three-fourths of an hour.

SHOULDER. The upper part of the blade of a sword is so called. The shoulders of regimental sword-blades, for the infantry, should be one inch broad at least.

Shoulder of a bastion. In fortification. See Epaule.

Shoulder-belt, so called because it hangs over the shoulder, to carry the bayonet or sword: it is made of strong leather.

To SHOULDER. In a military sense; to lay on the shoulder, or to rest any thing against it. Hence to shoulder a musquet.

Shoulder arms. A word of command which is used in the manual exercise. See Manual.

Right Shoulders forward. -

Left Shoulders forward.

Two terms of command in the British service, when a column of march (in order to follow the windings of its route) changes its direction in general, less than the quarter of the circle. This is a clumsy translation of the line of science, or oblique facing of the French system; the proper word of command is half or quarter face to the right or left.

SHROF, Ind. A banker; a moneychanger, or one who keeps a shop for the accommodation of the public in pecuniary matters, and who derives considerable advantage from the circulating medium of other people’s property.

SHROFFING, Ind. The act of examining and sorting money.

SHUMSERTREEPUT, Ind. Avowal, acknowlegement, confession.

To SHUT. To close; to make not open.

SHUT pans. A word of command used in the inspection of arms. Place the inside of your fingers against the back part of the hammer, and bring it briskly to in one motion. In opening pans, you place the thumb against the inside of the hammer.

SHUTERNAUL, Ind. A sort of arquebuss, which is fixed upon the back of a camel.

SICK and hurt. A board so called, to which the agents, commissaries, &c. belonging to the several military hospitals in Great Britain, are responsible.

SIDE-pieces, of gun-carriages. See Carriages.

Side-straps, in a field carriage, are flat iron bands which go round the side-pieces, in those places where the wood is cut across the grain, to strengthen them near the centre and the trail.

SIEGE, (Siege, Fr.) The position which an army takes, or its encampment before a fortified town, or place, for the purpose of reducing it. The term comes from siege, which signifies seat, chair, &c. Hence; to sit down before a place, signifies in a military sense, to chuse a position from which you may commence the necessary operations to attack and get possession of it. The French use the word generally as we do.

To undertake the Siege of a town. Entreprendre le siege d’une Ville. To invest it, to form lines of circumvallation, to open trenches, &c.

To lay Siege to a town, (faire le siége d’une ville, Fr.) To draw your forces round a town, for the purpose of attacking it.

To carry on a Siege, (continuer un siége, Fr.) To persevere by regular approaches, &c. in gaining ground upon the garrison.

To lay close Siege, (presser le siége, Fr.) To approach close to the walls for the purpose of making a breach and storming, or of starving out the garrison. For a full and scientific explanation of the different methods, which are adapted in modern times, for the attack or defence of places, particularly of sieges, see Essai General de Fortification, d’attaque et defense de places, tom. 1, page 61, &c. &c.

Siege brusque, Fr. An expression used among the French, to signify the prompt and immediate movement of a besieging army, against a fortified town or place, without waiting for the regular formation of lines, &c. In this case the troops make a vigorous attack upon all the outworks, and endeavour to make a lodgment upon the counterscarp. When they have succeeded, they instantly throw up temporary lines, &c. behind them, in order to secure a retreat, should the garrison force them to quit their ground.

SIEGE, in the art of war, is to surround a fortified place with an army, and approach it by passages made in the ground, so as to be covered against the fire of the place.

The first operation of a siege is investing. The body of troops investing a town should, at least, be as strong again as the garrison: so as to be able to divide itself into several parties, in order to take possession of all the avenues leading to the place. By day they should keep themselves out of cannon shot: but as soon as it is dusk they must approach much nearer, the better to be able to support each other, and to straiten the town.

General phrases and terms used at a Siege are, viz.

To besiege a place. See Siege.

To accelerate the Siege, (Presser le Siege, Fr.) is when an army can approach so near the place as the covert-way, without breaking ground, under favor of some hollow roads, rising grounds, or cavities, and there begin their work.

An attack, is when the besieging army can approach the town so near as to take it, without making any considerable works.

To form the Siege, or lay siege to a place, (Mettre le Siege à une place, Fr.) there must be an army sufficient to furnish five or six reliefs for the trenches, pioneers, guards, convoys, escorts, &c. and artillery, with all the apparatus thereto belonging; magazines furnished with a sufficient quantity of all kinds of warlike stores; and a general hospital, with physicians, surgeons, medicines, &c.

To raise a Siege, (Lever le Siege, Fr.) is to give over the attack of a place, quit the works thrown up against it, and the posts formed about it. If there be no reason to fear a sally from the place, the siege may be raised in the day-time. The artillery and ammunition must have a strong rear guard, lest the besieged should attempt to charge the rear: if there be any fear of an enemy in front, this order must be altered discretionally, as safety and the nature of the country will admit.

To turn a Siege into a blockade, (Convertir le Siege en blocus, Fr.) is to give over the attack, and endeavor to take it by famine; for which purpose all the avenues, gates, and streams, leading into the place, are so well guarded, that no succor can get in to its relief.

To insult a work, to attack it in a sudden and unexpected manner, with small arms, or sword in hand.

Surprise, is the taking a place by stratagem or treason.

To escalade a place, is to approach it secretly, then to place ladders against the wall, or rampart, for the troops to mount and get into it that way.

To petard a place, is privately to approach the gate and fix a petard to it, so as to break it open for the troops to enter.

Line of circumvallation, is a kind of fortification, consisting of a parapet, or breast-work, and a ditch before it, to cover the besiegers against any attempt of the enemy in the field.

Line of countervallation, is a breast-work, with a ditch before it, to cover the besiegers against any sally from the garrison, in the same manner that the line of circumvallation serves to protect them in the field.

Lines, are works made to cover an army, so as to command a part of the country, with a breast-work and a ditch before it.

Retrenchment, a work made round the camp of an army, to cover it against any surprise.

Line of counter-approach, a trench which the besieged make from the covert-way to the right and left of the besiegers attacks, in order to scour their works. This line must be perfectly enfiladed from the covert-way and the half-moon, &c. that it may be of no service to the enemy, in case he gets possession of it.

Batteries at a siege, cannot be erected till the trench is advanced within reach of the cannon of the place; that is, within what is generally understood to be a point-blank range, which is reckoned about 300 toises, or 1800 feet.

Cannon is made use of at a siege for two different purposes; the first to drive away the enemy from their defences; and the second, to dismount their guns. To produce these two effects, the batteries should not be above the mean reach of cannon-shot from the place: therefore there is no possibility of constructing them, till the first parallel is formed; and as the distance of the first parallel from the second is generally 300 toises, the batteries must be on this line, or beyond it, nearer the town.

The construction of batteries belongs to the officers of the royal artillery, who generally consult with the engineer that has the direction of the siege, as well about their situation as about the number of their guns and mortars. They must be parallel to the works of the town which they are to batter. It is customary to place the mortar-batteries and gun-batteries side by side, and in the same line, to the end that they may batter the same parts. The use of both is to demolish the enemy’s works, to dismount their guns, to penetrate into their powder magazines, and to drive the besieged from their works and defences; as also to ruin and destroy the principal buildings, by setting fire to the town; and to fatigue and distress the inhabitants in such a manner, that they shall press the garrison to surrender.

To sally at a siege, is to go privately out of a besieged town, fall suddenly upon the besiegers, and destroy part of their works, spike their cannon, and do every other possible damage.

A sally, a secret movement which is made out of a besieged town or place, by a chosen body of troops, for the purpose of destroying an enemy’s out-works, &c. Sallies are seldom made when the garrison is weak; for although they molest the enemy, and keep him on the alert, yet the chance of losing men renders it prudent to keep within the works.

Saps in a siege, are trenches made under cover from the fire of the place, behind a mantlet or stuffed gabion: they are generally ten or twelve feet broad.—This work differs from the trenches, in as much as the latter are made uncovered. The sap has also less breadth; but when it is as wide as the trench, it bears the same name. There are various sorts of saps, viz.

Single sap, is that which is made on one side only, or, which is the same thing, has only one parapet.

Double Sap, has a parapet on each side, and is carried on wherever its two sides are seen from the place.

Flying sap, is that in which the besiegers do not give themselves the trouble of filling the gabions with earth: it is made where the workmen are not much exposed, and in order to accelerate the approaches.

Sap-faggots, are a kind of fascines, but only three feet long, and about six inches in diameter.

Saucissons, are another species of fascines, from 12 to 19 feet long, and from 8 to 10 inches in diameter, and are used in making batteries, and repairing the breaches.

Sortie. See Sally.

Tail, or rear of the trench, (Queue de la tranche, Fr.) is the first work the besiegers make when they open the trenches.

Tambour, is a kind of traverse, at the upper end of the trench or opening made in the glacis to communicate with the arrows. This work hinders the besiegers from being masters of the arrow, or discovering the inside of the place of arms belonging to the covert-way.

Traverse, in a siege, a kind of retrenchment which is made in the dry ditch, to defend the passage over it.

Trenches, are passages or turnings dug in the earth, in order to approach a place without being seen from its defences.

Wool-packs, used in a siege, differ from sand-bags, in this only, that they are much larger, and, instead of earth, they are filled with wool. They are used in making lodgments in places where there is but little earth, and for other similar purposes. They are about five feet high, and 15 inches in diameter.

Rear of an attack, is the place where the attack begins.

Front, or head of an attack, that part next to the place.

Mantlets, are wooden fences, rolling upon wheels, of two feet diameter; the body of the axle-tree is about four or five inches square, and four or five feet long; to which is fixed a pole of eight or ten feet long, by two spars; upon the axle-tree is fixed a wooden parapet, three feet high made of three-inch planks, and four feet long, joined with dowel-pins, and two cross-bars: this parapet leans somewhat towards the pole, and is supported by a brace, one end of which is fixed to the pole, and the other to the upper part of the parapet. Mantlets are used to cover the sappers in front against musquet shot.

Maxims in Sieges are, 1st. The approaches should be made without being seen from the town, either directly, obliquely, or in the flank.

2. No more works should be made than are necessary for approaching the place without being seen; i. e. the besiegers should carry on their approaches the shortest way possible, consistent with being covered against the enemy’s fire.

3. All the parts of the trenches should mutually support each other; and those which are farthest advanced, should be distant from those that defend them above 120 or 130 toises, that is, within musquet shot.

4. The parallels, or places of arms the most distant from the town, should have a greater extent than those which are the nearest, that the besiegers may be able to take the enemy in flank, should he resolve to attack the nearest parallels.

5. The trench should be opened or begun as near as possible to the place, without exposing the troops too much, in order to accelerate and diminish the operations of the siege.

6. Care should be taken to join the attacks; that is, they should have communications, to the end that they may be able to support each other.

7. Never to advance a work, unless it be well supported; and for this reason, in the interval between the 2d and 3d place of arms, the besiegers should make, on both sides of the trenches, smaller places of arms, extending 40 or 50 toises in length, parallel to the others, and constructed in the same manner, which will serve to lodge the soldiers in, who are to protect the works designed to reach the third place of arms.

8. Take care to place the batteries of cannon in the continuation of the faces of the parts attacked, in order to silence their fire; and to the end that the approaches, being protected, may advance with great safety and expedition.

9. For this reason the besiegers shall always embrace the whole front attacked, in order to have as much space as is requisite to place the batteries on the produced faces of the works attacked.

10. Do not begin the attack with works that lie close to one another, or with rentrant angles, which would expose the attack to the cross fire of the enemy.

Stores required for a month’s Siege are as follows:

Powder, as the garrison is more or less strong 8 or 900,000 lb.

Shot - for battering pieces 6000

of a lesser sort 20,000

Battering cannon 80

Cannons of a lesser sort 40

Small field-pieces for defending the lines 20

Mortars for throwing - shells 24

stones 12

Shells for mortars 15 or 16,000

Hand-grenades 40,000

Leaden bullets 180,000

Matches in braces 10,000

Flints for musquets, best sort 100,000

Platforms complete for guns 100

Platforms for mortars 60

Spare - carriages for guns 60

mortar-beds 60

spunges, rammers, and ladles, in sets 20

Tools to work in trenches 40,000

Several hand-jacks, gins, sling-carts, travelling forges, and other engines proper to raise and carry heavy burdens; spare timber, and all sorts of miner’s tools, mantlets, stuffed gabions, fascines, pickets, and gabions.

SIENS, Fr. The plural of sien, his, her’s or one’s own. This word is used among the French, to signify the same as gens, men, people, soldiers; viz. ce général fut abandonné par les siens. That general was abandoned by his own soldiers.

SIEVE, an instrument, which by means of hair, lawn, or wire, is capable of separating the fine from the coarse parts of any powder. See Gunpowder, Laboratory, &c.

SIFFLEMENT, Fr. Literally means the noise of a whistle. It is used to express the sound which a ball or bullet makes when it cuts the air; as sifflement des armes à feu. The whistling or whizzing noise of fire arms.

SIES or SHIAS, Ind. A tribe of people in the N. West of India.

SIFFLET, Fr. A whistle. The French make use of the whistle on board their ships in the same manner as we do. It answers the same purpose at sea, that the drum and trumpet do on shore. The boatswain’s whistle pipes all hands up, as occasion requires in a ship: and the drum and trumpet collect troops together, in camp, garrison, or elsewhere.

SIG, an old Saxon word, importing victory.

SIGHT, (La Mire, Fr.) a small piece of brass or iron which is fixed near to the muzzle of a musquet or pistol, to serve as a point of direction, and to assist the eye in levelling.

SIGN, a sensible mark or character, denoting something absent or invisible. As the trace of a foot, the hand-writing or mark of a man; also the subscription of one’s name.

Sign Manual. The king’s signature is so called. All commissions in the regular army of Great Britain, army warrants, &c. bear the sign manual. The appointments of officers in the volunteers have been so distinguished during the present war. Adjutants only in the militia have their commissions signed by the king; those of the field officers, captains, and subalterns, &c. are signed by the lords lieutenants of counties, or by their deputies for the time being, sanctioned by a previous intimation from the secretary of state, that the king does not disapprove of the names which have been laid before him.

SIGNAL, (Signal, Fr.) Any sign made by sea or land, for sailing, marching, fighting, &c. Signals are likewise given by the short and long rolls of the drum, during the exercise of a battalion.

SIGNAL, in the art of war, a certain sign agreed upon for the conveying intelligence, where the voice cannot reach. Signals are frequently given for the beginning of a battle, or an attack, usually with drums and trumpets, and sometimes with sky-rockets, &c.

Signal of attack or assault, (Signal d’une attaque, ou d’un assaut, Fr.) This signal may be given in various ways. By the discharge of a lighted shell, by sky-rockets, by colors displayed from a conspicuous spot, &c. In 1747 marshal Lowendal made use of lighted shells or bombs, when he laid siege to the town of Bergen-op-zoom. During the consternation of the inhabitants, which was excited by a continual discharge of these signal shells, the grenadiers entered a practicable breach, and took the town by storm.

Signal-flags in ancient military history, was a gilded shield hung out of the admiral’s gallery; it was sometimes a red garment or banner. During the elevation of this the fight continues, and by its depression or inclination towards the right or left, the rest of the ships were directed how to attack their enemies, or retreat from them.

Signals made by the colors of an army, (Signaux des enseignes, Fr.) The ancients had recourse to all the various methods which could be used by signals, to express the particular situation of affairs, and to indicate measures that should be adopted. If, during an engagement, victory seemed inclined more to one side than another, the colors belonging to the victorious party were instantly bent towards its yielding antagonist. This signal was conspicuous to the men, and excited them to fresh efforts. They imbibed the most lively hopes of success, and eagerly pressed forward to reap the advantages of bravery and good conduct.

When an army was hard pressed by its enemy, the colors of the former were raised high in the air, and were kept in a perpetual flutter and agitation, for the purpose of conveying to the soldiers, that the issue of the battle was still doubtful, and that nothing but courage and perseverance could determine the victory. If, in the heat of action, any particular regiment seemed to waver and give way, so as to cause an apprehension that it might finally be broken, its colors were instantly snatched out of the bearer’s hands by the general or commanding officer, and thrown into the thickest of the enemy. It frequently happened that the men who were upon the point of yielding ground and flying, received a fresh impulse from this act, rallied, and by a desperate effort of courage recovered the colors, and restored the day. This method of re-animating their legions was generally resorted to by the Romans. We have had instances in modern times, where the fortune of the day has been wholly decided by some sudden and unexpected act of an individual. In the reign of Louis XIV. a private soldier threw his hat into the midst of the enemy during a hard fought and doubtful battle, expressing thereby that fresh succours were arrived to strengthen the French army. This circumstance, so apparently trifling, produced the desired effect. It threw the enemy into confusion, gave the French fresh spirits, and finally determined the victory in their favor. We read of various instances in which signals have been used to express the personal danger of a king or general, who was fighting at the head of a select body of men. The knowlege of the critical position in which their leader stood, excited fresh courage in the rest of the troops, and drove them to acts of the greatest intrepidity. In the course of the present war some examples of the same sort might be adduced, both on the side of Austria, and on that of France. The bridge of Lodi, the passage of the Tagliamento, &c. would illustrate any observations we could make upon the subject.

Nor are the advantages which arise from the use of signals confined to these particular cases. Various circumstances grow out of the desultory nature of military operations, to render flags of communication indispensibly necessary. The vast scope which is given to modern tactics, makes it impossible that the human eye or voice should take in all the critical manœuvres or evolutions which occur, when an extended line is actually engaged. The right wing may be giving way while the left is gaining ground, and the centre might be in danger while the two flanks were rapidly advancing with apparent security against the enemy. Under these circumstances a general, by means of communicating signals, might be enabled to provide for every contingency, without losing time by sending his orders verbally. Although signal flags, in modern engagements, have been generally laid aside, their use has been acknowleged in the adoption of warlike instruments, which, by the variety of their sounds, convey the necessary directions to an engaging army.

The ancients had signals which they called mute signals, (signaux muets.) These consisted in certain actions or signs that were made by a general; such as waving the hand, brandishing a stick or sword, or by exhibiting to view any part of his dress, accoutrements, &c. Instances of the same kind have occurred among the moderns. Under this denomination may likewise be classed the different signals which are made for the movement, marching, and manœuvring of troops in and out of quarters. When troops are scattered or separated from one another, it is usual to communicate by means of fires lighted upon eminences during the night, and by smoke during the day.

In former times large pieces of wood were hung above the towers of cities or castles, which, by being drawn up or lowered, gave intelligence of what passed. This method has been succeeded by the invention of telegraphs, which answer every purpose of communication, when they can be established through an extent of country. At the battle of Fleurus, the French employed balloons, to which cords were attached, able officers elevated in the air sent down, by the cords, an account of the movements of the Austrians, a signal thus conveyed enabled Jourdan to direct a tremendous battalion fire, and a heavy charge of cavalry, by which the battle was decided. Besides those signals, there are others which may be called vocal and demi-vocal. The vocal signals are those of the human voice, which consist in the necessary precautions that are adopted to prevent a guard or post from being surprised, to enounce words of command in action, &c. Of the first description are paroles and countersigns, which are exchanged between those to whom they are intrusted, and which are frequently altered, during the day and night, to prevent the enemy from receiving any information by means of spies. The demi-vocal signals are conveyed by military instruments; the different soundings of which indicate, instantaneously, whether an army is to halt or to advance, whether troops are to continue in the pursuit of an enemy, or to retreat.

The demi-vocal signals, directed to be observed in the British service, as far as regards the manœuvring of corps, &c. consist of signals for the government of light infantry, and of cavalry regiments, squadrons, or troops: the latter are properly called soundings. Rifle or light infantry signals are to give notice—to advance; to retreat; to halt; to cease firing; to assemble, or call in all parties. Those signals should be always considered as fixed and determined ones, and are never to be changed. The bugle horn of each company should make himself perfect master of them. All signals are to be repeated; and all those signals which are made from the line or column, are to convey the intention of the commanding officer of the line to the officer commanding the light infantry, who will communicate them to the several companies or detachments either by word or signal.

Signal-staff. In matters of military parade it is usual to fix a flag, somewhat larger than a camp color, to point out the spot where the general or officer commanding takes his station in front or a line. This is called the signal staff.

SIGURGHAL, Ind. A feudal tenure.

SIGUETTE, Fr. The same as cavesson, a sort of noseband, sometimes made of iron, and sometimes of leather, or wood; sometimes flat, and sometimes hollow or twisted; which is put upon the nose of a horse, to forward the suppling and breaking of him.

SILENCE, (Silence, Fr.) This word is used by the French as a caution to soldiers to prepare for any part of the military duty or exercise. The French have likewise another term which corresponds with our word attention. See Garde. We use Attention in both instances.

SILHATARIS, Fr. See Spahis.

SILLAGE, Fr. The wake of a ship; the trace which a vessel leaves astern when she moves forward.

SILLON, in fortification, is a work raised in the middle of a ditch, to defend it when it is too wide. It has no particular form, and is sometimes made with little bastions, half-moons, and redans, which are lower than the works of the place, but higher than the covert way. It is more frequently called envelope, which see.

SIMILAR polygons, are such as have their angles severally equal, and the sides about those angles proportional.

To SIMPLIFY. This word has been adopted amongst men of business and arrangement, from the French simplifier, which means to relate the bare matter of fact. This signification likewise reaches every species of analysis, &c. Thus the advantage of the new manual over the old, is owing to the reduction of the latter into fewer motions and words of command, by which that exercise has been considerably simplified. The oblique facings, under the denomination of quarter facings, half facings, of single files; the half wheelings, quarter wheelings, and half quarter wheelings of sections, platoons, divisions, and battalions, are all more simple in the new discipline than the methods of the old.

SINE. In geometry, a right sine, is a right line drawn from one end of an arch perpendicularly upon the diameter drawn from the other end of the arch.

Sines. See table of Natural Sines, at the end of the word Gunnery.

SINGE, Fr. An instrument so called. See Pentagraph.

SINGLE combat, a contest in which not more than two are engaged.

SINUS, Fr. See Line for its geometrical acceptation.

Sinus, in English, signifies a bay of the sea, an opening of the land; any fold or opening.

SINUSOIDE, Fr. A geometrical curve, which has been imagined by Monsieur Belidor, for the purpose of balancing or preserving the equipoise of a drawbridge. See Science des Ingénieurs, liv. iv. See likewise the specific construction of this curve as explained by the marquis de l’Hopital, in a book intitled, Acta Eruditorum, published at Leipsic in 1695; and demonstrated by M. Bernouilli, who discovered that this curve was nothing more than the epicycloid, which see.

SIPHON, (Syphon, likewise Ciphon, Fr.) In hydraulics, a crooked tube, one leg or branch whereof is longer than the other. It is used in the raising of fluids, emptying of vessels, and in various hydrostatical experiments.

SIRKAR, Ind. The government.

SIROC. From Sirius, the dog-star. The wind, which we call south-east, is so called in Italy.

To SIT. In a military sense, to take a stationary position; as, To sit before a fortified place; to lie encamped for the purpose of besieging it. The French use the word asseoir as an active verb with respect to military matters, viz. asseoir un camp, to pitch a camp. Il assit son camp hors de la portée du canon de la ville; he pitched his camp out of the range of the town’s cannon.

SIXAIN. Sixth, Sexagena, in war, an ancient order of battle, wherein six battalions being ranged in one line, the second and fifth were made to advance, to form the van guard; the first and sixth to retire to form the rear guard; the third and fourth remaining to form the main corps. The word is derived from the French, which signifies the same thing. The sixain order of battle may be formed with all the battalions whose number is produced by the number six. Twelve battalions, for instance, may be ranged in order of battle, by forming two sixains, and eighteen battalions, ditto by forming three sixains, and so on progressively.

To SIZE. In a military sense to take the height of men for the purpose of placing them in military array, and of rendering their relative statures more effective. In all infantry regiments the sizing begins from flanks to centre, the tallest men being placed upon the right and left of the several companies in the front rank, and the shortest in the centre and rear ranks. By the old cavalry discipline the flank troops of a squadron must be sized in the following manner: That of the right flank, from right to left; that of the left flank, from left to right; the centre one from centre to flanks; the tallest man must, of course, be always in the part where the sizing begins, excepting the corporals, one of whom must be on each flank of the front rank of the troop, covered by a clever soldier in the rear rank. If there be only two troops in a squadron, they size the right from the left, and the left from the right flank. The modern practice now is to size all troops from the centre, beginning by sizing from the right, doubling and countermarching a rank.

SKEAN, Celtic. A knife. This word is sometimes written skeen, or skeine. It signifies a weapon, in the shape of a small sword or knife, which was anciently worn by the Irish.

SKELETON. This word is frequently applied to regiments that are extremely reduced in their number of men. Thus a British regiment that went out to St. Domingo 1000 strong, and returned to England with 20 or 30 men only, was called a skeleton regiment.

Skeleton plan. See Outline.

SKETCH. See ditto.

SKILL. Knowlege in any particular art. As

Military Skill. M. Belleisle, the French general, after the example of Xenophon, the Greek, undertook in the month of December 1742, to withdraw the French army from Prague, where it was at that time shut up, and to march over the enemy’s country, through a road of 38 leagues, upwards of 124 English miles, covered with ice, and over mountains whose precipices were concealed under the snow, having, besides, an army of between eighteen and twenty thousand men, under the command of prince Lobkowitz, to fight with. For the particulars of this famous retreat, which in count Turpin’s words, deserves to be written by Xenophon himself. See page 2, vol. I. of his Art of War.

SKINS. Sheep skins are made use of to cover the mortars or howitzers between firing, to prevent any wet or dampness getting into them.

SKIRMISH, in war, a loose, desultory kind of combat, or encounter, in presence of two armies, between small parties who advance from the main body for that purpose, and invite to a general fight.

Skirmishers. Detached parties of light troops sent out in front of a battalion, &c. riflemen.

SKIRT. In a general acceptation, edge, border, extreme part. As the skirt of a country, the skirts of a wood.

SKY-ROCKET. See Rocket.

SLASH, a cut; a wound; also a cut in cloth. It is used to express the pieces of tape or worsted lace which are upon the arms of non-commissioned officers and corporals, to distinguish them from the privates.

SLASHED, cut in stripes or lines. Hence slashed sleeves and pockets, which are peculiar to the British cavalry, when the officers or men wear long coats.

Slashers. A nickname which was given during the American war to the British 28th regiment of foot, and which took its origin from the following circumstance: One Walker, a magistrate in Canada, having, during a severe winter, with great inhumanity, refused to give comfortable billets to the women belonging to the 28th, and some of them having perished in consequence of the inclemency of the season, so great was the resentment of the corps, that some officers dressed themselves like savages, entered his house whilst he was sitting with his family, danced round the table, and suddenly pulling him back upon his chair, cut off both his ears. They instantly disappeared. The deed was not discovered until after their departure. From this circumstance, and in consequence of various intrepid actions which the 28th performed during the course of the war, the men obtained the name of slashers.

SLATE, in military architecture, a kind of bluish fossile stone, very soft when dug out of the quarry, and therefore easily slit or sawed into thin long squares, to serve instead of tiles for the covering of all kinds of military buildings, &c.

SLAUGHTER, destruction by the sword, bayonet, and firearms.

SLEDGE, or sledge-hammer, a large iron-headed hammer.

SLEEPERS, the undermost timbers of a gun or mortar-battery. See Platform.

SLEETS, are the parts of a mortar going from the chamber to the trunnions, to strengthen that part.

SLING, a leathern strap which is attached to a musquet, and serves to hang it across the soldier’s back as occasion may require.

Gun-Sling, or Belt. Although this useful article owes its invention to the ingenuity of an individual for the convenience of sportsmen, it may nevertheless be adapted with so much facility to military purposes, that a description of it cannot be thought superfluous.

The gun sling or belt is made in the following manner:—

The sling consists of three straps of leather, viz. one four feet six inches long, with the breadth agreeable to order. It is pointed and punched at one end, and has a buckle and loop at the other, which serve to shorten or lengthen it as the size of the person may require; another about twelve inches long, and three quarters of an inch wide, with a hook fixed at one end, the first being sewed ten inches from the pointed end of the belt. This strap being hooked up to either of the hooks in the main sling, forms a loop or bearing strap for the barrel of the musquet; and a third three quarters of an inch wide, and about six inches long, with an inch ring at one end, through which the belt is passed. This ring runs conveniently up and down the belt, and fully answers every purpose for which it was designed. A hook is sewed at the other end of this strap; the strap being lapped round the small part of the stock of the musquet, and the hook, fastened to the ring, they together form a loop or bearing strap for the butt. By these means, in addition to the strap round the barrel as already mentioned, the musquet or rifle can be conveniently carried, on foot or horseback, without the assistance of either hand. The musquet being released from these restraints, and the hook fixed to the strap, with the ring, being hooked to a small eye that is fixed just before the guard, the whole is carried with very little assistance from either hand, and is instantly brought to a firing position. The next position is by hooking the same hook to an eye that is fixed to the stock, about seven inches behind the guard; the barrel being at the same time supported by the strap, which is hooked to the main belt. The musquet is thus carried without the assistance of either hand; and if there be occasion to fire at a moment’s notice, you have only to draw out the top hook.

Sling. A missive weapon made by a strap and two strings; the stone is lodged in the strap, and thrown by loosing one of the strings.

Sling likewise means a kind of hanging bandage, in which a wounded limb is sustained.

To Sling, to hang loosely by means of the strap belonging to a firelock.

Sling your firelocks. A word of command formerly used in the exercise of British grenadiers.

1st. Bring the sling with the left hand opposite to the right shoulder, and the firelock with the right hand opposite the left shoulder, by crossing both hands at the same time, bringing the left hand within the right, keeping the muzzle upright, the barrel to the left, and the right hand just under the left elbow.

2d. Bend the firelock back, and bring the sling over your head, placing it just above your right shoulder.

3d. Draw the sling with your left hand, and let go the firelock with the right at the same time, that it may hang by the sling on the right shoulder, the muzzle upwards, dropping both hands down by your sides at the same time.

Handle your Slings. 1st. Seize the sling with both hands at the same time, taking hold of it with the right hand about the middle, and as low as you can reach, without bending your body.

2d. With the left hand bring the butt forwards, slipping your left elbow under the firelock, by bringing it between the firelock and the sling; taking hold of the firelock at the same time with the left hand, letting the stock lie between the thumb and fore finger, the butt end pointing a little to the left with the barrel upwards.

3d. Bring the firelock to lie on the left shoulder, and the sling on the right, the barrel upwards, and the butt end pointing directly to the front, keeping the firelock to a true level.

SLOPE Arms, a word of command by which the musquet rests upon the shoulder with the butt advanced. In long marches soldiers are sometimes permitted to slope arms. In all other instances it is strictly forbidden.

SLOPING Swords, a position of the sword among cavalry, when the back of the blade rests on the hollow of the right shoulder, the hilt advanced.

SLOPS. See Necessaries.

SLOW time. See the time of slow marching.

SLUGS. Cylindric, or cubical pieces of metal, used as shot for guns.

SLUICE-gate, a water-gate, by which a place may be inundated, or the water excluded at pleasure.

SLUICES, in military architecture, are made for various purposes; such as to make rivers navigable; to join one river to another, which is higher or lower, by means of a canal; to form inundations upon particular occasions, or to drain spots of ground that are overflowed by high tides; they are also made in fortresses, to keep up the water in one part of the ditches, whilst the other is dry; and to raise an inundation about the place when there is any apprehension of being attacked.

Sluices are made different ways, according to the uses for which they are intended: when they serve for navigation, they are shut with two gates presenting an angle towards the stream; when they are made near the sea, two pair of gates are made, the one pair to keep the water out, and the other in, as occasion may require: in this case, the gates towards the sea present an angle that way, and the others the contrary way. The space inclosed by these gates is called chamber.

When sluices are made in the ditches of a fortress to keep up the water in some parts, instead of gates, shutters are made, so as to slide up and down in grooves; and when they are made to raise an inundation, they are then shut by means of square timbers let down into cullises, so as to lie close and firm. Particular care must be taken in the building of a sluice, to lay the foundation in the securest manner; that is, to lay the timber, grates, and floors, in such a form, that the weather cannot penetrate through any part, otherwise it will undermine the work, and blow it up, as it has sometimes happened: lastly, to make the gates of a proper strength in order to support the pressure of the water, and yet to use no more timber than what is necessary. Those who wish to be thoroughly acquainted with this kind of work, may meet with satisfaction in L’Architecture Hydraulique, par M. Belidor; or in Mr. Millar’s Practical Fortification.

SMALL arms, musquets, fusils, carabines, pistols, &c.

SNAFFLE, a bridle without a curb bit.

SNICK and SNEE, a combat with knives, such as the Dutch carry.

SOBRIETY. General temperance. In a military consideration, abstinence from an inordinate use of strong liquors. However frequent the deviations from this great and uncommon virtue may be found among soldiers, nothing can excuse or exculpate an officer who should so far forget himself, especially upon service, as to give the least countenance to such excesses, even by an occasional, much less by an habitual dereliction of this estimable quality. Sobriety keeps the head cool, strengthens the nerves, and renders moderate abilities equal to great exertions. Drunkenness, on the contrary, unfits the man for the common functions of life, and makes an officer not only contemptible to his soldiers, and dangerous to the cause he has engaged to fight for, but an indirect spur to the enterprise of an enemy, who will soon know how to take advantage of his vice and weakness.

SOC, Fr. A machine made of leather, which is fixed near the stirrup, to receive the end of the standard staff in cavalry regiments. It is likewise called braïer, and is used by the persons who carry the colors either in infantry or cavalry regiments. In the former instance it is fixed to a leathern belt that comes over the shoulder or that is fixed to the waist.

SOCKET, generally means any hollow pipe that receives something inserted.

Socket of a bayonet. The round hollow part near the bent or heel of a bayonet, into which the muzzle of a firearm is received when the bayonet is fixed.

SODS, pieces of turf with which works are faced.

SOVAN, or Savan, Ind. The seventh month. It in some degree corresponds with July and August.

SOL, Fr. Soil; ground.

SOLAKS. Bowmen or archers belonging to the personal guard of the grand signor. They are always selected from the most expert bowmen that are among the janizaries. Their only arms are, the sabre, bow, and arrows.

SOLBATU, Fr. In farriery, surbated.

SOLDAN. This word is pronounced Soudan. It was formerly given to a general who commanded the califf’s army. Saladin, a general under Naradin, king of Damas, having killed the califf Kaym, usurped the throne, and assumed the title in 1146; so that he became the first Soldan of Egypt.

SOLDAT, Fr. See Soldier.

Soldat d’ordonnance à l’armée, Fr. An orderly man.

SOLDATESQUE, Fr. A substantive of the collective feminine gender, which signifies private soldiers, viz.

La Bourgeoisie était exposée aux insultes de la soldatesque; the citizens were exposed to the insults of the soldiery. La soldatesque s’est révoltée contre les officiers; the soldiers revolted or mutinied against the officers.

Soldatesque is likewise used as an adjective, viz. Des mœurs soldatesque; the ways or manners of a private soldier. Une dispute soldatesque; a military broil or a dispute among private soldiers. We have an adjective which is derived from the same source, namely, soldier-like, but which is only taken in a good sense with us, as soldier-like conduct, soldier-like behaviour; unsoldier-like being the opposite.

SOLDATS étrangers ou Mercénaires, Fr. Foreign or mercenary troops.

Soldats de Marine, Fr. Marines, or soldiers, who do duty on board ships of war.

Soldats Gardiens, Fr. A description of invalid soldiers, so called during the French monarchy. They were stationed at the sea-ports. There were 300 at Toulon, ditto at Rochefort and Brest, and fifty at Havre-de-Grace. There were besides 300 in each of the first three ports, who received half-pay.

SOLDE, Fr. The pay and subsistence, &c. which are issued to officers and soldiers are so called.

Demie SOLDE, Fr. Half pay. The French likewise say—à demie paye—On half-pay.

SOLDIER, A piece of money; the pay of a soldier. Dr. Johnson derives the word from solidarius, low Latin of solidus. We conceive it to be immediately taken from the French soldat, which comes from the Latin solidarius Veget. A soldier in pay—a solido quem meretur. Some again trace both the English and French word to the Italian Soldato, and others to the German Soldat. Sola in German signifies pay. So that originally soldier meant only one who listed himself to serve a prince or state, in consideration of certain daily pay.

Soldier now generally signifies any military man.

Private Soldier, a man in the ranks; one under the degree of a corporal; as distinct from the commanders.

A real Soldier, a term among military men to mark out one who knows and does his duty.

No SOLDIER. An expression of familiar currency in the British service. It is sometimes used as a term of reproach, and sometimes of harmless irony; as “you are a dirty fellow and no soldier.”

Citizen SOLDIER, (Soldat citoyen, Fr.) In a general acceptation of the term, a citizen soldier signifies any man who is armed for the support and vindication of his country’s rights.

A Brother Soldier. A term of affection which is commonly used in the British service by one who serves under the same banners, and fights for the same cause with another. In a more extensive signification, it means any military man with respect to another.

Soldier of Fortune, (Soldat de Fortune, Fr.) During the frequent wars which occurred in Italy, before the military profession became so generally prevalent in Europe, it was usual for men of enterprise and reputation to offer their services to the different states that were engaged. They were originally called Condottieri, or leaders of reputation. They afterwards extended their services, and under the title of soldiers of fortune sought for employment in every country or state that would pay them.

Soldier’s Friend. A term in the military service which is generally applied to such officers as pay the strictest attention to their men; granting them seasonable indulgences without injuring the service; seeing their wants relieved; and, above all things, having them punctually paid and regularly settled with. There is much confidence in the multitude when they are justly dealt by, and every soldier fights well under the guidance of a soldier’s friend!

Soldier Officer. A term generally used among naval men to signify any officer belonging to the land service.

SOLDIERSHIP, (Metier de soldat, Fr.) The profession, character, and qualities of a military man.

SOLDIERY. Body of military men; soldiers collectively. Soldiers are properly the land forces of a nation or state. It is in the power of the legislature to fix the establishment according to the exigency of the times.

SOLDURIERS, Fr. A term anciently used among the French, to signify those persons who attached themselves to some particular general or military knight, whose fortunes they followed, in consequence of being paid and supported by him.

SOLEIL, Fr. Sun.

Soleil fixe, Fr. An artificial fire-work, so disposed, that when it takes fire, it emits a brilliant light from a fixed centre, and resembles the sun at mid day.

Soleil tournant et courant sur une corde, Fr. An artificial fire-work made in the shape of the sun, which is so contrived, that it moves in full illumination, either backward or forward, along a rope.

SOLEIL montant, Fr. An artificial fire-work, so called from its ascending in full illumination, and scattering fire in various directions by a desultory movement. It is likewise called tourbillon de feu; a whirlwind of fire.

SOLEIL tournant et girandole, Fr. An artificial fire-work, which, when set fire to, resembles a sun moving round its axis, and exhibiting the figure of a girandole.

SOLID, (Solide, Fr.) that body which has all the geometrical dimensions.

Solid Bastion. See Fortification.

SOLIDAIRE, Fr. Consolidated.—An old French legal term, but now generally used to signify a concentration of good qualities, &c. Thus the French convention declared—Que les armées étoient solidaires de gloire; that the armies had consolidated their glory; meaning thereby, that the victories of one part of the army had been added to the account of the rest.

SOLIDITY, (Solidite, Fr.) Firmness; density; compactness.

SOLIVE, Fr. A joist.

Solive likewise signifies a measure in carpentry. It is supposed to be equal to three cubic feet. So that the solive in France is to the measure of wood-work, what the cubic toise is to the measure of earth, or brick-work. The solive is divided into six French feet which are called pieds de solive. The foot into 12 inches, called pouces de solive; and the inch into 12 lines, which are called lignes de solive. In order to form a correct idea of the solive, with regard to all parts or proportions, it must be considered as a parallelepipede, whose base is a rectangle containing 12 inches in breadth, to six in height, and a toise in length, the solive being equal to 3 cubic feet.

SOLIVEAU, Fr. A small joist; a rafter.

SOLSTICE, (Solstice, Fr.) The point beyond which the sun does not go; the tropical point, the point at which the day is longest in summer, or shortest in winter. It is taken of itself commonly for the summer solstice.

The Summer Solstice, (le Solstice d’ete, Fr.) Is when the sun is in the tropic of cancer, and gives us the longest day.

The Winter Solstice, is when the sun is in the tropic of capricorn, and gives us the shortest day. There is not any solstice under the equator, there being, in that quarter, without variation, equal day and equal night.

SOLUTION, (Solution, Fr.) Resolution of a doubt; removal of any intellectual difficulty.

SOMACHE, Fr. Brackish, salt. The mixture of sea and river water is so called, as eau somache.

SOME-war, Ind. Monday.

SOMMERS, in an ammunition waggon, are the upper sides, supported by the staves entered into them with one of their ends, and the other into the side pieces.

SOMMIER d’un Port levis, Fr. See Seuil de Pont levis.

SONAILLER, Fr. A term used among the drivers of mules, to signify the leading animal that has a bell tied to his neck, which they call sonaille.

SONDE, Fr. Sounding lead, probe, any instrument used to ascertain the nature of soil, &c.

SONDER, Fr. To sound, to throw out the lead.

SONNANT, Fr. A participle which is frequently used by the French, to express a specific period of time, or the nature of any thing.

A five heures SONNANTES, Fr. At five o’clock precisely, or as the clock strikes five.

Argent Sonnant, Fr. Hard cash. This term was in familiar use at the commencement of the French revolution, when it was found expedient to pay a select body of troops, called the gendarmes, in ready money, whilst the aggregate of the nation took paper currency or assignats.

SOODER, Ind. The fourth or lowest of the original tribes of Hindoos, as they come from the feet of Brama, which signifies subjection. They are obliged to labor, and to serve when called upon.

SOOKRBAR, Ind. Friday.

SOORETHAUL, Ind. Statement of a case.

SORDET, -

SORDINE,

The small pipe or mouth piece of a trumpet.

SORN, a servile tenure in Scotland, by which a chieftain might, with his followers, live upon his tenants at free quarters.

SORTIES, in a siege, parties that sally out of a town secretly to annoy the besiegers, and retard their operations.

SOUDOYES, Fr. From Soudoyer. To keep in pay. This name was originally given to a body of men who inlisted themselves under Philip Augustus of France, on condition that they should receive a certain daily pay in the way of subsistence. Froissart calls all soldiers, who are paid for doing duty, or for going to war, soudoyes,

SOUFLE, Fr. The wind of a cannon.

SOUFLER les canons, Fr. To scale pieces of ordnance. This is done by means of a moderate charge of gunpowder, for the purpose of cleaning them.

SOUFLURE, Fr. A cavity or hole, which is frequently occasioned when pieces of metal have been forged in too intense a fire. Cannon balls lose their required weight by flaws of this sort.

SOUFRE, Fr. See Sulphur.

SOUGARDE, Fr. Guard, throat-band of a gun. A semi-circular piece of brass which ts fixed beneath the trigger of a musquet, to prevent it from going off by accident.

Sougardes. See Dechargeurs.

SOUGORGE, Fr. Throat-band of a bridle.

SOUKARS, Ind. A general name for bankers.

SOULEVEMENT, Fr. Insurrection, revolt.

SOULEVER, Fr. To stir up, to excite to insurrection.

Se Soulever, Fr. To rise, to revolt, to mutiny; l’armee s’est soulevee contre son general; the army rose, or mutinied against its general.

SOUMETTRE, Fr. (As an active verb) to subdue, to overcome, to reduce to subjection.

Se SOUMETTRE, Fr. To submit oneself. To yield.

SOUMISSION, Fr. Submission.

SOUMIS, ise, Fr. In fortification; to lie under, to be commanded. Thus one work is said to be commanded, ou être soumis, when it is lower than another. The same signification holds good with respect to heights or elevations.

SOUND. Any thing audible; noise; that which is perceived by the ear. The experiments are numerous by which it has been found, that sound is audible to the distance of 50, 60, or 80 miles; but Dr. Hearne, physician to the king of Sweden, tells us, that at the bombardment of Holmia, in 1658, the sound was heard 30 Swedish miles, which make 180 of ours: and in the fight between England and Holland in 1672, the noise of the guns was heard even in Wales, which cannot be less than 200 miles.

The velocity of sound is 380 yards, or 1142 feet in a second of time, as found by very accurate experiment. The exactness of measuring distances by sound, has been sufficiently proved by measuring the same distances by trigonometry.

The medium velocity of sound is nearly at the rate of a mile, or 5280 feet in 4²⁄₃ seconds; or a league in 14 seconds; or 13 miles in one minute. But sea miles are to land miles nearly as 7 to 6: therefore sound moves over a sea mile in 5³⁄₄ seconds nearly; or a sea league in 16 seconds.

Sound flies 1142 feet in one second.

It is a common observation, that persons in good health have about 75 pulsations at the wrist in a minute, consequently in 75 pulsations sound flies about 13 land miles, or 11¹⁄₇ sea miles, which is about 1 land mile in 6 pulsations, and 1 sea mile in 7 pulses, or a league in 20 pulses.

The velocity of sound does not very much vary, whether it goes with the wind or against it. As sound moves vastly swifter than the wind, the acceleration it can thereby receive can be but inconsiderable; and the chief effect we can perceive from the wind is, that the sound will be carried to a greater distance by it. Sound will be louder in proportion to the condension of the air. Water is one of the greatest conductors of sound; it can be heard nearly twice as far as on land.

SOUND, (Sonde, Fr.) An instrument used by surgeons in probing.

To SOUND. To betoken or direct by a sound; as to sound the retreat. Hence

SOUNDINGS. Signals made by any kind of instruments.

Trumpet Soundings, practised by cavalry regiments, viz. for duty.

1. Revillé.

2. Stable call. For stable duties.

3. Boots and saddles. -

4. To horse.

When to turn out on horseback for a march, exercise, or other duty.

5. Draw swords. -

6. Return swords.

These soundings begin at the instants of drawing the sword from, and returning it to the scabbard.

7. Parade march.

8. Parade call. For assembling on foot.

9. Officers call.

10. Serjeants call.

11. Trumpeters call.

12. Orders.

13. Dinner call. For men, and for officers.

14. Watering call. To turn out in watering order.

15. Setting the watch.

These duty soundings, according to situation, are given by one trumpet, or by the whole of the quarter, regiment, or camp.

For exercise.

16. March. The squadron, regiment, or line being halted, the trumpet of the commander will accompany the word, the —— will advance; and at the word march, the whole will move at a walk.

17. Trot. -

18. Gallop.

19. Charge.

When the body is marching at a walk, on the signal to trot, the whole instantly receive the word trot, and change pace immediately. The same is to be observed from the trot to the light gallop, and from the gallop to the charge. During the charge itself, the trumpets of all the squadrons that are charging, may sound.

20. Halt. The whole halt on the word of command. After the halt of a retreating body, the proper command will bring it to its proper front.

21. Retreat. The signal of retreat, (which will be often preceded by that of halt) is a general caution for the several words of execution to be given.

22. Rally. The signal to rally, may be continued as long as it is necessary, and be repeated by the trumpets of such parts of the body, as are concerned in the operation, till the end is answered.

These signals are given by the chief commander only of the whole body that is exercised, whether of a squadron, regiment, brigade, or a line: they are not repeated by other commanders; they are addressed as cautions to the commanding officers of the parts of such body, not to the men; nor is any movement, or alteration of movement, to take place, but in consequence of the words, march, trot, gallop, &c. &c. rapidly and loudly repeated, the instant the trumpet caution is given.

The signals of movement are so short, that the words of execution may nearly coincide with them.

These signals for quick movement, may in regular exercise be given by a person who at the instant of giving them is stationary; but if he leads the body in motion, it is evident that in the gallop, the charge, and the halt, the voice and the eye, can only determine, and regulate.

23. Turn out skirmishers. This signal is made by the commander of the whole, if the whole is concerned, otherwise by the commander of such part only as is to execute; if one, or two squadrons only, the voice will suffice. It may be a signal for pursuers after a charge.

24. Call in skirmishers. This signal is made by the commander of the whole, and repeated by the commander of the detachments; is for the skirmishers to join their detachments; or it may originally come from the commander of the detachments. On the signal to rally, the whole join the bodies they were detached from.

25. Skirmishers cease firing. This signal is made by the commander of the whole, and repeated (or originally made) by the commander of the supporting detachments, from which the skirmishers are advanced.

Bugle Horn Soundings, are different calls which are made by the bugle horn for duty and exercise. The following constitute the principal ones. See Am. Mil. Lib.

1st. For duty.

1. Revillé. - These soundings are different in their notes from those of the trumpet, but may be used under the same circumstances.

2. Rouse, or turn out.

3. Dinner call.

4. Setting the watch.

2d. For exercise.

5. March. - These soundings exactly the same as those of the trumpet, in the place of which the bugle horn may be occasionally substituted.

6. Trot.

7. Gallop.

8. Charge.

9. Halt.

10. Retreat.

11. Rally.

12. Turn out skirmishers.

13. Skirmishers cease firing.

14. Call in skirmishers.

These signals, of the trumpet, and bugle horn, are meant in aid of the voice, but are by no means to be substituted for, or prevent the ordered words of execution.

The trumpet is always to be considered as the principal military instrument for these soundings, and particularly belongs to the line; the bugle horn to riflemen and detached parties.

SOUPAPE, Fr. Sucker of a pump.

SOURA, Ind. A division; as that of chapter.

SOURD, e. Fr. Literally means deaf, dull. It is variously applied by the French—viz.

Lanterne Sourde, Fr. A dark lantern.

Lime Sourde, Fr. A file which is made in such a manner, that you may separate pieces of iron without making any noise in the operation. It is likewise used in a figurative sense—to signify a person who says little, but is always meditating something mischievous or injurious to others.

The French likewise say, sourdes pratiques, pratiques sourdes; secret or underhand practices; sourdes menees, menees sourdes, secret or underhand ways. These terms are always used in a bad sense. In mathematics, the French call those quantities, quantites sourdes, which are incommensurable, that is, which cannot be exactly expressed, either by whole numbers or by fractions. Thus the square root, or racine carree, of two is a quantite sourde.

SOURDINE, Fr. A little pipe, a mute. It likewise means a small spring, which is fixed in a dumb repeater. The French make use of this word in a figurative sense, to signify, literally, without noise. Les ennemis ont délogé à la sourdine, the enemy decamped privately, and without noise.

SOURIS, Fr. Literally a mouse. For its application in fortification, see Pas de souris. It is likewise used to express a want of expedients or resources in critical moments, and the consequent danger of being caught in the snare one is endeavoring to avoid—La souris qui n’a qu’un trou est bientôt prise, the mouse that has only one hole to run to, is soon caught.

SOUS, Fr. A proposition which is used to denote the state or condition of one thing with respect to another which is above it, viz.

SOUS-tangente, Fr. Sub-tangent.

SOUS-lieutenant, Fr. Sub-lieutenant.

SOUSIGNER, Fr. To undersign.

Sousigne, ée, Fr. The undersigned.

La SOUTE, Fr. The powder or bread room.

SOUTENIR, Fr. In exercise and evolution to turn upon the left foot in proportion as any given line bears towards the fixed point upon which it is directed to rest; The point on which the soldier turns is called the pivot, Le pivot.

Soutenir, Fr. To maintain; as soutenir le combat, to maintain the fight.

Soutenir le feu de l’ennemi, Fr. To stand the enemy’s fire.

Soutenir le siege, Fr. To hold out in a besieged place.

SOUTERRAINS, Fr. Subterraneous passages, lodgments, &c. that are bomb-proof.

SOUVERAIN, Fr. Sovereign. The person in whom sovereignty is vested.

SOUVERAINETE. Sovereignty; supremacy; highest place; supreme power.

SOW, in ancient military history, a kind of covered shed, fixed on wheels, under which the besiegers filled up and passed the ditch, sapped or mined the wall, and sometimes worked a kind of ram. It had its name from its being used for rooting up the earth like a swine, or because the soldiers therein were like pigs under a sow.

SOWAR, Ind. A horseman.

SOWARRY, Ind. A retinue, cavalcade; the English residents in India say, such a man travels with a large sowarry, meaning a great number of followers.

SOWGUND, Ind. An oath.

SPADE, (Beche, Fr.) an instrument for digging. See Intrenching Tools, Mining, &c.

SPADROON, a sword much lighter than a broadsword, and made both to cut and thrust.

Spadroon Guard, a guard sometimes used with the cut and thrust sword, and also with the broadsword. It consists in dropping the point towards the right from the outside guard, till it comes under your adversary’s blade, the edge being upwards, and your wrist at the same time raised.

SPAHI, Persian. A soldier or military man, whence the common Hindustan term Sepahi, corrupted by the English into Sepcy.

Spahi. An upper garment made of blue cloth, which is worn by the Janizaries, in the same manner that we wear a loose great coat or surtout.

SPAHIS. A corps of Turkish cavalry, which is kept in pay by the grand signor. The Spahis do not possess any lands as the Zaims and Timariots are allowed to do. This corps is composed of twelve or fifteen thousand men, and consists of the Silbataris, whose standard or cornet is yellow, and of the Spahis-Glanis, who have a red one. When the troops were first formed, the latter acted as servants or batmen to the former: they became a separate class or troop in consequence of their superior conduct on service, and were distinguished in this manner:—They are armed with a sabre and a lance, which they call Misra. They likewise make use of a long dart or javelin, called a Gerie, with an iron ferrel at one end, which they throw at the enemy with surprising skill; and if they should happen to miss their aim, they can instantly bend from their saddles, and catch it up, whilst the horse is on full gallop. Others again are armed with bows and arrows, and some have pistols and carbines. When the grand signor takes the field in person, he generally makes a present of five thousand aspres to each Spahi. This bounty is called Sadach akchiasi, or gift to enable each man to purchase bows and arrows.