Brandywine. A river in Pennsylvania and Delaware, near which a battle took place between the British and Americans, in which the latter (after a day’s fight) were defeated with great loss, and Philadelphia fell into the possession of the victors, September 11, 1777.
Brass. See [Bronze].
Brassar. A piece of defensive armor for the arm.
Brassart. In plate-armor, joined plates of steel which protected the upper part of the arm, from the elbow to the shoulder. When the front of the arm only was shielded, the pieces were called demi-brassarts.
Brasset. A casque or head-piece of armor.
Braunau. A town of Bohemia, Austria; captured by the French, October 28, 1805.
Bray. A small town in the department of Seine-et-Marne, France; it was occupied by the allies, February 12, 1814.
Brazil. An empire in South America, was discovered by Vincent Pinzon in February, and Pedro Alvarez de Cabral, a Portuguese, driven upon its coasts by a tempest, in 1500. The French having seized Portugal in 1807, the royal family and nobles embarked for Brazil, and landed March 7, 1808. Brazil declared war against Uruguay in February, 1865; entered into a treaty with Uruguay and the Argentine Republic against Paraguay, governed by Lopez, in May, 1865, and war was waged with varying results up to 1870.
Breach. Rupture made in a fortification to facilitate the assault. The operation by which the opening is produced is called breaching, and the guns used for this purpose are breaching batteries. To repair a breach, is to stop or fill up the gap with gabions, fascines, etc., and prevent the assault. To fortify a breach, is to render it inaccessible by means of chevaux-de-frise, crow’s feet, etc. To make a lodgment in the breach. After the besieged are driven away, the besiegers secure themselves against any future attack in the breach. To clear the breach, that is, to remove the ruins, that it may be better defended.
Breach of Arrest. See Appendix, [Articles of War], [65].