Part 136

REMARKS. Army returns, regimental statements, guard reports, &c. have a column allotted for remarks and observations relative to extraordinary occurrences.

REMBLAI, _Fr._ Earth collected together for the purpose of making a bank way, &c.

REMBLAYER, _Fr._ To collect earth together.

REMBARQUER, _Fr._ To re-embark.

REMBOITER, _Fr._ The same as _Emboiter_. To replace, to put together. The latter term is used by the French in artillery and cavalry manœuvres. It is the correlative to _Déboiter_; to break off.

REMETTEZ _vous_. This term agrees with the phrase--_as you were_. _Se Remettre._ To take a former position, to return to the original ground

REMETTRE, _Fr._ to restore, to bring back again. It is frequently used in a military sense, viz. _Remettre un bataillon_; to restore or bring back a battalion to its original formation

REMIT To lessen; as to remit a part of a soldier’s sentence.

_To_ REMONSTRATE, to make a representation of a case or cases wherein one or more may consider themselves to be aggrieved. Military men may remonstrate through their superior officers; but where the duty of the service is concerned, that duty must be first performed with cheerfulness and fidelity.

REMONTER, _Fr._ To Remount.

REMONTER _une compagnie de cavalerie_, _Fr._ To remount a troop of horse.

REMONTER _une rivière_, _Fr._ To sail up a river.

REMORA, _Fr._ This word is sometimes written _Rémora_, and signifies obstacle, hindrance. It comes from the Latin _Remora_, a small fish, which was supposed by the ancients to impede the progress of a ship.

REMORAL, _Fr._ an officer belonging to a galley, who has charge of the oars.

_To_ REMOVE, to change the situation of a person.

_A_ REMOUNT, means a supply of good and serviceable horses for the whole or part of a cavalry regiment. The following instructions have been copied from a compilation of English general and regimental orders, viz. The size of the horses for the heavy cavalry must run from 15 hands and 1 inch, to 15 3; and the age be 4 or 5 off, if possible; the taking horses coming four must be avoided as much as can be. No horse must be taken for the public service, unless he be very close and compact in his make, very broad across the loins, short and straight backed, close coupled, round barrelled, and well carcassed, wide between the rider’s thighs, deep at the girt and shoulders, and full, though not heavy chested, with short jointed, clean, bony legs, and full furnished, with strong thighs: the shoulders must lay well back; the forehand rise so as to give the horse freedom; and the head must be so set on as to admit of his getting his nose in. To this must be added, action, and good sound, full feet, with open heels. No horse must be taken with flat feet, or any lameness, or visible defect. No heavy, fleshy legged, lumbering horse must be taken on any account.

_To_ REMOUNT. To remount the cavalry or dragoons, is to furnish them with horses in the room of those which have been either killed, disabled, or cast.

RENCONTRE, _Fr._ This word has been adopted amongst us, and signifies either a private quarrel, in which individuals accidentally meet and fight; or an unexpected and irregular combat between two bodies of armed men, who belong to armies that are in hostile opposition to each other. Thus, as in the former instance it serves to distinguish the casual determination of a feud or difference from the pre-determined and settled plan of a duel; so in the latter it marks the difference between a skirmish, &c. and a regular battle.

RENDER. See SURRENDER.

RENDEZVOUS, the place appointed for troops to assemble at. It likewise means any particular spot that is fixed upon for two duellists to decide their quarrel.

RENDEZVOUS, RENDEVOUS, in a _military sense_, the place appointed by the general, where all the troops that compose the army are to meet at the time appointed, in case of an alarm. This place should be fixed upon, according to the situation of the ground, and the sort of troops quartered in the village. In an open country it is easy to fix upon a place of rendezvous, because the general has whatever ground he thinks necessary. In towns and villages the largest streets, or market places, are very fit; but let the place be where it will, the troops must assemble with ease, and be ready for the prompt execution of orders.

RENDU, _Fr._ Surrendered, given up.

_Soldat_ RENDU, _Fr._ This term is used, to express the difference between a soldier who deserts to the enemy, and one who lays down his arms. In the former instance he is called _déserteur_; in the latter, _soldat rendu_. It is sometimes used as a substitute, viz. _Un rendu_, a man who has surrendered.

RENEGADE, RENEGADO, a deserter; any one who goes over to the enemy.

RENFORCEMENT, _Fr._ a hollow place.

RENFORCER, _Fr._ to reinforce, to strengthen, to fortify.

RENFORT, _Fr._ Reinforcement.

RENFORT, _Fr._ a certain part or a cannon so called. See REINFORCE.

REPARATIONS _dans un regiment_, _Fr._ repair of arms, necessaries, camp equipage, &c.

_To_ RENEW, (_renouveler_, _Fr._) to repeat, to begin afresh. Hence to renew hostilities.

RENEWAL. The act of renewing, as the _renewal_ of hostilities.

RENVOI, _Fr._ Sending back; any thing returned.

_Chevaux de_ RENVOI, _Fr._ Returned horses.

REPARTIR, _Fr._ To divide, to separate, to detach.

REPARATION _des troupes_, _Fr._ Distribution of troops in different quarters.

REPERTORY. See MAGAZINE.

REPLIER, _se replier_, _Fr._ To fall back, to retreat. In military movements, to take a rear direction towards any particular part of the line, viz.

_Se_ REPLIER _sur la droite_, _Fr._ To fall back upon the right.

REPLY. After the prisoner’s defence before a court-martial, the prosecutor or informant may _reply_, but without noticing any matter foreign to the specific crime or crimes expressed in the charge.

REPORT, sound; loud noise, as that made by the discharge of a musquet or cannon.

REPORT. Specific statement of persons and things. Although this word may, in some sense, be considered the same as _return_, yet it so far differs in military matters, that it is less comprehensive, and relates more immediately to persons and occurrences than to things.

General officers report to the commander in chief only.

The commander in chief’s guard reports to himself by one of his aid-de-camps.

Reports of cavalry are given in to the senior generals of cavalry; and reports of infantry, to the senior general officers of infantry. On a march the field officer of the piquet reports to the general of the day who leads the column; and in camp to the next superior officer to himself. A provost martial gives in his return of prisoners, and reports to the general of the day.

Judge advocates, acting in districts or garrisons, &c. send in the minutes of courts-martial, and report to the district general. Regimental surgeons report to their commanding officers, and surgeons in districts, &c. to the war office.

_Monthly_ REPORT. Every company in the service of the United States, is required to make a monthly inspection and report, according to forms furnished by the adjutant and inspector.

All troops belonging to the British service, the marines excepted, who report to the admiralty, report through their several commanding officers, &c. to the adjutant general and secretary at war, and to the commander in chief.

_Special_ REPORT. A special report is said to be made when the name of an officer is transmitted by his commander to the general of a district, independent of the regular returns; and some specific instance of misconduct is laid before him; every officer on his arrival from abroad with a regiment or detachment of troops, must report himself to the governor or commanding officer of the seaport at which he arrives; and every officer who takes his passage for foreign service, must do the same previous to his departure.

The senior officer in each recruiting quarter reports weekly to the field officer of the district, the number and strength of the parties therein. The field officers commanding recruiting parties in districts, report to the adjutant and inspector, to whom all returns and reports are to be transmitted by them, and not direct from the recruiting officers.

Reports are made daily, weekly, or monthly, according to circumstances.

The various subordinate reports consist of

Report of a rearguard.

Report of a barrack guard.

Report of a quarter guard.

Report of a main guard and its dependencies, &c. &c.

In the column of remarks which must accompany each of these reports, it is necessary, for the person who signs, to specify all casualties and extraordinary occurrences according to the particular nature of each report. The different hours at which the grand rounds, visiting rounds, and patroles went, must likewise be put down.

REPOS, _Fr._ Rest, ease. It is used by the French as a word of command, viz.

REPOS, _Fr._ a word of command which agrees with _stand at ease_.

_Quartiers de_ REPOS, _Fr._ These places are so called where troops remain for some days to refresh themselves.

_Soldat_ REPOSE _sur l’arme_, _Fr._ a soldier standing at ease with ordered arms.

REPOSEZ _vous sur vos armes_, _Fr._ Order arms.

_In_ REPOSE, (_en repos_, _Fr._) This term, which is manifestly taken from the French, applies to troops that are allowed to be stationary for any given period during an active campaign either through sickness, or from some other cause. Thus the 5th regiment being _in repose_, it was judged expedient to order the 28th to advance by forced marches.

REPOSITORY, a place or repertory, in which any thing is preserved. Thus the British Repository at Woolwich, contains models of every sort of warlike stores, weapons, and fortification: whether invented by officers of the army or civilians, as well of other nations as of Britain, receipts being given to preserve the title to the inventor. The British Repository is indebted to the ingenuity of colonel Congreve, for some of its most useful and important instruments of escalade, fortification, and gunnery.

REPOUSSER, _Fr._ to drive back, to repel.

REPOUSSOIRS, _Fr._ Drivers, chissels.

REPOUSSOIR, _Fr._ a small stick which artificers and fire-workers use in making fire pots and other works.

REPRESAILLES, _Fr._ Reprisals.

REPRIMAND, a slighter kind of punishment sometimes inflicted on officers and non-commissioned officers. It consists in reproving or reprimanding them at the head of their respective regiments, troop, or company, as the cases may be. A reprimand is sometimes inserted in the orderly books.

REQUISITION, (_réquisition_, _Fr._) A term peculiarly used by the French during the course of their revolution, and applicable to most nations in its general import. It signifies the act of exacting either men or things for the public service. Hence--_Denrées, marchandises mises en réquisition_; necessaries of life, goods, &c. put in a state of requisition, or subject to be disposed of for the common good at a fixed price.

_Jeunes gens de la_ REQUISITION, _Fr._ Young men required or called upon to serve in the army.

REQUISITIONNAIRE, _Fr._ A person liable to be put in a state of requisition.

RESERVE, _corps de réserve_, _Fr._ any select body of troops posted by a general out of the first line of action, to answer some specific or critical purpose, in the day of battle. The French likewise call that body a _corps de réserve_, which is composed of the staff of the army, and moves with the commander in chief, from whom it receives the parole or word; but in every other respect it is governed by its own general.

RESINE, _Fr._ Rosin.

RESOLUTION, in algebra, the solution of a problem.

RESOLUTION, (_résolution_, _Fr._) an indispensible quality of the mind, which every general of an army should possess to its full extent. It is the advice of all wise men, leisurely to digest plans, and calmly deliberate upon them; but when once it becomes necessary to put them into execution, the person entrusted with command, should be prompt and vigorous.

RESOOM, _Ind._ Fees or dues.

_To_ RESPITE, to suspend, to delay; from the French _respiter_.

_To be_ RESPITED _on the muster-roll_, to be suspended from pay, &c. during which period all advantages of promotion, pay, &c. are stopped. It is originally derived from respite, which signifies delay, forbearance, &c. Thus in Clarendon’s history of the civil wars we read, that an act passed for the satisfaction of the officers of the king’s army, by which they were promised payment in November following; till which time they were to _respite_ it, and be contented, that the common soldiers and inferior officers should be satisfied upon their disbanding. At present to _respite_ means to deprive an individual of all the advantages attached to his situation; in which sense it signifies much the same as to suspend.

When an officer has exceeded his leave of absence, and has not sent a satisfactory account of himself to his commanding officer, the latter reports him, in an especial manner, to the general of the district, by whom he is returned absent without leave. It sometimes happens, that the colonel or commanding officer gives directions to have him noted on the muster-roll of the regiment; in which case he is said to be respited or deprived of pay. This is the first step towards suspension from rank and pay, which ultimately terminates in a total exclusion from the service, by the offending party being peremptorily superseded. The name of the person is laid before the secretary at war, who with the approbation of the president, directs the adjutant and inspector to strike it off the list of the army.

The money which is respited upon the muster-roll is accounted for by the account of the war department, and placed to the credit of the public by the paymaster-general.

RESPONSIBILITY. The state of being answerable. All public officers, civil or military, are in a state of responsibility with respect to national concerns.

RESPONSIBLE. Answerable; accountable; liable to be called upon. Colonels of regiments are responsible for the discipline of their men; and captains for the interior economy and clothing of their companies.

RESPONSION, _Fr._ A term used by the French. In military orders signifying the same as _charge_ or _redevance_, charge or service. Thus each commandery pays a certain sum, called _somme de responsion_, to its order in proportion to its value.

RESSERRER, to hem in; to confine. _Une garnison fort resserrée_, a garrison narrowly watched by a besieging army, and kept within its walls.

RESSORT, _Fr._ Spring. Elasticity. This word is used in various senses by the French, viz.

_Dernier_ RESSORT, _Fr._ the last shift.

_N’agir que par_ RESSORT, _Fr._ To do nothing of one’s own free will; to be influenced, to be acted upon by others.

_Manquer de_ RESSORT, _Fr._ To want energy, vigor, &c.

_Un caractère qui a du_ RESSORT, _Fr._ A firm, determined character.

RESSOURCE, _Fr._ Resource, shift, refuge.

_Un homme de_ RESSOURCES, _Fr._ a man who has resources within himself.

_Un homme plein de_ RESSOURCES, a man full of resources, full of expedients.

_To_ REST _arms_, to bring the firelock to the same position as in present arms. See MANUAL.

_To_ REST _upon arms reversed_. At military funerals the arms are reversed. The soldiers belonging to the firing party, rest upon the butt ends of their firelocks, while the funeral service is performed, leaning with their cheeks, so as to turn from the corpse.

REST _upon your arms reversed!_ A word of command which is used at military funerals.

RESTANT, _Fr._ the remainder; what is left.

RESTE, _Fr._ Remainder, viz. _Le reste des troupes_, the remainder of the troops.

_Etre en_ RESTE, _Fr._ To be in arrears.

RESTER, _Fr._ to remain behind.

RETENUE, _Fr._ Stoppage; any thing kept back.

RETIAIRE, _Fr._ See RETIARIUS.

RETIARIUS, a kind of gladiator who fought in the amphitheatre during the time of the Romans. He is thus described by Kennett, in his Roman Antiquities, page 274.

The Retiarius was dressed in a short coat, having a fuscina or trident in his left hand, and a net, from which he derives his name, in his right. With this he endeavored to entangle his adversary, that he might then with his trident easily dispatch him: on his head he wore only a hat tied under his chin with a broad riband.

RETIRADE, _or Coupure_, _Fr._ In fortification, a retrenchment, which is generally made with two faces, forming a rentrant angle, and is thrown up in the body of a work for the purpose of receiving troops, who may dispute the ground inch by inch. When the first means of resistance have been destroyed, others are substituted by cutting a ditch, and lining it with a parapet. The _retirade_ sometimes consists of nothing more than rows of fascines filled with earth, stuffed gabions, barrels or sand bags, with or without a ditch, and either fenced with palisadoes, or left without them.

Whenever it becomes absolutely necessary to quit the head or side of a work, the whole of it must, on no account, be abandoned. On the contrary, whilst some determined troops keep the enemy in check, others must be actively employed in throwing up _retirades_, which may flank each other, and in cutting a ditch in front. It is particularly incumbent upon the engineer officer to assist in works of this sort, and every officer and soldier should zealously co-operate with him. A slight knowlege of field fortification will on these occasions give a decided advantage. The body of a _retirade_ should be raised as high as possible, and several fougasses should be laid beneath it, for the purpose of blowing up the ground on which the enemy may have established himself.

RETIRADES _as practised by the ancients_: these were walls hastily run up behind breaches that were made by the battering rams. The able commentator upon Polybius observes, that in no instance, did the skill of the great men of antiquity appear in so conspicuous a light, as in the various chicanes to which they resorted for the preservation of a town. Their ingenuity and resolution increased in proportion as the danger approached. Instead of offering to capitulate as the moderns generally do, when a practicable breach has been opened by a besieging enemy, the ancients, in that emergency, collected all their vigor, had recourse to various stratagems, and waited behind the retirades or temporary retreats to give the enemy a warm and obstinate reception. Cæsar, in his Commentaries, has given a minute description of the manner in which these retirades were constructed; and we find them mentioned by Josephus, in his history of the war of the Jews against the Romans.

The intermediate periods, since the days of the Greeks and Romans, and before the modern era furnish various examples on this head. In 1219, Genghis Khan set all his battering rams to work, for the purpose of effecting a breach in the walls of Ottrar; but, to his great surprise, he no sooner entered the town, than he found a fresh line of entrenchments that had been thrown up in the very heart of the city. He saw every street cut asunder with temporary ditches, and every house presented fresh obstacles: so much so, that he experienced more difficulty in subduing the inhabitants after he had forced the walls, than had occurred in practising the breach.

When the emperor Charles V. laid siege to Metz in 1552, the duke de Guise, who was governor of the town, instantly adopted the necessary precautions to defend it to the last. He built a new wall behind the one against which the principal attack was directed; and when the breach was made, the besiegers found themselves obstinately opposed afresh, within a short space of the ground they had carried. In consequence of this unexpected check, the enemy’s troops grew disheartened; and their want of confidence soon convinced the emperor that the place could not be taken. The siege was unexpectedly raised, and the preservation of the town was entirely owing to the wise precautions that had been adopted by the duke de Guise.

In 1742, marshal Broglio, being closely besieged in the city of Prague, threw up retrenchments within the walls, and prepared to make a most vigorous resistance. An occasion, however presented itself, of which he took advantage, that rendered any further precautions useless. He made a vigorous sortie and forced the enemy to raise the siege.

RETIRED _List_, a list on the British marine establishment upon which superannuated officers are placed.

_Officers who_ RETIRE _in the East India company service_. The India company have resolved, that an officer, (in his military capacity) after twenty years actual service in India, coming to Europe on leave, will be allowed to retire on the pay of his rank, provided he signifies his intention of so doing, within twenty months after his arrival. Officers on leave who are desirous of retiring, and who declare their intention to that effect, within twelve months from their arrival, will be permitted to retire on the pay of the rank they may be entitled to at that period. An officer having completed 22 years actual residence in India, will be allowed to retire on the full pay of his rank, directly on his leaving India.

RETOURS _de la mine_, _Fr._ returns of a mine. See GALLERY.

RETOURS _de la tranchée_, _Fr._ returns of a trench. In fortification, the several windings and oblique deviations of a trench which are drawn, in some measure, parallel to the sides of the place attacked, in order to avoid being enfiladed, or having the shot of the enemy scour along the length of the line. On account of these different returns a considerable interval is opened between the head and the tail of the trench, which, were the lines directed, would not be at any great distance from each other.

RETRAITE, _Fr._ See RETREAT.

RETRAITE _dans les montagnes_, _Fr._ The act of fading back or retreating among the mountains.

_Faire_ RETRAITE, _Fr._ To retire, to fall back.

_Battre la_ RETRAITE, _Fr._ To beat the tap-too.

_Se battre en_ RETRAITE, _Fr._ To maintain a running fight.

RETRAITE, _Fr._ certain appointments which were given during the French monarchy to infantry officers, when they retired from the active duties of their profession, to afford them means of support. The pensions which were settled upon cavalry officers were likewise distinguished by the same term.

RETRAITE, _Fr._ See RELAIS.

RETRANCHEMENS. _Fr._ See RETRENCHMENTS.

RETRANCHEMENS _particuliers qu’on fait sur la tête des brèches d’une place assiègèe_, _Fr._ Particular retrenchments, which are made in front of breaches that have been effected in the walls of a besieged town.

It is always necessary, that retrenchments of this description should have the figures of rentrant angles, in order, that they may not only flank the breaches, but be capable of defending themselves.

A besieging enemy, seldom or ever, attempts a breach at the flanked angle of a bastion, because it must be seen by the two flanks of the neighboring bastions, and be perpetually exposed to the fire of the casemates of the town. Nevertheless should the breach be actually effected, retrenchments might be thrown up, in the same manner that horn-works are constructed, for the purpose of flanking it.

If the breach should be made in the face of the bastion, (which usually happens, because that quarter can be seen by the garrison from one side only) retrenchments in the shape of rentrant angles must be constructed.