Part 77

=Monmouth, Battle of.= Was fought June 28, 1778, between the Revolutionary forces under Gen. Washington and the British under Sir Henry Clinton. Gen. Washington, whose army of about 12,000 men was encamped at Valley Forge, being informed of the intention of the enemy to evacuate Philadelphia and proceed to New York, placed his forces in a condition to march immediately in pursuit. Accordingly, when intelligence of the evacuation reached him, he broke up his encampment, and detaching a small force under Gen. Arnold to take possession of Philadelphia, marched rapidly with his whole army toward the Delaware. On the morning of June 28 the advance of the Colonial army, under Gen. Lee, became engaged with the enemy’s rear on the plain near Monmouth Court-house, in New Jersey; but the English line being soon reinforced, the Americans were compelled to give way, upon which Lee ordered a retreat. Gen. Washington, who was riding ahead of the main body of his army, met the retreating force, and peremptorily ordered Lee to reform his troops and hold his position. This he for a time partially effected, but was being again driven back, when the main body of the army arrived to his assistance. The battle now became general, and under the inspiring influence of their commander-in-chief the Americans fought with such desperate resolution that the British were at length obliged to give way. Washington made preparations to follow up his advantage, but owing to the broken character of the ground, and twilight coming on before a proper disposition of his troops could be made, the attack was postponed until next morning. When morning dawned, however, it was found that Sir Henry Clinton with his whole force had retreated during the darkness of the night toward Sandy Hook, and Washington, on account of the heat of the weather and the fatigue of his men, did not pursue them. This was one of the most severely contested battles of the war. The American loss was 227 killed and wounded, the English was a little greater.

=Monomachy= (Fr. _monomachie_). A single combat, or the fighting of two, hand to hand. It is derived from the Greek. A duel may properly be called a monomachy.

=Mons= (Flemish, _Berghen_). A strongly-fortified town of Belgium, in the province of Hainault, on the Trouille, 33 miles southwest from Brussels. It has been frequently besieged and taken; in 1709 it was taken by the allies under Marlborough and Eugène; in 1746 by Marshal Saxe; and in the wars of the French revolution in 1792-94 it was taken alternately by the French and the allies, the former of whom held the town from 1784 to 1814.

=Monsoon.= A wind blowing half the year in one direction, and the other half in the opposite;--a term applied particularly to certain winds of the Indian Ocean, which blow from the southwest from April to October, and from the northeast the rest of the year. The term is sometimes used to designate similar winds in other parts of the globe.

=Mont St. Jean.= A village of Belgium; it is near the scene of the battle of Waterloo, called by the French the battle of Mont St. Jean.

=Montana Territory.= A Territory of the United States, which is bounded on the north by the British possessions, east by Dakota, south by Wyoming and Idaho, and west by Idaho. This Territory has been overrun by hostile Indians, who, under the management of the military, are being rapidly subjugated. It was formed into a separate Territory in May, 1864, before which time it formed part of Idaho.

=Montauban.= A town of France, capital of the department of Tarn-et-Garonne, 342 miles south by west from Paris. At the Reformation the people embraced the Protestant cause; and the town was ineffectually besieged by the adverse party in 1580. It afterwards, in 1621, resisted for three months the assaults of Louis XIII., and did not yield till after the fall of Rochelle in 1629. The fortifications were soon after destroyed.

=Montbéliard=, or =Montbélliard=. A town of France, in the department of Doubs, 48 miles northeast from Besançon. It was in former times a place of some strength, and the capital of a county that originally formed part of the kingdom of Burgundy, but was transferred to the Würtemberg family in 1395. Although twice taken by the French in the 17th century, it was not finally ceded to them till 1796.

=Monte Aperto, Battle of.= See SIENA.

=Monte-Baldo.= A mountain of Lombardy; the Austrians were defeated in its vicinity by the French in 1797.

=Montebello Casteggio.= A village of Northern Italy, in the province of Voghera; here the Austrians were defeated by a French army under Gen. Lannes, after a desperate conflict, June 9, 1800; in the last Italian war the Austrians were again defeated here by the united armies of the French and Piedmontese in May, 1859.

=Montemaggiore Belsito.= A town of the island of Sicily, 31 miles southeast of Palermo. It was occupied by the Saracens when they first took possession of the country.

=Montenegro.= A principality of Europe, situated between the Turkish eyalets of Bosnia and Albania, and separated from the Adriatic by the narrow strip of land known as the circle of Cattaro, in Austrian Dalmatia. The Montenegrins are Slavs of the Servian race, knit together in clans and families, and have many fights among themselves, which are perpetuated by the hereditary obligation of avenging blood. Montenegro belonged in the Middle Ages to the great Servian kingdom, but after the dismemberment of the latter, and its conquest by the Turks at the battle of Kossovo (1389), the Montenegrins, under their prince, who was of the royal blood of Servia, maintained their independence, though compelled to relinquish the level tracts of land, and confine themselves to the mountains, in 1485. The Turks continued to assert their claims to Montenegro, but they were only defeated in their plans, and in 1710 the Montenegrins sought and obtained the protection of Russia, the czar agreeing to grant an annual subsidy on condition of their harassing the Turks by inroads. In 1860 the Montenegrins excited an insurrection against the Turkish rule in Herzegovina, which was soon suppressed, and in return they themselves were so hard pressed by the Turks that they were glad to agree to a treaty (September 8, 1862) by which the sovereignty of the Porte over Montenegro was recognized.

=Montenotte.= A small village of Northern Italy; here the Austrians were defeated by the French under Bonaparte, April 12, 1796.

=Monter= (_Fr._). This word means to rise from one rank to another in the way of promotion, as from lieutenant to captain, etc., or from having the command of the youngest company to be promoted to that of the oldest.

=Montereau.= A town of France, in the department of Seine-et-Marne. In its immediate vicinity Napoleon, on February 18, 1814, gained his last victory over the allies.

=Monterey.= A city of Mexico, capital of the state of Nuevo Leon, about 85 miles east by north of Saltillo. Gen. Taylor with an army of about 6000 men, the first division under Gen. Worth, appeared before this place, September 21, 1846. It was defended by a force of about 10,000 Mexicans under Gen. Ampudia. In approaching the city the first obstacles to be overcome were two batteries, which were in a commanding position. These were soon taken and their guns turned on a third battery erected in a large stone building, called the Bishop’s Palace. This was stormed on the morning of the 22d, and a vigorous sortie of the garrison having been repulsed, the Americans entered the city with the flying Mexicans. During the day a feigned attack on the defenses in front was soon converted into a real one, and after a severe contest the Americans entered the city, though with great sacrifice of life; for every street was barricaded, and guns were pointed from almost every wall. On the morning of the 23d, the defenses on the opposite side were assaulted and carried by the division of Gen. Worth, and the garrison soon after surrendered.

=Monterey.= A port of entry and capital of the county of the same name in California, about 95 miles south-southeast of San Francisco. It was once a populous and thriving city, but has greatly declined since the rise of San Francisco. Being led to suppose that war existed between the United States and Mexico, Commodore Sloat took this place July 7, 1846, and raised the American flag without opposition.

=Montero.= A military cap and hood formerly worn in camp.

=Monterotondo.= A town of Central Italy, situated about 26 miles south-southwest of Rieti. An engagement took place here October 25, 1867, between the French and pontifical troops and the volunteers of Garibaldi, in which the latter were victorious.

=Montevideo.= The capital of the republic of Uruguay, in South America. It was taken by the British forces under Sir Samuel Auchmuty, February 3, 1807, but was evacuated by them July 7 of the same year, in consequence of the severe repulse the British met with at Buenos Ayres (which see). Montevideo was given up to Uruguay in 1828.

=Montgomery.= The capital of the State of Alabama. A convention of delegates from the Southern States met here February 4, 1861, to organize a provisional government for the seceded States, which were thereafter to be known as the Confederate States of America, and Montgomery was chosen as the seat of government. Richmond being afterwards made the capital of the Confederacy, the seat of government was transferred thither on May 20 in the same year.

=Montiel= (Spain), =Battle of=. Took place on March 14, 1369, between Peter the Cruel, king of Castile, and his brother, Henry of Transtamare, aided by the French warrior, Bertrand du Guesclin. Peter was totally defeated, and afterwards treacherously slain.

=Montilla.= A town of Spain, in Andalusia; in 1508 the fortifications of this place were destroyed by Ferdinand the Catholic.

=Montlhery= (Seine-et-Oise, France). The site of an indecisive battle between Louis XI. and a party of his nobles, termed “The League of the Public Good,” July 16, 1465.

=Montmartre.= A village of France immediately to the north of Paris, and standing within the new line of fortifications; it was the scene of some sharp fighting in March, 1814.

=Montmirail.= A town of France, in the department of the Marne; Bonaparte defeated the Russians near this place in 1814.

=Montmorency=, or =Montmorenci=. The name of a noble French family, whose celebrity dates as far back as the 11th century, and which has produced many famous princes, peers, and generals. Among them were 6 constables and 11 marshals of France.

=Mont-Pagnote= (_Fr._). In fortification, an eminence where persons post themselves out of the reach of cannon, to see a camp, siege, battle, etc., without being exposed to danger. It is also called the post of the invulnerables.

=Montreal.= The largest city of the Dominion of Canada and of British America; it was surrendered to the English by the French, September 8, 1760; taken by the Americans, November 12, 1775, and retaken by the English, June 15, 1776.

=Montserrat.= A West India island, discovered by Columbus in 1493; it has several times been taken by the French, but was secured to the British in 1783.

=Moodkee.= A small town of Hindostan; it is only remarkable for a victory gained by the British over a greatly more numerous force of the Sikhs on December 18, 1845.

=Mook.= A village of Holland, in the province of Limburg; Louis of Nassau was defeated by the Spaniards near this place in 1574, and was slain in the action.

=Mooltan=, or =Moultan=. A city of India, in the Punjab; this place was stormed by Runjeet Sing, 1818; it was taken by the British after a protracted siege, in January, 1849.

=Moon.= A crescent-formed outwork. See HALF-MOON.

=Moors.= Formerly the natives of Mauritania (which see), but afterwards the name given to the Numidians and others, and now applied to the natives of Morocco and the neighborhood. They assisted Genseric and the Vandals in the invasion of Africa, 429, and frequently rebelled against the Roman emperors. They resisted for a time the progress of the Arab Mohammedans, but were overcome in 707, and in 1019 by them introduced into Spain, where their arms were long victorious. In 1063 they were defeated in Sicily by Robert Guiscard. The Moorish kingdom of Granada was set up in 1237, and lasted till 1492, when it fell before Ferdinand V. of Castile. The expulsion of the Moors from Spain was decreed by Charles V., but not fully carried into effect till 1609, when the bigotry of Philip III. inflicted this great injury on his country. About 1518 the Moors established the piratical states of Algiers and Tunis. In the history of Spain the Arabs and Moors must not be confounded.

=Mootiana.= In the East Indies, the soldiers are so called, who are employed to collect the revenue.

=Moppat.= An early name for a sponge of a cannon.

=Moquis.= A body of Pueblo Indians, in Arizona, numbering about 1700, inhabiting seven villages in the region southwest of the Navajoes. Their towns would be almost impregnable to an Indian assault. Each pueblo is built around a rectangular court, and is surrounded by a wall 15 feet high, the top of which forms a landing, upon which the doors of the houses open. The exterior walls, which are of stone, have no openings, and would have to be scaled or battered down before access could be gained to the interior. The successive stories are set back, one behind the other. The lower rooms are reached through trap-doors from the first landing; the latter is reached by means of detached ladders. The houses are three rooms deep, and open from the interior court; the arrangement is as strong and compact as could be well devised; but as the court is common, and the landings are separated by no partitions, it involves a certain community of residence.

=Morat.= An old town of Switzerland, situated on a lake of the same name, in the canton of Friburg. Charles the Bold of Burgundy was defeated before Morat by the Swiss in 1476.

=Moravia.= An Austrian province, occupied by the Slavonians about 458, and conquered by the Avars and Bohemians who submitted to Charlemagne. About 1000 it was subdued by Boleslas, king of Poland, but recovered by Ulric of Bohemia in 1030. After various changes, Moravia and Bohemia were amalgamated into the Austrian dominions in 1526. Moravia was invaded by the Prussians in 1866.

=Morea.= The name borne by the ancient Peloponnesus since the Middle Ages, if not from as early a period as the 4th century; it forms the most southern part of Greece. Morea was overrun by the Goths and Vandals, and became a prey in the second half of the 8th century to bands of Slavic invaders, who found it wasted by war and pestilence. Gradually, however, these barbarians were subdued and Grecianized by the Byzantine emperors. In 1207 Morea was conquered by French knights; part of the country was reconquered in 1261 by the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII. Palæologus; but in 1460 the greater part of the Morea fell into the hands of the Turks, who retained possession of it down to the period of the Greek revolution, except from 1687 to 1715, when it was held by the Venetians.

=Morella.= A strongly-fortified town of Spain, province of Castellon-de-la-Plana. It was taken by Philip V. in 1707, surprised in 1838 by Cabrera, and retaken, after a brave defense, by Espartero in 1840. During the last civil war, the walls and magazines of the citadel were destroyed.

=Morgarten.= A mountain of Switzerland, 5 miles north from Schwyz, where, in November, 1315, the first battle was fought for Swiss independence. On this occasion 20,000 of the Austrian forces were defeated by 1300 Swiss. In 1798 the French were also defeated here by the Swiss.

=Morglay.= A deadly weapon; a great sword.

=Morion.= An iron or steel head-piece worn by a man-at-arms in the days when armor was used. It was distinguished from the helmets of the knights and esquires in having neither visor nor beaver. Under the Norman laws, every yeoman between certain ages was bound to keep his morion ready for service.

=Mormons.= A modern sect who profess the religious doctrines of one Joseph Smith. Polygamy is one of the prominent features of their religion. The sect has its headquarters at Salt Lake City, Utah.

=Morne.= The head of the lance used in tilting or other peaceful encounters. It was curved so that an adversary might be unhorsed, but not wounded, by a stroke.

=Morning Gun.= The gun fired at the first note of reveille in military barracks, forts, etc.

=Morning Star.= A weapon consisting of a ball with projecting spikes attached by a chain to a short staff. Used as late as the time of Henry VIII. by the train-bands of London.

=Morocco.= An empire in Northern Africa, formerly Mauritania. In 1051 it was subdued for the Fatimite caliphs, by the Almaravides, who eventually extended their dominion into Spain. They were succeeded by the Almohades (1121), the Merinites (1270), and in 1516 by the Scherifs, pretended descendants of Mohammed, the now reigning dynasty. The Moors have had frequent wars with the French, Spaniards, and Portuguese, due to piracy.

=Moron=, or =Moron-de-la-Frontera=. A town of Andalusia, Spain, about 32 miles northeast of Seville. On a hill east of the town are the ruins of an ancient castle erected by the Moors, which was one of the most important strongholds in Spain for several centuries. It was blown up by the French in 1812.

=Morris Island.= A low sand island, about 5 miles long, on the south side of Charleston harbor, S. C. A Confederate battery erected on its northern extremity aided in the capture of Fort Sumter, April 12-13, 1861, after which Fort Wagner and other batteries were erected for the defense of Charleston. An expedition against the city having been contemplated, the military occupation of the island by the Federals, and the erection of land-batteries for the reduction of Fort Sumter were deemed necessary. As the latter was a task requiring engineering skill, the duty was assigned to Gen. Q. A. Gillmore, who took command of the department. He took possession of the south end of the island on July 10, 1863, and on the 11th and 18th made two attempts to capture Fort Wagner near the north end by assault, his object being to get within more effective breaching distance of Fort Sumter. His efforts, however, were unsuccessful, and it was accordingly determined to reduce Fort Wagner by a regular siege. Gen. Gillmore commenced by the erection of parallels, which he pushed forward with such diligence in spite of all difficulties, that by August 13 his works were within about 400 yards of Wagner. On the morning of the 17th, having completed his batteries, which numbered about 60 pieces, and obtained the range, his guns opened fire on Sumter. The fleet, consisting of the frigate “Ironsides” and the monitors, aided by some wooden gunboats, made an attack at the same time upon Fort Wagner and Fort Gregg, another Confederate work, both of which were nearly silenced. On August 26, having completed a parallel and sap which extended very close to Fort Wagner, Gen. Gillmore determined to possess a ridge of sand which interposed, and was necessary to the success of his operations. It was constantly occupied by a strong body of the enemy’s pickets and at night by a force protected by rifle-pits. A bombardment of the position was made just before dark, after which it was carried by the 24th Massachusetts, and one company of North Carolina troops captured. After a terrific bombardment of forty-two hours, September 5-6, it was determined to carry the place by storm on the next day, but during the night the enemy evacuated the fort, and Gen. Gillmore became master of the whole island.

=Morris-pike.= An ancient Moorish pike.

=Mortar.= Short cannon for throwing shells, usually fired at angles from 45° to 60° elevation, called “vertical fire,” in contradistinction to the fire of long cannon, usually made at low angles. Mortars--so called from their similarity of form to the mortar for pulverizing, which has retained its familiar shape from the earliest ages--are believed to have been the first guns used, and, though changed from age to age frequently in form of chamber, size, and projectile, all ages have found them too useful in their special way to suppress or essentially alter them. The “Coehorn” mortar--so called from the famous Dutch engineer, Gen. Coehorn, who first proposed them in 1674--is to-day in use, of the same pattern and for the like service then suggested. Monster mortars have been constructed from time to time, in the hope of producing immense destruction in bombardments with single shells containing a large quantity of powder. The most recent of these, the monster mortar made by Mallet for the British government, weighing 114,000 pounds, with a bore of 36 inches and a shell of 2912 pounds, failed to be of any service. Perhaps the most unique mortars ever made were to be found in the island of Malta in the last century. The solid rock had been hollowed out into immense mortars, some of them 6 feet wide at the mouth. These tremendous _fougasses_ (the proper term for them) were to be filled with stones, shells, and missiles of various kinds, to descend in a crushing shower upon an enemy attempting a landing. For different kinds of mortars now in use, see ORDNANCE.

=Mortara.= A walled town of Italy, situated on the right bank of the Arbogna, 14 miles south-southeast of Novara. In 774, the Lombards were here defeated by Charlemagne with great slaughter.

=Mortar-bed.= See BEDS, and ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Mortar-fuze.= See LABORATORY STORES.

=Mortar-piece.= An old term for a mortar.

=Mortar-scraper.= See IMPLEMENTS.

=Mortar-wagon.= A wagon used to transport mortars, mortar-beds, spare guns, and projectiles. See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Mortfontaine.= A village of France, in the department of the Oise, in the castle of which peace between France and the United States was signed in 1800.

=Mortimer’s Cross.= Four cross-roads about 6 miles northwest from Leominster, in Herefordshire, England, where the Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians in 1461.

=Mortlach.= A parish of Scotland, in Banffshire. In this parish the Danes were defeated by Malcolm II. in the 11th century.

=Mortne.= See MORNE.

=Moscow.= A city of Russia in Europe, situated on the river Moskwa, 375 miles southeast from St. Petersburg. It was the ancient capital of Russia, and was founded about 1147. It was plundered by Timur, 1382; by the Tartars, 1451 and 1477; ravaged by Ladislas of Poland in 1611. It was entered by Napoleon I. and the French, September 14, 1812; the governor, Rostopchin, ordered it to be set on fire (11,840 houses burnt, besides palaces and churches), September 15, 1812. It was evacuated by the French in October, 1812.

=Moskirch= (Baden). Here the Austrians were defeated by Moreau and the French, May 5, 1800.

=Moskwa, Battle of.= See BORODINO.

=Moslem.= Pertaining to the Mohammedans.

=Moss-troopers.= A name formerly applied to the raiders and cattle-thieves who infested the borders of England and Scotland.

=Mothir al Moolk.= In the East Indies, fortifications, barricades, intrenchments, or breastworks, are so called.

=Motion.= Each movement in the manual of arms is divided into motions to facilitate instruction of recruits.

=Motion of Projectiles.= See PROJECTILES.

=Moton.= In ancient armor, a small plate covering the armpits of a knight, used when plate-armor was worn.

=Motto.= In heraldry, is a word or short sentence which forms an accompaniment to a coat of arms, crest, or household badge. In modern heraldry it is customary to place the motto in an escrol either above the crest or below the shield.