Diaphragm Shell.An obsolete spherical shell formerly used in the English service, so named from the arrangement of the interior.
Diapré.A term applied in heraldry to fields and charges relieved by arabesque and geometrical patterns. This ornamentation, not affecting the heraldic value of the objects to which it was applied, was generally left to the fancy of the painter.
Diarbekir.A city of Asiatic Turkey, and capital of the pashalic of Diarbekir. This place was successively taken, retaken, and destroyed, in the ancient wars between the Persians and Romans. It was pillaged by Tamerlane in the year 1393; and was successively taken and retaken by the Persian kings, until it was conquered by Selim, the first sultan of the Osmanli Turks, in the year 1515. In 1605 it again fell into the power of Persia; but it was afterwards retaken by the Turks, under whose dominion it has since continued.
Dictator.In the earliest times, was thename of the highest magistrate of the Latin Confederation, and in some of the Latin towns the title was continued long after these towns were subjected to the dominion of Rome. In the Roman republic the dictator was an extraordinary magistrate, irresponsible and endowed with absolute authority. The dictatorship could not lawfully be held longer than six months. Dictators were only appointed so long as the Romans had to carry on wars in and out of Italy, or when any vigorous measure had to be acted upon. The limits of his power were as follows: he could not touch the treasury; he could not leave Italy; and he could not ride through Rome on horseback without previously obtaining the permission of the people.
Dideon’s Formulas.Certain equations relating to the trajectory of a projectile in the air, obtained by Capt. Dideon of Metz by integrating the differential equations of the trajectory under certain assumptions as to the law of the resistance, etc. SeeProjectiles, Trajectory, in Air.
Diego.A very strong and heavy sword.
Diest.A town of Belgium, in Southern Brabant, on the Demer. This town was taken by the Duke of Marlborough in 1705, but retaken by the French, and dismantled, in the same year. Since 1830 it has been surrounded with fortifications and made a place of great strength.
Dietary, Military.SeeSubsistenceof ArmiesandFood.
Dieu et Mon Droit(Fr.). “God and my Right.” The motto of the royal arms of England, first assumed by Richard I., to intimate that he did not hold his empire in vassalage of any mortal. It was afterwards assumed by Edward III., and was continued without interruption to the time of William, who used the mottoJe maintiendray, though the former was still retained upon the great seal. After him Anne used the mottoSemper eadem; but ever since her timeDieu et mon droithas continued to be the royal motto.
Differences.In heraldry, are marks introduced into a coat of arms to distinguish brothers and their descendants from the father or head of the house, while he is alive; marks of cadency being used for a similar purpose after his death.
Differential Pulley.A hoisting apparatus consisting of an endless chain and two pulleys of slightly different diameters. The chain winds upon one while unwinding from the other. It is attached to a crane, and used to hoist heavy shot to the muzzle of large cannon.
Dijon.An ancient walled city of France, chief town of the department of Côte-d’Or. It has been several times captured in war. It was attacked by the Germans under Gen. Beyer, October 30, 1870. The heights and suburbs were taken by Prince William of Baden, and the town surrendered October 31.
Dike, orDyke. A channel to receive water; also a dam or mound, to prevent inundation. Dikes differ from sluices; the former being intended only to oppose the flowing of other water into a river, or to confine the stream by means of strong walls, pieces of timber, or a double row of hurdles, the intervals of which are filled with earth, stones, or pebbles.
Dimachæ.In ancient military affairs, were a kind of horsemen, answering to the dragoons of the moderns.
Dimidiation.In heraldry, a mode of marshaling arms, adopted chiefly before quartering and impaling according to the modern practice came into use, and subsequently retained to some extent in continental, though not in English heraldry. It consists in cutting two coats of arms in halves by a vertical line, and uniting the dexter half of one to the sinister half of the other. Coats of husband and wife were often so marshaled in England in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Diminish.In a military sense, means to decrease the front of a battalion; to adopt the columns of march, or manœuvre according to the obstructions and difficulties which it meets in advancing.
Diminished Angle.Is that formed by the exterior side and line of defense in fortification.
Diminutions.A word sometimes used in heraldry for differences, marks of cadency, and brisures, indifferently.
Dinan.A town of France, in the department of Côtes-du-Nord, situated on the Rance. This place was often besieged during the Middle Ages; in 1373 was taken by Du Guesclin, and in 1379 by De Clisson.
Dinant.A town of Belgium, on the Meuse, 14 miles south from Namur. It was taken by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, in 1466, when 800 of its inhabitants were taken by twos, tied back to back, and thrown into the Meuse. The town was also razed to the ground; but in 1493 it was rebuilt. In 1554 and 1675 it was again taken by the French.
Dinapore, orDinapoor. A town of British India, in the presidency of Bengal, on the Ganges. It is an important military station, containing extensive barracks and cantonments for English and native troops.
Dindigul.Capital of a district in the south of India, in the presidency of Madras. It was captured by the British troops, under Col. Stuart, in 1790.
Dipping of the Muzzle.A piece of artillery when fired has been explained by the action of the vent in bringing increased pressure on the elevating screw or quoin, the reaction from which throws down the muzzle.
Direct Fire.SeeFire, Direct.
Directing Sergeant.When a company is being drilled in marching, a sergeant distinguished for precision in marching is selected, who is called a directing sergeant, and placed in front of the guide on the lineestablished. This sergeant is charged with the direction and step, and marches on points selected by himself directly in front of him. The right guide of the company marches straight in the trace of the directing sergeant.
Direction.In military mechanics, signifies the line or path of a body in motion, along which it endeavors to force its way, according to the propelling power that is given to it.
Direction.In gunnery, is that element of pointing which relates to the movement of the piece around an imaginary vertical axis. The direction is given when the plane of sight passes through the object. Elevation is a movement about a horizontal axis.
Directory.In the history of France, the name given by the constitution of 1795, to an executive body composed of five members of the French republic. They assumed authority in a moment of immense peril. France was environed with gigantic adversaries, while distrust, discontent, and the malice of rival factions made her internal administration almost hopeless. The frantic heroism of her soldiers saved her from spoliation by the foreigner; but, on the contrary, the home policy of the Directory was deplorable. In 1799 the Directory was overthrown by thecoup d’étatof the 18th Brumaire, November 9, 1799, and was succeeded by the Consulate.
Dirk.Is a short dagger which at various times and in various countries has been much used as a weapon of defense. It is still worn by Highland regiments in the British service.
Dirk-knife.A clasp-knife, having a large, dirk-like blade.
Disability.State of being disabled; want of competent physical or intellectual power. When a soldier becomes disabled from exposure, accidents, or other causes, he is discharged from the service on a surgeon’s certificate of disability, which enables him to draw a pension.
Disarm.To deprive of arms; to take away the weapons of; to deprive of the means of attack or defense.
Disarmament.The act of disarming.
Disarmed.Soldiers divested of their arms, either by conquest, or in consequence of some defection.
Disarmer.One who disarms.
Disarray.To throw into disorder; to break the array of.
Disarray.Want of array or regular order; disorder.
Disbanding.Is the breaking up of a military organization and the discharge of soldiers from military duty.
Disbursing Officer.An officer whose special function is to make disbursements of money.
Discharge.From military service, is obtained by non-commissioned officers and privates by expiration of term of service, which varies in different countries; on surgeon’s certificate of disability, and by special authority for various reasons, when recommended by the commanding officer. Soldiers are also discharged with ignominy for great offenses, being in some cases stripped of their decorations and drummed out of the service.
Disciplinarian.An officer who pays particular regard to the discipline or the soldiers under his command.
Discipline.In military and naval affairs, is a general name for the rules and regulations prescribed and enforced for the proper conduct and subordination of the soldiers, etc. This is the technical meaning. In a higher sense discipline is thehabit of obedience. The soldier acquires the habit of subordinating his own will, pleasure, and inclinations to those of his superior. When the habit has become so strong that it is second nature, the soldier is disciplined.
Discomfit.Defeat, rout, overthrow.
Discretion.Se rendre à discrétion, surrendering unconditionally to a victorious enemy.
Disembarkation.The act of landing troops from a boat or ship. The term has lately been applied to the act of quitting a railway train.
Disembody.To disarm a military body, and to dispense with its services.
Disengage.To separate the wings of a battalion or regiment, which is necessary when the battalion countermarches from its centre and on its centre by files. It likewise means to clear a column or line which may have lost its proper front by the overlapping of any particular division. It also signifies to extricate oneself and the troops commanded from a critical situation. It likewise means to break suddenly from any particular order in line or column, and to repair to some rallying-point.
Disengage.In fencing, means to quit that side of an adversary’s blade on which one is opposed by his guard, in order to effect a cut or thrust where an opportunity may present.
Disgarnish.To take guns from a fortress.
Disgarrison.To deprive of a garrison.
Dishelm.To deprive of the helmet; to take the helmet from.
Dish of a Wheel.Is the inclination outward of the spokes when fastened in the nave.
Dislodge.To drive an enemy from a position.
Dismantle.To render fortifications incapable of defense, or cannon unserviceable.
Dismiss.To discard, or deprive an officer of his commission or warrant. SeeAppendix,Articles or War.
Dismount.To dismount the cavalry is to use them as infantry. Guards, when relieved, are said to dismount. They are to be marched with the utmost regularity to the parade-ground where they were formed, and from thence to their regimental or company parades, previously to being dismissedto their quarters. To dismount cannon, is to break their carriages, wheels, etc., so as to render them unfit for service. It also implies dismounting by the gin, etc.
Disobedience of Orders.Any infraction, by neglect or willful omission, of orders. SeeAppendix,Articles of War,21.
Dispart.In gunnery, half the difference between the diameter of the base-ring at the breech of a gun and that of the swell of the muzzle. In guns which have no front sights, it is therefore the tangent of the natural angle of sight to a radius equal to the distance from the rear of the base-ring, or base-line, to the highest point of the swell of the muzzle, measured parallel to the axis. For convenience the muzzle sight is usually made equal in height to the dispart in modern guns,—giving a natural line of sight parallel to the axis of the piece.
Dispatches.Official messages. In war, important dispatches which have to pass through the enemy’s country, or in the vicinity of his forces, are only intrusted to officers to whom their contents can be confided. Dispatches are frequently in cipher, especially when telegraphed or signaled with a liability to interception. SeeDespatch.
Disperse.To scatter any body of men, armed or unarmed, who may have assembled in an illegal or hostile manner. The cavalry are generally employed on these occasions.
Displaced.Officers in the British service are sometimes displaced from a particular regiment in consequence of misconduct, but they are at liberty to serve in any other corps.
Display, To.In a military sense, is to extend the front of a column, and thereby bring it into line.
Displayed.In heraldic usage, means expanded; as, an eagle displaced, or what is commonly known as a spread eagle.
Displume.To deprive of decoration or ornament; to degrade.
Dispose.To dispose cannon, is to place it in such a manner that its discharge may do the greatest mischief.
Disposition.In a general sense, is the just placing of an army or body of men upon the most advantageous ground, and in the strongest situation, for a vigorous attack or defense.
Disposition de Guerre(Fr.). Warlike arrangement or disposition. Under this head may be considered the mode of establishing, combining, conducting, and finally terminating a war, so as to produce success and victory.
Disrespect to a Commanding Officer.SeeAppendix,Articles of War,20.
Disrespectful Words.SeeAppendix,Articles of War,19.
Distance.In military formation, signifies the relative space which is left between men standing under arms in rank, or the interval which appears between those ranks.
Distance of the Bastion.In fortification, is the term applied to the exterior polygon.
Distances of Objects.SeePointing.
Distribution.Means, generally, any division or allotment made for the purposes of war; also minor arrangements made for the supply of corps.
District, Military.One of those portions into which a country is divided, for the convenience of command, and to insure a co-operation between distant bodies of troops.
Disvelloped, orDeveloped. Are heraldic terms applied to the colors of a regiment, or army, when they are flying.
Ditch.In fortification, is an excavation made round the works, from which the earth required for the construction of the rampart and parapet is obtained. Ditches are of two kinds, wet and dry; but in modern fortification the dry ditch is considered preferable to the wet one. When the excavation is on the side farthest from the enemy it is called a trench.
Diu.A once celebrated island and fortress of Hindostan, in the peninsula of Kattywar. In 1515 the Portuguese gained possession of it; they fortified it, and in ten years rendered it impregnable against all the powers of India. With the decline of Portuguese power it fell into decay, and was plundered by the Arabs of Muscat in 1670.
Diversion.An attack upon an enemy in a place where he is weak and unprovided, in order to draw off his forces from making an irruption elsewhere; or a manœuvre, where an enemy is strong, which obliges him to detach part of his forces to resist any feint or menacing attempt of his opponent.
Divest.To strip of clothes, arms, or equipage.
Divine Service.SeeAppendix,Articles of War,52.
Division.In military matters, is one section of an army, comprising 2 or more brigades, commanded by a general officer. In regimental formation, 2 companies of a regiment or battalion constitute a division, when in column.
Dizier, St.A town of France, on the Marne. The emperor Charles V. besieged and took this place in 1544; and in its neighborhood Napoleon defeated the allies in two battles fought January 27 and March 26, 1814.
Djokjokarta.A Dutch residency of Java, near the middle of the south coast of that island. The town of the same name is the seat of a Dutch resident and a native sultan, who has a body-guard of young females, completely armed and equipped, some of whom do duty on horseback. It was taken by the British in 1812.
Dobrudscha(anc.Scythia Minor). A name used to denote the northeastern portion of Bulgaria. The Dobrudscha has long been a famous battle-ground. Some of the earliest incidents of the Russian war of 1854-56 took place here.
Dolabra.A rude ancient hatchet. Theyare represented on the columns of Trajan and Antoninus, and abound in all museums. When made of flint, which was their earliest and rudest form, they are usually calledcelts.
Dôle.A town of France, in the department of Jura, on the right bank of the Doubs. In 1479 it was taken by Louis XI., when the greater part of the town was destroyed, and many of its inhabitants were put to the sword. It subsequently came into the hands of the Spaniards, and was fortified by Charles V. in 1530. In 1636 it was ineffectually besieged by the Prince of Condé. In 1668 it was taken by the French; and again in 1674, when its fortifications were destroyed.
Dolphins.Two handles placed upon a piece of ordnance with their centres over the centre of gravity, by which it was mounted or dismounted. They are no longer in use in the U. S. service.
Domingo, San.The capital of the Spanish part of the island of Hayti, in the West Indies. About the year 1586 the city was sacked by Sir Francis Drake.
Dominica.An island in the West Indies, belonging to the Leeward group, lying about 20 miles to the north of Martinique. This island was discovered by Columbus in 1498, and was claimed alternately by England, France, and Spain: it was finally ceded to Great Britain in 1763.
Dommage(Fr.). In a general acceptation of the term, signified in the old French service, the compensation which every captain of a troop, or company, was obliged to make in consequence of any damage that their men might have done in a town, or on a march.
Donabue.A town in India, in the British province of Pegu. In 1825, during the Burmese war, it maintained a successful resistance against the assault of a British force under the command of Brigadier Cotton; and here in 1853, during the last war with the same nation, the British troops suffered a repulse in an encounter with a Burmese force, losing several officers.
Donauwörth.A town of Bavaria, situated at the confluence of the Wernitz and the Danube. Here Marlborough stormed and carried the intrenched camp of the Bavarians in 1704, and on October 6, 1805, the French under Soult obtained a victory over the Austrians under Mack.
Donelson, Fort.A position on a slight bend of the Cumberland River, in Tennessee, which was strongly fortified by the Confederates during the civil war. On the afternoon of February 14, 1862, Commodore Foote commenced with his gunboats an attack on this place, but met with a decided reverse. Meantime, Gen. Grant’s army, advancing from the capture of Fort Henry, gradually approached, and surrounded the fort, with occasional skirmishing on the line. Next day the Confederates attacked them, but were repulsed with loss, and finding all hope of reinforcements unavailing, they surrendered the fort on the 16th. About 10,000 prisoners, 40 pieces of artillery, and a large quantity of stores of all kinds fell into Gen. Grant’s hands.
Dongola, New, orMaraka. A town on the Nile, and capital of a province of the same name, in Nubia. Ibrahim Pasha took it from the Mamelukes in 1820.
Donjon, orDungeon. The principal tower or keep of a castle or fortress. It was so called either from being placed on adunor elevation, natural or artificial, or because, from its position, it dominated or commanded the other parts of the fortress. From the circumstance that the lower or under-ground story of the donjon was used as a prison, has come the modern meaning of the word dungeon.
Doolee.A palanquin litter, used in Indian armies, to carry sick and wounded men.
Dormans.In Northeast France. The Huguenots and their allies under Montmorency were here defeated by the Duke of Guise, October 10, 1575.
Dormant.(Fr.). Sleeping. In heraldic representation, an animaldormanthas its head resting on its fore-paws, whereas an animalcouchanthas its head erect.
Dornach.A village of Switzerland, 20 miles northeast from Soleure, remarkable for the victory obtained by the Swiss over the Austrians, July 22, 1499, and which gave Switzerland her independence.
Dorogoboozh,Dorogobush, orDorogobouge. A town of Russia, in the government of Smolensk. At this place the French were defeated by the Russians, October 12, 1812.
Dosser.In military matters, is a sort of basket, carried on the shoulders of men, used in carrying the earth from one part of a fortification to another, where it is required.
Dossière(Fr.). Back-piece of a cuirass.
Douai, orDouay. A fortified town of France, on the small river Scarpe, 18 miles south from Lille. This place was taken from the Flemings by Philip the Fair in 1297; restored by Charles V. in 1368. It reverted to Spain, from whom it was taken by Louis XIV. in 1667. It was captured by the allies, under the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugène, in 1710, but was retaken by the French, September 8, 1712.
Double.To unite, as ranks or files, so as to form one.To double upon, to inclose between two fires.
Double-quick.Performed in the time called double-quick; as, a double-quick step or march.
Double-quick.To move, or cause to move, in double-quick time.
Double-rank.A line formed of double files.
Double-shell.A shell used in the 7-inch English rifles. It is 27 inches long, and has a large cavity. To strengthen it against outside pressure it has three internal longitudinal ribs projecting about an inch into the cavity.
Double-shotting.Is an increase of the destructive power of ordnance by doubling the shot fired off at one time from a gun. Sometimes three shots are fired at once, in which case the piece is said to betreble-shotted.
Double-time.The fastest time or step in marching, next to the run, requiring 165 steps, each 33 inches in length, to be taken in one minute. The degree of swiftness may vary in urgent cases, and the number of steps be thus increased up to 180 per minute.
Doubling.The putting of two ranks of soldiers into one.
Doublings.The heraldic term for the linings of robes or mantles, or of the mantlings of achievements.
Doullens.A town of France, 15 miles northeast of Amiens. This place was taken by the allies in 1814.
Doune.A village of Perthshire, Scotland. The ruins of Doune Castle, a large and massive fortress built about the 14th century, are situated on the point of a steep and narrow elevation. Doune was held for Prince Charles in 1745, and here he confined his prisoners taken at Falkirk, among the rest the author of the tragedy of “Douglas.”
Douro.A large river in Spain and Portugal, which was crossed in 1809 by the British army under the Duke of Wellington, when he surprised the French under Marshal Soult, and won the battle of Oporto.
Dover(anc.Dubris). A city and seaport of England, in the county of Kent, on Dover Strait. The city is defended by Dover Castle, which is built on chalk-cliffs 320 feet high, and is a fortress of great strength and extent. The castle is said to have been founded by the ancient Romans. Near here Julius Cæsar is said to have first landed in England, August 26, 55B.C., and here King John resigned his kingdom to Pandolf, the pope’s legate, May 13, 1213.
Dowletabad.A celebrated city and fortress of Hindostan, province of Hyderabad, deemed impregnable by the natives; but notwithstanding its strength, it has been frequently taken.
Drabants.A company of 200 picked men, of which Charles IX. of Sweden was captain.
Draft.A selecting or detaching of soldiers from an army, or any part of it, or from a military post; also from any company or collection of persons, or from the people at large for military service.
Draft.SeeDraught.
Draft, To.To draw from a military band or post, or from any company, collection, society, or from the people at large; to detach; to select. Written alsodraught.
Dragon.An old name for a musketoon.
Dragon et Dragon Volant(Fr.). Some old pieces of artillery were anciently so called. The Dragon was a 40-pounder; the Dragon Volant a 32-pounder. But neither the name nor the size of the caliber of either piece is now in use.
Dragonner(Fr.). According to the French acceptation of the term, is to attack any person in a rude and violent manner; to take anything by force; to adopt prompt and vigorous means; and to bring those people to reason by hard blows, who could not be persuaded by fair words.
Dragoon.From the old fable that the dragon spouts fire, the head of the monster was worked upon the muzzle of a peculiar kind of short muskets which were first carried by the horsemen raised by Marshal Brissac in 1600. This circumstance led to their being called dragoons; and from the general adoption of the same weapon, though without the emblem in question, the term gradually extended itself till it became almost synonymous with horse-soldier. Dragoons were at one time a kind of mounted infantry, drilled to perform the services both of horse and foot. At present, dragoon is simply one among many designations for cavalry, not very precise in its application. This term is not now used in the U. S. service.
Dragoon, To.Is to persecute by abandoning a place to the rage of the soldiers.
Dragoon Guards.In the British service, seven regiments of heavy cavalry bear this title.
Drag-rope.This is a 4-inch hemp rope, 28 feet long, with a thimble worked into each end, one of the thimbles carrying a hook. Six handles, made of oak or ash, are put in between the strands of the rope, and lashed with a marline. It is used to assist in extricating carriages from different positions by the men, for dragging pieces, etc.
Drag-rope Men.The men attached to light or heavy ordnance, for the purpose of expediting movements in action. The Frenchservans à la prolongeare of this description.
Drain, orDrein. In the military art, is a trench made to draw water out of a ditch, which is afterwards filled with hurdles and earth, or with fascines or bundles of rushes, and planks, to facilitate the passage over the mud.
Drake.A small piece of artillery, no longer used.
Draught.The act of drawing men from a military band, army, or post, or from any company or society; draft; detachment; also, formerly, a sudden attack or drawing upon an enemy.
Draughted.The soldiers of any regiment allotted to complete other regiments are said to be draughted, or drafted.
Draught-hook.Either of two large hooks of iron fixed on the cheeks of a gun-carriage, two on each side, used in drawing the gun backward and forward.
Drawbridge.A bridge of which the whole or part is made to be let down, or drawn or turned aside, to admit or hinder communication at pleasure, as before the gate of a town or castle. It is calledbascule,swivel, orrollingbridge according asit turns on a hinge vertically, on a pivot horizontally, or is pushed lengthwise on rollers.
Drawing.In a military sense, is the art of representing the appearances of all kinds of military objects by imitation or copying, both with and without the assistance of mathematical rules.
Drawn Battle.A fight from which the combatants withdraw without either side claiming the victory.
Draw off, To.In a military sense, means to retire; also to abstract or take away; as, to draw off your forces. Todraw onis to advance; also to occasion; as, to draw on an enemy’s fire. Todraw overis to persuade to revolt; to entice from a party. Todraw outis to call the soldiers forth in array for action. Todraw upis to form in battle array. Todraw out a partyis to assemble any particular number of armed men for military duty. The French say,faire un detachement.
Drayton-in-Hales, orMarket Drayton. A town of England, in Shropshire. Here the partisans of the house of York defeated the Lancastrians in 1459.
Dresden.The capital of the kingdom of Saxony, and one of the best built towns of Europe. Taken by Frederick of Prussia in 1756; by the Austrians in 1759; bombarded in vain by Frederick, July, 1760. On August 26-27, 1813, the allies were defeated in a terrible battle by the French under the walls of this city; and about a mile from it is a granite block, surmounted by a helmet, marking the spot where Moreau fell in the conflict, while conversing with the emperor Alexander.
Dress.A word of command for alignment of troops; also of the alignment itself.
Dressers.SeeGuides.
Dress, Full.Dress uniform. The French isgrande tenue, orgrande uniforme.
Dress Parade.Parade in full uniform; one of the ceremonies prescribed in tactics.
Dress, To.To cause a company or battalion to take such a position or order as will preserve an exact continuity of line in the whole front, or in whatever shape the command is to be formed. Soldiers dress by one another in ranks, and the body collectively by some given object. Todress the lineis to arrange any given number of soldiers, so as to stand perfectly correct with regard to the several points of an alignment that have been taken up.
Dress Uniform.The dress prescribed for occasions of ceremony.
Dreux.An old town of France, in the department of the Eure and Loire, on the Blaise. In 1188 this town was burned by the English; and in 1562 the Prince of Condé was taken prisoner in a severe action fought between the Huguenots and Roman Catholics in its neighborhood.
Drift.A tool used in driving down compactly the composition contained in a rocket, or like firework.
Drift.A deviation peculiar to oblong rifle projectiles. SeeProjectiles.
Drill.Is a general name for the exercises through which soldiers and sailors are passed, to qualify them for their duties. There are many varieties of drill,—that of the cavalry, infantry, and artillery,—all have different drills conformable to their different organizations.
Drill-Sergeant.A non-commissioned officer, whose office it is to instruct soldiers as to their duties, and to train them to military evolutions.
Drogheda.A seaport town of Ireland, in the counties of Meath and Louth, built on both sides of the Boyne. From the 14th to the 17th century, Drogheda was the chief military station in Ulster. In 1641 the town was besieged by O’Neal and the northern Irish forces, but was gallantly defended by Sir Henry Tichbourne, and after a long blockade relieved by the Marquis of Ormond, who also relieved it a second time when invested by the Parliamentary army under Col. Jones. In 1649, Cromwell was twice repulsed in besieging this town; but in the third attempt he was successful, when most of the garrison were slaughtered. This place surrendered to William III. the day after the battle of the Boyne, which was fought in 1690 at Oldbridge, 4 miles west of Drogheda.
Drum.A musical instrument of percussion, formed by stretching a piece of parchment over each end of a cylinder formed of thin wood, or over the top of a caldron-shaped vessel of brass; the latter is hence called a kettle-drum. The large drums which are beaten at each end are calleddouble drums, orbass drums, and are used chiefly in military bands. Kettle-drums are always used in pairs; one of which is tuned to the key-note, the other to the fifth of the key. The drum is principally used for military purposes, especially for inspiring the soldiers under the fatigue of march or in battle. It is supposed to be an Eastern invention, and to have been brought into Europe by the Arabians, or perhaps the Moors. In the French army the drum is now, to some extent, abolished.
Drum.To execute on a drum, as a tune;—without, to expel with beat of drum; as, to drum out a deserter, etc.; withup, to assemble by beat of drum; to gather; to collect; as, to drum up recruits, etc.
Drumclog.In Western Scotland; here the Covenanters defeated Graham of Claverhouse, June 1, 1679. An account of the conflict is given by Walter Scott, in “Old Mortality.”
Drum-head.The head or upper part of a drum.
Drum-head Court-martial.A court-martial called suddenly by the commanding officer to try offenses committed on the line of march, and which demand an immediate example. This method is not resorted to in time of peace.
Drum-Major.Is that person in a regiment of infantry who has command of the drummers and teaches them their duty. He also directs the movements of the regimental band, while on parade.
Drummer.The soldier who plays a drum. The majority of drummers are boys, generally the sons of soldiers. In former times it was the part of a drummer’s duty to flog men sentenced to corporal punishment.
Drumming Out.The ceremony of ignominiously discharging a soldier from the service. The culprit is marched out of the garrison at the point of the bayonet, the drummers or musicians playing the “Rogue’s March.”
Drum-stick.A stick with which a drum is beaten, or shaped for the purpose of beating a drum.
Drunk on Duty.SeeAppendix,Articles of War,38.
Druses.A warlike people dwelling among the mountains of Lebanon, derive their origin from a fanatical Mohammedan sect which arose in Egypt about 996, and fled to Palestine to avoid persecution. They now retain hardly any of the religion of their ancestors. In 1860, in consequence of disputes, the Druses attacked their neighbors, the Maronites, whom they massacred, it was said, without regard to age or sex. This led to a general massacre of Christians soon after. But the Turkish troops, with French auxiliaries, interfering on behalf of the Christians, invaded Lebanon in August and September, when the Druses surrendered, giving up their chiefs, January, 1861.
Dry Camp, To Make a.Troops on the march are saidto make a dry campwhen they are compelled by exhaustion, or other causes, to camp at a place where there is no water. For such camps water is usually transported with the troops.
Dualin.SeeExplosives.
Dubicza, orDubitza. A town and fort of European Turkey, in Bosnia, on the Unna. The Austrians took this town in 1738.
Dublin.The capital city of Ireland, on the Liffey, close to its entrance into Dublin Bay. It is alleged that this city has been in existence since the time of Ptolemy. In the earlier part of the 9th century, Dublin was taken by the Danes, who infested it for several centuries thereafter. In 1169 it was taken by storm by the English under Strongbow. From about this period the history of Dublin is that of Ireland.
Ducenarius.An officer in the Roman armies who commanded two centuries.
Dudgeon.A small dagger (rare).
Duel.Was the old form of a combat between two persons, at a time and place indicated in the challenge, cartel, or defiance borne by one party to the other. A duel generally takes place in the presence of witnesses, called seconds, who regulate the mode of fighting, place the weapons in the hands of the combatants, and enforce compliance with the rules which they have laid down. In the United States the practice of fighting duels, being declared illegal by statutes, is very seldom resorted to.
Dueling.SeeAppendix,Articles of War,26,27.
Duffadar.A rank in the East Indian Native Cavalry, corresponding with that of sergeant.
Duffadar, Kot.A non-commissioned officer in the East Indian Native Cavalry, corresponding with a troop sergeant-major.
Duffadar Major.A rank in the East Indian Native Cavalry, corresponding with that of regimental sergeant-major.
Duke.From the Latindux, a “leader,” a title that first came into use when Constantine separated the civil and military commands in the provinces. This title was successively borrowed by the Goths and Franks, and since the time of the Black Prince, who was created first duke in England (Duke of Cornwall) in 1335, it has been a title of the nobility, ranking next below the blood royal.
Dukigi-Bachi.Second officer in the Turkish artillery, who commands the Topelas, or gunners and founders.
Duledge.A peg of wood which joins the ends of the felloes, forming the circle of the wheel of a gun-carriage; and the joint is strengthened on the outside of the wheel by a strong plate of iron, called theduledge plate.
Dumdum.The name of a town and of a valley in India, well known in the military history of the country; it is 8 miles to the northeast of Calcutta, having extensive accommodations for troops, and a cannon-foundry. The place is famous in connection with the mutiny of 1857, as the scene of the first open manifestation on the part of the Sepoys against the greased cartridges.
Dumfries.A royal burgh and parish of Scotland, the capital of Dumfriesshire, on the Nith. This town was exposed to repeated calamities from the invasions of the English during the border wars. In this town John Comyn, the competitor for the Scottish throne, was stabbed by Robert Bruce in 1305.
Dünaburg.A strongly fortified town of Western Russia, on the Düna. It is of great military importance, owing to the strength of its fortifications. It was founded by the Knights of the Sword in 1277.
Dunbar.A seaport town of Scotland, in Haddingtonshire, at the mouth of the Frith of Forth. On the high rocks at the entrance to the new harbor are a few fragments of the ruins of an old castle, which was once very strong, and an important security against English invasions. Edward I. took it, and Edward II. fled thither after the battle of Bannockburn; it was demolished in 1333, and rebuilt in 1336; it was successfully defended in a siege of six weeks against the Earl of Salisbury by Black Agnes, countess of Dunbar, in 1338; it sheltered Queen Maryand Bothwell in 1567; and in the same year it was destroyed by the regent Murray. In 1650, Cromwell, at the “Race of Dunbar,” defeated the Scottish army under Leslie.
Dunblane, orDumblane. A town and parish of Scotland, in Perthshire, on the Allan. Not far from this place is Sheriffmuir, where, in 1715, a battle was fought between the royal troops and the followers of the Pretender.
Dungan Hill(Ireland). Here the English army, commanded by Col. Jones, signally defeated the Irish, of whom 6000 are said to have been slain, August 8, 1647.
Dungeon(originallyDonjon, which see). A prison; a dark and subterraneous cell or place of confinement.
Dunkirk.A fortified seaport town in the extreme northern part of France, in the department of the North. In 1558 the English, who had for some time held possession of the town, were expelled from it by the French, who, in the ensuing year, surrendered it to the Spaniards. In the middle of the 17th century it once more passed into the hands of the French, who, after a few years’ occupation of it, again restored it to Spain. In 1658 it was retaken by the French and made over to the English. It was sold to the French king by Charles II. in 1662. In 1793 it was attacked by the English under the Duke of York, who, however, was compelled to retire from before its walls with severe loss.
Dunnottar.A parish of Scotland, in Kincardineshire. It contains the castle of Dunnottar, now in ruins. In the time of the civil wars, this was the fortress in which the Scottish regalia were deposited. After being besieged by Cromwell’s forces for six months, it capitulated; but, before this, the regalia were secretly conveyed from it.
Dunsinane.In Perthshire, Scotland. On the hill was fought the battle between Macbeth, the thane of Glammis, and Siward, earl of Northumberland, July 27, 1054. Macbeth was defeated, and it was said pursued to Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire, and there slain, 1056 or 1057.
Durazzo(anc.Epidamnus). A town of Albania, European Turkey. It is fortified, and is a place of considerable antiquity. Durazzo was founded about 627B.C.by a conjoined band of Corcyræans and Corinthians under one Phaleus, a Heracleidan. It became a great and populous city, but was much harassed by the internal strifes of party, which ultimately led to the Peloponnesian war. Under the Romans it was calledDyrrachium(whence its modern name). Here Pompey was for some time beleaguered by Cæsar. In the 5th century it was besieged by Theodoric, the Ostro-Goth; in the 10th and 11th centuries by the Bulgarians; and in 1081 it was captured, after a severe battle, by the Norman, Robert Guiseard of Apulia.
Düren.A town of Prussia, on the Roer. This was a Roman town, and is mentioned by Tacitus by the name ofMarcodurum. Charlemagne held two diets here in 775 and 779, when on his way to attack the Saxons. It was taken by assault and burned by Charles V., after an obstinate resistance, in 1543. In 1794 it fell into the hands of the French, but was ceded to Prussia in 1814.
Dürkeim.A town of Rhenish Bavaria, 20 miles north from Landau. The summit of a height near this town is crowned by a rampart of loose stones 6 to 10 feet high, 60 to 70 feet wide at the base, and inclosing a space of about two square miles called theHeidenmauer(“heathens’ wall”), which the Romans are said to have built to keep the barbarians in check, and where Attila is said to have passed a winter, after having wrested the fortress from the Romans, when passing on his way to Rome.
Durrenstein.A town of Austria, on the Danube. In the neighborhood, on a rock, are the ruins of the castle in which Richard Cœur de Lion was imprisoned in 1192. In 1805 the Russian and Austrian armies were defeated here by the French.
Duties.This word is used in military parlance to express the men paraded for any particular duty, such as guards, etc.
Duty.There is no word oftener used in military parlance than this. In the technical sense it refers to the various services necessary for the maintenance, discipline, and regulation of armies,—assignal duty,staff duty,the duties of a sentinel, etc. To beon dutyis to be in the active exercise of military functions; to beoff dutyis to have these functions temporarily suspended; to beput on dutyis to be assigned to duty by order of a superior. Military duties are variously classed asduties of detail, which are recurring and governed by a roster, such as guard, fatigue, etc.;special dutieswhich are determined by appointment, selection, or order;extra duty, continuous special duty of enlisted men, entitling them to pay;daily duty, short terms of special service for enlisted men. In a higher and broader sensedutyis that which is due one’s country. It covers all the soldier’s obligations, and forms his simplest and sublimest rule of action.
Dyer Projectile.SeeProjectile.
Dynamite, called in the United States “giant powder,” is formed by mixing nitro-glycerine with certain porous substances, and especially with certain varieties of silica or alumina, these substances absorbing the nitro-glycerine. It was invented in 1867 by the Swedish engineer Nobel, who proposed to prevent the frequent and unexpected explosions of nitro-glycerine, at the same time without sacrificing any of its power. This he effected by the use of certain silicious earths as a base for the absorption of the nitro-glycerine, the experiment resulting in the new compound which he called dynamite, its transportation and handling being no more dangerous than that of ordinary gunpowder. It is not liable to spontaneous explosion like pure nitro-glycerine, nor canit be exploded by moderate concussion; when unconfined, if set fire to, it will burn without explosion; it may be safely kept at any moderate temperature; is inexplosive when frozen, and acts effectively under water. Its effects are proportional to the quantity of nitro-glycerine held in absorption; but under circumstances where a sustained bursting pressure is required, not being as instantaneous in its action as nitro-glycerine, its effects are more powerful than those of an equal weight of the pure material. The best absorbent of nitro-glycerine for the formation of dynamite is a silicious earth found at Oberlohe, Hanover. During the siege of Paris, a scientific committee of investigation, engaged in experimenting on different substances as a substitute for this earth, selected as the best silica, alumina, and boghead cinders. Any of these, they declared, when combined with nitro-glycerine, formed a substance which possessed all the remarkable qualities attributed to the dynamite of Nobel. During the siege of Paris dynamite was used successfully by the French engineers to free a flotilla of gunboats caught in the ice on the Seine, below Charenton, by simply placing a quantity of it on the surface of the ice. The explosion dislodged the ice for a great distance, and the masses thus loosened, being directed into the current by the aid of a small steamer, floated down the stream, and left the river open. There are various other compounds of nitro-glycerine, such as dualin, glyoxiline, etc., all differing in the matter used as a base, they being generally some explosive substances; but none of them appears to have come into such general use or to be as reliable as dynamite. Many preparations of chlorate and picrate of potassium have also been used from time to time as explosive agents; but their great sensibility to friction or percussion renders them extremely dangerous; they are, therefore, not liable to come into general use. A preparation of potassium chlorate and sulphur, not liable to explode by concussion, but very sensitive to friction, is used with great effect as a charge for explosive bullets.
Dynamometer.An instrument for measuring the force of recoil in a small-arm, consisting usually of a spiral spring so arranged as to be compressed by the butt of the gun in firing. An index shows the number of pounds required to produce a similar compression. The instruments now used by the U. S. Ordnance Department are graduated to show the effect of the recoil infoot-poundsorunits of work. This sensible change was made at the suggestion of Lieut. Henry Metcalfe of that department.