Part 27

Art. 89. Every officer authorised to order a general court martial, shall have power to pardon or mitigate any punishment ordered by such court, except the sentence of death, or of cashiering an officer; which in the cases where he has authority (by article 65) to carry them into execution, he may suspend until the pleasure of the President of the United States can be known; which suspension, together with copies of the proceedings of the court martial, the said officer shall immediately transmit to the President for his determination. And the colonel or commanding officer of the regiment or garrison, where any regimental or garrison court martial shall be held, may pardon or mitigate any punishment ordered by such court to be inflicted.

Art. 90. Every judge advocate, or person officiating as such, at any general court martial, shall transmit, with as much expedition as the opportunity of time and distance of place can admit, the original proceedings and sentence of such court martial, to the secretary of war, which said original proceedings and sentence shall be carefully kept and preserved in the office of the said secretary, to the end that the persons entitled thereto may be enabled, upon application to the said office, to obtain copies thereof.

The party tried by any general court martial, shall, upon demand thereof made by himself, or by any person, or persons in his behalf, be entitled to a copy of the sentence and proceedings of such court martial.

The following section is extracted from the laws of Congress of 1808.

Sec. 10. _And be it further enacted_, That the officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates of the said corps, shall be governed by the rules and articles of war, which have been established by the United States in Congress assembled, or by such rules and articles as may be hereafter, by law established; _Provided nevertheless_, That the sentence of general courts martial, extending to the loss of life, the dismission of a commissioned officer, or which shall respect the general officer, shall, with the whole of the proceedings of such cases, respectively, be laid before the President of the United States, who is hereby authorised to direct the same to be carried into execution, or otherwise, as he shall judge proper.

COURT _of inquiry_, an assemblage of officers who are empowered to inquire into the conduct of an officer, or to see whether there is ground for a court-martial, &c. Courts of inquiry cannot award punishment, but must report to the officer by whose order they were assembled. Courts of inquiry are also appointed to examine into the quality and distribution of military stores. See ARTICLES OF WAR, §. 91, and 92.

_A regimental_ COURT-MARTIAL cannot sentence to the loss of life or limb. The colonel or commanding officer approves the sentence of a regimental court-martial.

_A garrison_ COURT-MARTIAL resembles a regimental one in as much as the members are not sworn, and only differs by its being composed of officers of different regiments. The governor, or other commanding officer of the garrison, approves the sentence.

COURTINE, _Fr._ See CURTAIN.

COUSSINET _à mousquetaire_, _Fr._ a bag formerly worn by a French soldier on his left side beneath the cross belt. It hung upon hooks near the but of his musquet. It likewise signifies a wedge used to support the mortar in its frame.

COUTELAS, _Fr._ See CUTLASS.

COUVERT, _Fr._ See COVER.

COUVRE-FACE, _Fr._ a term used by some engineers, and among others by Cohorn, to express the counter-guard: others, particularly Montalembert, convey by _couvre face géneral_ a second line of complete investment.

_To_ COVER, in the mechanical disposition of a battallion, company or squad, only means that a man is to stand in such a position in files, as that when he looks exactly forward to the neck of the man who leads him, he cannot see the second man from him. Nothing but great attention at the drill can bring men to cover so truly as never to destroy the perpendicular direction of any leading body. The least deviation in the men who cover upon either flank of a leading column or division, will throw all that follow out of the true line.

_To_ COVER _ground_, is to occupy a certain proportion of ground individually, or collectively. A foot soldier upon an average covers 22 inches of ground when he stands in the ranks. The dimensions are taken from his shoulder points.

A file on horseback covers or occupies in the ranks about 2 feet 8 inches. Thus three file, 8 feet; twelve file will occupy about 32 feet or 10 yards and 2 feet; thirteen file, 34 feet 8 inches, or 11 yards, 1 foot 8 inches; fourteen file, 37 feet 4 inches, or 12 yards 1 foot 4 inches, and so on.

One horse’s length from nose to croup, on an average, 8 feet and about 2 inches, or 2 yards 2 feet 2 inches. This consequently will be the space which about three files occupy in front.

Cavalry and infantry officers cannot pay too much attention to the calculation of distances by an accurate knowlege of which, ground will be properly covered, and any proportion of men, on horseback or on foot, be drawn up so as to answer the intentions of an able general. The best way that an officer can form his eye, is to exercise it to the measurement of ground by the regular pace of two feet, used in the military drawing; by this he can calculate his interval exactly, when he once knows how many feet his division occupies; for it is only halving the number of feet, and the number, so produced, is his distance in paces of two feet each. This instruction has been given to cavalry officers, by a very able Tactician.

COVER, a term in war to express security or protection: thus, to land under cover of the guns, is to advance offensively against an enemy who dares not approach on account of the fire from ships, boats or batteries. It likewise signifies whatever renders any movement imperceptible: as, under cover of the night, under cover of a wood, &c. The gallery or corridor in fortification is however, particularly distinguished by the term _Chemin Couvert_, covert way, because the glacis of the parade is its parapet.

COVERT-WAY, in fortification, is a space of 5 or 6 fathoms on the border of the ditch towards the country, covered by a rising ground, which has a gentle slope towards the field. This slope is called the glacis of the covert-way. See FORTIFICATION.

_Second_ COVERT-WAY, or as the French call it _avant chemin couvert_, is the covert-way at the foot of the glacis. See FORTIFICATION.

CRAB. See GIN.

CRANE, an instrument made with ropes, pullies, and hooks, by which great weights are raised.

CREDITS. See DEBTS _and Credits_.

CREMAILLE, in field fortification, is when the inside line of the parapet is broken in such a manner as to resemble the teeth of a saw; whereby this advantage is gained, that a greater fire can be brought to bear upon the defile, than if only a simple face were opposed to it; and consequently the passage is rendered more difficult.

_Redouts en_ CREMAILLERE, or _Cremaille_, are such as are constructed as above mentioned.

CRESSET, any great light upon a beacon, light-house, or watch-tower.

CRETE, in fortification, implies the earth thrown out of the ditch in a fortification, trench, &c. The most elevated part of a parapet or glacis.

CRI _des armes_, _Fr._ a savage custom which is still preserved by the Turks and other uncivilized nations, whenever they go into action. It was formerly practised among the French, Spaniards, and the English, &c. The national exclamations were Montjoie and St. Dennis for France, St. James for Spain, St. George for England, St. Malo or St. Yves for the Dukes of Britanny, St. Lambert for the principality of Liege, &c. The war-whoop may likewise be considered in this light. It is still practised among the savages of America. See WAR-WHOOP.

Every species of noise however is now exploded in Europe. When two armies are upon the point of engaging, a dead silence prevails, the eye and ear of the soldier are rivetted to the word of command; and when he comes into close contact with the enemy, nothing is heard besides the noise of drums, trumpets and cymbals, to which are added the discharge of ordnance and the fire of the musquetry.

In making any desperate assault, or in charging bayonet, or when one battalion is directly opposed to another, or squadron to squadron, the French soldiery frequently use the cri des armes; _tué tué_; and the Spaniards vociferate _amat_. Silence and calmness in the soldier, with steadiness and observation in the officer, are nevertheless superior to such ungovernable effusions. The former must contribute to regularity, the latter seldom fails to create disorder.

CRIQUES, _Fr._ small ditches which are made in different parts of a ground, for the purpose of inundating a country, in order to obstruct the approaches of an enemy.

CROATS, in military history, light irregular troops so called; generally people of Croatia. They are ordered upon all desperate services, and their method of fighting is the same as the Pandours. They wear a short waist-coat, and long white pantaloons, with light boots, a cap greatly resembling the hussar cap. Their arms are a long firelock with rifled barrel, and short bayonet, a crooked hanger, and brace of pistols.

CROCUS, a calcined metal used by the soldiers to clean their musquets, &c.

CROIX _de St. Louis_, _Fr._ The cross of St. Louis, a French order which was purely of a military nature. It was instituted by Louis, surnamed the Great, in 1693.

In 1719 the number of grand crosses to be distributed in the French army was limited, with appropriate allowances, in the following manner.

445 Commandeurs and chevaliers. 12 grand crosses at 6000 livres, 13 commandeurs at 4000 livres, 27 ditto at 3000, 25 chevaliers at 2000, 38 ditto at 1500, 100 ditto at 1000, 1 ditto at 900, 99 ditto at 800, 45 ditto at 600, 23 ditto at 500, 35 ditto at 400, 5 ditto at 300, and 4 ditto at 200.

The King was Sovereign Grand Master of the order. Land and sea officers wore it promiscuously. The cross consisted of an enamelled golden _fleur de lis_ which was attached to the button hole of the coat by means of a small riband, crimson colored and watered.

On one side was the cross of St. Louis, with this inscription _Ludovicus Magnus instituit_, 1693; on the reverse side a blazing sword with the following words, _Bellicæ virtutis, præmium_.

This is the only order which could be properly and strictly called military. There were several others during the old French government, which we judge superfluous to the present work.

CROSS, the ensign or grand standard borne by the crusaders in the holy-war.

CROSS-_fire_, in the art of war, is when the lines of fire of two or more adjoining sides of a field-redoubt, &c. cross one another; it is frequently used to prevent an enemy’s passing a defile. It may be two ways obtained: first, by constructing the redoubt with the face opposite the defile, tenailled; that is, forming a re-entering angle. The other way is, to defend the defile by 2 redoubts, whose faces command the passage, flanking each other at the same time.

CROSS-_bar shot_, shot with iron bars crossing through them, sometimes standing 6 or 8 inches out at both sides: they are used at sea, for destroying the enemy’s rigging. At a siege they are of great service in demolishing the enemy’s palisading, &c.

CROSS-_bars_. See CARRIAGES.

CROSS-_bow_, a missive weapon used to propel arrows, &c. previous to the use of gunpowder.

CROTCHET, of cavalry. See CROSS.

CROW, an iron bar used as a lever, in moving heavy ordnance, or carriages, &c.

CROWS-_feet_, or CALTROPS, in the art of war, are 4 pointed irons, so made that what way soever they fall, one point is always uppermost. The short ones are about 4 inches in length, and the long ones 6 or 7. The short ones are thrown on bridges, &c. and the long ones on the earth, both to incommode the cavalry, that they may not approach without great difficulty.

CROWN-_work_, in fortification, an out work that takes up more ground than any other. It consists of a large gorge, and two sides terminating towards the country in two demi-bastions, each of which is joined by a particular curtain, forming two half bastions and one whole one: they are made before the curtain, or the bastion, and generally serve to inclose some buildings which cannot be brought within the body of the place, or to cover the town gates, or else to occupy a spot of ground which might be advantageous to the enemy. See FORTIFICATION.

CROWNED _horned-work_, in fortification, is a horn-work, with a crown-work before it.

CROWNS, in ancient military history, were of various uses and denominations, viz.

_Oval_ CROWN, _corona ovalis_, given to a general who, without effusion of blood, had conquered the enemy.

_Naval_ CROWN, _corona navalis_ distributed to those who first should board an enemy’s ship.

_Camp_ CROWN, _corona castrensis_, the reward of those who first passed the palisades of, and forced an enemy’s camp.

_Mural_ CROWN, _corona muralis_, the recompense and mark of honor due to those who first mounted the breach at an assault of a besieged town.

_Civic_ CROWN, _corona civica_, more esteemed than the preceding: it was the distinguishing mark of those who had saved the life of a Roman citizen in battle. It was given to Cicero for dissipating the conspiracy of Catiline, and denied to Cæsar, because he embrued his hands in the blood of his fellow citizens.

_Triumphal_ CROWN, _corona triumphalis_, the symbol of victory, and presented to a general who gained any signal advantage to the republic.

_Grass_ CROWN, _corona graminea_ was delivered by the whole Roman people to any general who had relieved an army invested or besieged by the enemy. The other _crowns_ were distributed by the emperors and generals; this was given to Fabius by the Roman people, for obliging Hannibal to decamp from Rome.

_Olive_ CROWN, _corona oliva_, the symbol of peace, and presented to the negotiators of it.

CROISADE CRUSADE in military history, also called a holy war, barbarous expeditions of the Christians against the Saracens or Turks for the recovery of the holy land, and so called from those who engaged in it wearing a cross on their clothes.

CUBE a solid, consisting of 6 equal square sides. The solidity of any cube is found by multiplying the superficial content of any one of the sides by the height. Cubes are to one another in the triplicate ratio of their diagonals.

CUBE-_root_, is the side of one of the squares constituting the cube.

CUBIC _foot_, implies so much as is contained in a cube whose side is 1 foot, or 12 inches.

CUBIC _hyperbola_, is a figure expressed by the equation _x y²_ = _a_, having 2 asymptotes, and consisting of 2 hyperbolas, lying in the adjoining angles of the asymptotes, and not in the opposite angles, like the Apollonian hyperbola, being otherwise called, by Sir Isaac Newton, in his _enumeratio linearum tertii ordinis_, an hyperbolismus of a parabola: and is the 65th species of lines, according to him.

CUBIC _number_, is that which is produced by multiplying any number by itself, and then again the product by that number.

CUBIC _parabola_, a curve of the second order, having infinite legs, diverging contrary ways.

CUE _or_ QUEUE, the hair tied in form of a tail. All the British soldiers, excepting the grenadiers and light infantry, till very lately wore their hair cue’d.

CUIRASSE, a piece of defensive armor, made of plate, well hammered, serving to cover the body, from the neck to the girdle, both before and behind, called breast and back plate.

CUIRASSIERS, in the military art, are a sort of heavy cavalry armed with cuirasses, as most of the German horse are. The several German powers have regiments of cuirassiers, especially the emperor, and the king of Prussia. The late king of France had also one regiment; but there were none in the English army since the revolution of 1688.

CUISH, the ancient armor which covered the thighs, was so called.

CUISSARS, _Fr._ are plates or scales made of beaten iron, which formerly served to cover the thighs.

CUITE, _Fr._ a technical word to express the preparation of saltpetre for the making of gunpowder. See SALTPETRE.

CULASSE, _Fr._ See BREECH of a GUN.

CULBUTER, _une Colonne_, to overthrow a column. This term is frequently used when cavalry attack infantry by rapidly charging it.

CULEE _d’un pont_, _Fr._ butment of a bridge.

CULVERIN, CULVERIN _ordinary_, CULVERIN _of the largest size_, See CANNON.

CUNEUS. See WEDGE.

CUNETTE. See CUVETTE.

CURFEW-_bell_, a signal given in cities taken in war, &c. to the inhabitants to go to bed. The most eminent curfew was that in England, established by William the Conqueror, who appointed, under severe penalties, that, at the ringing of a bell, at 8 o’clock in the evening, every one should put out their lights and fires, and go to bed, &c.

CURTAIN, in fortification, is that part of the body of the place, which joins the flank of one bastion to that of the next. See FORTIFICATION.

_Angle of the_ CURTAIN. See FORTIFICATION.

_Complement of the_ CURTAIN. See FORTIFICATION.

CURTELASSE, CURTELAX, See CUTLASS.

CUSTREL, the shield-bearer of the ancients was so called.

CUT. There are six cuts used by the cavalry, to be made with the broad sword, or sabre. See SWORD _Exercise_.

_To_ CUT _off_. To intercept, to hinder from union or return. In a military sense, this phrase is variously applicable, and extremely familiar.

_To_ CUT _off an enemy’s retreat_, is to manœuvre in such a manner as to prevent an opposing army, or body of men, from retiring, when closely pressed, either to their entrenchments, or into a fortified town from which they had marched or sallied. Whole armies may be cut off either through the mismanagement of their own generals, by extending the line of operation too far, or through the superior talents of an individual, who in the midst of the hurry, noise, and desolation, which invariably attend a pitched battle, suddenly takes advantage of some opening in the wings or centre, and cuts off a material part of his enemy’s line. When one army is superior to another in numbers, and is commanded by a shrewd and intelligent officer, it may always cut off a part at least of the opposing forces that come into action.

_To_ CUT _short_. To abridge: as the soldiers were cut short of their pay.

_To_ CUT _up_. When the cavalry are sent in pursuit of a flying enemy, the latter are generally cut up.

_To_ CUT _through_. A small body of brave men, headed by a good officer, will frequently extricate itself from apparent captivity, or destruction, by cutting its way through superior force.

CUTLER, a military artificer, whose business is to forge, temper, and mount all sorts of sword blades.

CUTTING-_off_. See RETRENCHMENT.

CUVETTE, in fortification, is a small ditch of 10 or 12 feet broad, made in the middle of a large dry ditch, about 4 or 4¹⁄₂ feet deep, serving as a retrenchment to defend the ditch, or else to let water in, (if it can be had during a siege,) and afford an obstacle, should the enemy endeavor to cross the fosse.

CYCLOPOEDIA. See ENCYCLOPOEDIA.

CYCLOID, a curve in geometry.

CYLINDER, or _concave cylinder of a gun_, is all the hollow length of the piece, or bore. See CANNON.

_Charged_ CYLINDER, the chamber, or that part which receives the powder and ball. See CANNON.

_Vacant_ CYLINDER, that part of the hollow or bore which remains empty when the piece is loaded.

CYMAR, a slight covering; a scarf.

CYMBAL, in ancient military history, a war-like musical instrument in use among the ancients, made of brass and silver. They are derived from Asia, where they are of a variety of sizes. They are now used by the British and other European nations, in their martial music.

CZAR, in military history, a title assumed by the great dukes, or, as they are now stiled, emperors of all the Russias. This title is no doubt, by corruption, taken from _Cæsar_, emperor; and the Czars accordingly bear an eagle, as the symbol of their empire. The first that bore this title was Basil, the son of Basilides, about the year 1470. The Empress is called the Czarina or Tzarina.

D.

DAGGER, in military affairs, a short sword, or poinard, about 12 or 13 inches long. It is not long since, that duellists fought with sword and dagger.

DAGUE, _Fr._ dagger, a short thick poniard which was formerly used when individuals engaged in single combat.

DAM. See DYKE.

DAME, _Fr._ among miners any portion of earth which may remain after the explosion of a mine has taken place. It likewise means a piece of wood with two handles used to press down turf or dirt in a mortar.

DARE, a challenge or defiance to single combat.

DARRAIN. See BATTLE-_array_.

DART, in ancient military history, implies a small kind of lance, thrown by the hand.

DAY, in a military sense implies any time in which armies may be engaged, from the rising of one day’s sun to that of another. According to Johnson it signifies the day of contest, the contest, the battle.

DAYSMAN, an umpire of the combat was so called.

DEBANDADE. _A la débandade_, helter-skelter.

_Se battre à la débandade_, to fight in a loose, dispersed manner.

_Laisser à la débandade_, to leave at random, or in disorder.

DEBARK, See DISEMBARK.

DEBAUCHER, _Fr._ to debauch or entice a soldier from the service of his country. During the reign of Louis the XV. and in former reigns, it was enacted, that any person who should be convicted of having _debauched_ or enticed a soldier from his duty should suffer death. By a late act of the British parliament it is made a capital offence to entice or seduce a soldier from any regiment in the British service.

By the 23d section of the articles of war of the United States, the advising or persuading any officer of the United States army to desert, subjects the adviser to the punishment of death, or such other punishment as a court martial may inflict.

DEBENTURE, is a kind of warrant, given in the office of the British board of ordnance, whereby the person whose name is therein specified, is intitled to receive such a sum of money as by former contract had been agreed on, whether wages, or otherwise. Debenture, in some of the British acts of parliament, denotes a kind of bond or bill, first given in 1649, whereby the government is charged to pay the soldier, creditor, or his assigns, the money due on auditing the account of his arrears. The payments of the board of ordnance for the larger services at home are always made by debentures; and the usual practice has been to make those payments which are said to be in course of office, at a period which is always somewhat more than three months after the date of each debenture, and which can never exceed six: to pay, for instance, at once for the three months of January, February, and March, as early as possible after the 30th of June.

Debentures were generally made up at the Pay-Office by virtue of warrants from the War-Office, with the state of regimental charges annexed, after which is issued the final, or clearing warrant. See WARRANT.

DEBLAYER _un Camp_, _Fr._ To evacuate a camp for the purpose of cleaning and purifying the ground.

DEBTS and _Credits_. Every captain of a troop or company in the British service is directed to give in a monthly statement of the _debts and credits_ of his men; and it is the duty of every commanding officer to examine each list, and to see, that no injustice or irregularity has been countenanced or overlooked in so important an object, as every money matter between officer and soldier most unquestionably is.