To Draw up, to form in battle array.
Draw bridge. See [Bridge].
DRAWING, in a military sense, is the art of representing the appearances of all kinds of military objects by imitation, or copying, both with and without the assistance of mathematical rules.
DRESS-military. The clothing of the army is generally called regimentals, every part of which should facilitate, and not hinder, the various motions of the manual exercise. A soldier, without regard to fashion or taste (to use the words of a modern author) should be dressed in the most comfortable and least embarrassing manner possible; and the keeping him warm, and leaving him the entire use of his limbs, are objects always to be had in view.
To Dress, in a military sense, is to keep the body in such a relative position, as to contribute towards, and form a part of, an exact continuity of line, upon whatever front, or in whatever shape, the battalion may be formed. Soldiers dress by one another in ranks, and the body collectively dresses by some given object.
DRESSING of a battalion after the halt, is to bring all its relative parts in a line with the point, or object, towards which it was directed to move. Whatever correction is necessary, must be made by advancing or retiring the flanks, and not by moving the centre; which, having been the guide in the march, has properly stopped at the point where it has arrived.
Dressing of a battalion when it is to retire, is to have some intelligent officer placed thirty paces in the rear, so as to stand perpendicular to the front directing serjeant, by whom the direction of the march is to be ascertained, as the officer will, of course, be in the line, or nearly so, of the directing serjeants.
DRESSER, Fr. See [to Dress].
DRINKING to excess in the army is at all times highly criminal, but upon service it ought never to be overlooked; and the consequence will be a trial by a court martial. It has been productive of almost innumerable mischiefs, and is a most detestable and horrid practice. Whatever commissioned officer shall be found drunk on his guard, party, or other duty, under arms, shall be cashiered; any non-commissioned officer or soldier, so offending, shall suffer such corporal punishment as shall be inflicted by the sentence of a court martial. Art. of War.
To DRILL, to teach young recruits the first principles of military movements and positions, &c.