SECRET, (Secret, Fr.) Under this word may be considered the caution and circumspection which every good general should observe during a campaign; the feints he may think proper to make for the purpose of covering a projected attack; and the various stratagems to which he may resort to keep his own intentions concealed, and to get at those of others.
Secret. Kept hidden, not revealed. Hence secret expedition, secret enterprise, &c. Secret articles of a treaty, being the correlative words to public articles.
Secret, Fr. The spot chosen by the captain of a fire-ship to apply the saucisson of communication.
Secret expedition. Those are often called such, which in fact are known to the enemy before they are put in execution; they should never be communicated to any other than the commander of the troops, and the first naval officer, until they are in absolute readiness to act, and but a few hours before the enterprize is put in execution: no officer being allowed to open his instructions until he is either at his destination, or at sea. See [Expedition].
SECRETAIRE, Fr. The clerk belonging to the Swiss regiments in the old French service, was so called. He acted likewise as quarter master serjeant, and was styled Musterschreiber.
Secretaire général d’artillerie, Fr. A place of trust, which, during the French monarchy, was in the nomination of the grand master.
SECRETARY at war, (Secrétaire de guerre, Fr.) The first officer of the war department.
Secretary of state. (Secrétaire d’etat, Fr.) The secretary who has charge of the foreign relations.
To Secrete, to hide; to keep private; to harbor; to conceal, &c. By the articles of war it is provided, that if any person shall harbor, conceal, or assist any deserter from his majesty’s service, knowing him to be such, the person so offending shall forfeit, for every such offence, the sum of five pounds.
SECTION. (Section, Fr.) from the Latin word sectio, which is derived from seco, to cut, a part of a thing divided, or the division itself. Such particularly are the subdivisions of a chapter, called also paragraphs and articles. Sometimes we find the term section divided into articles; as in the articles of war.