A military dictionary

by William Duane

Marcher au pas précipité, Fr. To march in quickest time, or charging time.

Marcher par le flank, droit, ou gauche, Fr. To march by the right or left flank.

Marcher en colonne, la droit ou la gauche, en tête, Fr. To march in column, the right or left in front.

Marcher en colonne, serrée, Fr. To march in close column.

Marcher en colonne ouverte, Fr. To march in open column.

Marcher, en terme d’évolutions, Fr. To [march in line], &c. which see.

Marches. The limits or bounds between England, Wales, and Scotland, have been so called.

Marching regiments. A term given to those corps who had not any permanent quarters, but were liable to be sent not only from one end of Great Britain to another, but to the most distant of her possessions abroad. Although the word marching is insensibly confounded with those of line and regulars, it was originally meant to convey something more than a mere liability to be ordered upon any service; for by marching the regular troops from one town to another, the inhabitants, who from time immemorial have been jealous of a standing army, lost their antipathy to real soldiers, by the occasional absence of regular troops. At present, the English guards, militia, and fencibles, may be considered more or less as marching regiments.—The marines and volunteer corps have stationary quarters.

St. MARCOU. Two rocks upon the coast of Normandy, lying in a bite or bay between cape Barfleur and Point Percé, bearing south east from La Hogue nine miles, from the mouth of the river Isigny, north, eight miles, and distant from the body of the French shore about four miles. The surface of each island, which is 18 or 20 feet above the level of the sea at high water, comprises about an acre, and bear from each other W. by N. and E. by S. distant 200 yards. On the abandonment of an expedition to the islands of Chossé, in the year 1795, sir Sidney Smith, whose active and comprehensive mind, justly concluded that the contiguity of these posts to the continent, would materially facilitate communications with the royalists, took possession of them; and having drawn the Badger and Sandfly gun vessels on shore, gave to their respective commanders the direction of the spot upon which he was thus placed. These officers having constructed batteries, mounted in them the guns belonging to their vessels, and in the year 1796 block houses, with detachments of marines, invalids, and 12 artillery men, were ordered out by government.

The extreme annoyance of these rocks to the coasting trade of the enemy, at length determined them to employ a part of the division of the army destined for the conquest of England, in their recovery, and 15,000 troops being assembled at the Hogue, 9000 were embarked on the 6th of May, 1798, on board 52 gun-vessels; when so great was the solicitude to partake in this conceived certain prelude to their glory, that several of the fourth demi-brigade of the army of Italy, whose tour of duty did not entitle them to be thus employed, gave four and five crowns, each, to others to change with them. Perfectly acquainted with the situation of the islands, the French flotilla rowed towards them in the night of the 6th, and at the dawn of the morning of the 7th, the weather being perfectly calm, they were discovered in a body between the islands and the shore. They soon separated into three divisions, one of which, comprising the heavy gun brigs remained in that position, while the other two, consisting of large flat boats, carrying a long 18 pounder in the bow, and a 6 pounder in the stern, took positions to the north and to the south of the islands, with an intention to drop into the passage that separates them. An animated and well directed fire was commenced from the islands, and warmly returned by the enemy. The northern division having been driven by the ebb tide within a short distance of the east island, soon became disabled in their oars, and considerably increased its distance, while the attention of the two islands was principally directed to the southern division, which came with the tide, and with almost unexampled gallantry pushed to the attack; being however by the severity of the fire that was kept up, foiled in its intention of getting between the islands, when each island would be exposed to the fire of the other, it passed quickly to the westward of the west island, and pulling up on the northern side of that island, the defence of which was almost wholly dependent on the flanking fire of the east island, made another determined effort to land. This appears to have been the critical period of the day, and the discharge of grape shot from the islands was proportionate to the danger; the entire side of the commodore of this division’s vessel was battered in, and she sunk; the others of the division beaten and disabled, retreated to their companions, and being reduced to the number of 47, they all retreated to La Hogue, amidst the deriding taunts and huzzas of the English, 400 of whom, with about 50 pieces of cannon, most of which were of a small calibre, and placed in works constructed by themselves, by vanquishing the advanced guard of the army of England, with the loss of 1100 killed, drowned, and wounded, dissipated the terrors of a French invasion. The action lasted two hours and ten minutes, during which time there were upwards of 100 pieces of cannon firing on the islands; notwithstanding which the loss on our side was only one killed and two wounded. English Mil. Dict.