A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer / Comprising ancient and modern military technical terms, historical accounts of all North American Indians, as well as ancient warlike tribes; also notices of battles from the earliest period to the present time, with a concise explanation of terms used in heraldry and the offices thereof. The work also gives valuable geographical information. Compiled from the best authorities of all nations. With an appendix containing the Articles of war, etc.

by Thomas Wilhelm

Sergeant, Lance-. Is a corporal who acts as a sergeant in a company, but only receives the pay of a corporal.

Sergeant-Major. The chief non-commissioned officer in a regiment, and, from the nature of his duties, in a great degree an assistant to the adjutant. He must be master of every point connected with the drill, interior economy, and discipline of a regiment. It is his duty, on receiving the orders from the adjutant, to assemble the orderly sergeants, and issue the orders and details correctly. He is to keep a regular duty roster of the sergeants and corporals, and to proportion the number of men to be furnished for duty according to the strength of their respective companies. Finally, it is always expected that he should set an example to the non-commissioned officers by his activity, zeal, and personal appearance. In the British cavalry service this non-commissioned officer is termed regimental sergeant-major, the chief non-commissioned officer of a troop being styled troop sergeant-major. Similarly in the artillery there are the brigade sergeant-major and the battery sergeant-major.

Sergeant, Orderly. See [Orderly Sergeant].

Sergeant, Pay-. See [Pay-Sergeant].

Sergeant, Paymaster-. See [Paymaster-Sergeant].

Sergeant, Pioneer. See [Pioneer Sergeant].

Sergeant, Quartermaster. See [Quartermaster Sergeant].

Sergeant, White. Is a term of ridicule in the British service, applied to those ladies who, taking advantage of the weakness of their husbands, neglect their domestic concerns to interfere in military matters.

Seringapatam (anc. Sri-Rungaputtun, “City of Vishnu”). A celebrated fortress of South India, and under Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sahib, the capital of Mysore, at the west angle of the island of the Cavery (Kaveri). Seringapatam was besieged by Lord Cornwallis in 1791, and again in 1792, when Tippoo purchased a peace by ceding half his dominions and paying 330 lacs of rupees to the British and their allies. It was again besieged in 1799 and taken by storm on May 3 (4), on which occasion Tippoo was killed, and the dynasty of Hyder terminated; the ancient Rajpoot line being restored to the sovereignty of Mysore.

Serjeant. See [Sergeant].