DISCIPLINARIAN, an officer who pays particular regard to the discipline of the soldiers under his command.
DISCIPLINE, in a military sense, signifies the instruction and government of soldiers.
| Military Discipline, | - | |
| Military Constitution, |
By military constitution is meant, the authoritative declared laws for the guidance of all military men, and all military matters; and by discipline is meant, the obedience to, and exercise of those laws. As health is to the natural body, so is a sound military constitution to the military one; and as exercise is to the first, so is discipline to the last. Bravery will perchance gain a battle; but every one knows that by discipline alone the long disputed prize of a war can be ultimately obtained.
The kingdom of Prussia was a striking example in favor of perfect discipline; for while that state had a strong army, and maintained that army in strict discipline, it had held a very considerable share in the system of Europe.
Marine Discipline, is the training up soldiers for sea service, in such exercises and various positions as the musquet and body may require: teaching them likewise every manœuvre that can be performed on board ships of war at sea, &c.
DISCIPLINE militaire. See [Military Discipline].
DISCRETION, Fr. discretion. Se rendre à discrétion, to surrender at discretion, implies to throw one’s self upon the mercy of a victorious enemy. The French likewise say, les soldats vivent à discrétion dans un pays; which in familiar English signifies, soldiers live scot-free in a country.
To DISENGAGE, to clear a column or line, which may have lost its proper front by the overlapping of any particular division, company, or section when ordered to form up. To do this, ground must be taken to the right or left. It is however, a dangerous operation when the army or battalion gets into a line of fire. In that case the files that overlap must remain in the rear, and fill up the first openings.
To Disengage, is also to extricate yourself and the men you command from a critical situation. A battalion, for instance, which may have advanced too far during an action, and got between two fires, may, by an able manœuvre, disengage itself.