Enfield Rifle-musket. The service arm of Great Britain prior to the adoption of breech-loaders; manufactured at Enfield, England, at the royal small-arms factories. It was first extensively introduced in 1853, and was used during the Crimean war. It had three grooves, with a twist of about one turn in 6 feet. Before the adoption of the Martini-Henry, large numbers of those guns were utilized by converting them into breech-loaders on the Snider principle. The Enfield rifles, though very serviceable weapons, much better than the Belgian and Austrian arms imported to the United States during the civil war, were in almost every respect inferior to the old Springfield (U. S.) rifle-musket, nearly of the same caliber (.58), the Enfield being .577. All those weapons have now given place to various breech-loading arms.
Enfilade. Is to fire in the direction of the length of a line of parapet or troops; to “rake it,” as the sailors say. In the siege of a fortress, the trenches of approach are cut in a zigzag, to prevent the defenders enfilading them from the walls.
Enfilading Batteries. In siege operations are one of the classes of batteries employed, the other classes being [counter] and [breaching] batteries. Enfilading batteries are located on the prolongation of the faces and flanks of the works besieged, to secure a raking fire along the terre-pleins.
Engage. To gain for service; to enlist.
Engage. To enter into conflict; to join battle; as, the armies engaged in a general battle.
Engagement. A general action or battle, whether by land or sea.
Engarrison. To protect any place by a garrison.
Engen. In Baden; here Moreau defeated the Austrians, May 3, 1800.
Enghien, or Steenkirk. In Southwestern Belgium. Here the British under William III. were defeated by the French under Marshal Luxemburg, July 24, 1692.
Engineer, Military. An officer in the service of a government, whose duties are principally to construct fortifications, to make surveys for warlike purposes, to facilitate the passage of an army by the construction of roads and bridges; in short, to execute all engineering works of a military nature. He is also called upon to undertake many works which more properly belong to the business of a civil engineer, such as the survey of the country, the inspection of public works, and, in short, all the duties of a government engineer.