A military dictionary

by William Duane

17. Forts, redoubts. Remark their form, whether ancient or modern; whether they are permanent or temporary; elevated or low; revetted or demi-revetted, with stone, brick or turf. Whether the ditch is wet or dry; fraized or palisaded; natural or artificial. Observe their situation; the face of the adjacent country; whether they effectually command the passes, or protect the country intended. The defence they are capable of making in their present state, and the improvements of which they are susceptible.

18. Castles, citadels. Their situation; their form; their extent; their object; the protection they give the city; their connection and communication with it. The present state of their defence, and the improvements of which they are susceptible. Their [Souterraines].

19. Villages. Observe their situation: ascertain the number of families they contain; the nature of the land; the quality and quantity of their crops: their markets; the suburbs that supply these markets; their beasts of burthen: their flocks, herds, poultry, &c. The number of their ovens; quality of the water; stile of houses, barns, stables, and sheep walks. The situation of the church; the nature of the church yard, and its inclosures. The wind and water mills. Observe whether the village is surrounded by hedges, ditches, banks, or walls; whether it can be easily intrenched. Its streets; roads leading to it; and the face of the surrounding country.

20. Cities not fortified. Their situation; population; commerce; commodities; manufactures; the succors that may be drawn from them, as to men, horses, &c. Their squares and principal buildings. The defence they are susceptible of; whether they are surrounded by walls, old towers, ditches, &c. Their gates, and the roads leading to them. The face of the surrounding country.

21. Fortified towns. Their situation with respect to their position, and with respect to other towns in the neighborhood, whether in the first or second line; the assistance which they can afford each other. The succors that may be drawn from them, or that may be thrown into them in case of a siege. The direction which such relief, whether of men or provisions, ought to take, according to the side attacked; whether they will serve as depots or hospitals. The state of the fortifications (see the word [fortification] in the alphabet;) their nature; the strength of each front. The rivers in the neighborhood; the surrounding country within the range of the guns. The form of investment; what lines will be required considering the nature of the country, and the positions; and the means the country affords of executing them. The advantages which the ground would afford between the glacis and the lines, either to the besiegers or besieged; the means of establishing the most certain communications between the different quarters of the army, and the means of cutting them off.

22. Positions. Every military position ought to possess decided advantages of situation, and ought to be commanded in no part of its front, flank, or rear. All commanding grounds ought to be without the range of cannon. There are four principal objects to be attended to in the choice of a position: 1st. The advantages of the ground; 2d. the ground; 3d. the objects to be attained; and, 4th. the communications with the rear. The front of a position should be intersected by rivers, ravines, or broken ground, or any other obstacles which can prevent the enemy advancing in order of battle, and oblige him to pass through defiles; but a position becomes useless when the front is so covered by obstacles that the army cannot advance or move out of its camp when necessary; but no obstacles can be too great on the flanks. All obstacles which cover a position, or passes which lead to it, must be within the range of the artillery, or the enemy will pass them unmolested. In a flat country, where the ground does not afford commanding situations, a position is only more or less eligible, as being covered or protected by obstacles; these are very thick woods, in which there are very few roads; large rivulets which cannot be forded or passed without bridges; narrow roads; deep and broken ravines; ground much intersected with hedges, ditches, &c. but it is essential that all these obstacles should be under the fire of the artillery. It is always dangerous to occupy a position, which has its rear so covered by swamps, crossed by rivers or ravines, &c. as to render the retreat of the army difficult. The number of passes by which an army can retire must be examined and secured, and should never be less than 5 or 6. The rivers, brooks, &c. in front of a position, should never be depended upon for a supply of water, as the enemy may cut them off. The ground for a camp should not be too much intersected by hedges, ditches, or ravines, which occasion great intervals in the line, and obstruct the communications through the camp.

In an offensive position it is absolutely necessary that the army should not be too much confined by obstacles, but be at liberty to act in every direction; but in a defensive position, the fewer accessible points there are the better: and if the natural difficulties in front and flank are not sufficient to render an enemy’s attack dangerous, they must be increased by redoubts, intrenchments, abbatis, inundations, &c. The obstacles on the flanks, should also be of such extent that they cannot be easily turned, without the enemy makes a very great circuit; and consequently expose his own flank, and weakens his line of communication. In case the enemy detaches a body to attack a defensive position in the rear; the front must be sufficiently strong to enable the general to oppose the enemy’s detachment, by a strong body from his own army. In short, the enemy must not be able by any manœuvre to force the army to quit its position. The want of wood or water, or other supplies absolutely necessary for an army, renders every other advantage of a position useless; nor, can a position be long tenable, that is far removed from its depots; and has not its intermediate posts perfectly secure from the attacks of an enemy. These principles like all others in the ordinary affairs of war, are subject to those exceptions which the creative genius of the general may devise. Thus the first campaign of Bonaparte in Italy, was undertaken by an inferior force without magazines; the general determination was to seize those of the enemy; the same took place in the campaign in 1809, the force hastily collected had no magazines, but by the first battle he penetrated the centre, and cut off two of the corps of the Austrians, and took magazines adequate to six months subsistence from the Austrians. The general principles are nevertheless to be constantly regarded. For further remarks upon positions, see [Artillery in the Field], and Amer. Mil. Lib. Article Reconnoitring.

To RECOVER arms, a position of the firelock when the piece is held with the lock in front of the left shoulder, and the sling to the front. The steadiness of soldiers is frequently proved by bringing them to the recover, after the word take aim.

To bring to the RECOVER. See [Recover Arms].

RECRUITS, (Recrues, Fr.) men raised for military purposes on the first formation of corps, or to supply the places of such as are disabled, or have lost their lives in the service. For particulars respecting the enlistment of recruits, see [Regulations].