W.

WAD, (Bourre, Fr.) In gunnery, a substance made of hay or straw, and sometimes of tow rolled up tight in a ball. It serves to be put into a gun after the powder, and rammed home, to prevent the powder from being scattered, which would have no effect if left unconfined.

Wad-mill. A hollow form of wood to make the wads of a proper size.

Wad-hook. A strong iron screw, like those that serve for drawing corks, mounted upon a wooden handle, to draw out the wads, or any part of cartridges, which often remain in guns, and when accumulated stop up the vent.

WADA or WADADARY, Ind. A farm of a district.

WADABUNDY, Ind. Stated periods or dates, on which money is to be paid.

WADADAR, Ind. A government officer, who is responsible for the rents of a zemindary.

WADDING. Oakum, hay or straw, or any other article generally carried along with the guns to be made into wads.

Experiments relative to the effects of Wadding. The quantity of powder requisite to raise a shell weighing 218 lb. clear of the mortar and bed was found to be 4 oz. 2 dr. without any wadding; but with the help of a little wadding, rammed over the powder, 3 oz. 1 dr. were sufficient. The powder, requisite to raise a shell weighing 106 lb. clear of the mortar and bed, was found to be 2 oz. 6 dr. without any wadding; but with wadding, properly rammed over the powder, 2 oz. were found to be sufficient.

To raise a shell of 16 lb. 4 dr. were sufficient without wadding, and only 3 dr. with wadding.

And to raise a shell of 8 lb. 2 dr. were enough without wadding, and 1 dr. two-thirds with wadding.

From the above experiments it may be observed, that the judicious ramming of a little wadding over the powder, adds about ¹⁄₄ part of the whole effect.

WAGGON, in the army, (Chariot, Fr.) is a four-wheel carriage, drawn by four horses, and for sundry uses.

Ammunition-Waggon. (Chariot d’artillerie, Fr.) A carriage made for transporting all kinds of stores, as also to carry bread, it being lined round in the inside with basket-work. See [Caisson].

Waggon-Train. The waggons, caissons, carts, &c. provided for the use of an army are so called. One great engine, on which the movements of an army depend, is a proper establishment of waggons. In all wars great abuses have, as well as great ignorance, prevailed in this department.

In the seven years war the British had a general contractor for the waggon train, and his contract was kept up until the year before the peace, when that government bought the train of him. In the American war, waggons were considered almost as a privilege by the departments to which they were attached, until Brook Watson was appointed commissary general, who found it necessary to make great reforms in that branch of the service. The same gentleman, when he went out to the continent of Europe with the duke of York in 1793, made use of the waggons of different contractors: but in the beginning of 1794, an experiment was made by raising a corps called the corps of royal waggoners, and purchasing waggons and horses. Its miserable state became proverbial in the army: it failed completely in every part, and on many occasions, the service suffered very materially in consequence of the abuses of contractors.

The idea of this corps was probably taken from the fine well regulated establishment of the French, from whom the Austrians copied it as a standing establishment, having officers and men trained to the service, and a system improved and perfect.

The British waggon-train was sold, and every purchaser of not less than fifty waggons was admitted to the advantages of a contract for all the waggons he purchased; he was insured the duration of his contract for three months, and was only to deposit one-third of the cost, allowing the remainder to be paid out of his earnings. The form of the contract and the pay of the waggons were previously fixed, and by this mode a most advantageous sale was procured, while a new set of contractors were introduced, with the additional advantage of obliging old contractors to reduce their prices, and to come under the same terms.

The space of ground occupied by a waggon with four horses is about 16 yards; a mile will therefore hold 110 waggons; but allowing a short distance between each waggon in travelling, a mile may be said to contain about 100 waggons. Waggons in convoy may travel from one to two miles per hour, according to the roads and other circumstances. A great object in convoys is to preserve the horses as much as possible from fatigue. For this purpose, if the convoy amounts to many hundred waggons, they must be divided into divisions of not more than 500 each. Should it consist of thousands, it will be advisable to divide them into grand divisions, and then again into subdivisions of 500 each: by this means, and the time of departure being calculated by the following rules, each division may remain at rest, till just before its time of movement; and which will prevent the necessity of the latter part of a large convoy being harassed for a considerable time before its turn to move.

Rule 1. To find the time in which any number of waggons may be driven off: Divide the number of waggons by 100, and multiply by the time of travelling one mile.

Rule 2. To find the time in which any number of waggons will drive over any number of miles: To the time they take in driving off, add the time any one of the waggons takes to travel the distance.

The different divisions of the convoy should be numbered, and obliged each day to change the order of their marching.

WAGGONER, (Charretier, Fr.) One who drives a waggon.

Corps of WAGGONERS, (Corps de Charretiers, Fr.) A body of men employed in the commissariate, so called.

WAGRAM, battle of. Decided the war between France and Austria in 1809.

WAKANAGUR, Ind. A writer of occurrences.

WAINROPE. The large cord with which the load is tied on the waggon.

WAIT. To lie in wait; to lay wait. See [Ambush].

WALL. A series of brick, stone, or other materials carried upwards and cemented with mortar. When used in the plural number, wall signifies fortification; works built for defence.

To be driven to the Wall, (Etre acculé, Fr.) A figurative term signifying to be so pressed, that you can neither advance nor retreat.

Walls of a Tent or Marquee. That part of the canvas which is attached to the fly or top by means of hooks and eyes, and which is fixed to the earth with wooden pegs. These walls should be frequently lowered in order to admit fresh air. When there is an hospital tent, this precaution is indispensible, if the weather will permit.

WALLET. See [Haversack], [Knapsack].

WALLOON, Spanish troops from the Netherlands.

WAPENTAKE, (from the Saxon.) The same as what we call a hundred, and more especially used in the northern counties of England beyond the Trent. There have been several conjectures as to the original of the word; one of which is, that anciently musters were made of the armor and weapons of the inhabitants of every hundred; and from those that could not find sufficient pledges of their good abeating, their weapons were taken away; whence it is said Wapentake is derived. Spenser says it was so named, of touching the weapon or spear of their alderman, and swearing to follow him faithfully, and serve their prince truly.

WAR. A contest or difference between princes, states, or large bodies of people, which, not being determinable by the ordinary measures of justice and equity, is referred to the decision of the sword, &c.

It is that important event, for which all military education is designed to prepare the soldier. It is for this that in peace, he receives the indulgence of a subsistence from society; and for this he is gratefully bound to secure the repose of that society from the outrage of an enemy and to guard its possessions from the devastations of invaders.

It would be needless as impossible to show, how often the art of war has accomplished the design of its institution; we shall, however, distinguish those English wars which are remarkable in history.

War with Scotland, 1068.

Peace with- ditto, 1113.
France, 1113.

War with France, 1116.

Peace with - ditto, 1118.
Scotland, 1139.

War with France, 1161.

Peace with ditto, 1186.

War again with France, 1194.

Peace with ditto, 1195.

Civil war- renewed, 1215.
ended, 1216.
with France, 1224.
ended, 1243.
1262.
ended, 1267.
with France, 1294.
with Scotland, 1296.
Peace- with France, 1299.
with Scotland, 1323.
War- again with Scotland, 1327.
ended, 1328.
again with Scotland, 1333.
with France, 1339.

Peace with France, May 8, 1360.

War- with France, 1368.
civil, 1400.
with Scotland, 1400.

Peace with France, May 31, 1420.

War- with France, 1422.
civil between York and Lancaster, 1452.

Peace with France, Oct. 1741.

War- civil, 1486.
with France, Oct. 6, 1492.
Peace- with ditto, Nov. 3, 1492.
with Scotland, 1502.
War- with France, Feb. 4, 1512.
with Scotland, 1513.

Peace with France, Aug. 7, 1514.

War with- ditto, 1522.
Scotland, 1522.
Peace with- France, 1527.
Scotland, 1542.

War with Scotland, directly after.

Peace with France and Scotland, June 7, 1546.

War with- Scotland, 1547.
France, 1549.

Peace with both, March 6, 1550.

War- civil, 1553.
with France, June 7, 1557.
with Scotland, 1557.
Peace with- France, April 2, 1559.
Scotland, 1560.
War -with France- 1562.
Peace1564.
War with- Scotland, 1570.
Spain, 1588.

Peace with ditto, Aug. 18, 1604.

War with- Spain, 1624.
France, 1627.

Peace with Spain and France, April 14, 1629.

War- civil, 1642.
with the Dutch, 1651.

Peace with ditto, April 5, 1654.

War with Spain, 1655.

Peace with Spain, Sept. 10, 1660.

War with- France, Jan. 26, 1666.
Denmark, Oct. 19, 1666.

Peace with the French, Danes, and Dutch, Aug. 24, 1667.

Peace with Spain, Feb. 13, 1668.

War with the Algerines, Sept. 6, 1669.

Peace with ditto, Nov. 19, 1671.

War with the Dutch, March, 1672.

Peace with ditto, Feb. 28, 1674.

War with France, May 7, 1689.

Peace general, Sept. 20, 1697.

War with France, May 4, 1702.

Peace of Utrecht, March 13, 1713.

War with Spain, Dec. 1718.

Peace with ditto, 1721.

War with- Spain, 1739.
France, March 31, 1744.
War with- France, 1756.
Spain, Jan. 4, 1762.

Peace with France and Spain, Feb. 10, 1763.

War with the caribbs of St. Vincent in 1773.

War against America, commenced July 14, 1774.

War- with France, Feb. 6, 1778.
with Spain, April 17, 1780.
with Holland, 1780.
Peace withAmerica, -Sept. 3, 1783.
France,
Spain,
Holland,

War against France by the English, Prussians, Austrians, and other German powers, in 1793, called the first coalition.

Peace between Prussia and the French Republic, 1795.

Peace between Spain and the French Republic, 1795.

Peace between the French and the Sardinians in 1796.

Peace between the French and the Austrians in 1797.

War between the British and Tippoo Saib in India, in 1797.

War against the French or the second coalition of the Austrians, Russians, Neapolitans, &c. 1798.

War with the Turks, and the invasion of Egypt, in 1798.

Peace between the French and the Russians in 1799.

Peace between the French and Austrians in 1800.

Preliminaries of peace commenced between the French and the Ottoman empire in consequence of the reduction of Egypt by the British forces in 1801.

Preliminaries of peace between France and Great Britain, &c. called the peace of Amiens, 1801.

War renewed against France in 1804 by England.

War renewed by Austria in 1805.

War by Prussia in 1806.

War renewed by Austria in April 1809. See Historical Dictionary of wars, battles, sieges, by the American editor of this work.

There are five different kinds of war, each of which is to be conducted differently the one from the other, viz. the offensive; the defensive; that between equal powers; the auxiliary, which is carried on out of our own territories to succor a state or ally, or to assist a weaker whom a more powerful nation has attacked; and a civil war.

Offensive war must be long meditated on in private before it be openly entered upon; when the success will depend upon two essential points: that the plan be justly formed, and the enterprize conducted with order. It should be well and maturely considered and digested, and with the greatest secrecy, lest, however able the leaders or council may be, some of the precautions necessary to be taken, be discovered. These precautions are infinite both at home and abroad.

Abroad, they consist in alliances and security not to be disturbed in the meditated expedition, foreign levies, and the buying up of warlike ammunition, as well to increase our own stores as to prevent the enemy from getting them.

The precautions at home, consist in providing for the security of our distant frontiers, levying new troops, or augmenting the old ones, with as little noise as possible; furnishing your magazines with ammunition; constructing carriages for artillery and provisions; buying up horses, which should be done as much as possible among your neighbors; both to prevent their furnishing the enemy, and to preserve your own for the cavalry and the particular equipages of the officers.

Defensive war, may be divided into three kinds. It is either a war sustained by a nation, which is suddenly attacked by another who is superior in troops and in means; or a nation makes this sort of war by choice on one side of its frontiers, while it carries on offensive war elsewhere; or it is a war become defensive by the loss of a battle.

A defensive war which a nation attacked by a superior enemy sustains, depends entirely upon the capacity of the general. His particular application should be, to chuse advantageous camps to stop the enemy, without, however, being obliged to fight him; to multiply small advantages; to harass and perplex the enemy in his foraging parties, and to oblige them to do it with great escorts; to attack their convoys; to render the passages of rivers or defiles as difficult to them as possible; to force them to keep together: if they want to attack a town, to throw in succors before it is invested; in short, in the beginning his chief aim should be, to acquire the enemy’s respect by his vigilance and activity, and by forcing him to be circumspect in his marches and manner of encampment, to gain time himself, and make the enemy lose it. An able general, carefully pursuing these maxims, will give courage to his soldiers, and to the inhabitants of the country; he gives time to his government to take proper precautions to resist the enemy who attacks him; and thus changes the nature of this disagreeable and vexatious kind of warfare.

The management of a defensive war requires more military judgment than that of an offensive one.

A war between equal powers, is that in which the neighboring states take no part, so long as the belligerent parties obtain no great advantage, the one over the other. This sort of war never should last long if you want to reap any advantages from it. As to its rules, they are entirely conformable to those already given; but we may look on it as a certain maxim in this sort of war, that the general who is the most active and penetrating, will ever in the end prevail over him, who possesses these qualities in a lesser degree; because, by his activity and penetration, he will multiply small advantages, till at last they procure him a decisive superiority. A general who is continually attentive to procure himself small advantages, ever obtains his end, which is to ruin the enemy’s army; in which case he changes the nature of the war, and makes it offensive; which should ever be the chief object of his prince.

Auxiliary War, is that in which a nation succors its neighbors, either in consequence of alliances or engagements entered into with them; or sometimes to prevent their falling under the power of an ambitious prince.

If it is in virtue of treaties, he observes them religiously, in furnishing the number of troops prescribed, and even offering to augment his quota, if required; or in making a diversion by attacking the common enemy, or its allies.

If it is to prevent a neighboring prince from being crushed by a power, who after this conquest may become dangerous to yourself, there are several measures to be taken for your own particular interest. One of the chief is, to exact from those you succor, the possession of some place in security, lest they make their peace without your knowlege, or to your prejudice.

The general, therefore, who is chosen for the command of this auxiliary corps, should have wisdom, penetration, and foresight; wisdom, to preserve a proper discipline in his corps, that the allied prince may have no cause to complain of him; foresight and penetration, to prevent his troops suffering for want of subsistence, or being exposed to the perils of war, but in proportion to their numbers with those of the allied prince; and, finally, that nothing shall pass without his knowlege, which may be prejudicial to his master.

Civil or intestine War, is that between subjects of the same realm, or between parties in the same state. In this sense we say, the civil wars of the Romans destroyed the republic; the civil wars of Grenada ruined the power of the Moors in Spain: the civil wars in England began 1641, and ended in the tyrant’s death.

Religious War, is war maintained in a state on account of religion, one of the parties refusing to tolerate the other.

Holy War, is that species of warfare which was anciently maintained by leagues and crusades, for the recovery of the Holy Land.

Civil and religious Wars are ever unhappy for the states who sustain them. These sorts of war, which the animosity of the different parties, and fanaticism, always carry beyond the bounds of humanity, and the duties of society, have in general, no other rules but those of the offensive and defensive. It has however always been observed, that civil wars form great men and good soldiers; because the rich and poor, citizens and laborers, being equally obliged to fight for their property and preservation, have all an opportunity of learning the art of war. This species of war may likewise be called revolutionary, with the additional circumstance, that in the latter sense it is of a more extensive nature.

War of opinion. See [Opinion].

Articles of War.

Sect. I. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That from and after the passing of this act, the following shall be the rules and articles by which the armies of the United States shall be governed:

Art. 1. Every officer now in the army of the United States, shall, in six months from the passing of this act, and every officer who shall hereafter be appointed, shall before he enters on the duties of his office, subscribe these rules and regulations.

Art. 2. It is earnestly recommended to all officers and soldiers diligently to attend divine service; and all officers who shall behave indecently or irreverently at any place of divine worship, shall, if commissioned officers, be brought before a general court-martial, there to be publicly and severely reprimanded by the president; if non-commissioned officers or soldiers, every person so offending shall, for his first offence, forfeit one sixth of a dollar, to be deducted out of his next pay; for the second offence, he shall not only forfeit a like sum, but be confined twenty-four hours; and for every like offense shall suffer and pay in like manner; which money, so forfeited, shall be applied by the captain or senior officer of the troop or company, to the use of the sick soldiers of the company or troop to which the offender belongs.

Art. 3. Any non-commissioned officer or soldier who shall use any profane oath or execration shall incur the penalties expressed in the foregoing article, and a commissioned officer shall forfeit and pay for each and every such offence one dollar, to be applied as in the preceding article.

Art. 4. Every chaplain commissioned in the army or armies of the United States, who shall absent himself from the duties assigned him (except in cases of sickness or leave of absence) shall, on conviction thereof before a court-martial, be fined not exceeding one month’s pay, besides the loss of his pay during his absence; or be discharged, as the said court-martial shall judge proper.

Art. 5. Any officer or soldier who shall use contemptuous or disrespectful words against the president of the United States, against the vice-president thereof, against the congress of the United States, or against the chief magistrate or legislature of any of the United States in which he may be quartered, if a commissioned officer, shall be cashiered, or otherwise punished as a court-martial shall direct; if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, he shall suffer such punishment as shall be inflicted on him by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 6. Any officer or soldier who shall behave himself with contempt or disrespect towards his commanding officer, shall be punished according to the nature of his offence, by the judgment of a court-martial.

Art. 7. Any officer or soldier who shall begin, excite, cause, or join in any mutiny or sedition in any troop or company in the service of the United States, or in any party, post, detachment, or guard, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as by a court-martial shall be inflicted.

Art. 8. Any officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier, who, being present at any mutiny or sedition, does not use his utmost endeavor to suppress the same, or coming to the knowlege of any intended mutiny, does not without delay, give information thereof to his commanding officer, shall be punished by the sentence of a court-martial with death or otherwise, according to the nature of his offence.

Art. 9. Any officer or soldier who shall strike his superior officer, or draw or lift up any weapon, or offer any violence against him, being in the execution of his office, on any pretence whatsoever, or shall disobey any lawful command of his superior officer, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall, according to the nature of his offence, be inflicted upon him by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 10. Every non-commissioned officer, or soldier, who shall inlist himself in the service of the United States, shall, at the time of his so inlisting, or within six days afterwards, have the articles for the government of the armies of the United States, read to him, and shall, by the officer who inlisted him, or by the commanding officer of the troop or company into which he was inlisted, be taken before the next justice of the peace, or chief magistrate of any city or town corporate, not being an officer of the army, or where recourse cannot be had to the civil magistrate, before the judge advocate, and, in his presence, shall take the following oath or affirmation: “I A. B. do solemnly swear, or affirm, (as the case may be) that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies, or opposers, whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the president of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the government of the armies of the United States.” Which justice, magistrate, or judge advocate is to give the officer a certificate, signifying that the man inlisted, did take the said oath, or affirmation.

Art. 11. After a non-commissioned officer or soldier, shall have been duly inlisted and sworn, he shall not be dismissed the service without a discharge in writing; and no discharge granted to him shall be sufficient, which is not signed by a field officer of the regiment to which he belongs, or commanding officer, where no field officer of the regiment is present; and no discharge shall be given to a non-commissioned officer or soldier, before his term of service has expired, but by order of the president, the secretary of war, the commanding officer of a department, or the sentence of a general court-martial, nor shall a commissioned officer be discharged the service, but by order of the president of the United States, or by sentence of a general court-martial.

Art. 12. Every colonel, or other officer commanding a regiment, troop, or company, and actually quartered with it, may give furloughs to non-commissioned officers or soldiers, in such numbers, and for so long a time as he shall judge to be most consistent with the good of the service; and a captain or other inferior officer commanding a troop or company, or in any garrison, fort or barrack of the United States, (his field officer being absent), may give furloughs to non-commissioned officers or soldiers, for a time not exceeding twenty days in six months, but not to more than two persons to be absent at the same time, excepting some extraordinary occasion should require it.

Art. 13. At every muster, the commanding officer of each regiment, troop, or company there present, shall give to the commissary of musters, or other officer who musters the said regiment, troop, or company, certificates signed by himself, signifying how long such officers, as shall not appear at the said muster, have been absent, and the reason of their absence. In like manner, the commanding officer of every troop, or company, shall give certificates, signifying the reasons of the absence of the non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, which reasons, and time of absence, shall be inserted in the muster-rolls opposite the name of the respective absent officers and soldiers. The certificates shall, together with the muster-rolls, be remitted by the commissary of musters, or other officer mustering, to the department of war as speedily as the distance of the place will admit.

Art. 14. Every officer who shall be convicted, before a general court-martial, of having signed a false certificate, relating to the absence of either officer or private soldier, or relative to his or their pay, shall be cashiered.

Art. 15. Every officer who shall knowingly make a false muster of manor horse, and every officer or commissary of musters, who shall willingly sign, direct or allow the signing of muster-rolls, wherein such false muster is contained, shall, upon proof made thereof by two witnesses, before a general court-martial, be cashiered, and shall be therefore utterly disabled to have or hold any office or employment in the service of the United States.

Art. 16. Any commissary of musters or other officer, who shall be convicted of having taken money or other thing, by way of gratification, on the mustering any regiment, troop or company, or on the signing muster-rolls, shall be displaced from his office, and shall be thereby utterly disabled to have or hold any office or employment in the service of the United States.

Art. 17. Any officer who shall presume to muster a person as a soldier, who is not a soldier, shall be deemed guilty of having made a false muster, and shall suffer accordingly.

Art. 18. Every officer who shall knowingly make a false return to the department of war, or to any of his superior officers, authorised to call for such returns, of the state of the regiment, troop, or company, or garrison, under his command; or of the arms, ammunition, clothing, or other stores thereunto belonging, shall, on conviction thereof before a court-martial, be cashiered.

Art 19. The commanding officer of every regiment, troop, or independent company, or garrison of the United States, shall, in the beginning of every month, remit through the proper channels, to the department of war, an exact return of the regiment, troop, independent company, or garrison, under his command, specifying the names of officers then absent from their posts, and the reasons for, and the time of their absence. And any officer who shall be convicted of having, through neglect or design, omitted sending such returns, shall be punished according to the nature of his crime, by the judgment of a general court-martial.

Art. 20. All officers and soldiers, who have received pay, or have been duly inlisted in the service of the United States, and shall be convicted of having deserted the same, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as by sentence of a court-martial shall be inflicted.

Art. 21. Any non-commissioned officer or soldier, who shall, without leave from his commanding officer, absent himself from his troop, company, or detachment, shall, upon being convicted thereof, be punished according to the nature of his offence at the discretion of a court-martial.

Art. 22. No non-commissioned officer or soldier, shall inlist himself in any other regiment, troop, or company, without a regular discharge from the regiment, troop, or company, in which he last served, on the penalty of being reputed a deserter, and suffering accordingly. And in case any officer shall knowingly receive and entertain such non-commissioned officer or soldier, or shall not, after his being discovered to be a deserter, immediately confine him, and give notice thereof to the corps in which he last served, the said officer shall by a court-martial be cashiered.

Art. 23. Any officer or soldier, who shall be convicted of having advised or persuaded any other officer or soldier, to desert the service of the United States, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be inflicted upon him by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 24. No officer or soldier shall use any reproachful or provoking speeches or gestures to another, upon pain, if an officer, of being put in arrest; if a soldier, confined, and of asking pardon of the party offended, in the presence of his commanding officer.

Art. 25. No officer or soldier shall send a challenge to another officer or soldier, to fight a duel, or accept a challenge, if sent, upon pain, if a commissioned officer, of being cashiered; if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, of suffering corporeal punishment at the discretion of a court-martial.

Art. 26. If any commissioned or non-commissioned officer commanding a guard, shall knowingly or willingly suffer any person whatsoever to go forth to fight a duel, he shall be punished as a challenger; and all seconds, promoters and carriers of challenges, in order to duels, shall be deemed principals, and be punished accordingly. And it shall be the duty of every officer, commanding an army, regiment, company, post, or detachment, who is knowing to a challenge being given, or accepted, by any officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier, under his command, or has reason to believe the same to be the case, immediately to arrest and bring to trial such offenders.

Art. 27. All officers, of what condition soever, have power to part and quell all quarrels, frays, and disorders, though the persons concerned should belong to another regiment, troop, or company; and either to order officers into arrest, or non-commissioned officers or soldiers into confinement, until their proper superior officers shall be acquainted therewith; and whosoever shall refuse to obey such officer (though of an inferior rank) or shall draw his sword upon him, shall be punished at the discretion of a general court-martial.

Art. 28. Any officer or soldier, who shall upbraid another for refusing a challenge, shall himself be punished as a challenger; and all officers and soldiers are hereby discharged from any disgrace or opinion of disadvantage, which might arise from their having refused to accept of challenges, as they will only have acted in obedience to the laws, and done their duty as good soldiers, who subject themselves to discipline.

Art. 29. No sutler shall be permitted to sell any kind of liquors or victuals, or to keep their houses or shops open for the entertainment of soldiers, after nine at night, or before the beating of the reveilles, or upon Sundays, during divine service or sermon, on the penalty of being dismissed from all future sutling.

Art. 30. All officers commanding in the field, forts, barracks, or garrisons of the United States, are hereby required to see that the persons permitted to sutle, shall supply the soldiers with good and wholesome provision, or other articles, at a reasonable price, as they shall be answerable for their neglect.

Art. 31. No officer commanding in any of the garrisons, forts, or barracks of the United States, shall exact exorbitant prices for houses or stalls let out to sutlers, or connive at the like exactions in others; nor by his own authority, and for his private advantage, lay any duty or imposition upon, or be interested in the sale of any victuals, liquors, or other necessaries of life, brought into the garrison, fort, or barracks, for the use of the soldiers, on the penalty of being discharged from the service.

Art. 32. Every officer commanding in quarters, garrisons, or on the march, shall keep good order, and to the utmost of his power, redress all abuses or disorders, which may be committed by any officer or soldier under his command; if upon complaint made to him of officers or soldiers beating, or otherwise ill treating any person, of disturbing fairs or markets, or of committing any kinds of riots, to the disquieting of the citizens of the United States, he, the said commander, who shall refuse or omit to see justice done to the offender or offenders, and reparation made to the party or parties injured, as far as part of the offender’s pay shall enable him or them, shall, upon proof thereof, be cashiered or punished, as a general court-martial shall direct.

Art. 33. When any commissioned officer or soldier, shall be accused of a capital crime, or of having used violence, or committed any offence against the persons or property of any citizen of any of the United States, such as is punishable by the known laws of the land, the commanding officer, and officers of every regiment, troop, or company, to which the person or persons, so accused, shall belong, are hereby required, upon application duly made by, or in behalf of the party, or parties injured, to use their utmost endeavors to deliver over such accused person or persons, to the civil magistrate, and likewise to be aiding and assisting to the officers of justice, in apprehending and securing the person or persons so accused, in order to bring him or them to trial. If any commanding officer or officers, shall wilfully neglect, or shall refuse, upon the application aforesaid, to deliver over such accused person or persons, to the civil magistrates, or to be aiding and assisting to the officers of justice in apprehending such person or persons, the officer or officers, so offending, shall be cashiered.

Art. 34. If any officer shall think himself wronged by his colonel, or the commanding officer of the regiment, and shall, upon due application being made to him, be refused redress, he may complain to the general, commanding in the state, or territory where such regiment shall be stationed, in order to obtain justice; who is hereby required to examine into the said complaint, and take proper measures for redressing the wrong complained of, and transmit as soon as possible, to the department of war, a true state of such complaint, with the proceedings had thereon.

Art. 35. If any inferior officer, or soldier, shall think himself wronged by his captain, or other officer, he is to complain thereof to the commanding officer of the regiment, who is hereby required to summon a regimental court-martial, for the doing justice to the complainant; from which regimental court-martial, either party may, if he thinks himself still aggrieved, appeal to a general court-martial. But if, upon a second hearing, the appeal shall appear vexatious and groundless, the person, so appealing, shall be punished at the discretion of the said court-martial.

Art. 36. Any commissioned officer, store keeper, or commissary, who shall be convicted, at a general court-martial, of having sold, without a proper order for that purpose, embezzled, misapplied, or wilfully, or through neglect, suffered any of the provisions, forage, arms, clothing, ammunition, or other military stores, belonging to the United States, to be spoiled, or damaged, shall at his own expence, make good the loss or damage, and shall moreover, forfeit all his pay, and be dismissed from the service.

Art. 37. Any non-commissioned officer or soldier, who shall be convicted, at a regimental court-martial, of having sold, or designedly, or through neglect, wasted the ammunition delivered out to him, to be employed in the service of the United States, shall be punished at the discretion of such court.

Art. 38. Every non-commissioned officer or soldier, who shall be convicted before a court-martial, as having sold, lost, or spoiled, through neglect, his horse, arms, clothes, or accoutrements, shall be put under such weekly stoppages (not exceeding the half of his pay) as such court-martial shall judge sufficient for repairing the loss or damage; and shall suffer confinement or such other corporeal punishment as his crime shall deserve.

Art. 39. Every officer, who shall be convicted before a court-martial, of having embezzled, or misapplied any money with which he may have been entrusted, for the payment of the men under his command, or for enlisting men into the service, or for other purposes, if a commissioned officer, shall be cashiered, and compelled to refund the money; if a non-commissioned officer, shall be reduced to the ranks, be put under stoppages until the money be made good, and suffer such corporeal punishment as such court-martial shall direct.

Art. 40. Every captain of a troop, or company, is charged with the arms, accoutrements, ammunition, clothing, or other warlike stores belonging to the troop, or company under his command, which he is to be accountable for to his colonel, in case of their being lost, spoiled, or damaged, not by unavoidable accidents, or on actual service.

Art. 41. All non-commissioned officers and soldiers, who shall be found one mile from the camp, without leave, in writing, from their commanding officer, shall suffer such punishment as shall be inflicted upon them by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 42. No officer or soldier, shall lie out of his quarters, garrison, or camp, without leave from his superior officer, upon penalty of being punished according to the nature of his offence, by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 43. Every non-commissioned officer and soldier shall retire to his quarters or tent, at the beating of the retreat; in default of which he shall be punished according to the nature of his offence.

Art. 44. No officer, non-commissioned officer or soldier, shall fail in repairing, at the time fixed, to the place of parade, of exercise or other rendezvous, appointed by his commanding officer, if not prevented by sickness, or some other evident necessity; or shall go from the said place of rendezvous, without leave from his commanding officer, before he shall be regularly dismissed or relieved, on the penalty of being punished according to the nature of his offence by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 45. Any commissioned officer, who shall be found drunk on his guard, party, or other duty, shall be cashiered. Any non-commissioned officer or soldier so offending, shall suffer such corporeal punishment as shall be inflicted by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 46. Any centinel who shall be found sleeping upon his post, or shall leave it before he shall be regularly relieved, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be inflicted by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 47. No soldier belonging to any regiment, troop, or company, shall hire another to do his duty for him, or be excused from duty, but in cases of sickness, disability, or leave of absence; and every such soldier found guilty of hiring his duty, as also the party so hired to do another’s duty, shall be punished at the discretion of a regimental court-martial.

Art. 48. And every non-commissioned officer conniving at such hiring of duty aforesaid, shall be reduced; and every commissioned officer, knowing and allowing such ill practices in the service, shall be punished by the judgment of a general court-martial.

Art. 49. Any officer belonging to the service of the United States, who, by discharging of firearms, drawing of swords, beating of drums, or by any other means whatsoever, shall occasion false alarms in camp, garrison, or quarters, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a general court-martial.

Art. 50. Any officer or soldier, who shall, without urgent necessity, or without the leave of his superior officer, quit his guard, platoon, or division, shall be punished according to the nature of his offence, by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 51. No officer or soldier shall do violence to any person who brings provisions or other necessaries to the camp, garrison or quarters, of the forces of the United States, employed in any parts out of the said states, upon pain of death, or such other punishment as a court-martial shall direct.

Art. 52, Any officer or soldier, who shall misbehave himself before the enemy, run away, or shamefully abandon any fort, post, or guard, which he or they may be commanded to defend, or speak words inducing others to do the like; or shall cast away his arms and ammunition, or who shall quit his post or colors to plunder and pillage, every such offender being duly convicted thereof, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a general court-martial.

Art. 53. Any person belonging to the armies of the United States, who shall make known the watch-word to any person who is not entitled to receive it, according to the rules and discipline of war, or shall presume to give a parole or watch-word, different from what he received, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a general court-martial.

Art. 54. All officers and soldiers are to behave themselves orderly in quarters, and on their march; and whosoever shall commit any waste, or spoil, either in walks of trees, parks, warrens, fish ponds, houses, or gardens, corn fields, enclosures of meadows, or shall maliciously destroy any property whatsoever, belonging to the inhabitants of the United States, unless by order of the then commander in chief of the armies of the said states, shall (besides such penalties as they are liable to by law,) be punished according to the nature and degree of the offence, by the judgment of a regimental or general court-martial.

Art. 55. Whosoever, belonging to the armies of the United States, employed in foreign parts, shall force a safe-guard, shall suffer death.

Art. 56. Whosoever shall relieve the enemy with money, victuals, or ammunition, or shall knowingly harbor or protect an enemy, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 57. Whosoever shall be convicted of holding correspondence with, or giving intelligence to the enemy, either directly or indirectly, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 58. All public stores taken in the enemy’s camp, towns, forts, or magazines, whether of artillery, ammunition, clothing, forage, or provisions, shall be secured for the service of the United States; for the neglect of which the commanding officer is to be answerable.

Art. 59. If any commander of any garrison, fortress or post, shall be compelled, by the officers and soldiers under his command, to give up to the enemy, or to abandon it; the commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, or soldiers, who shall be convicted of having so offended, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be inflicted upon them by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 60. All sutlers and retainers to the camp, and all persons whatsoever, serving with the armies of the U. States in the field, though not inlisted soldiers, are to be subject to orders, according to the rules and discipline of war.

Art. 61. Officers having brevets, or commissions, of a prior date to those of the regiment in which they serve, may take place in courts-martial and on detachments, when composed of different corps, according to the ranks given them in their brevets, or dates of their former commissions; but in the regiment, troop, or company, to which such officers belong, they shall do duty and take rank, both in courts-martial and on detachments, which shall be composed only of their own corps, according to the commissions by which they are mustered in the said corps.

Art. 62. If upon marches, guards, or in quarters, different corps of the army shall happen to join, or do duty together, the officer highest in rank of the line of the army, marine corps, or militia, by commission there, on duty, or in quarters, shall command the whole, and give orders for what is needful to the service, unless otherwise specially directed by the president of the U. States, according to the nature of the case.

Art. 63. The functions of the engineers being generally confined to the most elevated branch of military science, they are not to assume, nor are they subject to be ordered on any duty beyond the line of their immediate profession, except by the special order of the president of the U. States; but they are to receive every mark of respect, to which their rank in the army may entitle them, respectively, and are liable to be transferred, at the discretion of the president, from one corps to another, regard being paid to rank.

Art. 64. General courts-martial may consist of any number of commissioned officers, from five to thirteen, inclusively, but they shall not consist of less than thirteen, where that number can be convened, without manifest injury to the service.

Art. 65. Any general officer commanding an army, or colonel commanding a separate department, may appoint general courts-martial, whenever necessary. But no sentence of a court-martial shall be carried into execution until after the whole proceedings shall have been laid before the officer ordering the same, or the officer commanding the troops for the time being; neither shall any sentence of a general court-martial, in time of peace, extending to the loss of life, or the dismission of a commissioned officer, or which shall, either in time of peace or war, respect a general officer, be carried into execution, until after the whole proceedings shall have been transmitted to the secretary of war, to be laid before the president of the U. States, for his confirmation or disapproval, and orders in the case. All other sentences may be confirmed and executed by the officer ordering the court to assemble, or the commanding officer, for the time being, as the case may be.

Art. 66. Every officer commanding a regiment, or corps, may appoint, for his own regiment, or corps, courts-martial, to consist of three commissioned officers, for the trial and punishment of offences, not capital, and decide upon their sentences. For the same purpose, all officers, commanding any of the garrisons, forts, barracks, or other places, where the troops consist of different corps, may assemble courts-martial, to consist of three commissioned officers, and decide upon their sentences.

Art. 67. No garrison, or regimental court-martial shall have the power to try capital cases, or commissioned officers; neither shall they inflict a fine exceeding one month’s pay, nor imprison, nor put to hard labor, any non-commissioned officer or soldier, for a longer time than one month.

Art. 68. Whenever it may be found convenient and necessary to the public service, the officers of the marines shall be associated with the officers of the land forces, for the purpose of holding courts-martial and trying offenders belonging to either; and in such cases the orders of the senior officer of either corps, who may be present and duly authorised, shall be received and obeyed.

Art. 69. The judge advocate, or some person deputed by him, or by the general or officer commanding the army, detachment, or garrison, shall prosecute in the name of the U. States, but shall so far consider himself as counsel for the prisoner, after the said prisoner shall have made his plea, as to object to any leading question to any of the witnesses, or any question to the prisoner, the answer to which might tend to criminate himself; and to administer to each member of the court, before they proceed upon any trial, the following oath, which shall also be taken by all members of the regimental and garrison courts-martial:

“You A. B. do swear that you will well and truly try and determine, according to evidence, the matter now before you, between the United States of America and the prisoner to be tried; and that you will duly administer justice, according to the provisions of ‘An act establishing rules and articles for the government of the armies of the United States,’ without partiality, favor, or affection: and if any doubt shall arise, not explained by said articles, according to your conscience, the best of your understanding, and the custom of war in like cases: and you do further swear, that you will not divulge the sentence of the court until it shall be published by the proper authority: neither will you disclose or discover the vote or opinion of any particular member of the court-martial, unless required to give evidence thereof as a witness, by a court of justice, in a due course of law. So help you God.”

And as soon as the said oath shall have been administered to the respective members, the president of the court shall administer to the judge advocate, or person officiating as such, an oath in the following words:

“You A. B. do swear, that you will not disclose or discover the vote or opinion of any particular member of the court-martial, unless required to give evidence thereof as a witness, by a court of justice in due course of law; nor divulge the sentence of the court to any but the proper authority, until it shall be duly disclosed by the same. So help you God.”

Art. 70. When a prisoner arraigned before a general court-martial shall, from obstinacy and deliberate design, stand mute or answer foreign to the purpose, the court may proceed to trial and judgment as if the prisoner had regularly pleaded not guilty.

Art 71. When a member shall be challenged by a prisoner, he must state his cause of challenge, of which the court shall, after due deliberation, determine the relevancy or validity, and decide accordingly; and no challenge to more than one member at a time shall be received by the court.

Art. 72. All the members of a court-martial are to behave with decency and calmness; and in giving their votes, are to begin with the youngest in commission.

Art. 73. All persons who give evidence before a court-martial, are to be examined on oath or affirmation in the following form:

“You swear or affirm (as the case may be) the evidence you shall give in the cause now in hearing, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God.”

Art. 74. On the trials of cases not capital, before courts-martial, the deposition of witnesses not in the line of staff of the army, may be taken before some justice of the peace, and read in evidence: provided, the prosecutor and the person accused are present at the taking the same, or are duly notified thereof.

Art. 75. No officer shall be tried but by a general court-martial, nor by officers of an inferior rank, if it can be avoided: nor shall any proceedings or trials be carried on excepting between the hours of eight in the morning, and three in the afternoon, excepting in cases, which, in the opinion, of the officer appointing the court-martial, require immediate example.

Art. 76. No person whatsoever shall use any menacing words, signs, or gestures, in presence of a court-martial, or shall cause any disorder or riot, or disturb their proceedings, on the penalty of being punished, at the discretion of the said court-martial.

Art. 77. Whenever any officer shall be charged with a crime, he shall be arrested and confined in his barracks, quarters, or tent, and deprived of his sword, by the commanding officer. And any officer who shall leave his confinement before he shall be set at liberty by his commanding officer, or by a superior officer, shall be cashiered.

Art. 78. Non-commissioned officers and soldiers, charged with crimes, shall be confined, until tried by a court-martial, or released by proper authority.

Art. 79. No officer or soldier who shall be put in arrest, shall continue in confinement more than eight days, or until such time as a court-martial can be assembled.

Art. 80. No officer commanding a guard, or provost marshal, shall refuse to receive or keep any prisoner committed to his charge, by an officer belonging to the forces of the United States; provided the officer committing, shall, at the same time, deliver an account in writing, signed by himself, of the crime with which the said prisoner is charged.

Art. 81. No officer commanding a guard, or provost marshal, shall presume to release any person committed to his charge, without proper authority for so doing, nor shall he suffer any person to escape, on the penalty of being punished for it by the sentence of a court-martial.

Art. 82. Every officer or provost marshal, to whose charge prisoners shall be committed, shall, within twenty four hours after such commitment, or as soon as he shall be relieved from his guard, make report in writing, to the commanding officer, of their names, their crimes, and the names of the officers who committed them, on the penalty of being punished for disobedience or neglect, at the discretion of a court-martial.

Art. 83. Any commissioned officer convicted before a general court-martial of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, shall be dismissed the service.

Art. 84. In cases where a court-martial may think it proper to sentence a commissioned officer to be suspended from command, they shall have power also to suspend his pay and emoluments for the same time, according to the nature and heinousness of the offence.

Art. 85. In all cases where a commissioned officer is cashiered for cowardice or fraud, it shall be added in the sentence, that the crime, name, and place of abode and punishment of the delinquent, be published in the newspapers in and about the camp, and of the particular state from which the offender came, or where he usually resides, after which it shall be deemed scandalous for an officer to associate with him.

Art. 86. The commanding officer of any post or detachment, in which there shall not be a number of officers adequate to form a general court-martial, shall, in cases which require the cognizance of such a court, report to the commanding officer of the department, who shall order a court to be assembled at the nearest post or detachment, and the party accused, with necessary witnesses, to be transported to the place where the said court shall be assembled.

Art. 87. No person shall be sentenced to suffer death, but by the concurrence of two thirds of the members of a general court-martial, nor except in the cases herein expressly mentioned; nor shall more than fifty lashes be inflicted on any offender, at the discretion of a court-martial; and no officer, non-commissioned officer, soldier, or follower of the army, shall be tried a second time for the same offence.

Art. 88. No person shall be liable to be tried and punished by a general court-martial for any offence which shall appear to have been committed more than two years before the issuing of the order for such trial, unless the person, by reason of having absented himself or some other manifest impediment, shall not have been amenable to justice within that period.

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 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.

Art. 91. In cases where the general or commanding officer may order a court of inquiry to examine into the nature of any transaction, accusation, or imputation against any officer or soldier, the said court shall consist of one or more officers, not exceeding three, and a judge advocate, or other suitable person as a recorder, to reduce the proceedings and evidence to writing, all of whom shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their duty. This court shall have the same power to summon witnesses as a court-martial, and to examine them on oath. But they shall not give their opinion on the merits of the case, excepting they shall be thereto specially required. The parties accused shall also be permitted to cross examine and interrogate the witnesses, so as to investigate fully the circumstances in question.

Art. 92. The proceedings of a court of inquiry must be authenticated by the signature of the recorder and the president, and delivered to the commanding officer: and the said proceedings may be admitted as evidence by a court-martial, in cases not capital, or extending to the dismission of an officer, provided that the circumstances are such, that oral testimony cannot be obtained. But as courts of inquiry may be perverted to dishonorable purposes, and may be considered as engines of destruction to military merit, in the hands of weak and envious commandants, they are hereby prohibited, unless directed by the president of the United States, or demanded by the accused.

Art. 93. The judge advocate, or recorder, shall administer to the members the following oath:

“You shall well and truly examine and inquire, according to your evidence, into the matter now before you, without partiality, favor, affection, prejudice, or hope of reward. So help you God.”

After which the president shall administer to the judge advocate, or recorder, the following oath:

“You, A. B. do swear that you will, according to your best abilities, accurately and impartially record the proceedings of the court, and the evidence to be given in the case in hearing. So help you God.”

The witnesses shall take the same oath as witnesses sworn before a court-martial.

Art. 94. When any commissioned officer shall die or be killed in the service of the United States, the major of the regiment, or the officer doing the major’s duty in his absence, or in any post or garrison, the second officer in command, or the assistant military agent, shall immediately secure all his effects or equipage, then in camp or quarters, and shall make an inventory thereof, and forthwith transmit the same to the office of the department of war, to the end that his executors or administrators may receive the same.

Art. 95. When any non-commissioned officer, or soldier, shall die, or be killed in the service of the United States, the then commanding officer of the troop, or company, shall, in the presence of two other commissioned officers, take an account of what effects he died possessed of, above his arms and accoutrements, and transmit the same to the office of the department of war; which said effects are to be accounted for, and paid to the representatives of such deceased non-commissioned officer or soldier. And in case any of the officers, so authorised to take care of the effects of deceased officers and soldiers, should, before they have accounted to their representatives for the same, have occasion to leave the regiment, or post, by preferment, or otherwise, they shall, before they be permitted to quit the same, deposit in the hands of the commanding officer, or of the assistant military agent, all the effects of such deceased non-commissioned officers and soldiers, in order that the same may be secured for, and paid to, their respective representatives.

Art. 96. All officers, conductors, gunners, matrosses, drivers, or other persons whatsoever, receiving pay, or hire, in the service of the artillery, or corps of engineers of the United States, shall be governed by the aforesaid rules and articles, and shall be subject to be tried by courts-martial, in like manner with the officers and soldiers of the other troops in the service of the United States.

Art. 97. The officers and soldiers of any troops, whether militia or others, being mustered and in pay of the U. States, shall, at all times, and in all places, when joined, or acting in conjunction with the regular forces of the U. States, be governed by these rules and articles of war, and shall be subject to be tried by courts-martial, in like manner with the officers and soldiers in the regular forces, save only, that such courts-martial shall be composed entirely of militia officers.

Art. 98. All officers, serving by commission from the authority of any particular state, shall on all detachments, courts-martial, or other duty, wherein they may be employed in conjunction with the regular forces of the U. States, take rank, next after all officers of the like grade in said regular forces, notwithstanding the commissions of such militia or state officers may be elder than the commissions of the officers of the regular forces of the U. States.

Art. 99. All crimes not capital, and all disorders and neglects which officers and soldiers may be guilty of, to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, though not mentioned in the foregoing articles of war, are to be taken cognizance of by a general or regimental court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offence, and be punished at their discretion.

Art. 100. The president of the United States, shall have power to prescribe the uniform of the army.

Art. 101. The foregoing articles are to be read and published once in every six months, to every garrison, regiment, troop or company, mustered or to be mustered in the service of the U. States, and are to be duly observed and obeyed, by all officers and soldiers who are or shall be in said service.

Sect. II. And be it further enacted, That in time of war, all persons not citizens of, or owing allegiance to the U. States of America, who shall be found lurking as spies, in or about the fortifications or encampments of the armies of the U. States, or any of them, shall suffer death, according to the law and usage of nations, by sentence of a general court-martial.

Sect. III. And be it further enacted, That the rules and regulations, by which the armies of the U. States have heretofore been governed, and the resolves of Congress thereunto annexed, and respecting the same, shall, henceforth be void and of no effect, except so far as may relate to any transactions under them, prior to the promulgation of this act, at the several posts and garrisons respectively, occupied by any part of the army of the U. States. April 10, 1806.

Council of War, is an assembly of great officers called by a general, or commander, to deliberate with him on enterprizes and attempts to be made. On some occasions, council of war is also understood of an assembly of officers, sitting in judgment on delinquent soldiers, deserters, coward officers, &c.

War. This word is frequently prefixed or attached to things or persons, in order to distinguish their particular state or functions, viz.

War establishment. See [Establishment].

War minister. See [Secretary].

Secretary at War. An efficient character at the head of the war office, with whom all matters belonging to the army rest. See [Office].

War-Cry, was formerly customary in the armies of most nations, when they were just upon the point of engaging. Sometimes it consisted of tumultuous shouts, or horrid yells, uttered with an intent to strike terror into their adversaries; such as is now used by the Indians in America, called the war-whoop.

WARASDINS, a kind of Sclavonian soldiers, clothed like the Turks, with a sugar-loaf bonnet instead of a hat. Their arms are a fusee and pistols; the butt end of their fusee serves for a spade, when they have occasion to throw up earth.

To WARD. To guard; to watch; to defend; to parry any attack.

WARD. Watch; the act of guarding. A garrison or party stationed for defence of any place; a position of defence, or guard made by a weapon in fencing. That part of a lock, which, corresponding to the proper key, hinders any other from opening it. A district of a town; division of a building, &c. It is also used to denote one under the care and subject to the control of a guardian.

WARDEN. A keeper; a head officer.

Warden, or lord Warden of the Cinque ports. A magistrate that has the jurisdiction of those havens in the east part of England, commonly called the cinque ports, or five havens, where he is invested with all that jurisdiction which the admiral of England has in places not exempt. According to Cowel, from whom this explanation is taken, the reason why one magistrate should be assigned to these havens seems to be, because, in respect to their situation, they formerly required a more vigilant care than other havens, being in greater danger of invasion. On this account the lord chief warden of the cinque should be an officer of some experience, well skilled in the art of defence, and equal to the superintendance of so important a range of coast, upon which France had cast a jealous eye from time immemorial, and where Cæsar made a successful landing. It is, however, little more than a sinecure situation, and a snug retreat for ex-ministers.

By act the 26th of Geo. III. it has been enacted, that the warden of the cinque ports, two ancient towns, and their members, and in his absence his lieutenant or lieutenants, may put in execution, within the said ports, towns and members, all the powers and authorities given and granted by this act, in like manner as lieutenants of counties and their deputy lieutenants, may do, and shall keep up and continue the usual number of soldiers in the said ports, towns and members, unless he or they find cause to lessen the same. The militia of the ports is, according to this act, to remain separate from the militia of the counties, and may be called out, pursuant to an act passed in the 13th and 14th years of king Charles the Second, notwithstanding the pay advanced may not have been reimbursed.

WARDER. A guard; a truncheon by which an officer at arms forbade fight.

WARFARE. Military service, state of war.

To Warfare. To lead a military life.

WARHABLE. -
WARLIKE.

Military; fit for war.

Warlike virtues, are, love of our country, courage, valor, prudence, intrepidity, temperance, disinterestedness, obedience, wisdom, vigilance, and patience. In the last celebration of the anniversary of the destruction of the Bastille, which took place at Paris on the 14th of July, 1789, the French characterized these eleven virtues by the following emblems:—a pelican, a lion, a horse, a stag, a wolf, an elephant, a dog, a yoked ox, an owl, a cock, and a camel.

WARNED. Admonished of some duty to be performed at a given time or place. Thus officers and soldiers are warned for guard, &c.

WARRANT. A writ of authority inferior to a commission: thus quarter-masters are warrant officers.

To WARRAY. To make war upon any state or body of men. An obsolete word.

WARREN. A kind of park for rabbits.

Warren, at Woolwich, England, so called from the spot having formerly been stocked with rabbits. It now comprehends the head-quarters for the royal artillery, the royal foundery, the royal laboratory, and royal military academy; also famous for proofs and experiments of artillery, and great apparatus of war.

WARRIOR. A soldier; one who fights in war.

WAR-Whoop. A signal of attack among the Indians. See [Whoop].

WARWOLF. In ancient military history, an engine for throwing stones and other great masses.

WAR-WORN. Worn out in the service.

WASELAAT, Ind. Collections made.

WASEL Baky, Ind. Collections made, and balances struck.

WASHER. A flat circular ring put on the axle-tree, between the linch-pin and small end of the nave, to prevent the nave rubbing against the linch-pin and wearing it, as likewise to diminish the friction of the nave.

WASSYOUT Nama, Ind. A will or last testament

To WATCH. To keep guard; to be attentive and vigilant; to observe the conduct of any one.

Watch. A duty performed on board of ship. It likewise means the person who performs that duty.

Serjeant of the Watch. A non-commissioned officer belonging to the marines or other troops on board, who does duty for a stated period. At sea, the term watch denotes a measure or space of four hours, because half the ship’s company watch and do duty in their turns, so long at a time: and they are called the starboard watch and larboard watch.

The following instructions have been published respecting the watch duty which is to be done by troops embarked in transports, &c.

At eight o’clock in the evening, every man is to be in his birth, except the men on watch: the officer of the watch to go round with a lanthorn, to see that the above has been complied with.

The whole to be divided into three watches, both subaltern officers and men; the watch gives all the sentries, &c. &c.

A captain of the day to be appointed, to whom the subaltern of the watch will make his reports; and the captain to the commanding officer; if there be a superior officer on board.

The whole watch to be always on deck, except when rain obliges them to go down for shelter; and, in fine weather, every man should be upon deck the whole day.

WATCHMAN. A centinel, one set to keep guard.

WATCHTOWER. A tower on which a centinel was posted to keep guard against an enemy.

WATERING-Call. A trumpet sounding, on which the cavalry assemble to water their horses.

WATER-Rocket. A kind of firework made to burn in the water.

WATERING-Cap. A cap, made of leather or cloth, which dragoons wear when they water their horses or do stable-duty.

Watering-Jacket. A waistcoat with sleeves, which dragoons wear on the above occasions.

WATREGANS, Fr. This word is pronounced outregans, there being no W in the French alphabet. It is a Flemish term which is generally used in France, and signifies a ditch full of water, that has been made for the purpose of separating lands and inheritances. These ditches are sometimes large enough to receive small boats or barges, and run through a whole village.

WATTLE. A hurdle made by entwining twigs together.

WAY. A military road among the Romans and Saxons.

Way of the rounds, in fortification, is a space left for the passage of the rounds, between the rampart and the wall of a fortified town. This is not much in use at present. See [Berme].

To WAYLAY. To beset by ambush.

WAYWODE, Ind. A prince; a chieftain.

WEAPON. An instrument of offence.

WEAPONED. Armed; furnished with arms of offence.

WEAPONLESS. Unarmed; having no weapon.

WEAR. A sluice-gate, or dam to shut up the water.

WEDGE. See [Coins], [Mechanic Powers], &c.

WEDGE. In a work translated from the French, and which is entitled, Observations on the Military Art, we find the following description of this instrument. It is composed of five surfaces, two of which are triangular, two long squared, and the fifth arbitrary. The two oblong surfaces, by their inclination to each other, form the point that insinuates itself into the wood, &c. that is to be split, as well as the sides or triangular surfaces, if the triangle, as it is driven, lengthens the slit or opening. They are the square surfaces that first insinuate themselves into the body to be cleft; and what are called triangular surfaces, are only what fill the space that separates the two quadrangular sides. After this reflection it appears, that the column has, at least, as just a claim as the triangle, to the term or word wedge. We may even say, with confidence, it has a much better; for a triangle of men ranged according to the same proportion as the triangle of the mechanic wedge, would be of very little force; and a mechanic wedge, of which the incisive angle was as great as that of a triangle of men, would be too large to enter those bodies we should want to cleave or split.

The double phalanx amphistome, of which Epaminondas formed the wedge, contained 3000 men, who were ranged, in Bouchaud’s opinion, one hundred in front, and 30 deep. This opinion, according to some is erroneous. Among the different evolutions of the ancients, the wedge was frequently resorted to, and was in some degree connected with the lozenge, which is a figure in geometry composed of four sides and four angles: of the four angles two are always obtuse, and two acute. The angles, that are alike, are always opposed one to the other, and always in the same number of degrees. According to Ælian, there are many ways of ranging squadrons in a lozenge: in the first, they have ranks and files; in the second, neither; in the third, they have files, but no ranks; lastly, in the fourth, they have ranks alone without files. With regard to the wedge, it was a formation which the ancients adopted both in cavalry and infantry evolutions, and was variously used, viz:—

The Wedge of Cavalry. This figure was formed on the same principles and movements as the lozenge, as far as the greatest rank of the latter, which served as a base to the triangular wedge. It was therefore as the half of a lozenge, cut and divided at its obtuse angles.

The Triangular Wedge of Infantry.—Some people pretend, that there were two sorts of triangular wedges in use among the ancients. The first was full, and formed after the same manner as the lozenge, and the wedge of the cavalry. The second was open at the base, and ranged differently from that of the first.

Triangular Wedge with a full centre. The Greek soldier occupied, at all times, a square space greater or less in proportion to the requisite order, either at a review, advancing towards the enemy, or standing in a position to receive him. This wedge was formed according to the arithmetical progression ÷ 1, 3, 5, 7, &c.

The open Wedge. This species of wedge was formed two different ways, with the Greeks and Romans. Bouchaud de Bussy, who takes them, one from Ælian, whom he translates, and the other from Vegetius, gives us a third, which appears to be of his own invention, and is very much superior to the other two. According to Ælian, Epaminondas the Theban general employed the open wedge at the battle of Leuctra, and overthrew the Lacedemonians, whose army was much superior to the one he commanded. To form this wedge, the two divisions of a double phalanx amphistome, are to unite together at the head, being separate or open at the tail or rear; which gives them a near resemblance of the Greek letter Λ. Bouchaud de Bussy formed the wedge in the following manner:

“The same body of troops being in array, may likewise, says he, form the wedge in marching forward, and this manœuvre requires no preliminary movement. The three divisions being marked, as well as the three files of the centre which compose the head of the wedge, the following words of command are given. Marked divisions, prepare to form the wedge in advancing: march. At the first notice, the files and ranks close suddenly; at the second, the three files of the centre, which will be the two first left files of the division on the right, and the first right file in the division on the left, march straight forward; at their second pace, the first file, that is contiguous to them on the right, and that which is equally contiguous on the left, move in their turn, so as to have their chiefs or leaders on a line, and in a rank, as it were, with the second soldiers of the three files of the centre; at the second pace of the files, who have made the second motion, the files that touch them march immediately likewise, and the same manœuvre is to continue successively; each head of a file taking notice not to move, until the moment he finds himself on a line with the second man of the file contiguous, &c.”

This method is beyond dispute the most simple, short, and secure that can be devised. The men occupy necessary and proper spaces, and if the enemy’s resistance should stop their head, the rest of the files, continuing their movements, would all arrive on the same front to engage together, that is, they would be in their primitive order of the phalanx. This author, to whose observations we refer from page 170 to page 203, thus concludes: we shall only remark, that all terms, metaphorically applied, sooner or later produce doubts and uncertainty. Neither a column or triangle of men should have ever been denominated a wedge; for a line of troops is not formed to be split like a piece of timber; it may be opened, broken through, or divided into as many parts as possible.

WEIGHTS, in military matters, are those in general use, except in artillery, where hundreds are made use of, each of 112lb. quarters, each of 28lb, and pounds, each of 16 ounces.

Every officer should know the weight of the ordinary musquet, rifle, carbine, and musquetoon; the weight of ball carried by each, for proof and service; the weight of powder according to quality required for each gun, and for practice and service, as well as the range of each weapon.

Artillery officers should know the weight of metal in iron and brass guns of every calibre: they should know the difference between the weight of metal in guns formerly and at present, and the reasons for the reduction of the weight of metal; they should know the length as well as weight of guns, and the weight of cannon ball, and the windage allowed for cannon shot; they should know the weight allowed for case, cannister, and grape shot; and the weight of powder in every case. They should know the weight of mortars of every dimension, and of the shells which they throw, and the powder necessary for every elevation and use.

The weight which horses and waggons can bear and draw on given kinds of roads. The burdens which boats, barges, and water craft can bear and carry on streams or rivers; and the expence of carriage by weight or measure in every situation. Military men should know the weight of men, horses, and every description of matter used or liable to be moved in service.

TABLE OF TROY-WEIGHT,
Shewing the quantity of grains Troy-Weight contained by each of the weights used in the trade of precious metals, and the relation of foreign weights to 100 pounds Troy-Weight.

Countries
and Places.		Names of
the Weights.		Contents
of each
weight
——		Equiv.
to 100
pounds
——
grainsnum. 100
Amsterdam marc3798 151,66
Antwerp marc3798 151,66
Augsburgh marc3043 158,09
Basil marc3612 159,46
Berlin marc3616 159,30
Bern marc3813 151,06
Bombay tola178¹⁄₄3231,25
Bonn marc3609 159,62
Botzen marc4330 133,04
Bremen marc3612 159,46
Breslaw marc3016 199,99
Brunswick marc3603 159,85
Brussels marc3798 151,66
Cairo rotolo6887 83,64
China tale579 994,81
Cologne marc3612 159,46
Constantinople cheky4926 116,93
Copenhagen marc3641 158,19
Coromandel seer4293 134,16
Cracow marc3069 187,68
Damascus rotolo34432 16,73
Dantzic marc3605¹⁄₂159,75
Dresden marc3605¹⁄₂159,75
England- pound5760 100,00
ounce480 1200,00
Florence pound5244 109,84
France- marc3780 152,33
kilogramme15446 37,29
Francfort marc3612 159,46
Geneva marc3787³⁄₄152,07
Genoa pound4897²⁄₃117,61
Hamburgh marc3608 159,64
Hanover marc3608 159,64
Holland marc3798 151,66
Japan tale580⁵⁄₈992,02
Konigsberg- marc3023 190,52
idem Berlin weight3616 159,30
Leghorn pound5244 109,84
Leipsic marc3606 159,75
Liege marc3800 151,58
Lubec marc3608 159,64
Magdeburg marc3607 159,68
Malabar seer4293 134,16
Manheim marc3611 159,49
Milan marc3631 158,63
Munich marc3612 159,46
Naples pound4954 116,27
Nuremberg marc3688 156,19
Pegu tical237¹⁄₄2427,80
Persia mitigal71³⁄₄8027,90
Pisa pound5237 110,00
Pondicherry seer4293 134,16
Portugal marc3542¹⁄₂162,60
Prague marc3916 147,08
Ratisbon marc3800 151,58
Riga marc3227 178,50
Rome pound5239 109,95
Russia pound6314 91,23
Sienna pound5179 111,22
Spain marc3551 162,21
Sweden marc3252 177,12
Surat tola187¹⁄₂3066,35
Tripoli mitical73³⁄₄7810,16
Tunis ounce486¹⁄₂1183,96
Turin marc3799 151,62
Venice- marc3686 156,26
ounce460³⁄₄1250,12
Vienna marc4333 132,93
Warsaw marc3114 184,97
Wilna marc3006 191,62
Wirtemburg marc3612 159,46
Zurich marc3615 159,34

The following examples will shew in what manner the proportion between the weights of any two given countries may be ascertained.

Examples.

It is required to reduce 100 marcs of Hamburgh into marcs of France.

The marc of Hamburgh weighing 3608 grains, and the marc of France 3780, according to the table prefixed, state the following equation:

100 marcs of Hamb. = x
1marc of Hamb.=3608grains
3780grains=1marc of France
Result 95,45 marcs of France.

Reduce 100 marcs of France into marcs of Hamburgh.

100 marcs of France = x
1marc of France=3780grains
3608grains=1marc of Hamb.
Result 104,76 marcs of Hamburgh.

TABLE OF AVOIRDUPOIS-WEIGHT,
Shewing the quantity of grains Troy-weight contained by each of the weights used in the sale of merchandize, and the relation of foreign weights to 100 pounds and 112 pounds Avoirdupois-weight.

Countries
and Places.		Names of
the Weights.		Contents
of each
weight
——		Equiv.
to 100
pounds
——		Equiv.
to 112
pounds
——
Grainsnum. 100num. 100
Achemcatti14675 47,7053,42
Aix in Francepound6310 110,94124,25
Aix la Chapellepound7235 96,75108,26
Algiersrotolo8345 83,8993,95
Aleppoidem of 720 drams35190 19,8922,28
idem of 70034213 20,4622,92
idem of 68033235 21,0623,59
idem of 60029315 23,8726,73
idem of 40019550 35,8140,10
Alexandriarotolo zauro14579 48,0154,77
idem zaidino9346 74,9083,89
idem forforo6579 106,40119,16
Alexandrettamine11663 60,0267,22
Alicantelibra mayor8004 87,4597,95
libra menor5336 131,18146,93
Altonapound7477 93,62104,86
Ambergpound9257 75,6284,70
Amsterdampound commercial weight7625 91,80102,82
pound apothecary weight5696 122,88137,63
Anconapound5183 135,05151,26
Anspachpound7868 88,9799,64
Antwerppound7261 96,40107,97
Archangelpound6314 110,87124,18
Arragonlibra pensil5326 131,43147,20
Augsburghpfund frohngewicht7580 92,34103,42
pfund kramgewicht7295 95,95107,46
Avignonpound6084 115,05128,85
Bambergpound7494 93,41104,62
Barcelonapound6214 112,65126,16
Basil or Baslepound7561 92,58103,69
Bataviacatti9450 74,0882,96
Bautzenpound6690 104,63117,18
Bayonnelivre7561 92,58103,69
Bayreuthpound7989 87,6398,14
Beetlefakeemaund11773 59,4666,59
Bengalfactory maund 1,341,50
bazar maund 1,221,36
Bergamopound peso forte12581 55,6462,31
pound light weight5033 139,09155,78
Bergenpound7716 90,72101,60
Bergen op Zoompound7343 95,33106,77
Berlinpound7233 96,78108,40
Bernpound8068 86,7697,18
Bilboapound7561 92,58103,69
Bois-le-Ducpound7196 97,27108,95
Bolognapound5590 125,21140,24
Bolzanopound7733 90,52101,38
Bombaymaund 2,632,95
Bordeauxpound city weight7637 91,66102,66
pound poids de marc7561 92,58103,69
Bremenpound7700 90,92101,83
Breslawpound6256 111,90125,33
Brugespound7261 96,40107,97
Brunswickpound7207 97,13108,79
Brusselspound7261 96,40107,97
Bussorahmaund seffi 1,111,24
maund a tara 3,513,93
Cadizpound7102 98,57110,40
Cairorotolo6665 105,04117,64
Calaispound heavy weight7870 88,9599,62
pound light weight6501 107,67120,59
Calicutmaund 3,333,73
Canary Islandspound7094 98,67110,52
Canearotolo heavy weight8127 86,1396,47
rotolo light weight5277 132,64148,56
Cantoncatti8640 81,90,72
Carthagenapound7102 98,57110,40
Casselpound4887 143,23160,42
Castillepound7102 98,57110,40
Cephaloniapound7384 94,80106,18
Chamberypound6621 105,72118,40
Civita Vecchiapound5267 132,90148,85
Coburgpound7868 88,9799,64
Colognepound7225 96,89108,52
Comopound4789 146,18163,72
Constancepound7285 96,08107,61
Constantinoplerotolo8670 80,7490,43
Copenhagenpound7716 90,72101,60
Corfupound7384 94,80106,18
Coromandelvis23333 30,33,59
Corsicapound5315 131,70147,50
Corunnapound8877 78,8588,31
Courtraypound6749 103,58116,
Cracowpound6271 111,63125,02
Cremonapound5060 138,34154,94
Culmbachpound7989 87,6398,14
Cyprusrotolo36710 19,0721,36
Damascusrotolo27691 25,2828,31
Dantzicpound6722 104,15116,66
Denmarkpound7716 90,72101,60
Delftpound7625 91,80102,82
Deventerpound7259 96,42108,
Dieppepound7630 91,75102,76
Dixmudepound6639 105,43118,09
Dordrechtpound7625 91,80102,82
Dresdenpound7211 97,07108,72
Dublinpound7000 100,112,
Dunkirkpound6615 105,81118,52
Elbingpound6558 106,74119,55
Elsinorepound7716 90,72101,60
Embdenpound7666 91,31102,27
Englandpound avoirdupois7000 100,112,
pound apothecary weight5760 121,53136,11
Erfurtpound7285 96,08107,61
Ferrarapound5237 133,67149,71
Ferrolpound8877 78,8588,31
Fezrotolo7259 96,42108,
Flensburgpound7461 93,82105,08
Florencepound5401 129,60145,15
Forlipound5084 137,69154,22
Francepound poids de marc7561 92,58103,69
pound apothecary weight5568 123,51138,33
kilogramme15446[17]45,3250,76
hectogramme1544³⁄₅453,20507,60
Francfort on the Mainepound heavy weight7841 89,28100,
pound light weight7210 97,09108,74
Francfort on the Oderpound7232 96,80108,42
Freybergpound7210 97,09108,74
Flushingpound7189 97,37109,06
Gaetapound4553 153,75172,20
Galiciapound8877 78,8588,31
Gallipolirotolo6978 100,31112,35
Gandpound7261 96,40107,97
Genevapound heavy weight8502 82,3492,22
pound light weight7085 98,70110,66
GenoaCustom-House rotolo8258 84,7794,94
rotolo peso di cassa7506 93,25104,45
rotolo cantaro weight7360 95,11106,52
pound peso grosso4907 142,65159,77
pound peso sottile4898 142,92160,07
Germanypound apothecary weight5527 126,64141,84
Gibraltarpound7215 97,01108,55
pound Cadiz weight7102 98,57110,40
Gottenburgpound victualie weight6563 106,66119,46
pound for weighing iron5250 133,33149,33
Grenadapound heavy weight7707 90,82101,72
pound light weight6860 102,05114,30
Groningenpound7552 92,69103,81
Gueldrespound7205 97,15108,81
Hamburgpound commercial weight7481 93,57104,80
pound Cologne weight7224 96,89108,52
Hanoverpound7494 93,40104,61
Harburgpound7494 93,40104,61
Harlempound7625 91,80102,82
Havre de Gracepound8161 85,7796,06
Haguepound7625 91,80102,82
Heidelbergpound7788 89,88100,67
Hildesheimpound7207 97,13108,79
Japancatti9100 76,9286,15
Javacatti9247 75,7084,79
Kielpound7355 95,17106,69
Kintzingenpound7868 88,9799,64
Konigsbergpound old weight5869 119,27133,58
pound new weight7233 96,78108,50
Kremspound8743 80,3789,67
Leghorn[18]pound5296 132,17148,03
Leipsicpound butchers’ weight7772 90,07100,88
pound commercial weight7207 97,13108,79
pound miners’ weight6954 100,66112,75
pound for weighing steel6718 104,20116,70
Leydenpound7261 96,40107,97
Liebaupound6378 109,76122,92
Liegepound7331 95,48106,94
Lindaupound7089 98,74110,59
Lintzpound8743 80,0789,67
Lisbonpound7085 98,80110,66
Lislepound heavy weight7164 97,72109,44
pound light weight6615 105,81118,52
Londonpound avoirdupois7000 100,112,
Louvainpound7261 96,40107,97
Lubecpound7461 93,86105,08
Luccapound commercial weight5745 121,84136,45
pound for weighing silk5150 135,93152,24
Lucernpound7707 90,82101,72
Lunenburgpound7494 93,40104,61
Lyonspound for weighing silk7088 98,77110,62
pound city weight6615 105,81118,52
Madeirapound6725 104,10116,59
Madrasmaund 4,4,48
Madridpound7102 98,57110,40
Magdeburgpound7232 96,80108,42
Mahonpound6865 101,97114,21
Majorcarotolo6486 107,92120,87
Malabarvis23333 30,33,59
Malaccavis9450 74,0882,96
Malagapound7102 98,57110,40
Maltarotolo11901 58,8265,88
Manheimpound7639 91,63102,63
Mantuapound5083 137,71154,24
Marseillespound poids de table6203 112,85126,39
Masulipatamseer4293 163,05182,62
Meccarotolo7144 97,98109,74
Medinarotolo7144 97,98109,74
Memelpound6378 109,76122,92
Memmingenpound7903 88,5799,20
Messinapound of twelve ounces4903 142,77175,34
rotolo of thirty ounces12257 57,1163,96
rotolo of thirty-three ounces13483 51,9258,15
Middleburgpound7225 96,89108,52
Milanpound heavy weight11807 59,2966,40
pound light weight5060 138,34154,94
Minorcalibra mayor18480 37,8842,43
libra menor6160 113,65127,28
Mochamaund21000 33,3337,33
Modenapound4971 140,82157,71
Monacopound5113 136,89153,32
Montpellierpound6282 111,42124,89
Moreapound commercial weight6168 113,49127,10
pound for weighing silk7710 90,79101,68
oke18463 37,9242,47
Moroccopound of Castille7102 98,57110,40
Morlaixpound7561 92,58103,69
Muscovypound6314 110,87124,18
Munichpound8657 80,8690,57
Munsterpound7355 95,17106,60
Namurpound7261 96,40107,97
Nancypound7561 92,58103,69
Nantespound7561 92,58103,69
Naplespound4954 141,30158,26
rotolo13761 50,8756,97
Narvapound7225 96,89108,52
Navarrepound of Castille7102 98,57110,40
Naumburgpound7207 97,13108,79
Negropontirotolo8261 84,7394,90
Neufchatelpound8029 87,1897,64
Neustadtpound7868 88,9799,64
Nicepound4786 146,25163,80
Nimeguenpound7639 91,63102,63
Nordlingenpound7566 92,52103,62
Norwaypound7716 90,72101,60
Novipound5113 136,89153,32
Nurembergpound7868 88,9799,64
Oportopound Lisbon weight7085 98,80110,66
pound according to Kruse6646 105,33117,97
Oranrotolo7776 90,02100,83
Orientpound7561 92,58103,69
Ormusseer4676 149,70167,67
Osnaburgpound7625 91,80102,82
Ostendpound7261 96,40107,97
Oudenardpound6758 103,58116,
Oviedopound of Asturias10653 65,7173,60
pound of Castille7102 98,57110,40
Paderbornpound7355 95,17106,60
Paduapound5157 135,75152,04
Palermopound of 12 ounces4903 142,77175,34
rotolo of 30 ounces12257 57,1163,96
rotolo of 33 ounces13483 51,9258,15
Parispound poids de marc7561 92,58103,69
Parmapound5234 133,75149,80
Passaupound7414 94,41105,74
Patraspound commercial weight6168 113,49127,10
pound for weighing silk7710 90,79101,68
Peguvis23333 30,33,59
Pernaupound6431 108,85121,91
Piedmontpound5749 121,77139,39
Pisapound5028 139,21155,92
Placenzapound4980 140,56157,43
Pondicherryvis22683 30,8634,56
Portugalpound7085 98,80110,66
Posenpound6158 113,87127,53
Praguepound7929 88,2898,88
Presburgpound8616 81,2491,
Ragusapound5607 124,84139,82
Ratisbonpound8777 79,7589,32
Ravennapound4623 151,41169,58
Reggiopound5093 137,45153,95
Revelpound6646 105,33117,97
Rhodesrotolo36922 18,9621,24
Rigapound6454 108,40121,48
Rochellepound7561 92,58103,69
Romepound Roman5239 133,61149,65
pound public scale5344 131,146,71
Rostockpound7888 88,7599,40
Rotenburgpound7868 88,9799,64
Rotterdampound heavy weight7625 91,80102,82
pound light weight7261 96,40107,97
Rouenpound poids de marc7561 92,58103,69
pound poids de vicomté8015 87,3497,82
Roveredopound5257 133,15149,13
Russiapound6314 110,87124,18
St. Anderpound7102 98,57110,40
St. Croixpound7716 90,72101,60
St. Eustatiapound7625 91,80102,82
St. Gallpound heavy weight9823 77,5886,89
pound light weight7179 97,51109,21
St. Lucarpound7102 98,57110,40
St. Malopound7561 92,58103,69
St. Petersburgpound6314 110,87124,18
St. Sebastianpound7524 93,04104,20
Salleepound7215 97,01108,66
Saltzburgpound8643 81,90,71
Saragossapound of 12 ounces5326 131,43147,20
Sardiniapound6188 113,12126,69
Saydrotolo of Acre36776 19,0421,32
rotolo of Damascus28755 24,3427,27
Schafhausenpound7094 98,68110,52
Schweinfurtpound7868 88,9799,64
Sciorotolo7647 91,54102,52
Scotlandpound old weight7616 91,91102,94
pound new weight7000 100,112,
Sevillepound7102 98,57110,40
Siamcatti9030 77,5286,82
Sicilypound of 12 ounces4903 142,77175,34
rotolo of 30 ounces12257 57,1163,96
rotolo of 33 ounces13483 51,9258,15
Siennapound6905 101,38113,55
Smyrnaoke19420 36,0540,37
rotolo8739 80,1089,71
Spainpound of 16 ounces7102 98,57110,40
Stadepound7333 95,46106,92
Stettinpound7232 96,80108,42
Stralsundpound7461 93,82105,08
Strasburgpound heavy weight7557 92,63103,75
pound light weight7277 96,19107,74
Swedenpound victualie weight6563 106,66119,46
pound miners’ weight5802 120,65135,12
pound cities weight5526 126,68141,88
pound for weighing iron5250 133,33149,33
pound apothecary weight5501 127,26142,53
Sumatracatti19684 35,5639,83
Suratseer6556 106,78119,60
Surinampound7625 91,80102,82
Syracusepound5044 138,78155,44
Syriamina9117 76,7885,99
Tangierrotolo7426 94,27105,58
Teneriffepound of Castille7102 98,57110,40
Tetuanrotolo10945 63,9671,63
Thornpound6502 107,66120,58
Toulonpound6633 105,54118,20
Toulousepound6418 109,07122,15
Tournaipound6721 104,15116,65
Trevespound heavy weight7975 87,7798,31
pound light weight5247 133,41149,42
Triestepound Vienna weight8650 80,9290,64
pound Venice great weight7384 94,80106,18
pound Venice small weight4673 149,80167,78
Tripoli in Barbaryrotolo7850 89,1799,87
Tripoli in Syriarotolo28037 24,9727,96
oke18692 37,4541,94
Tunisrotolo7661 91,37102,34
Turinpound5696 122,89137,63
Valenciapound of 12 oz.5498 127,32142,60
pound of 16 oz.7331 95,48106,94
pound of 18 oz.8247 84,8895,07
Valenciennespound7259 96,43108,
Venicepound great weight7384 94,80106,18
pound small weight4673 149,80167,78
Veronapound great weight7677 91,18102,12
pound small weight5136 136,30152,65
Vicenzapound great weight7523 93,05104,21
pound small weight5247 133,41149,42
Viennapound8650 80,9290,64
Ulmpound7234 96,76108,37
United States of Americapound7000 100,112,
Warsawpound5853 119,60133,95
Wismarpound7471 93,70104,94
Windawpound6377 109,76122,23
Wirtembergpound7225 96,89108,52
Wurtzburgpound7362 95,08106,49
Yprespound6646 105,33117,97
Zantepound7384 94,80106,18
Zealandpound7172 97,60109,32
Zellpound7494 93,40104,61
Zittaupound7221 96,94108,57
Zurichpound heavy weight8138 86,0196,33
pound light weight7234 96,76108,37
Zutphenpound7259 96,43108,
Zwollpound7439 94,10105,39

[17] The gramme, or the unit of French weights, is therefore equivalent to 15,446 grains troy-weight.

[18] According to the prices current received from Leghorn, the equivalent to 112 pounds is only 145.

The following examples will shew in what manner the proportion between the weights of any two given countries may be ascertained.

EXAMPLES.

It is required to reduce 100 kilogrammes of France into pounds of Amsterdam.

The kilogramme of France weighing 15446 grains, and the pound of Amsterdam 7625, according to the table prefixed, state the following equation:

100 kilogrammes = x
1kilogramme=15446grains
7625grains=1pound
Result 202,57 pounds.

Reduce 100 pounds of Amsterdam into kilogrammes of France.

100 pounds = x
1pound=7625grains
15446grains=1kilogramme
Result 49,37 kilogrammes.

WEIGHT, (poids, Fr.) Impression, pressure, burthen, overwhelming power. The great advantage which heavy cavalry has over the light horse, and particularly over infantry troops, consists wholly in its pressure and overwhelming power.

WELL. In the military art, a depth which the miner sinks under ground, with branches or galleries running out from it; either to prepare a mine, or to discover and disappoint the enemy’s mine. See [Shaft].

To WET. In a sense of good fellowship and hilarity, and of course in a military one, to take a cheerful glass, or, speaking popularly, to “moisten the clay.”

To Wet a Commission. It has always been customary in the army, for every officer, when he obtains a commission, gets promoted, or exchanged, to afford some mark and acknowlegement to the corps he joins.

WERE. The preterite of I am.

As you Were. A word of command in the British service which corresponds with the French remettez vous. It signifies to return to the same position from which you had faced or wheeled, &c. and is generally used when any motion of the firelock or movement of the body has been done improperly.

WERST. A Russian measure in travelling. The Werst contains seven hundred and fifty geometrical paces.

WHEEL, in artillery. A circular body which turns round on its axis. The strength of these wheels is always, or should be, proportional to the weight they carry: the diameters of the wheels of heavy gun-carriages are 85 inches, and those for light field-pieces 52 only.

To Wheel, (Faire conversion, Fr.) In a military sense, to move forward or backward in a circular manner, round some given point. See [Pivot]. Wheeling is one of the most essential and important operations of the squadron, necessary in many changes of position, and in the formation of column and of the line.

Wheel of the squadron. When the entire squadron is to wheel, a caution is given to that purport, and to which hand. At the word March, the front rank of the squadron remains dressed to the centre, the leader fixes his eye and makes his circle on the standing flank man; the standard follows him exactly, and the squadron wheels with the same uniform front, at such a pace as is requisite to keep every where dressed with the standard. The rear rank and the serrefiles look to the wheeling flank, and incline, at the same time that they wheel, so as always to cover their front leaders.

The standard must take care, never to oblige the wheeling man to exceed a moderate gallop, otherwise the rear rank, which has still more ground to go over, cannot keep up; the squadron will wheel loose and in disorder, and be longer in dressing than if it had come about at a slower pace, but close and connected.

The flanks must always conform to the centre, in case the leader does not take his ground as exactly as he ought. At any rate, the standard is the guide for the pace, and the point from which the distance of files is to be preserved.

The leader must take care to time his word Dress the instant before the wheel is completed, otherwise an over wheel or reining back will be the consequence. The whole dress by the centre.

The squadron breaks into column of any of the divisions in which it is told off, by each of those divisions wheeling up the quarter circle. If the body is in motion (as in column) the wheels of the divisions all begin at the word Wheel! If halted, they are begun at the word March!

In all division wheelings, the whole look to the wheeling hand. In all wheelings, the rear rank must rein back at the standing flank, and incline towards the wheeling hand, in order to cover.

At the word mark time! halt! given when the wheel is completed, the whole turn eyes and dress to the standing flank, and remain so till a new direction is given.

Wheelings of the squadron, or its parts, from the halt, are made on the flanks, except those of ranks by threes, which are made on the middle man of each.

Wheel of divisions into squadron. When the squadron is to be formed by the wheeling up of its divisions, there must not be any intervals, and the rear ranks must rein back, and incline so as not to interrupt the front ranks coming up together.

In division wheelings, the whole keep closed lightly towards the hand they wheel to, and must avoid pressing the pivot man off his ground. The outward man looks to his rank, he of course regulates the pace at which the wheel is made; he must not press in on his rank, nor turn his horse’s head towards the standing flank; all the horse’s heads must be kept rather outwards (for to attempt to bend them inwards, would certainly occasion a crowding on the standing flank) and the croupes lightly closed inwards with the leg. The pivot man of the wheel turns his horse on his fore-feet, keeps his ground, and comes gradually round with his rank.

Wheels of divisions made on a halted, or on a moveable Pivot. Wheels of divisions of the squadron or line are made on a HALTED, or on a MOVEABLE pivot. When on a halted pivot, they are made from line into column, or from column into line; and also generally by the column of manœuvre or march, when moving on a considerable front, and when the wheel by which its direction is to be changed, approaches to, or exceeds the quarter circle. When on a moveable pivot, they are generally used and ordered when the front of the column is small, and its path winding and changeable.

Whenever the wheel, made on a halted pivot, is less than the quarter circle, the pause after the wheel will be considerable; should the wheel be greater than the quarter circle, it must be accelerated, otherwise more than one division will be arrived, and arrested at the wheeling point.

Wheel on a moveable pivot. When wheels or changes of direction of bodies in column, are made on a MOVEABLE PIVOT, both flanks are kept in motion; the pivot one always describing part of a circle, and the reverse flank, and intermediate men of the division, by a compound of inclining and wheeling, conforming to the pivot movement.

Wheel made to the pivot hand, and moveable. When the change is made to the PIVOT hand, (the whole being in motion) the leader of the head division, when at the distance of twenty or thirty yards from the point of intersection of the old and new direction, will give the word, right or left quarter wheel, which is a caution for each man to give a small turn of his horse TOWARDS the pivot hand, and the leader himself carefully preserving the rate of march, without the least alteration of pace, will in his own person begin to circle BEFORE the line, from the old, so as to enter the new direction twenty or thirty yards from the point of intersection, which he in this case leaves at some distance WITHIN his pivot hand. When this is effected (the rest of his division having, during the transition, and on the principle of gradual dressing, conformed to the direction he is giving them) he will give the word Forward! for the division to pursue the right line. The leader of the second, and of every other division, when he arrives on the ground on which the first began to wheel, will in the same manner follow his exact tract, always preserving his proper distance from him.

Wheel made to the reverse flank. When the change is made to the REVERSE hand, the pivot leader having arrived as before, at the spot where he gives his word right or left quarter wheel! for each man to give a small turn of his horse’s head FROM the pivot hand, will begin in his own person to circle BEHIND the line from the old, so as to enter the new direction twenty or thirty yards from the point of intersection, which, in this case, he leaves at some small distance WITHOUT his pivot hand. The rest of his division, by giving way, having gradually conformed to his movement, he will at the proper instant order Forward! and resume a straight line.

During the change to either hand, the whole continue looking to the pivot flank, which never alters the rate of the then march; but the reverse flank is in the one case obliged to slacken, and in the other to quicken its movement.

In this manner, without the constraint of formal wheels, a column, when not confined on its flanks, may be conducted in all kinds of winding and changeable directions; for if the changes be made gradual, and circling, and that the pivot leaders pursue their proper path at the same uniform equal pace, the true distances of divisions will be preserved, which is the great regulating object on this occasion, and to which every other consideration must give way.

The wheelings of cavalry being more difficult than those of infantry, we have, on that account, been more particular; but the subject is handled more amply in the American Military Library. The French do not make use of any word that immediately corresponds with Wheel, as a term of command. They say briefly, by platoons, &c. To the right or left into line, march. Par pelotons, àdroite ou à gauche en bataille, marche. The act of wheeling in general is expressed by quarter or half-quarter wheel.

WHEELINGS. Are different motions made by horse and foot, either to the right or left, or to the right and left about, &c. forward or backward.

Wheeling. The old aukward method of oblique moving and wheeling, is now superceded by half and quarter wheeling.

General rules for Wheeling. The circle is divided into four equal parts: thence, wheeling to the right or left, is only a quarter of the circle; wheeling to the right or left about, is one half of the circle.

When you wheel to the right, you are to close to the right, so near as to touch your right hand man, but without pressing him; and to look to the left, in order to bring the rank about even.

When you wheel to the left, you are to close to the left, and look to the right, as above directed. This rule will serve for all wheeling by ranks; as when a battalion is marching by subdivisions with their ranks open, then each rank wheels distinctly by itself, when it comes to the ground on which the ranks before it wheeled, but not before.

In wheeling, the men are to take particular care, neither to open nor close their ranks, and to carry their arms well.

In wheeling, the motion of each man is quicker or slower, according to the distance he is from the right or the left: thus, when you wheel to the right, each man moves quicker than his right-hand man; and, wheeling to the left, each man moves quicker than his left-hand man; the circle that every man wheels being larger, according to the distance he is from the hand he wheels to; as may be seen by describing several circles within one another, at two feet distance from each, which is nearly the space every man is supposed to take up.

Wheel-carriages. In artillery, &c. The whole doctrine thereof, as it stands on a mathematical theory, may be reduced to the following particulars, viz.

1. Wheel-carriages meet with less resistance than any other kind of carriage.

2. The larger the wheels, the easier is the draught of the carriage.

3. A carriage, upon four wheels of equal size, is drawn with less force than with two of those wheels, and two of a lesser size.

4. If the load be all on the axle of the larger wheels, it will be drawn with less force than if laid on the axis of the lesser wheels; contrary to the common notion of loading carriages before.

5. Carriages go with much less force on friction-wheels, than in the common way.

WHEELBARROW. A small carriage of burthen, pushed forward by the hands on one wheel; a certain number are always attached to the artillery.

WHINYARD. A sword, so called by Butler in his Hudibras.

WHIPCORD. A tight spun cord, with which the cat-o-nine-tails is made.

WHOLE. All, total, containing all.

Take care the WHOLE. A cautionary word which was formerly used in the British service, and is sometimes, but improperly, given now. The term Attention is adopted in its room.

WHOOP. A shout; a loud noise which soldiers make in charging, &c. It is a natural though a barbarous habit, and has been preserved in civilized armies from a prevailing custom among savages, particularly the wild Indians of America.

WICKET, (guichet, Fr.) A small door in the gate of a fortified place, through which people go in and out, without opening the great gate.

WIDERZOUROUK. A compound word from the German, which signifies back again. The French pronounce it Vuiderzourouk. It means a movement which is made to the rear, in order to bring a squadron to the right about, in the same manner that a battalion is faced about. Marshal Puysegur remarks, that the French adopted this movement from the Germans, in the year 1670. He is of opinion, that previous to this epoch, squadrons were faced to the rear by means of a double caracol, describing a half-circle, the extent of whose front was equal to half of its diameter; on which account, the general order of battle in those days had considerable intervals, and great loss of time and space of course.

WIG. A Saxon termination of the names of men, signifying war.

WIGWAM. A hut used in America by the Indians.

WILBE, Ind. Guardian; protector.

WILDFIRE. A composition of firework, so called from its ready ignition and rapid combustion.

WINCH, (Manivelle, Fr.) The handle or lever by which a jack, windlass, &c. is turned.

WINDAGE of a gun, mortar, or howitzer. The difference between the diameter of the bore, and the diameter of the shot or shell. In England the diameter of the shot is supposed to be divided into 20 equal parts, and the diameter of the bore into 21 of those parts. The French divide the shot into 26, and the bore into 27. The Prussians divide the shot into 24, and the bore into 25. The Dutch nearly the same as the English. The general windage of shells in England is ¹⁄₄ of an inch, let them be large or small, which is contrary to all reason. It is evident, that the less windage a shot or shell has, the farther and truer it will go; and having less room to bounce from side to side, the gun will not be spoiled so soon.

It is true that some artillery officers say, that the windage of a gun should be equal to the thickness of the ladle; because, when it has been loaded for a while, the shot will not come out, without being loosened thereby, in order to unload it—and when this cannot be done, it must be fired away, and so lost: but the most advantageous windage should be in dividing the shot into 24 equal parts, and the bore into 25, on account of the convenient scale it affords, not only to construct guns thereby, but also their carriages. Hence, agreeable to this plan, the windage of a nine-pounder will be 166 of an inch, consequently a sufficient thickness for a ladle; and those of a higher calibre become still thicker in proportion: but suppose this thickness is not enough, the loss of a shot is a mere trifle, in respect to the advantage gained thereby.

Windage. The usual windage of English guns is ¹⁄₂₀ of the calibre. It appears by experiments, that ¹⁄₄, or nearly ¹⁄₃ of the force of the powder is lost by this windage. See [Velocity].

Windage of Mortars and Howitzers.

From the 13 to 5¹⁄₂ inch the windage is ·15 of an inch, and that of the 4²⁄₅ is ·2 of an inch.

Windage of Guns and Carronades.

Kind.684232241812964321
Guns.—·33·30·27·25·22·20·17·15·14·12·09
Carrona.·15·15·15·14·12·12

Windage of French Guns.

Field Guns.—All one line of windage;about ¹⁄₅₀ in an 8 pounder.
Siege Guns.—All 1¹⁄₂ line; about ¹⁄₄₈in a 24 Pr.
Mortars.—12inch;4linesof windage.
10inch;1line, 5 pointsdo.
 8inch;1line,do.
Howitzers.—All;2linesdo.

WIND-GUN. See [Air-Gun].

WINDLASS, (Vindas, Fr.) Is a roller of wood, square at each end, through which are either cross holes for handspikes or staves across to turn it round: by this means it draws a cord, one end of which is fastened to some weight which it raises up. They are used in gins, and about Dutch mortars, to help to elevate them. The French say Vindas ou Cabestan horizontal, the latter being a sea term.

WINDSAILS, (Manches à vent, Fr.) Large pieces of canvas, which are used in ships at sea for the purposes of ventilation, &c. During voyages in hot climates, the most beneficial effects are derived from the use of windsails. The master of the vessel should be desired to have them made immediately as troops are embarked, if not already provided, and they should be constantly hung up.—These sails throw a stream of cold air between decks, and it is not an unusual practice among the men, at least among the unexperienced soldiers, to tie up the bottom of them, by which this salutary purpose is defeated. The serjeant of the watch must be responsible that this irregularity is never committed.

To WINDWARD, (Au Vent, Fr.) As St. Domingo is to the windward of Jamaica.

WINGS of an army. When drawn up in battle, are the right and left parts counting from the centre; when a battalion is drawn up, the divisions on the right and left of the centre are called the wings. The word wing is sometimes used to denote the large sides of horn-works, crown-works, tenailles, and other out-works, &c.

WINTER-Quarters. See [Quarters].

WITHERBAND. A piece of iron laid under a saddle, about three inches above the withers of the horse, to keep tight the two pieces of wood.

WITNESSES. In fortification. See [Temoins].

Witnesses. In a military judicial sense, persons summoned by the judge-advocate, or any of his deputies, to attend at a general court-martial, there to speak to facts which they know of their own knowlege, and to which they can bona fide swear, from having been present at the transaction, &c. See Macomb on Court-Martials.

According to the articles of war, witnesses attending courts-martial are to be privileged from arrests, and not attending are liable to be attached.

WOHKEELE, Ind. An ambassador.

WOLF-Holes. In the defence of places, are round holes, generally about two or three feet in diameter at the top, one at bottom, and two and an half deep, dug in the front of any work. Sometimes a sharp-pointed stake or two are fixed at the bottom, and covered with very thin planks, and green sods; consequently the enemy, on advancing, fall in, and are put into confusion.

WOOD. Artillery carriages are generally made of elm, ash, and oak. The bed and house of a sea mortar are made of oak, and the bolster of elm. The bottoms of land mortar beds are of oak, and the upper parts of elm.

Carriages—Ship.—The cheeks, transoms, and trucks of elm; the axle trees of live oak.

——Garrison.—The whole of oak; trucks, iron.

——Field.—Heavy 24 and 12 Pr. the cheeks and transoms of elm; the axle trees of ash or hickory. In the wheel the nave and fellies are of elm; the spokes of ash; limber shafts, bars, and axle trees are of ash. Light guns, from 3 to 12 prs. the cheeks and transoms are of elm: the ammunition boxes are of sycamore. In the wheels, the nave is of elm, the spokes of oak, and the fellies of ash. In the limber the shafts and bars of ash.

Wood Matches. See [Portfire].

WOODEN-Bottoms. In laboratory works, are cylindrical pieces of wood, of different lengths and diameters, agreeable to the size of the gun. They are hollowed at one end to receive the shot, and the flannel cartridge is fastened to the other end: the whole forming one cartridge, which is put into the piece at one motion. Iron bottoms are to be preferred.

WOOL-Packs. Bags of wool. They are frequently ranged in form of a breastwork, because they resist cannon-shot. See [Siege].

WORD (Mot, Fr.) A single part of speech, consisting of one or more syllables, for the purpose of expressing ideas; In a military sense, it signifies signal, token, order; as watch-word, &c.

The Word, -
Watch Word,

Is a peculiar word that serves for a token and mark of distinction, given out in the orders of the day in times of peace, but in war every evening in the field, by the general who commands, and in garrison by the governor, or other officer commanding in chief, to prevent surprise, and hinder an enemy, or any treacherous person, to pass backwards and forwards. This watchword is generally called the parole, and to which is added the countersign. The first is known to all officers and non-commissioned officers, the latter only to the centinels. The officers that go the rounds, or patroles, exchange the word with the officers on duty; nor must the centinels let any one pass who has not got the countersign.

Words of command, (Mots de commandement, Fr.) Certain terms which have been adopted for the exercise and movement of military bodies, according to the nature of each particular service. Words of command are classed under two principal heads, and consist of those which are given by the chief or commander of a brigade, battalion, or division, and of those which are uttered by the subordinate leaders of troops or companies, &c.

Cautionary Words, (Commandement d’advertissement, Fr.) Certain leading instructions which are given to designate any particular manœuvre. The cautionary words precede the words of command, and are issued by the chiefs of corps.

WORKMEN. Are persons that attend the ammunition, boatsmen, carpenters, smiths, millers, bakers, waggoners, miners, pioneers, &c.

When soldiers are employed upon fatigue, or working parties, the drums and fifes, &c., should invariably play to time and measure. According to marshal Saxe, they should be relieved at the expiration of two hours and an half; by which means the individuals are less harrassed, and all the troops share alike. With regard to accompanying them in their labor with music, the policy of it is warranted by antiquity. The Lacædemonians, with a detachment of only three thousand men, under the command of Lysander, destroyed the famous Pyræus of Athens in less than six hours. During the whole of the operation, the flutes were playing, to enliven and encourage the troops. This custom existed in France to a late period among the galley-slaves at Marseilles; who, whilst they were employed in removing enormous loads of rubbish, &c. were constantly accompanied by musical instruments and drums. Marsh. Saxe’s Reveries, pages 157 and 158.

WORKS. This term is generally understood to comprehend the fortifications about the body of a place; as by outworks are meant those without the first inclosure. The word is also used to signify the approaches of the besiegers, and the several lines, trenches, &c. made round a place, an army, or the like, for its security.

To WORM a Gun, (Décharger un canon avec la tire-bourre, Fr.) To take out the charge of a firearm by means of a worm.

Worm of a Gun, (Tire-bourre, Fr.) An instrument vermiculated or turned round, that serves to extract any thing into which it insinuates itself by means of a spiral direction. It is much the same as wad-hook, with this difference, that the one is more proper for small-arms, and the other for ordnance.

To WORST. To defeat, to overthrow.

WORSTED. Defeated; put to the rout.

WORTHY. A man particularly distinguished, more especially for his valor, as the worthies of antiquity.

WREATH of victory. The garland or chaple, of triumph. See [Triumph].

WRESTLER. One who contends in wrestling.

WRESTLING. A contest for ascendancy of bodily strength; as when two wrestlers attempt to throw each other down. It was in great vogue among the Olympic games.

WRONG. An injury; a designed or known detriment; not right, not justice.

Wrongs. We have already observed under the article [Rights], that although they are not specifically mentioned or described in the mutiny bill, they nevertheless exist in military life. Every officer and soldier possesses rights, and when either is wronged he is authorized to seek for redress. In the articles of war, it is expressly laid down, that if any officer shall think himself to be wronged by his colonel, or the commanding officer, of the regiment, and shall upon due application made to him, be refused to be redressed, he may complain to the general commanding, in order to obtain justice; who is required to examine into such complaint; and either by himself or by the secretary at war, to make his report. It will be observed, that officers may be peremptorily dismissed the service without trial or investigation.

If any inferior officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier shall think himself wronged by his captain, or other officer commanding the troop or company to which he belongs, he is to complain thereof to the commanding officer of the station or regiment.

WUHAH, Ind. Sandals.

WULANDA, or Wulandez, Ind. The Dutch are so called in India.