Officier général, Fr. a general officer.
Officier subalterne, Fr. a subaltern officer.
Les hauts Officiers, Fr. Commissioned officers.
Les bas Officiers, Fr. non-commissioned officers.
Officier de la garnison, Fr. an officer belonging to the garrison of a town, or fortified place.
Officier en garnison, Fr. Any officer in garrison.
Officier au régiment des gardes, Fr. an officer belonging to the guards.
Officiers à la suite, Fr. During the existence of the French monarchy a certain number of individuals were permitted to wear the uniform of a regiment, without being otherwise connected with it. These were divided into two classes, viz.
Officiers à la suite d’un régiment, Fr. Officers nominally attached to a regiment. Of this description were the gentlemen appointed by the German princes who were in alliance with France. It is mentioned, as a fact, that before the French revolution took place, there were 42 lieutenant-colonels à la suite du régiment Deux Ponts. The prince of that name having been permitted to extend this strange brevet to any number, provided the officers so distinguished, never went into the town where the regiment lay, or interfered with regard to quarters, &c.
The other class consisted of noblemen and gentlemen, who were appointed by the court of Versailles, and received their brevets from the war-minister. These were called officiers à la suite de toute l’armée; or officers bearing brevet rank without being attached, even nominally, to any specific corps.