If the marsh or bog be very deep, you must construct several beds or surfaces of fascines, in the manner already mentioned, taking care to make the top equal to the breadth of the road, and capable of supporting the weight of a waggon or carriage. The ground for the epaulement belonging to the platforms, their recoil backwards, and the path to the magazines, must be rendered firm and solid after the same manner. On each side of this epaulement you must throw up a berm or path, measuring three feet in front, and as much on the sides.
You will collect the earth, &c. in the usual way for the construction of batteries on rocks, and mask your artificers in like manner.
MARTEAU d’armes, Fr. an offensive weapon, so called from its resemblance to a hammer.
MARTIAL-Law, is the law of war, which entirely depends on the arbitrary power of the commander of the army when martial law is declared; and then the law of war is greatly influenced by the situation where war is carried on; by the conduct of the people in whose country the war exists: there are certain principles of humanity and honor, which all nations observe in time of war, which have the force of law; as the law of truces, the sacred character of ambassadors, &c. The laws that relate to the army are also branches of martial law.
MARTINET. A word frequently used to signify a strict disciplinarian, who sometimes gives officers and soldiers unnecessary trouble. It is supposed to have taken its origin from an adjutant of that name, who was in high repute, as a drill officer, during the reign of Louis the XIVth.
Martinet, Fr. A small discipline, or cat o’ nine tails, fixed to the end of a wooden handle, which schoolmasters use to punish refractory or idle boys. This affords us another path, and perhaps a surer one, than the [surname] already quoted, to find out the real origin of Martinet in a military sense, more especially as it is particularly indicative of the severity that is sometimes practised by what is, ridiculously enough, called a tip-top adjutant.
MARTINGAL, (Martingale, Fr.) a thong of leather, which is fastened to one end of the girths under the belly of a horse, and at the other end to the mussroll, to keep him from rearing.
MASHKAWAR, Ind. Monthly accounts.
A MASK, Fr. in field fortification, (une masque.) It sometimes happens, that a ditch or fossé must be dug in an exposed situation; in this case it will be absolutely necessary for the artificers and workmen to get under cover by means of masking themselves in such a manner as to answer the double purpose of executing their immediate object, and of deceiving the enemy with respect to the real spot they occupy.
To effect the latter purpose, several masks must be hastily thrown up, whilst the men are employed behind one; by which means the enemy will either mistake the real point, or be induced to pour his fire in several directions, and thus weaken its effect.