Aransas. A small river of Texas, which empties into a bay of the same name, immediately north of Corpus Christi Bay. The Confederate works near this place were captured by the Federal troops November 20, 1864.
Arapahoe Indians. A tribe of Indians associated with the Cheyennes, who inhabit the country between the South Fork of the Platte River and the head-waters of the Arkansas. See [Indians and their Agencies].
Arapiles. A village of Spain, 4 miles southeast of Salamanca. It was the scene of the sanguinary engagement called the battle of Salamanca, in which the allies under Wellington defeated the French under Marmont, July 22, 1812.
Arausio (now Orange, Southeast France). Through jealousy of the Roman proconsul Q. Servilius Cæpio, who would not wait for the arrival of the army of the consul C. Manlius, both were here defeated by the Cimbri with much slaughter, 105 B.C.
Arbalest. In the ancient art of war, a cross-bow made of steel, set in a shaft of wood, with a string and trigger, bent with a piece of iron fitted for that purpose, and used to throw bullets, large arrows, darts, etc.
Arbalestina. In the military system of the Middle Ages, was a small window or wicket through which the cross-bow men shot their quarrels or arrows at an enemy besieging a fortified place.
Arbaletrier d’une Galere (Fr.). That part of a galley where the cross-bow men were placed during an engagement.
Arbalist, or Arblast. A cross-bow man.
Arbela (now Erbil). A city in Asiatic Turkey; near here was fought the third and decisive battle between Alexander the Great and Darius Codomanus which decided the fate of Persia, October 1, 331 B.C., on a plain in Assyria, between Arbela and Gaugamela. The army of Darius consisted of 1,000,000 foot and 40,000 horse; the Macedonian army amounted to only 40,000 foot and 7000 horse. The gold and silver found in the cities of Susa, Persepolis, and Babylon, which fell to Alexander from this victory, amounted to £30,000,000 sterling; and the jewels and other precious spoil belonging to Darius sufficed to load 20,000 mules and 5000 camels.
Arbourg. A city in Switzerland, whose citadel, which was constructed in 1600, is an important depot for military stores.