Part 147

_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.