Part 125

_To be_ POSTED, in a familiar sense, signifies to be publicly announced as an infamous or degraded character. Hence to post a man as a coward is to stick his name up in a coffee-house or elsewhere, and to accuse him of want of spirit, &c. The French use the phrase _afficher_ in the same sense. They likewise say figuratively _afficher sa bonte_; to publish or post up one’s own disgrace; meaning thereby, that some persons are so totally regardless of decency and decorum, as to express sentiments which are unbecoming the character of an officer, or a gentleman.

POSTAGE _of Letters_. In the British service, non-commissioned officers and private soldiers are privileged to send or receive letters, from any part of that country on payment of one penny only for the postage.

In the instructions to postmasters, (Feb. 4th, 1799,) concerning the exemptions granted to seamen in the navy, and privates in the army, in respect to the postage of their letters, it is specified, that

“No single letter, sent by the post from any seaman or private employed in his majesty’s navy, army, militia, fencible regiments, artillery, or marines, shall, whilst such seamen or private shall be employed on his majesty’s service, and not otherwise, be charged with an higher rate of postage than the sum of one penny for the conveyance of each such letter; such postage to be paid at the time of putting the same into the post office of the town, or place from whence such letter is intended to be sent by the post.

“Provided, that no such letter shall be exempted from postage, unless there shall be written thereon, in the hand-writing of, and signed by the commanding officer, for the time being, of the ship or vessel, or of the corps, regiment, or detachment to which such seamen or private shall belong, the name of such commanding officer, and of the ship, vessel, corps, regiment, or detachment commanded by him.

“No single letter, directed to any such seamen, or private, upon his own private concerns, only whilst such seaman, or private, shall be employed on his majesty’s service, and not otherwise, shall be charged with a higher rate of postage than one penny for each such letter, which penny shall be paid at the time of the delivery thereof.

“Provided, that no such letter shall be exempted from the rates of postage chargeable upon letters, unless any such letter shall be directed to such seaman, or private, specifying the ship, vessel, regiment, troop, corps, company, or detachment to which he may belong: and provided also, that it shall not be lawful for the deputy postmaster of the town or place to which such letter shall be sent to be delivered, to deliver such letter to any person except to the seamen or private to whom such letter shall be directed, or to any person appointed to receive the same by the commanding officer of the ship, &c. to which the seaman, or private to whom such letter shall be directed, shall belong.

“The exemptions do not extend to letters sent to or received from countries independent of England: they do extend to the West India Islands and British America.

“All postmasters are desired to take particular notice that double letters to and from soldiers and sailors and their families, are liable to the full double rates, the same as letters in general; and some postmasters having conceived that letters containing money orders might pass under the exemptions of the act, they are desired to understand, that such letters are chargeable with full double rates also.

“Recruiting serjeants, who may carry on a correspondence with their officers on the recruiting service, cannot send or receive their letters on that service under the exemptions granted by this act.

“The above exemptions granted by the legislature do not extend in the navy to any other than seaman, and not to officers of any description whatever; and in the army, only the privates, with serjeants and serjeant-majors are included. Many officers, both in the army and navy, having construed the act to extend to their own correspondence, it is hereby publicly stated that such a construction is altogether inapplicable.”

The act in its literal meaning includes in this indulgence all non-commissioned officers, although they are excluded by this official interpretation.

According to a letter issued from the post office, dated the 18th Sept, 1799, to all postmasters, in addition to the rates above-mentioned, these letters are chargeable with inland postage to and from London, excepting single letters to and from soldiers and sailors, and it is to be left to the opinion of the writers to pay the postage or not on putting them into any post office.

POSTE, _Fr._ a word generally used in the plural number to signify small shot, viz. _Son fusil étoit chargé de douze ou quinze postes_; his gun or musquet was loaded with twelve or fifteen shot.

POSTE, _Fr._ This word is always used in the masculine gender when it relates to war, or to any specific appointments; as, _poste avancé_, an advanced post. _Poste avantageux_, an advantageous post. _Mauvais poste_, an unfavorable post. The French say figuratively, _un poste est jaloux_; thereby meaning, that a post is extremely open to an attack, and that the troops in it may be easily surprised.

POSTES _de campagne_, _Fr._ Every construction or groupe of buildings that will admit of being defended, and is consequently tenable, is called a _poste de campagne_, or field work. Of this description are churches, houses, country houses, farm houses, villages, redoubts, &c. in which a sufficient number of men may be stationed for the purpose of holding out against an enemy, until succours can arrive. Chevalier Folard has written upon this subject; and since him, F. Gaudi, with comments and illustrations by A. P. J. Belair, chief of brigade in the French army. We recommend the latter production, which appeared in 1793, to the perusal of every officer. The work is intituled, _Instruction addressée aux officiers d’Infanterie pour tracer et construire toutes sortes d’ouvrages de Campagne_. See likewise, _Aide Mémoire pour les officiers d’artillerie_. A late work, intituled, _Duties of an Officer in the Field_, &c. by Baron Gross, of the Dutch brigade, is very useful; the whole of this tract is incorporated in the _American Military Library_.

POST _avantageux_, _Fr._ See ADVANTAGEOUS POST.

_Petits_ POSTES _separés_, _Fr._ small detached posts.

POSTES _intermédiaires_, _Fr._ intermediate posts, or men so stationed between different corps, that, in case of urgency, they may with ease advance to the support of that which is more immediately threatened by the enemy.

POSTERN, more frequent a sally-port, is a small door in the flank of a bastion, or other part of a garrison, to march in and out unperceived by an enemy, either to relieve the works, or make sallies.

POSTICHE, _Fr._ any thing fictitious put in room of something that has been real and natural. In military matters, among the French, it serves to distinguish supernumerary or auxiliary soldiers that are taken from one, or more companies; to strengthen any particular body of men.

POSTILION, _Fr._ an express boat which is kept in French seaports for the purpose of carrying and bringing intelligence.

POT, _Fr._ a vessel used in the making of artificial fireworks, &c.

_Stink_ POT, a vessel filled with combustible matter, which is thrown on various occasions, when men come into close action. The consequences of its explosion are sometimes fatal, and always dangerous.

POT _à brai_, _Fr._ an iron pot in which pitch or tar is melted.

POT _d’une fusée volante_, _Fr._ the carcase of a fusee.

POT _à feu_, _Fr._ a fire pot; a hand grenado.

POT _à aigrette_, _Fr._ an artificial firework, the centre of which contains a certain quantity of powder, which upon being inflamed, communicates itself to several other branches, and exhibits the appearance of an aigrette, or cluster of rays, such as issue from diamonds arranged in a particular manner. The aigrette takes its name from a bird so called, whose feathers serve to make up an ornament for the head.

POT _en téte_, _Fr._ a headpiece made of iron, which is proof against musquet shot. This headpiece is sometimes placed in the crown of the hat, and is otherwise used by sappers.

POTEAU, _Fr._ a stake, post.

POTEE, _Fr._ Putty.

POTENCE, _Fr._ Troops are ranged _en potence_ by breaking a straight line, and throwing a certain proportion of it, either forward or backward, from the right or left, according to circumstances, for the purpose of securing that line. An army may be posted _en potence_ by means of a village, a river, or a wood. The derivation of the word may be variously explained, viz. From _Potence_, a gibbet. _Potences_, crutches or supports. _Potence_ likewise means a piece of wood which is thrown across two uprights; also a cross table, as _table en potence_; and a measure to ascertain the height of a horse or man.

POTENTAT, _Fr._ See POTENTATE.

POTENTATE, a sovereign prince, whose power is rendered formidable by the various means of authority which are vested in him.

POTERNE, _Fr._ a postern gate, a sally port.

POTERNE, _Fr._ Likewise signifies a secret gate. Gates of this description are made behind the orillons at the extremities of the curtain, in the angle of the flank, and in the middle of those curtains where there are no gates. The sewers generally run under the poternes. Belidor, in his Art of Engineering, recommends small arched magazines to be constructed on the right and left of the paths that lead to these gates.

POUCH, a case of black stout leather with a flap over it, worn by the infantry for the purpose of carrying their ammunition. The pouches in use among the cavalry are smaller.

POUCH _flap_, the outside covering of the pouch. It is made of the stoutest blackened leather and ought always to be substantial enough to turn the severest weather.

POUCE, _Fr._ An inch.

POUDRE, _Fr._ See GUNPOWDER.

POUDRE _muette_, _poudre sourde_, _Fr._ A species of gunpowder which is free from noise or detonation.

POUDRE _fulminante_, _Fr._ A species of gunpowder which makes a greater noise than the common sort.

POUDRE _à gros grains_, _Fr._ Gunpowder which is used for artillery pieces. It is likewise called _Poudre à Canon_.

POUDRE _à musquet_, _Fr._ Gunpowder used for musquets, and other firearms.

POUDRIER, _Fr._ a gunpowder maker. It also signifies an hour glass.

POVERTY, a goddess adored by the Pagans, and familiar to Christians. She was reverenced, as a deity, by the heathens, because they feared her, and was very justly considered as the mother of industry and the fine arts. Among military men, poverty is seldom felt whilst the active duties of the profession are executed with zeal and good sense, and the individuals entrusted with them, are not only paid with punctuality, but are secured in their honest hopes of promotion. Economy is the basis on which every soldier should build his views of personal comfort and security; and if he attend to the perpetual calls of service, he will not fail to realise them. For a life of real service affords no scope for extravagance; and when a good soldier becomes unequal to the hardships it imposes, the nation should provide for him.

POUF, _Ind._ a word used among the blacks to describe the explosion of firearms.

POULEVRIN, _Fr._ Pounded gunpowder.

POULIE, _Fr._ A pulley.

_A_ POUND _sterling_, a money in account, value 20_s_. in England, marked £.

POUNDAGE, a rate which is allowed for collecting money. Army agents, &c. are entitled to poundage, which consists in a certain deduction from the pay of officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers. Agents are not allowed any poundage on the pay of the privates in the militia.

POUNDER, a great gun or piece of ordnance, denominated according to the weight of the ball it carries, as a 6, 12, 24 pounder.

POWDER _Horn_, a horn flask, in which powder is kept for priming guns. Light infantry and riflemen have frequently a powder horn for carrying spare powder.

POURIE, _Ind._ a wooden sandal which is used in India during the wet season.

POURSUITE, _Fr._ Pursuit.

Poursuivans _d’armes_, _Fr._ See PURSUIVANTS AT ARMS.

POURSUIVRE, _Fr._ to pursue.

POURSUIVRE _l’épée dans les reins_, _Fr._ To pursue with unrelenting activity.

POURTOUR, _Fr._ in architecture, the circumference of any place.

POURVOIR, _Fr._ to provide, to lay in store, &c.

POURVEYEURS _des vivres_, _Fr._ Purveyors.

POUSSER, _Fr._ to push, to press upon, to drive before you, viz. _Pousser aux ennemis_; to advance rapidly against the enemy. This expression is used in a neutral sense, and relates chiefly to the operations of cavalry.

POUSSER _un cheval_, _Fr._ To make a horse go full speed.

POUSSIER, _Fr._ the dust which remains after the formation of gunpowder into grains.

POUTRE, _Fr._ a beam.

POUTRELLE, _Fr._ a small beam.

POWDER. See GUNPOWDER.

POWDER-_magazine_, a bomb-proof arched building to hold the powder in fortified places, &c. containing several rows of barrels laid one over another. See MAGAZINE.

POWDER-_cart_, a two wheeled carriage, covered with an angular roof of boards. To prevent the powder from getting damp, a tarred canvas is put over the roof; and on each side are lockers to hold shot, in proportion to the quantity of powder, which is generally four barrels.

POWDER-_mill_, a building in which the materials are beat, mixed together, and grained: they are placed near rivers, and as far from any house as can be, for fear of accidents, which often happen. See MILL.

POWER, a natural faculty of doing or suffering any thing. Mr. Locke, in his Essay on the Human Understanding, considers power under two heads. One he calls active and the other passive power.

POWER, in military affairs as well as in all others, is _knowlege_--of human passions--of arms--of distances--of the skill and numbers of an enemy.

_To be in the_ POWER _of any body_, in a figurative sense, to have committed yourself in such a manner, as to be under the necessity of keeping upon good terms with a person who might injure you by a disclosure of your secrets. To avoid putting yourself in the power of any man, _hear much_, _say little_, and _write less_. These are maxims which every public character ought to attend to; and every general should cautiously follow during an active campaign, when there are frequent occasions to communicate with spies, &c. and he is not unfrequently obliged to hold intercourse with suspected persons.

_To be in the_ POWER _of an enemy_. To have taken up, injudiciously, such a position as to expose you to a defeat whenever the enemy may think proper to attack you.

POWERS _of lines and quantities_, are their squares, cubes, &c. or other multiplications of the parts into the whole, or of one part into another.

_Small_ POX. A disease to which most infants, adults, &c. are exposed; and which has been rendered less malignant by inoculation. The introduction of a humor, called the _Cow Pox_, or _Vaccine Matter_, into the human system, has lately been found extremely beneficial. When recruits join a regiment they should be examined respecting this disease; and no time should be lost to _vaccinate_ them.

_Great_ POX, commonly called the venereal disease. Few men are more likely to catch this cruel disorder than soldiers; and in no case ought the attention of the regimental surgeon to be more imperiously engaged than in the speedy cure of it. In the navy, where the disease is often prevalent, the surgeons are entitled to receive a certain sum of money, which is stopped out of the pay of their venereal patients, for extraordinary trouble and attendance. In the army of the U. States the soldiers are treated in this as in all other diseases. The soldier should be liable to stoppages. Every officer of a company, who has the welfare of his soldiers at heart, should examine their linen at the weekly inspections, as the disorder generally manifests itself, particularly in its first stages, in stains upon the shirt.

PRACTICABLE. A word frequently used in military matters to express the possible accomplishment of any object. Hence, “a practicable breach.”

PRACTICE, or _gun-practice_. In the spring, as soon as the weather permits, the exercise of the great guns begins, for the purpose of shewing the gentlemen cadets at the British military academy at Woolwich, and the private men, the manner of laying, loading, pointing, and firing the guns. Sometimes instruments are used to find the centre line, or two points, one at the breech, the other at the muzzle, which are marked with chalk, and whereby the piece is directed to the target: then a quadrant is put into the mouth, to give the gun the required elevation, which at first is guessed at, according to the distance the target is from the piece. When the piece has been fired, it is sponged, to clear it from any dust or sparks of fire that may remain in the bore, and loaded: then the centre line is found, as before; and if the shot went too high or too low, to the right or to the left, the elevation and trail are altered accordingly. This practice continues morning and evening for about six weeks, more or less, according as there are a greater or less number of recruits. In the mean time others are shown the motions of quick firing with field-pieces. There is no practice in the army of the U. States, in which there are officers of ten or twelve years standing who never saw a mortar loaded; but this is the effect of a total want of system.

_Mortar_ PRACTICE, generally thus: a line of 1500 or 2000 yards is measured in an open spot of ground, from the place where the mortars stand, and a flag fixed at about 300 or 500 yards: this being done, the ground where the mortars are to be placed is prepared and levelled with sand, so that they may lie at an elevation of 45, or any required number of degrees; then they are loaded with a small quantity of powder at first, which is increased afterwards, by an ounce every time, till they are loaded with a full charge: the times of the flights of the shells are observed, to determine the length of the fuzes. The intention of this practice is, when a mortar-battery is raised in a siege, to know what quantity of powder is required to throw the shells in to the works at a given distance, and at what elevation, and to cut the fuzes of a just length, that the shell may burst as soon as it touches the ground.

PRACTICE-_Book_. See BOOK.

_To_ PRACTICE. In a military sense, to go through the manual and platoon exercises, or through the various manœuvres, &c. for the purpose of becoming thoroughly master of military movements. Practice is likewise used, in imitation of the French, to signify the act of effecting or executing any military operation, viz. to practise a mine beneath the covert way, &c.

PRAME, _Fr._ A sort of boat or barge which is used on the canals in France.

PRAME, in _military history_, a kind of floating battery, being a flat bottomed vessel, which draws little water, mounts several guns, and is very useful in covering the disembarkation of troops. They are generally made use of in transporting the troops over the lakes in America. These vessels are well calculated for the defence of large havens and seaports. Belair, in his Elements de Fortification, page 397, strongly recommends the use of Prames in cases of inundation, &c. See the improvements proposed by him in page 316, where he speaks of “_Bateaux insubmersibles_.”

_Di_ PRATICA, _Ital._ Free intercourse; admitted to pratique. Persons who, having performed quarantine, are permitted to land in Italy, and mix with the inhabitants.

PRACTICABLE, _Fr._ See PRACTICABLE. This word is in general use among the French, viz.

_Les chemins ne sont pas_ PRACTICABLES. The roads are not passable.

_Le gué n’est pas_ PRACTICABLE _dans se moment-ci_. The river is not fordable at this moment; verbatim, the ford is not practicable at this moment.

PRATIQUE, _Fr._ Practice. The term likewise signifies, among the French, commerce, intercourse, traffic, &c.

_Avoir_ PRATIQUE _avec des insulaires_, _Fr._ To trade, or have intercourse with the inhabitants of islands.

_Une_ PRATIQUE _eclairée_, _Fr._ A project undertaken and put into execution upon solid principles.

_Une_ PRATIQUE _aveugle_, _Fr._ A plan ill digested, and executed without discernment or ability.

PRATIQUES, _Fr._ In the plural, this term signifies the same as mal-practices, or secret intelligence with an enemy, viz.

_Entrétenir des_ PRATIQUES _avec le commandant d’une place_. To hold communication, or keep up a secret correspondence with the commandant of a fortified place.

PRATIQUER _des intelligences_, _Fr._ To collect, to gather useful information.

_Il avoit_ PRATIQUE _dans cette place des intelligences qui lui ont donné le moyen de la surprendre_, _Fr._ He had gathered such information, by holding secret intelligence with the inhabitants, as to be able to surprise the place.

PRATIQUER, _Fr._ In architecture, to contrive, to make, to render convenient.

_Donner_ PRATIQUE _à un vaisseau_, _Fr._ To allow a vessel to enter into port and unload. This expression is used in the Mediterranean under circumstances of quarantine, and comes from _Pratica_.

PRATIQUER, _Fr._ To practice. _Pratiquer une homme_; to try a man; to put his abilities to the test. It likewise signifies to gain over, to suborn.

PRECEDENCE. Priority. Priority in rank or precedence in military life, arises from rank, or the date of an officer’s commission.

PRECEDENT. Any act which can be interpreted into an example for future times, is called a precedent. Persons in high official situations are extremely scrupulous with respect to precedence, especially in military matters.

PRECIPITER, _Fr._ To precipitate; to urge or hasten on; to do every thing prematurely. This word appears to be used by the French in almost all the senses to which we attach it, especially in military matters.

PRECIPITER _sa retraite_, _Fr._ Literally signifies, to precipitate one’s retreat. It may be taken in a good or bad sense, to signify the act of flying away blindly or rashly, without judgment or discretion; or of urging your retreat under circumstances of imperious necessity, yet with proper caution and foresight. So that to precipitate, both in French and English, signifies, Faire _trés_ promptement ou _trop_ promptement; to do any thing _very_ promptly, or _too_ promptly.

PRECISION, exact limitation, scrupulous observance of certain given rules.

PRECISION _of march_. On the leading platoon officer of the column, much of the precision of march depends; he must lead at an equal, steady pace; he must lead on two objects either given to him, or which he himself takes up on every alteration of position; this demands his utmost attention; nor must he allow it to be diverted by looking at his platoon, the care of whose regularity depends on the other officers and non-commissioned officers, belonging to it. The second platoon officer must also be shewn, and be made acquainted with the points on which the first leads; he is always to keep the first officer and those points in a line, and those two officers, together with the guide mounted officers, thus become a direction for the other pivot officers to cover. In marching in open column, the covering serjeants or guides are placed behind the second file from the pivot officers, that the officers may the more correctly see and cover each other in column.

PREDAL, _or_, PREDATORY, _War_, a war carried on by plunder and rapine; such as the British navy and the Algerines; the Buccaneers, also carried on a predal war, against all persons on the high seas.