GUARANTEE. Any person or power who undertakes for the performance of any stipulations agreed on between two other powers or parties.
GUARD, in the military art, is a duty performed by a body of men to secure an army or place from being surprised by an enemy. In garrison the guards are relieved every day; hence it comes that every soldier mounts guard once every three or four days in time of peace, and much oftener in time of war. See [Honors].
Guards, also imply the troops kept to guard generals and other public officers, and sometimes consist of both horse and foot.
Horse-grenadier Guards. The first troop was raised in the year 1693 in England; the second in 1702. Each troop had a colonel, lieutenant colonel, 1 guidon or major, three exempts and captains, 3 lieutenants, 1 adjutant, 3 cornets, and 60 private men, they have been abolished.
British life Guards. In consequence of the reduction of the horse grenadier guards, two regiments have been raised for the specific purpose of guarding the metropolis, and of royal escorts. They are generally called the first and second life-guards. Each regiment consists of six troops of 53 men and 1 kettle drum.
Royal Regiment of Horse Guards. This regiment which is commonly called the Oxford Blues, from having originally been raised by the earl of Oxford, consists of nine troops.
Yeomen of the Guards, a kind of foot guards to the British king’s person, and are generally called by a nick-name—the beefeaters. They were first raised by Henry VII. in the year 1485, consisting of 250 men of the first rank, under gentry, and of a larger stature than ordinary, each being required to be 6 feet high. At present there are but 100 on constant duty, and 70 more not on duty; and when any one of the 100 dies, his place is supplied out of the 70. They go dressed after the manner of Henry VIII.’s time. Their pay is 2 shillings and 6 pence per day.
Foot Guards, are regiments of foot appointed for the guard of the British king and his palace, and for general service. There are three regiments of them, called the 1st, 2d, and 3d regiment of foot-guards. They were raised in the year 1660. The first regiment is at present commanded by 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant colonel, 3 majors, 27 captains, 1 captain-lieutenant, 62 lieutenants, 24 ensigns, and 3 adjutants, and consists of 3 battalions. The second regiment, or Coldstream, has 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant colonel, 2 majors, 16 captains, 1 captain lieutenant, 42 lieutenants, 14 ensigns, and 2 adjutants, and consists of two battalions. The third regiment is the same as the second. The first regiment of French guards was raised in the reign of Charles IX. in the year 1563.
Imperial Guards, the name of a body of select troops organised by the French emperor, which greatly distinguished themselves at the battle of Austerlitz.
Trench Guard only mounts in the time of a siege, and consists sometimes of 3, 4, or 6 battalions, according to the importance of the siege. This guard must oppose the besieged when they sally out, protect the workmen, &c.