Posts of exercise in the rear, the relative situations which officers take in the rear; when the ranks of a battalion are opened for the purpose of going through the manual and platoon exercises. It is likewise a cautionary word of command, viz. The officers will take post in the rear.
To Post. In the disposition of troops, to place the officers, music, drummers, fifers, and pioneers, according to their several ranks and appointments, either for inspection, or exercise in the field.
To Post, to station, as, a sentry, &c.
To be POSTED, in military tactics, to be formed ready for action. Thus when troops are brought up in column, and ordered to deploy, it frequently happens, that some part of the line is refused, in order to flank an enemy, or to cover a weak position, the part that is aligned is said to be posted.
To POST up, (afficher, Fr.) To hold up to public censure or ridicule.
To be POSTED, in a familiar sense, signifies to be publicly announced as an infamous or degraded character. Hence to post a man as a coward is to stick his name up in a coffee-house or elsewhere, and to accuse him of want of spirit, &c. The French use the phrase afficher in the same sense. They likewise say figuratively afficher sa bonte; to publish or post up one’s own disgrace; meaning thereby, that some persons are so totally regardless of decency and decorum, as to express sentiments which are unbecoming the character of an officer, or a gentleman.
POSTAGE of Letters. In the British service, non-commissioned officers and private soldiers are privileged to send or receive letters, from any part of that country on payment of one penny only for the postage.
In the instructions to postmasters, (Feb. 4th, 1799,) concerning the exemptions granted to seamen in the navy, and privates in the army, in respect to the postage of their letters, it is specified, that
“No single letter, sent by the post from any seaman or private employed in his majesty’s navy, army, militia, fencible regiments, artillery, or marines, shall, whilst such seamen or private shall be employed on his majesty’s service, and not otherwise, be charged with an higher rate of postage than the sum of one penny for the conveyance of each such letter; such postage to be paid at the time of putting the same into the post office of the town, or place from whence such letter is intended to be sent by the post.
“Provided, that no such letter shall be exempted from postage, unless there shall be written thereon, in the hand-writing of, and signed by the commanding officer, for the time being, of the ship or vessel, or of the corps, regiment, or detachment to which such seamen or private shall belong, the name of such commanding officer, and of the ship, vessel, corps, regiment, or detachment commanded by him.