A military dictionary

by William Duane

ELEVATION, in gunnery, that comprehended between the horizon and the line of direction of either cannon or mortars; or it is that which the chace of a piece, or the axis of its hollow cylinder, makes with the plane of the horizon.

EMBARKATION. The act of putting troops on board of ship, when destined to be conveyed on an expedition.

Embarkation. 1. Of ordnance and stores.—The first thing necessary is to prepare a list of all the articles to be embarked, with the weight of each. This list must have a large column for remarks. The tonnage required for bulky articles will be generally one third more than their actual weight; but the tonnage of ordnance, shells, shot, &c. will be equal to their weight. If vessels be paid according to the tonnage they carry, the masters will of course stow away as much as the ships will hold; but if, by the voyage, they will be averse to loading their ships too much; a naval officer should therefore always attend to see that the ships are properly stowed.

Ordnance and stores may be embarked either for the purpose of merely transporting them to another situation, or for a military expedition. In the first case, each ship must be stowed with as much as it will carry, and every article that relates to one particular species of service or ordnance, must be put on board the same ship; that in case one ship be lost, the others may remain in themselves complete. This principle must of course be likewise attended to in an embarkation for an expedition; but a more particular distribution must take place of the stores when on board. With each piece of ordnance must be placed every thing necessary for its service; its side arms, carriage, limber, ammunition, &c. so as to be readily come at, when required to be disembarked. If it be an embarkation of ordnance, &c. for a siege, not only every thing necessary for the service of the pieces of ordnance should be arranged with them; but also every thing necessary for the construction of the battery on which they are mounted. It will be adviseable in this case, to put different kinds of ordnance in the same ship, in proportions according to the service required of them. In general it will be best to put the heavy articles in first, and every thing that is light, easy to be removed, or likely to be first wanted, on the top. Previous to embarkation, the guns, carriages, waggons, &c. must be dismounted, but first numbered as follows: and the number of each article marked in the list, in the column of remarks. Give each piece of ordnance and its carriage the same number. Give the ammunition and other carriages, different numbers from the ordnance carriages. Then give every limber, whether of ordnance carriage, ammunition carriage, or waggon, the number of its respective carriage. If for a simple transport, arrange the small stores, side arms, &c. according to their several kinds; but if for an expedition, every thing belonging to each particular piece of ordnance must be collected together, and the cases or chests in which they are put, marked with the number of the piece of ordnance to which they belong, their kinds and description. If there be any doubt of the different parts of the carriages, being made with that uniformity, so essentially necessary, every part which is separated, must bear the number of its carriage. This precaution at any rate may be a good one, if the same vessel contain different kinds of ordnance or carriages.

The axletrees need not be taken off the carriages, if the vessel be of a sufficient size to admit them when fixed, as they are not easily replaced without workmen and a tedious operation. When a carriage is dismounted, all the small articles, such as elevating screws, linch pins, drag washers, cap squares, &c. must be carefully collected, and secured in a box, marked with the description of stores, and number of the carriage to which they belong. All carriages or waggons embarked with their axletrees fixed, must be arranged in the ship, side by side, and alternately front and rear, that their axletrees may not interfere with each other, and take too much room. Every transport or other vessel employed in carrying troops or stores for an expedition, should be numbered on the quarters and on the bows, with figures as large as 2 or 3 feet, and on the sails, that they may be known at a distance. The number of the ship, her name and tonnage, and the master’s name should be entered in the list of the stores which she carries.

In disembarking ordnance and stores, they must be landed exactly in order, the reverse of what they were shipped. The carriages and waggons must be mounted as soon as possible, and every kind must be arranged as far from the shore as possible to prevent confusion. If the disembarkation take place in the presence of an enemy, the vessels of course must be loaded accordingly; and the field ordnance, with their carriages, ammunition, &c. must be so arranged as to be first landed, and with the greatest ease possible. In this case, the entrenching tools must also be kept in the greatest readiness.—Aide Memoire.

2. Of troops.—All transports taken into the public service, are under the direction of the naval agents, and of their agents at the different ports at home and abroad. No troops or other persons can be put on board them, or victualled, but by an order from the navy department, or one of its agents. Troops embarked on board transports or ships of war (except as marines) are only allowed two thirds of a seaman’s allowance of provisions. (See the word [Ration].) It is therefore necessary to divide the men into messes of 6 each. Six women to 100 men embarked on foreign service, are allowed rations; and 10 women to 100 men on home service. The births on board transports, are usually made 6 feet square, and each admits 4 men at a time; but one third of the men should always be on deck; there fore 6 men (or one mess) are told off to each birth, one third of whom are always on watch. The commanding officer of the troops on board a transport, has a right to peruse the charter party of the ship, which points out every different article, as firing, candles, boats, utensils, &c. which the ship is engaged to find for the use of the troops on board. It likewise expresses the part of the ship allotted to the officers, to the master, the mate, and the agent, should there be one on board.

EMBARGO, a prohibition for any ships to leave a port: generally enforced on the rupture of any two or more nations, or by law.

EMBARK. See [Embarkation].

EMBARRASS, Fr. a cheval de frise.