PARDON, forgiveness, remission. In military matters this word must be understood in two senses, viz. in a limited one, when it affects a culprit who has been sentenced by a general court-martial, to receive punishment; and in a more extensive one, when the punishment is the consequence of a regimental decision. In the former case, the president only, through the war department, can pardon or remit the punishment; in the latter, the colonel, or commanding officer, has a discretionary power.
PARER, Fr. to parry,
Parer à toutes feintes, Fr. To parry to all feints.
PARK of artillery, should always be placed if possible within a short distance of water carriage; and have the most ready communication with every part of the line of the army. Its form must depend on its situation. Ten feet are usually allowed in front for one carriage and its interval, and near 50 feet from the hind wheels of the front row to the fore wheels of the second; this interval should allow sufficient room for putting the horses to the carriages, and for a free passage along the line. In parks not on immediate service, it is customary to arrange the guns with their muzzles to the front; but where the guns are likely to be wanted at a short notice, appearances must not be studied, and the gun carriages must be parked with their shafts to the front, ready to receive horses to them. A quarter guard is placed in front of the park, and the non-commissioned officers and gunners’ tents on the flanks, at about 20 paces distance; and 40 paces to the rear of the subaltern officers; at 10 more to the rear the captains, and 10 more the commanding officer. The mess tent is 15 in the rear of the officers. At a convenient distance, in the rear of the whole, are the horses, picketed in one or more lines, with the drivers on their flanks. The horses are sometimes picketed in lines perpendicular to the front, and on the flanks of the carriages, between the men and the carriages. See [Camp] and [Artillery in the Field]. Am. Mil. Lib.
Park of provisions, a place in a camp, on the rear of every regiment, which is taken up by the sutlers who follow the army with all sorts of provisions, and sell them to the soldiers.
PARLEMENTER, Fr. to parley. The French familiarly say, Ville qui parlemente est à demi rendue; a town whose governor parlies may be said to be half given up.
PARLEY, oral treaty, talk, conference, discussion by word of mouth.
To Parley, in military matters, to enter into conference with your enemy. This is done by means of a flag of truce. See [Truce].
To beat a Parley, is to give a signal for holding such a conference, by beat of drum, or sound of trumpet. See [Chamade].
PAROLE, in a military sense, the promise made by a prisoner of war, when he has leave to go any where, of returning at a time appointed, or not to take up arms, if not exchanged.