Knights of St. Mark. An order of knighthood which formerly existed in the republic of Venice, under the protection of St. Mark the evangelist.
To be Marked. Marshal Saxe, in his reveries, proposes that every soldier should be marked in his right hand to prevent desertion. He recommends the composition which is used by the Indians; and grounds the propriety of his plan upon the custom which prevailed among the Romans, who marked their soldiers with a hot iron. We mention this as a suggestion grounded upon good authority: but we by no means recommend it as an adoption which would be palatable.
Marksmen, men expert at hitting a mark.
Light-armed Marksmen, men that are armed and accoutred for very active and desultory service. See [Riflemen].
Austrian volunteer Marksmen, a corps which has been formed in the hereditary dominions of the emperor of Germany, and is daily increasing by recruits and volunteers from the Tyrol, &c. The success which has uniformly attended the French Tirailleurs in all their actions, has induced other nations to pay great attention to the formation of similar corps.
MARLINS, in artillery, are tarred white skains, or long wreaths or lines of untwisted hemp, dipped in pitch or tar, with which cables and other ropes are wrapped round, to prevent their fretting and rubbing in the blocks or pullies through which they pass. The same serves in artillery upon ropes used for rigging gins, usually put up in small parcels called skains.
MARON, Fr. a piece of brass or copper, about the size of a crown, on which the hours for going the rounds were marked, in the old French service. Several of these were put into a small bag, and deposited in the hands of the major of the regiment, out of which they were regularly drawn by the serjeants of companies, for the officers belonging to them. The hours and half hours of the night were engraved upon each maron in the following manner—Ronde de dix heures, de dix heures et demie. The ten o’clock rounds, or those of the half hour past ten.
These pieces were numbered 1, 2, &c. to correspond with the several periods of the nights; so that the officers for instance, who was to go the ten o’clock rounds, had as many marons marked 10, as there were posts or guard-houses which he was directed to visit. Thus on reaching the first, after having given the mot, or watchword to the corporal, (who, whilst he receives it, must keep the naked point of his sword or bayonet close to the chest of the person who gives it) he delivers into his hands the maron marked 1. These marons being pierced in the middle, are successively strung by the different corporals upon a piece of wire, from which they slide into a box called boîte aux rondes, or box belonging to the rounds. This box is carried next morning to the major, who keeps the key: and who on opening it, can easily ascertain whether the rounds have been regularly gone, by counting the different marons, and seeing them successively strung. This is certainly a most excellent invention to prevent a neglect of duty in officers, or non-commissioned officers.
Maron d’artifice, Fr. a species of firework, which is made with a piece of pasteboard in the shape of a parallelogram, one side of which is as five to three, so that fifteen squares equal among themselves may be made, three on one side, and five on the other; these are folded into the form of a die or cube, and filled with gunpowder. The effect produced by this firework is extremely beautiful.
MARQUE, or Letters of Marque, in military affairs, are letters of reprisal, granting the people of one state liberty to make reprisals on those of another. See [Letters of Marque].