Officers of the regular forces command the officers of equal degree, belonging to the other services; with the exception after mentioned.
Officers of the militia, fencibles, yeomanry cavalry, and volunteer corps, rank together according to the dates of their respective commissions.
Notwithstanding this regulation, such officers of fencibles as have commissions dated on or before the 25th July, 1798, continue to rank with the officers of the regular forces of equal degree, according to the dates of their respective commissions: unless when acting in conjunction also with officers of the militia; in which case, if the commission of the fencible officer be of a junior date to that of a militia officer, of the same degree, the regular officer of equal rank, although his commission be of a junior date to that of the fencible officer, commands both.
It will further be observed, that all commands in the regular forces fall to the eldest officers in the same circumstances, whether of cavalry or infantry, entire or in parties. In case two commissions of the same date interfere, a retrospect is to be had to former commissions. Should it happen, as it possibly may, that the original commissions interfere, it must be decided by lot.
In page 49 of the Articles of War, it is laid down, that the eldest officer is to command when any troops of the horse guards, and the regiment of horse guards, shall do duty together; or when any of the life guards, horse or foot guards, shall do duty with any other corps. The regiments of life guards, doing duty unmixed, are to be considered as one corps; and the officers are to take rank according to the dates of their commissions. The same holds good with respect to the foot guards. Regular officers with whom militia officers take rank as youngest, command officers of equal degree in the fencibles, yeomanry cavalry, and volunteer corps, who are to rank together according to the dares of commissions.
To RANK with, to hold the same relative situation with regard to others. Thus post captains of three years standing in the royal navy rank with colonels in the army; and lieutenants in the guards rank with captains in the line or regulars. Officers in the militia rank generally with the regular forces as junior of their respective commissions. An ensign in the guards ranks no higher than an ensign in the regulars.
To RANK with, in a figurative sense, to be in equal estimation, to bear the same character for skill and valor, &c. viz. lord Nelson ranks with the bravest seaman that England, or any other country, has ever produced; Bonaparte with the greatest general in ancient or modern history; Washington with Cincinnatus; and Montgomery with Wolfe, Decatur with Desaix, or Lannes.
Brevet-RANK. Rank without pay, nominal distinction, which sometimes entitles the holder of it to command in mixed service.
Brigade majors rank with captains, provided they have that rank in the army, independent of their staff appointment. But aids-de-camp do not possess any rank in that capacity with regard to the army. The latter constitutes a part of the general’s family, and are paid out of his allowance; they are in fact the mere carriers of his orders in the field, and his domestic inmates at home, &c. The former belonging to the brigade, and are a necessary part of its effective force.
There is likewise a sort of brevet rank which exists in the several regiments belonging to the British service, and is confined to the rank and file, or corporals and private soldiers. Thus a lance serjeant is a corporal who does the duty of serjeant without the pay or emoluments of the latter; and a lance corporal is a private soldier who does the duty of corporal. So that lance, which comes from lansquenet, which signifies a private soldier, and is derived from the German, and when put before serjeant or corporal, points out that a private soldier has the brevet rank of one of those situations. Captains of companies appoint or reduce lance serjeants or corporals, according to their judgment.