Pole-prop. A short stick attached to the under side of the pole in field-gun carriages.
Pole-strap. See [Ordnance, Limber].
Pole-yoke. See [Ordnance, Limber].
Pole-yoke Branches. See [Ordnance, Limber].
Polibole, or Palintonne (Fr.). A ballista which was capable of throwing both arrows and stones.
Police. The cleaning of a camp or garrison; the state of a camp in regard to cleanliness.
Police Guard. An interior guard having care of the arms, property, and prisoners of the regiment; also charged with the regulation of the camp in regard to order and cleanliness. A guard for prisoners occupied in cleaning the camp.
Police, Military. This word has two significations: (1) The organized body employed within an army to preserve civil order, as distinct from military discipline. (2) A civil police with a military organization. The police of an army commonly consists of steady intelligent soldiers, who act under the orders of the provost-marshal, and arrest all persons out of bounds, civilians not authorized to pass the lines, disorderly soldiers, etc.; they also attend to sanitary arrangements. As in all military matters, the police of an army possess summary powers, and a sentence of the provost-marshal is carried out immediately after it is pronounced. Of civil police with military organization may be instanced, as specimens, the gendarmerie of France, the sbirri of Italy, and, in an eminent degree, the Irish constabulary.
Police Party. A working party engaged in cleaning the camp or garrison.
Police Sergeant. A sergeant specially charged with cleaning the camp.