To LINK together, to tie together. Cavalry horses are frequently linked together when it is found necessary for the men to dismount. When the word of command link your horses is given, the right hand files are to move up into the intervals, slip their bridoons and dress by the right, standing in front of their own horses’ heads; the left files slipping the bridoons in their hands at the same time, and stepping to the front of their horses’ heads. As soon as up and dressed, the whole advance their left feet by a motion from the right, and by another motion from the right, the whole go to the left about together, and link; as soon as done linking, the left hand man of each rank falls back, two paces from his horse, and the whole dress well to him, with the carabine in the trailing position. But before they do this they must put their belts and plates in order.
It ought to be recollected, that when the right hand files come up, they must take care not to bring their horses past the others; and in order to dress with the left files they must slip the bridoon to the left hand, leaving the horse in his place in the rank.
When dragoons are ordered to dismount, and are to mount again immediately, without moving from their horses, the word of command unlink your horses is made use of; in which case the dragoon drops his carabine, which is then in a trailing position, on his left arm, and unlinks: as soon as that is done, he takes his carabine in his left hand, the horse in the right, by the right bridoon rein, waiting for the word prepare to mount.
LINKS, in the art of war, are distinct reins, or thongs of leather used by the cavalry to link their horses together, when they dismount, that they may not disperse. Every tenth man is generally left to take care of them.
LINS-pins. See [Linchpins].
LINSTOCK. (Boute-feu, Fr.) In gunnery, a short staff of wood, about three feet long, having at one end a piece of iron divided into two branches, each of which has a notch to hold a lighted match, and a screw to fasten it there, the other end being shod with iron to stick into the ground.
LIS, Fr. A warlike machine was formerly so called: it consisted of a piece of wood or stake, about the size of the human body, which was made smaller at the top than at the bottom, and resembled a lilly not yet blown. Several of these were tied together with ozier or willow twigs, and were used for the security of a camp. They were not unlike the palisades of the present day.
Fleur de Lis, Luce, Fr. A flower borne in the ancient arms of France, and adopted by the English kings until the French insisted on its abandonment, which was done on the consummation of the union with Ireland. The electoral cap, as emblematic of Hanover, and the shamrock for Ireland, have been substituted in their stead.
Fleur-de-Lis, during the French monarchy signified also a mark of infamy, which was made with a hot iron, upon the back of a malefactor.
LISSE, Fr. Any smooth and unornamented piece in architecture is so called by the French.