Lucon. A town of France, in the department of Vendée, situated on the edge of a marshy plain. The Republicans sustained a defeat under the walls of Lucon in 1703, and the insurgent Vendeans besieged the place some months afterwards, but without success.
Ludlow. A municipal and Parliamentary borough of England, in the county of Salop, at the confluence of the Corve and Teme. The castle, now a magnificent ruin, was at one time one of the most important strongholds against the Welsh.
Lugo. A town of Italy, in the province of Ravenna. It was sacked and nearly destroyed by the French in 1796.
Lugs. The ears of a bombshell, to which the hooks are applied in lifting it.
Luncarty. A village of Scotland, 4 miles north from Perth, where the Danes were defeated in 990 by Kenneth III.
Lundy’s Lane, Battle of. Called also the battle of Niagara, and of Bridgewater, was fought on the Canadian frontier within sight and hearing of the Falls, July 25, 1814. In this contest the American troops, numbering about 4500, commanded by Gen. Brown, succeeded, after a display of desperate valor and perseverance, in repulsing about midnight a body of 7000 British, and capturing one of their generals, Riall, and 7 pieces of cannon. The losses on both sides were nearly equal (about 850 killed, wounded, and missing). During the night the Americans fell back to Chippewa, being unable to convey their trophies with them for want of means of transportation, and in the morning when they advanced to Bridgewater Mills they found the enemy again occupying the battle-ground, in possession of their captured cannon, and having been reinforced too strong to be again dislodged. The Americans thus lost all the substantial fruits of the victory.
Lunge (a corruption of [allonge]). A pass or thrust with a sword; a shove with a boarding-pike.
Lunette. A field-work consisting of two faces forming a salient angle, or one projecting towards the enemy, and two flanks parallel, or nearly so, to the capital or imaginary line bisecting the salient angle. In shape it is like the gable end of a house. It is intended for the defense of avenues, farm-houses, bridges, and the curtains of field-works.
Lunette. An iron ring at the end of the trail of a field-piece, which is placed over the pintle-hook of the limber in limbering up the gun. The term is also applied to the hole through an iron plate on the under side of the stock of a siege-piece, into which the pintle of the limber passes when the piece is limbered.
Lunettons. A smaller sort of lunettes.