Quartier-Maitre, Fr. Quarter-master. This term, with respect to foreign troops, corresponds with maréchal des logis in a French infantry corps.
Quartier-Mestre General, Fr. Quarter-master-general. Among other armies the same as marechal général des Logis in the old French service. There is a quarter-master-general in the Turkish service, whose immediate duty is to mark out the ground of encampment, the instant he has received orders to that purpose from the grand vizir, or, in his absence, from the seraskier, who is the general in ordinary, and who is always with the army, whether the grand vizir be present or not.
QUATRE, Fr. Four.
To QUELL. To crush, to subdue. Military force is sometimes resorted to by the civil magistracy to quell riots, &c. In England, the riot act must be read by a justice of the peace, and if the rioters or insurgents do not disperse, the magistrate may order the officer to do his duty, by firing, &c. upon them. When military law has been proclaimed, there is not any necessity for this preliminary caution.
QUERELLES, Fr. quarrels, feuds, &c.
QUERELLE d’Allemand, Fr. An expression used among the French, to signify a drunken quarrel.
QUERRY. See [Equerry],
QUEUE. From the French, which signifies tail; an appendage that every British soldier is directed to wear in lieu of a club. Regimental tails were ordered to be nine inches long.
QUEUE D’ARONDE, a corruption of Queue d’Yronde. It signifies a piece of wood which is so made that it resembles at each end a swallow’s tail.
Queue d’Yronde, ou d’Yrondelle, Fr. See [Swallow’s Tail].