Part 77

_Flank_ LEADING-FILE, the first man on the right, and the last man on the left of a battalion, company, or section, are so called.

_Centre_ LEADING-FILE, the last man of the right centre company, division, or section; and the first man of the left centre company, division, or section, are so called, when the line files from the centre to the front or rear. At close order, the colors stand between them.

LEAGUE, in _military history_, a measure of length, containing more or less geometrical paces, according to the different usages and customs of countries. A league at sea, where it is chiefly used by us, being a land measure mostly peculiar to the French and Germans, contains 3000 geometrical paces, or 3 English miles.

The French league sometimes contains the same measure, and, in some parts of France, it consists of 3500 paces: the mean or common league consists of 2400 paces, and the little league of 2000. The Spanish leagues are larger than the French, 17 Spanish leagues making a degree, or 20 French leagues, or 69¹⁄₂ English statute miles. The German and Dutch leagues contain each 4 geographical miles. The Persian leagues are pretty near of the same extent with the Spanish; that is, they are equal to 4 Italian miles, which is pretty near to what Herodotus calls the length of the Persian parasang, which contained 30 stadia, 8 whereof, according to Strabo, make a mile. See MEASURE.

LEAGUE also denotes an alliance or confederacy between princes and states for their mutual aid, either in attacking some common enemy, or in defending themselves.

LEAVE, indulgence, licence, liberty.

LEAVE _of absence_, a permission which is granted to officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, to be absent from camp or quarters for any specific period.

_General_ LEAVE, an indulgence which is annually granted on home service, by the commander in chief, to a certain proportion of the army, to be absent from military duty. This generally occurs in the winter months, and ends on the 10th of March, and in time of peace only.

LECTURES. Lectures are read at the British establishment at Woolwich to the officers of artillery, and engineers, and cadets, on chemistry: lectures upon topography and upon other essential parts of military science are given at High Wycombe: British colleges.

LEEKUK, _Ind._ a secretary or writer.

LEFT _give point_. See SWORD-EXERCISE.

LEFT _protect_. See SWORD-EXERCISE.

_To put on the_ LEG, among cavalry, is to press the inside of the foot and leg against the horse’s flank. It is always used in passaging to direct the horse which way to passage, and again on the opposite flank to stop him after he has passaged to his place.

LEGATUS, _in Roman antiquity_, a military officer who commanded as deputy of the chief general.

Kennett, in his Antiquities, observes, that the design of the legati, at their first institution, was not so much to command as to advise. The senate selecting some of the oldest and most prudent members to assist the general in his councils.

Dionysius calls this the most honorable and sacred office among the Romans, bearing not only the authority of a commander, but with all, the sanctity and veneration of a priest.

Under the emperors there were two sorts of _legati_, _consulares_ and _prætorii_; the first of which commanded the whole armies, as the emperor’s lieutenant generals, and the other only particular legions.

Machiavel highly extols the wisdom of the Romans, in allowing their generals unlimited commissions.

LEGER. This word although it be not strictly military, is in some degree connected with the profession, as diplomacy is not wholly foreign to military negociation. A leger ambassador, or resident signifies any person acting in that capacity, who remains stationary.

_Artillerie Légère_, _Fr._ The light or horse artillery.

_Cavalerie Légère_, _Fr._ Light horse.

_Un Cheval léger à la main_, _Fr._ A horse which is easily managed, or is not hard mouthed.

_Troupes Légères_, _Fr._ Light troops, or such as act in desultory warfare.

LEGION, in _Roman antiquity_, a body of foot, which consisted of ten cohorts, or 5000 men.

The exact number contained in a legion, was fixed by Romulus at 3000; though Plutarch assures us, that, after the reception of the Sabines into Rome, he increased it to 6000. The common number afterwards, in the first times of the free state, was 4000; but in the war with Hannibal, it rose to 5000; and after that, it is probable that it sunk again to 4200, which was the number in the time of Polybius.

In the age of Julius Cæsar, we do not find any legions exceeding the Polybian number of men; and he himself expressly speaks of two legions, that did not make above 7000 between them. (Commentar. lib. 5.)

The number of legions kept in pay together was different, according to the various times and occasions. During the free state, four legions were commonly fitted up every year, and divided between the consuls: yet in cases of necessity, we sometimes meet with no less than 16 or 18 in Livy.

Augustus maintained a standing army of 23 (or as some will have it) of 25 legions; but in aftertimes we seldom find so many.

They borrowed their names from the order in which they were raised, as _prima_, _secunda_, _tertia_, &c. but because it usually happened, that there were several _primæ_, _secundæ_, &c. in several places, upon that account they took a sort of surname besides, either from the emperors who first constituted them, as Augusta, Claudiana, Galbiana, Flavia, Ulpia, Trajana, Antoniana, or from the provinces which had been conquered chiefly by their valor, as Parthica, Scythica, Gallica, Arabica, &c. or from the names of the particular deities for whom their commanders had an especial honor, as Minervia and Appollinaris; or from the region where they had their quarters, as Cretensis, Cyrenaica, Britannica, &c. or sometimes upon account of the lesser accidents, as Adjutrix, Martia, Fulminatrix, Rapax, &c.

The whole Roman infantry, which was divided into four sorts, Velites, Hastati, Principes, and Triarii, consisted of Manipuli, Cohorts, and Legions. So that legion was considered as the largest establishment for foot soldiers. See Kennett’s Ant. of Rome, pages 190, 191.

Marshal Saxe has written at some length, respecting legion.

LEGION, in a general acceptation of the term, signifies any large body of men. In a more confined one among the moderns, it applies to a specific number of horse and foot, who are distinguished by that name, and do duty with the rest of the army. Such for instance was the British legion which served in America; and of this description were the Polish and Belgic legions, that formed part of the French army in the early part of the revolution. The French armies now form _corps d’armie_, which are in fact legions; and of 20 to 30,000 men each.

LEGIONARY, any thing appertaining to a legion, or containing an indefinite number.

LEGUMES, _Fr._ vegetables, roots, grain, &c. Every species of subsistence, which under the old government of France, was not provided for the troops by direct instructions from the war office, and at the expence of the public, was called _legumes_. Subsistence of this sort, however, may more properly be called that diet which soldiers got for themselves in foreign countries during actual hostilities.

_Legumes_, or vegetable food, &c. was classed under two specific heads. That which grew in consequence of the ground having been tilled and sowed, and that which rose spontaneously from the earth. Beans, peas, carrots, &c. may be considered as belonging to the first class, and those herbs or wild roots which have been cultivated in gardens, or are to be found in woods, &c. may come under the second. The latter sort, indeed, was frequently resorted to by the soldier in order to give a seasoning to his mess. Parties under the command of subaltern officers were permitted to accompany the foragers for the purpose of procuring this wholesome and pleasant addition to the regulated subsistence; and when there were not any foraging days, soldiers were permitted to gather roots and vegetables within the limits of the outermost house or vedette quarters, or of the regular outposts of the infantry.

_To_ LENGTHEN _out_, in a military sense, means to stride out.

_To_ LENGTHEN _the step_, to take more than the prescribed pace.

LESKAR, the camp of the great Mogul.

_To_ LET _in_, to admit; as he let some of the enemy’s advanced parties in, or into the camp, &c.

_To_ LET _off_, to discharge.

_To_ LET _off a pistol or musquet_, to fire either of those fire arms.

LETTER of _mark_, LETTER of _marque_, a letter granted to a ship captain impowering him to make reprisals for what was formerly taken from him, by ships of another state, contrary to the law of mart. See MARQUE.

LETTER _of mark_, a commission granted the commander of a merchant ship or privateer, to cruise against, and make prizes of the enemy’s ships and vessels, either at sea, or in their harbors.

LETTER _of service_, a written order or authority issued by the secretary at war, empowering any officer or individual to raise a given body of men to serve as soldiers, within a certain time, and on special conditions.

LETTER, in its general acceptation, a character such as forms the alphabet, or any thing written, such as an epistle, &c.

LETTER _of attorney_, an instrument in writing, authorizing an attorney, or any confidential person, to take the affairs of another in trust. A letter or power of attorney is necessary to empower a person to receive the half-pay of an officer. This should be accompanied by a certificate sworn to by the officer before some magistrate or justice of the peace.

LETTER _of credit_, a letter which is given from one merchant or banker to another, in favor of a third person, enabling the latter to take up money to a certain amount. Sometimes a letter of credit is given without any specific limitation.

LETTER _of licence_, a deed signed and sealed by the creditors of a man, by which he is allowed a given period to enable him to discharge his debts by instalments, or by a certain proportion in the pound.

LETTER-_men_, certain pensioners belonging to Chelsea hospital, are so called.

LETTON, _Fr._ a metal composed of molten copper, called rosette, and of _lapis calaminaris_, or zinc. This is brass.

LETTON is used in cannon-foundries. The best practical mode of digesting and mixing the materials, is to put 11 or 12,000 weight of metal, 10,000 weight of rosette, or molten copper, 900 pounds of tin, and 600 pounds of letton. There are various opinions respecting the mixture of these several ingredients.

LETTRE _circulaire_, _Fr._ a circular letter.

LETTRE _de cachet_, _Fr._ an infamous state paper, which existed before the French revolution, differing in this essential point from an order of the British privy council, that the former was sealed, and the person upon whom it was served, carried into confinement without even seeing the authority by which he was hurried off in so peremptory a manner, or being tried afterwards for any specific offence; whereas the latter is an open warrant, which, (except when peculiar circumstances occasions a suspension of the habeas corpus act,) has its object closely investigated before a jury. The French _lettre de cachet_ was written by the king, countersigned by one of his principal secretaries of state, and sealed with the royal signet.

LETTRES _de service_, _Fr._ See LETTERS _of service_.

LETTRES _de passe_, _Fr._ a paper signed by the kings of France, authorizing an officer to exchange from one regiment into another.

LETTRE _de créance, ou qui porte crêance_, _Fr._ A letter of credit. It likewise signifies the credentials which an ambassador presents from his government to a foreign court.

LETTRE _de récréance_, _Fr._ a letter which an ambassador receives from his government, by which he is recalled from a foreign court.

LETTRES _en chiffre_, _Fr._ Cyphers. Baron Espagnac in the continuation of his _Essai sur l’operation de la guerre_, tom. 1, page 269, gives the following instructions relative to this acquirement. He observes that writing in cypher may be practised in two different ways. First by means of distilled vinegar, which is boiled with silver litharge, one ounce of the latter to a pint of the former. When this mixture has stood some time, it must be carefully poured off from the sediment, and it will appear as clear as rock water. Intelligence or information may be conveyed by writing with this water in the blank spaces of an ordinary letter, on wrapping paper, or on the blank leaves of a book. The instant the writing dries, not the least trace appears of what has been marked. To render the writing legible, you must make use of a water in which quick lime has been dissolved with a mixture of orpiment. This water is as clear as rock water; and if you steep a sheet of paper in it, and lay it upon the letter, book, &c. on which any thing has been written, the different characters will instantly appear.

The first of these distilled liquids is so powerful and searching, that by putting the written letter upon several other sheets of paper, after having rubbed the top sheet with the second water, the writing will be clearly seen in almost all of them. The same circumstance will occur, if you rub the leaf of a book or any piece of paper which you may spread upon it. These waters, especially the last, should be kept in bottles that are well corked up, to prevent the spirituous particles from evaporating. A fresh composition must, indeed, be made, if the old one should seem weakened. The letters that are written must likewise be carefully penned, and kept free from blots, &c. The paper must not be turned, nor rubbed with the hand until the writing be thoroughly dry. This is the author’s first proposed mode of writing in cyphers, the second may be seen in page 270 of the work already quoted.

LETTRES _de représailles_, _Fr._ Reprisals. See LETTERS _of marque_.

LETTRES _de santé, patentes de santé_, _Fr._ letters of health.

LEVANT, the countries bordering upon the Mediterranean are so called. It appears to be derived from _le vent_, the wind, or country to windward, in relation to Italy.

LEVANTIN, _Fr._ A word generally used among the French to distinguish any person from the Levant.

LEVANTINE _nations_, (_Nations Levantines_, _Fr._) Nations belonging to the East, or to those countries which border on the Mediterranean. The French likewise say, _Peuples Levantines_.

LEVANTIS, _Fr._ The soldiers belonging to the Turkish gallies are so called.

LEVEE _de troupes_, _Fr._ See LEVY.

LEVEE _en Masse_, _Fr._ a general rising of the people of any country, either for the purposes of self defence, or to answer the intentions of its governing powers.

LEVEE _d’une siege_, _Fr._ The raising of a siege. See SIEGE.

LEVEL, an instrument to draw a line parallel to the horizon, whereby the difference of ascent or descent between several places may be found, for conveying water, draining fens, &c.

_Air_-LEVEL, that which shews the line of level by means of a bubble of air, inclosed with some liquor in a glass tube of an indeterminate length and thickness, whose two ends are hermetically sealed. When the bubble fixes itself at a certain mark, made exactly in the centre of the tube, the plane or ruler wherein it is fixed is level; when it is not level, the bubble will rise to one end. This glass tube may be set in another of brass, having an aperture in the middle, whence the bubble of air may be observed. There is one of these instruments with sights, being an improvement upon the last described, which by the addition of more apparatus, becomes more commodious and exact: it consists of an air-level about eight inches long, and 7 or 8 lines in diameter, set in a brass tube, with an aperture in the middle: the tubes are carried in a strong straight ruler, a foot long, at whose ends are fixed two sights, exactly perpendicular to the tubes, and of an equal height, having a square hole, formed by two fillets of brass crossing each other at right angles, in the middle whereof is drilled a very little hole, through which a point on a level with the instrument is described: the brass tube is fastened on the ruler by means of two screws, one whereof serves to raise or depress the tube at pleasure, for bringing it towards a level. The top of the ball and socket is riveted to a little ruler that springs, one end whereof is fastened with screws to the great ruler, and at the other end is a screw serving to raise and depress the instrument when nearly level.

_Artillery foot_-LEVEL, is in form of a square, having its two branches or legs of an equal length, at the angle of which is a small hole, whence hang a line and plummet, playing on a perpendicular line in the middle of a quadrant: it is divided into twice 45 degrees from the middle.

_Gunner’s_-LEVEL, for levelling pieces of artillery, consists of a triangular brass plate, about 4 inches, at the bottom of which is a portion of a circle divided into 45 degrees; which angle is sufficient for the highest elevation of cannons, mortars, and howitzers, and for giving shot and shells the greatest range: on the centre of this segment of a circle is screwed a piece of brass, by means of which it may be fixed or screwed at pleasure; the end of this piece of brass is made so as to serve for a plummet and index, in order to shew the different degrees of elevation of pieces of artillery. This instrument has also a brass foot, to act upon cannon or mortars, so that when these pieces are horizontal, the instrument will be perpendicular. The foot of this instrument is to be placed on the piece to be elevated, in such a manner, as that the point of the plummet may fall on the proper degree, &c.

The most curious instrument for the use of the artillerist, was lately invented by the very ingenious colonel Congreve, of the British artillery; having the following qualifications, viz. 1. It will find the inclination of any plane, whether above or below the horizon. 2. By applying it either to the cylinder, or outside of any piece of ordnance, angles of elevation or depression may be given to the 60th part of a degree, with less trouble than the common gunner’s quadrant, which only gives to the 4th part of a degree. 3. It will give the line of direction for laying either guns or mortars to an object above or below the horizon. 4. It will find the centre of metals of any piece of ordnance. 5. With it, a point may be found in the rear of a mortar-bed, in the vertical plane of the mortar’s axis; consequently a longer line of sight is given for directing them to the object than the usual way. 6. It answers all the purposes of a pair of callipers, with the advantage of knowing (to the 100th part of an inch) diameters, whether concave or convex, without the trouble of laying the claws upon a diagonal scale. 7. On the sides of the instrument are the following lines, viz. equal parts, solids, plains, and polygons, logarithms, tangents, versed sines, and numbers, plotting scales, and diagonal scale of inches for cutting fuzes by. 8. In the lid of the instrument-case is a pendulum to vibrate half seconds. It is likewise of singular use in surveying; as, 1. It takes horizontal angles to the 60th part of a degree. 2. Vertical angles. 3. Levels. 4. Solves right angled plane triangles. 5. Oblique-angled plane triangles. 6. Answers all the purposes of a protractor, with the advantage of laying down angles exactly as taken in the field. N. B. captain Jordane’s ingenious instrument answers nearly the same purposes.

_Spirit_-LEVEL. See AIR LEVEL.

By the term _level_ is also to be understood the line of direction in which any missive weapon is aimed.

LEVELLING, the finding a line parallel to the horizon at one or more stations, and so to determine the height of one place in regard to another.

A truly level surface is a segment of any spherical substance, which is concentric to the globe of the earth. A true line of level is an arch of a great circle which is imagined to be described upon a true level surface.

The apparent level is a straight line drawn tangent to an arch or line of true level. Every point of the apparent level except the point of contact, is higher than the true level.

The common methods of levelling are sufficient for laying pavements of walks, for conveying water to small distances, for placing horizontal dials, or astronomical instruments; but in levelling the bottoms of canals or ditches in a fortification, which are to convey water to the distance of many miles, the difference between the apparent and true level must be taken into the account.

Dr. Halley suggests a method of levelling, which is performed wholly by the barometer, in which the mercury is found to be suspended to so much the less height, as the place is more remote from the centre of the earth. Hence it follows, that the different height of the mercury in two places gives the difference of level.

Mr. Derham, from some observations at the top and bottom of the monument in London, found that the mercury fell ¹⁄₁₀th of an inch at every 82 feet of perpendicular ascent, when the mercury was at 30 inches. Dr. Halley allows of ¹⁄₁₀th of an inch for every 30 yards; and considering how accurately barometers are now made, we think this method sufficiently exact to take levels for the conveyance of water, or any other military purposes, and indeed less liable to errors than the common levels. Mr. Derham also found a difference of 3 inches ⁸⁄₁₀ths between the height of the mercury at the top and bottom of Snowdonhill in Wales.

For the common occasions of levelling, set a pole upright in a spring, pond, &c. and mark how many feet and inches are above water; then set up another pole of equal length with the other, in the place to which the water is to come. Place the centre of a quadrant on the top of this last pole, the plummet hanging free; spy through the sights at the top of the pole in the water, and if the thread cuts any degree of the quadrant, the water may be conveyed by a pipe laid in the earth. If you cannot see from one extreme to the other, the operation may be repeated.

LEVELLING.--_Table shewing the difference between the true and apparent level._

+------+------+------+------+------+--------+------+-------+ | | Dif- | | Dif- | | Dif- | | Dif- | | | fer- | | fer- | | fer- | | fer- | | | ence | | ence | | ence | | ence | | Dis- | of | Dis- | of | Dis- | of | Dis- | of | |tance.|level.|tance.|level.|tance.| level. |tance.| level.| +------+------+------+------+------+--------+------+-------+ | Yds. | Inch.| Yds. | Inch.| Mls. |Ft. in.| Mls. |Ft. in.| | 100 | 0.026| 1000 | 2.570| ¹⁄₄ | 0 0¹⁄₂| 7 | 32 6 | | 200 | 0.103| 1100 | 3.110| ¹⁄₂ | 0 2 | 8 | 42 6 | | 300 | 0.231| 1200 | 3.701| ³⁄₄ | 0 4¹⁄₂| 9 | 53 9 | | 400 | 0.411| 1300 | 4.344| 1 | 0 8 | 10 | 66 4 | | 500 | 0.643| 1400 | 5.038| 2 | 2 8 | 11 | 80 3 | | 600 | 0.925| 1500 | 5.784| 3 | 6 0 | 12 | 95 2 | | 700 | 1.260| 1600 | 6.580| 4 |10 7 | 13 |112 2 | | 800 | 1.645| 1700 | 7.425| 5 |16 7 | 14 |130 1 | | 900 | 2.081| | | 6 |23 11 | 15 |150 | | | | | | | | 16 |175 | +------+------+------+------+------+--------+------+-------+

This table will answer several useful purposes.