Sarawak.A town and province of Borneo, on the northeast coast of the island. The Chinese inhabitants of this place rose in insurrection and massacred a number of Europeans, February 17 and 18, 1857; the rajah, Sir J. Brooke, raised a force and speedily chastised the insurgents, of whom 2000 were killed.
Sarbacane(Fr.). A blow-pipe, or long tube of wood or metal, through which poisonedarrows were shot by blowing with the mouth.
Sarceled.In heraldry, cut through the middle.
Sardar.In the East Indies, a chief or leader is so called.
Sardinia.A former kingdom in the south of Europe, composed of the island of Sardinia, Piedmont, Savoy, and the territories of Genoa and Nice. It takes its name from the island of Sardinia, and was, in 1860, merged in the new kingdom of Italy. From 1798 to 1814 the continental part of Sardinia formed a portion of the French empire. In 1848, Charles Albert, the reigning monarch, encouraged the inhabitants of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, or Austrian Italy, in their attempts to throw off the Austrian yoke, and marched to their assistance, when they broke into open revolt. He gained many victories at first over the Austrians, but he was subsequently defeated by Radetzky, and resigned his crown to his son, Victor Emmanuel. In 1855 Sardinia took part with Britain and France against Russia. In 1859 a war broke out between Austria on the one hand, and France and Sardinia on the other, which resulted in the defeat of the Austrians and the annexation of Lombardy to the Sardinian crown.
Sardinia, Island of.The largest after Sicily, of the islands of the Mediterranean, lies directly south of Corsica, from which it is separated by the Strait of Bonefacio. It was called Sardo by the Romans, and was colonized at a very early period. The first really historical event is its conquest, about 480B.C., by the Carthaginians. They were forced to abandon it to the Romans (238B.C.), who gradually subdued the rebellious natives, and made it a province of the republic; but on three several occasions, formidable outbreaks required the presence of a consul with a large army to restore the authority of Rome. It fell into the hands of the Vandals and other barbarians, and was recovered by the Eastern empire in 534, but was finally separated from the Roman empire by the Saracens. They were driven out in their turn by the Pisans. Pope Boniface took upon him to transfer it to the king of Aragon, who subdued the Genoese, Pisans, and the rest of the inhabitants, and annexed it to his own dominions in 1324. It remained united to the crown of Spain till the allies made a conquest of it in 1708. It was allotted to the emperor of Germany at the peace of Utrecht, in 1713. The Spaniards recovered it in 1717, but were obliged to abandon it two years after, when it was conferred on the duke of Savoy in lieu of the kingdom of Sicily, in 1720. From 1798 to 1814 it was the only portion of the Sardinian dominions left in the power of its sovereign, the French occupying the other portion of the kingdom.
Sardis, orSardes. Anciently the capital of Lydia, in Asia Minor, stood at the foot of Mount Tmolus, now called Bozdag, about 50 miles northeast from Smyrna; the citadel on a steep rock was almost impregnable, being fortified by three walls. It was thus enabled to hold out when the lower town was taken by the Cimmerians in the reign of Ardys. During the Ionian revolt, 501B.C., the insurgents, aided by the Athenians, took the city. It was taken by the Turks in the 11th century, and suffered a severe blow from Tamerlane, who almost entirely destroyed it about 200 years later.
Sarmatia.The ancient name of the country in Asia and Europe, between the Caspian Sea and the Vistula, including Russia and Poland. The Sarmatæ, or Sauromatæ, troubled the early Roman empire by incursions; after subduing the Scythians, they were subjugated by the Goths in the 3d and 4th centuries. They joined the Huns and other barbarians in invading Western Europe in the 5th century.
Sarno.A city of Southern Italy, in the province of Principato Citra, on the river of the same name, 13 miles northwest of Salerno. In the plain near Sarno, Teias, king of the Goths, in a desperate battle with the Greeks, commanded by Narses, in 553, was vanquished and slain, and the reign of the Goths in Italy brought to a close.
Sarrazine.A rough portcullis.
Sarre(Fr.). When artillery was first invented, this name was given to a long gun, of smaller dimensions than thebombarde.
Sasbach.A village of Baden, 28 miles southwest from Carlsruhe. Marshal Turenne was killed here by a random shot in 1675.
Sash.In the British army, is a military distinction worn on duty or parade by officers and non-commissioned officers. For the former, it is of crimson silk; for the latter, of crimson cotton. It is tied on the right side by the cavalry, and on the left side by the infantry. In Highland regiments, the sash is worn over the left shoulder and across the body. The sashes for the Austrian army are of crimson and gold; the Prussian army, black silk and silver; the Hanoverian wears yellow silk; the Portuguese, crimson silk, with blue tassels; the French have their sashes made of three colors,—white, pink, and light blue,—to correspond with the national flag. In the U. S. army, all general officers above the rank of brigadier-general may wear a sash of buff silk and gold-thread worn across the body; and for brigadier-generals, sashes of buff silk net, with silk bullion fringe ends, are worn around the waist.
Sassanidæ.A famous dynasty of Persia, which reigned from 226 to 651. They were the descendants of Artaxerxes or Ardishir, whose father, Babek, was the son of Sassan. Ardishir revolted against Artabanus, king of Parthia, and defeated him on the plain of Hormuz, 226, and re-established the Persian monarchy. The Roman armies could make no impression on the Persians under theSassanidæ; but from time to time had to return defeated and humiliated from the Persian frontiers. Their last monarch, Yezdejerd, was defeated and the dynasty expelled in 652.
Satellites.Were certain armed men, of whom mention is made in the history of Philip Augustus, king of France. The satellites of Philip Augustus were men selected from the militia of the country, who fought on foot and horseback. The servants or batmen who attended the military knights when they went into action were likewise called satellites, and fought in their defense mounted or on foot.
Sattara.A town and capital of the province of the same name, in British India, in the Presidency of Bombay. In 1700 its fort offered a vigorous resistance for two months to Aurungzebe, who besieged it in person, but it was reduced by blockade; and in 1818 a few bomb-shells procured its surrender to the British.
Saturn.In heraldry, the black color in blazoning arms; sable.
Saucisson, orSausage. Is a fascine of more than the usual length; but the principal application of the term is to the apparatus for firing a military mine. This consists of a long bag or pipe of linen, cloth, or leather, from 1 inch to 11⁄2inch in diameter, and charged with gunpowder. One end is laid in the mine to be exploded; the other is conducted to the galleries to a place where the engineers can fire in safety. The electric spark is now preferred to the saucisson.
Saumur.A town of France, in the department of Maine-et-Loire, 28 miles southeast of Angers. A striking event in the history of the town was its brilliant capture by Larochejaquelein and the Vendeans, June 10, 1793. In this action, the victors, with but a slight loss, captured 60 cannon, 10,000 muskets, and 11,000 republicans; it was a stronghold of the Protestants during the reign of Henry IV.
Savages, orWild Men. In heraldry, are of frequent occurrence as supporters. They are represented naked, and also, particularly in the later heraldry, are usually wreathed about the head and middle with laurel, and often furnished with a club in the exterior hand. Savages are especially prevalent in the heraldry of Scotland. In more than one of the Douglas seals of the first half of the 15th century, the shield is borne in one hand by a single savage, who acts as sole supporter.
Savan Droog, orSavendroog. A strong hill fort of India, in the territory of Mysore, 19 miles west from Bangalore. It was stormed by the British in 1791; and after the fall of Tippoo Sahib in 1799, it was garrisoned by a native force.
Savannah.A city and port of Georgia, U. S., on the right bank of the Savannah River, 18 miles from its mouth. The city is surrounded by marshes and islands, and was defended by Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson. Savannah was founded in 1733, by the English general Oglethorpe. In 1776 a British fleet, attempting to take the town, was repulsed after a severe action; but it was taken in 1778, and held in 1779 against the combined French and American forces. In the war of Secession, after many unsuccessful attacks by sea, it was taken by Gen. Sherman in February, 1865.
Saverne(anc.Taberna). A town of France, in the department of Bas-Rhin, on the Zorn, 19 miles northwest of Strasburg. It is a very ancient place, and was formerly fortified. It suffered very much during the Thirty Years’ War; and its fortifications were destroyed in 1696.
Savigliano.A fortified town of Northern Italy, in Piedmont, 28 miles south from Turin. The French defeated the Austrians here in 1799.
Savona.A maritime city of Northern Italy, in the province of Genoa, and 25 miles southwest from the city of that name. It is a very ancient city, and in the time of the Romans was called Sava; was destroyed by Rotharis (639), rebuilt by Ludovic the Pious (981), and was afterwards laid waste by the Saracens.
Savoy.Formerly a province in Northern Italy, east of Piedmont. It became a Roman province about 118B.C.The Alemanni seized it in 395, and the Franks in 490. It shared the revolutions of Switzerland till about 1048. The French subdued Savoy in 1792, and made it a department of France under the name of Mont Blanc in 1800; it was restored to the king of Sardinia in 1814; but was once more annexed to France in 1860.
Sawunt Warree.A native state of India, in the Presidency of Bombay. The first treaty between Sawunt Warree and the British took place in 1730, and had for its object to suppress the piracies of the Angria family in the island of Kolabah. But the chieftains of Sawunt Warree, being themselves addicted to piracy, drew upon them the hostility of the British in 1765. A series of wars, treaties, and negotiations ensued, which ended in the subjugation of the state in 1819 by a British force. The sea-coast was then ceded to the British, and the native government restored. Rebellions were raised against the chiefs in 1828, 1832, and 1838. The most important event that has since occurred, was the dangerous rebellion which began in the autumn of 1844, and was put down after some months of hard fighting by Lieut.-Col. Outram in the beginning of the following year.
Sawyer Projectile.SeeProjectile.
Saxons.A German people whose name is usually derived from an old German word,sahs, “a knife,” and are first mentioned by Ptolemy, who makes them inhabit a district south of the Cimbrian Peninsula. They are mentioned as brave and skillful sailors who often joined the Chauci in piratical expeditions against the coast of Gaul. In the 3dcentury they appear in England under Carausius, a Belgic admiral in the Roman service, who made himself “Augustus” in Britain by their help. They had firmly rooted themselves, at the beginning of the 5th century, in the present Normandy, and they fought against Attila in the Catalaunian Plain, 451. They also obtained a footing at the mouth of the Loire; but all the Saxons who settled in France disappeared before the Franks, or were probably incorporated with their more powerful kinsmen of Southern Germany. Along with the Franks, they destroyed the kingdom of the Thuringians in 531, and obtained possession of the land between the Harz and the Unstrut; but this district was in turn forced to acknowledge the Frankish sovereignty. From 719, wars between the Saxons and the Franks became constant; but the latter, after 772, were generally successful, in spite of the vigorous resistance offered by Wittekind, and in 804, the Saxons were finally subjugated by the arms of Charlemagne.
Saxony, Kingdom of.The second in importance and population of the minor German states, and a state of the new German empire. The earliest inhabitants of Upper Saxony, since the Christian era, were the Hermunduri; in the beginning of the 6th century their settlements were taken possession of by the Sorbs, a Slavic race. The Carlovingian rulers, dissatisfied with the ingress of those non-German tribes, erected “marks” to bar their progress; and Duke Otho the Illustrious of Saxony, and his celebrated son, Henry the Fowler, warred against them, the latter—subduing the Heveller, the Daleminzer, and the Miltzer—founded in their country the marks of Brandenburg Misnia (Meissen), and Lusatia (Lausitz), and planted colonies of Germans among the Sorbs. In 1090 the mark was bestowed on the house of Wettin, and was confirmed as a hereditary possession to that family in 1127. Frederick the Warlike (1381-1428) succeeded in uniting the severed portions of Saxony, to which were added various districts in Franconia, and in 1423 the electorate of Saxony. The Saxon elector was now one of the most powerful princes of Germany, but unfortunately the fatal practice of subdividing the father’s territories among his sons still continued; and during the reign of the elector, Frederick the Mild (1428-1464), a civil war broke out and was carried on for years. By a separate treaty of peace (1635), John George I. obtained Upper and Lower Lusatia, acquisitions confirmed by the treaty of Westphalia (1648). The reign of Frederick Augustus I. (1694-1733) well-nigh ruined the hitherto prosperous electorate. Frederick Augustus had been chosen king of Poland; and his attempt, in company with the czar and the king of Denmark, to dismember Sweden, brought down upon him and his two states the vengeance of the northern “fire-king.” Poland was utterly devastated, and Saxony exhausted in money and troops; the king was forced to sell many important portions of territory; Frederick Augustus II. (1733-1763), also king of Poland, took part in the war of the Austrian Succession against Maria Theresa, but finding the treaty of Berlin (1742) not so satisfactory for himself as he expected, he joined the empress in 1745. The country was atrociously ravaged during the Seven Years’ War, and a long time elapsed before it recovered its previous peaceful and prosperous state. In the conflict of 1866 the king of Saxony took the side of Austria, and his army fought in the battle of Königgratz, July 3. The Prussians entered Saxony June 18. Peace between Prussia and Saxony was signed October 21 (subjecting the Saxon army to Prussia), and the king returned to Dresden November 3. In 1870-71 the Saxon soldiers fought under the leadership of the crown-prince, afterward King Albert, as true allies by the side of the Prussians, and the interior development of the country has not only kept pace with, but in some respects even advanced beyond, that of the rest of Northern Germany.
Scabbard.Is the sheath for a sword or bayonet, at once to render the weapon harmless and to protect it from damp. It was usually made of black leather, tipped, mouthed, and ringed with metal, but is now generally made of bronzed steel. The cavalry wear scabbards of polished steel. These better sustain the friction against the horses’ accoutrements, but are objectionable from their noisiness, and the consequent impossibility of surprising an enemy. The sword-scabbard is suspended to the belt by two rings; the bayonet-scabbard hooks into a frog in connection with the waist-belt.
Scalade(from the Fr.escalade). A furious attack upon a wall or rampart, contrary to form, and with no regularity, frequently carried on with ladders, to insult the wall by open force.
Scale.To climb by a ladder, or as if by a ladder; to clamber up; as, to scale the ramparts.
Scale-armor.Consisted of small plates of steel riveted together in a manner resembling the scales of a fish. From the small size of the plates, it possessed considerable pliability, and was therefore a favorite protection for the neck, in the form of a curtain hanging from the helmet. Scale-armor is now obsolete, except, perhaps, among some Eastern potentates.
Scaling.Scaling a piece of artillery, is the flashing off of a small quantity of powder to clean out the bore; about one-twelfth of the shot’s weight. The practice is discontinued.
Scaling-ladders(Fr.echelles de siege). Are ladders used in scaling when a place is to be taken by surprise. They are made several ways; sometimes of flat staves, so as to move about their pins, and shut like a parallel ruler, for conveniently carrying them.
Scamper.To run away precipitately; said of troops.
Scandinavia.The ancient name of Sweden, Norway, and a great part of Denmark, whence proceeded the Northmen, or Normans, who conquered Normandy (about 900), and eventually England (1066). SeeNormans.
Scarf.In heraldry, a small ecclesiastical banner suspended from the top of a crozier.
Scarp, To.To cut down a slope so as to render it inaccessible. SeeCounterscarp, andEscarp.
Scarpe.In heraldry, a diminutive of the bend sinister, being half the breadth of that ordinary.
Sceptre.Originally a staff or walking-stick, hence in course of time, also a weapon of assault and of defense. At a very early period the privilege of carrying it came to be connected with the idea of authority and station. The sceptre of the kings of Rome, which was afterwards borne by the consuls, was of ivory, and surmounted by an eagle. Since that time there has been considerable variety in its form. The English sceptre now in use dates from Charles II.’s time, and is cruciform.
Schaife.In the Middle Ages, a quiver or bundle of arrows was so called.
Schellenberg.A village in the southeast of Upper Bavaria, 6 miles southwest from the Austrian town of Salzburg, near which occurred the first battle of the War of the Spanish Succession, in which the English took part. Maximilian Emmanuel, elector of Bavaria, had fortified the hill of Schellenberg to resist the progress of Marlborough; but on July 4, 1704, the work was attacked by the English, led on by Prince Ludwig, of Baden, and carried by storm after a bloody fight.
Schenkle Projectile.SeeProjectile.
Schierling.A town of Germany, in Bavaria, 12 miles south from Ratisbon. The Austrians were defeated by the French in its vicinity in 1809.
Schleswig, orSleswick. Formerly a duchy of Denmark. Its history is identical with that of Holstein (which see).
Schliengen.A town of Baden, 22 miles southwest from Mulheim. The Archduke Charles of Austria defeated the French near this place in 1796.
Schmalkald, League of.The name given to the defensive alliance concluded provisionally for nine years at Schmalkalden, February 27, 1531, between nine Protestant princes and eleven imperial cities, with whom other five princes and ten imperial cities subsequently made common cause; and the elector of Saxony and the landgrave of Hesse were appointed chiefs of the league, and empowered to manage its affairs. The object of this formidable alliance, which included the whole of Northern Germany, Denmark, Saxony, and Würtemberg, and portions of Bavaria and Switzerland, was for the common defense of the religious and political freedom of the Protestants against the emperor Charles V. and the Catholic states. The league was not rendered superfluous by the religious peace of Nürnberg in 1532, and on the rumor that the emperor was meditating new hostile measures against the Protestants, another meeting of the confederates was held December 24, 1535, which resolved to raise a permanent army of 10,000 foot and 2000 cavalry, and to prolong the league for ten years. The confederation was further consolidated by articles of guarantee, which were drawn up by Luther at Wittenberg in 1536, and being subscribed by the theologians present at the meeting of the league at Schmalkalden in February, 1537, were called theArticles of Schmalkald. Against the league the emperor, engaged as he was at the time in contests with the Turks and French, found himself unable to contend, though supported by the Holy League, a Catholic confederation formed in 1538, in opposition to the Protestant one. But impolitic management, mutual jealousies, and conflicting petty interests dissipated their energies, and prevented united action. The “War of Schmalkald” commenced by the advance of the army of the league, under Sebastian Schartlin, in Suabia, to bar the approach of the imperial army from Italy. Schartlin forced his way to the banks of the Danube, but the miserable jealousy of the Saxon princes paralyzed his action. The emperor, by a proclamation bearing date July 20, 1546, put the two chiefs of the league under the ban of the empire; Maurice, duke of Saxony, took possession of the electorate, by virtue of an imperial decree; and the Protestant army was forced to retreat. The elector of Saxony reconquered his electorate in the autumn of 1546, but meantime the imperial army subdued the northern members of the League of Schmalkald and advanced into Franconia to meet the combined armies of Saxony and Hesse. The latter were totally routed at Mühlberg, April 24, 1547, and both chiefs fell into the emperor’s hands. This defeat, which has been ascribed to treason, and was perhaps as much owing to this cause as to weakness, finished the war. The object of the league, the guarantee of the liberty of religion to the Protestants, was subsequently effected by Maurice, now elector of Saxony, who, by a brilliant feat of diplomacy and generalship, compelled the emperor to grant the treaty of Passau, July 31, 1552, by which this freedom was secured.
Schoolmaster, Army.In the English army, the schoolmaster is a non-commissioned officer of the first class, ranking next to a sergeant-major. His pay varies with length of service. He has an advantage over other non-commissioned officers in quarters and certain allowances. To become an army schoolmaster, it is necessary either to be a certificated schoolmaster, or to have served the apprenticeship as a pupil-teacher, and to pass through a course of training for oneyear at the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea. After the completion of the training, the candidate is required to enlist as a common soldier for ten years’ general service, whereupon he is immediately promoted to the rank of schoolmaster. A few of the most deserving schoolmasters are promoted to be superintending schoolmasters, when they rank as ensigns. The duties of the schoolmaster are to teach the soldiers and their children the rudiments of general knowledge, to examine the girls’ school, and to deliver lectures to the soldiers. There were in 1865 214 army schoolmasters in the British service.
Schoolmistress, Army.In the British service, is a person attached to each regiment or corps for the purpose of instructing the daughters of soldiers and their sons, under eight years old, in the rudiments of English and in plain needle-work. She must be a certified schoolmistress, or a pupil-teacher who has served her apprenticeship. After admission to the service, she is specially trained for six months at one of four training institutions. This training is at the expense of the government. Proper provision is made for the quarters and supplies of the schoolmistress, whose somewhat anomalous position among rough men calls for the most circumspect behavior on her part.
Schools of Artillery.SeeArtillery, Schools of.
Schultz’s Powder.A powder for fire-arms invented by Capt. Schultz of the Prussian army, sometimes calledwhite gunpowder, though this term is also applied to other powder. It is made by treating grains of wood with a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids, by means of which a low form of nitro-cellulose is produced. The explosive power is heightened by steeping the prepared grains in a solution of nitre.Dittman’s sporting powder, manufactured in America, is believed to be a similar powder.
Schumla,Shoomla, orShumla. A large fortified town of Turkey in Europe, in the province of Bulgaria, about 58 miles southwest from Silistria. The Russians have made several unsuccessful attempts to take it in their different wars with Turkey.
Schuwalow Gun(Fr.). A gun named after the inventor, a Russian general. It differed from a common gun in having an oval bore; the greater diameter lay in a horizontal direction; it had also a long cylindrical chamber.
Schweidnitz.A town of Prussian Silesia, on the left bank of the Weistritz, 42 miles southeast of Liegnitz. It is in part fortified, and was besieged and taken four times within fifty years, the last time by the French in 1807, when the defenses were in great part destroyed.
Schwytz.One of the cantons of Switzerland. It was one of the three original cantons that formed the Confederation in 1308 against the Austrian power; and from its name the modern appellation of the entire country has been derived.
Sciathus(nowSkiatho). A small island in the Ægean Sea, east of the Magnesian coast of Thessaly. It is frequently mentioned in the history of the invasion of Greece by Xerxes. It subsequently became one of the subject allies of Athens. Its chief town was destroyed by the last Philip of Macedonia.
Science, Military.SeeLogistics,Stratagem,Strategy,Tactics, andWar.
Scillus.A town of Elis, on the river Selinus, south of Olympia. It was destroyed by the Eleans in the war which they carried on against the Pisæans, whose cause had been espoused by the inhabitants of Scillus. The Lacedæmonians subsequently took possession of the territory of Scillus; they gave it to Xenophon after his banishment from Athens.
Scimeter.SeeCimeter.
Scio,Chio, orKhio(anc.Chios). An island belonging to Asiatic Turkey, lying in the Grecian Archipelago, off the coast of Asia Minor. Chios became a member of the Ionian confederation of twelve states on the Asiatic islands and coast. Its insular position protected it against the Lydian, and for a time against the Persian power. But in the Ionian revolt the Chians lent their assistance to their fellow-countrymen by furnishing ships to the fleet, which was totally defeated by the Persians off Miletus, 494B.C.The conquerors in consequence landed on the island, and ravaged it with fire and sword. The battle of Mycale, in 479, liberated Chios from the Persian yoke, but only to become a dependency of Athens. To this power it remained faithful till after the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war; but as that disastrous contest proceeded, and the fortune of war began to prove adverse to Athens, the Chians attempted to assert their liberty. They suffered several defeats from the Athenians, who laid waste the island, but could not conquer the capital. At a later period Chios was again subject to Athens, and again revolted, and seems to have maintained its independence for some time. It gave assistance to the Romans in their war with Antiochus, 190B.C.; and afterwards, when allied with Mithridates, that monarch, suspecting the people of a bearing towards the Romans, sent a lieutenant, who carried the inhabitants away from the island, 86B.C.They were restored by the Romans; and, in consideration of this calamity, the island was made a free state and an ally of Rome. Early in the 14th century, the Turks conquered the capital, and perpetrated a general massacre of its inhabitants; but from 1346 to 1566 Scio was held by the Genoese. In the latter year it was conquered by Solyman the Magnificent; and since that time, with the exception of a short period when the Venetians possessed it, the island has belonged to the Ottoman empire. In 1822, during the Greek insurrection, a number of Samians landed in Scio, and persuaded or forced its peaceful inhabitants to rise againstthe Turks. They did not succeed in mastering the castle, and soon an army was landed from Asia, who renewed the ancient calamities of the island. The plunder and massacre that ensued was so unsparing that in a short time only 2000 Christians were left out of a population of 110,000.
Scione.The chief town in the Macedonian peninsula of Pallene, on the western coast. It revolted from the Athenians in the Peloponnesian war, but was retaken by Cleon, whereupon all the men were put to death, the women and children sold as slaves, and the town given to the Platæans.
Scirtis.A wild and mountainous district in the north of Laconia, on the borders of Arcadia, with a town called Scirus, which originally belonged to Arcadia. Its inhabitants, the Sciritæ, formed a special division of the Lacedæmonian army. This body, which, in the time of the Peloponnesian war, was 600 in number, was stationed in battle at the extreme left of the line, formed on march the vanguard, and was usually employed on the most dangerous kinds of service.
Sconce.In fortification, is a term applied to any small redoubt or fort, detached from the main works for some local object, as the defense of a pass or fort, etc. The word is not now often used.
Scopetin(Fr.). A rifleman was formerly so called who was armed with the escopette.
Scordisci.A people in Pannonia Superior, who are sometimes classed among the Illyrians, but were the remains of an ancient and powerful Celtic tribe. They dwelt between the Savus and Dravus.
Scorpion(Fr.). A small kind of catapult, or large cross-bow, which threw heavy arrows by means of a steel bow, which was bent by a double-handed roller turned by one man.
Scorpion(Fr.). An ancient gun, whose dolphins represented the scorpion. Also the name of an implement used by the ancients for laying hold of the enemy’s battering ram.
Scotch Brigade.A brigade of Scotchmen, gentlemen, and others, who served under the elector of Bavaria in the reign of James I., and subsequently under Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years’ War.
Scotland.The northern division of the island of Great Britain. An account has been given under the articlePicts(which see) of the early inhabitants of the country which has long been known by the name of Scotland. The original Scotia, or Scotland, was Ireland, and the Scoti, or Scots, at their first appearance in history were the people of Ireland. The original seat of the Scots in Northern Britain was in Argyle, which they acquired by colonization and conquest before the end of the 5th century, and from whence they spread themselves along the western coast from the Firth of Clyde to the modern Ross. The first prince of the British Scots mentioned in authentic annals was Fergus, son of Eric, who crossed over to Britain about the year 503. His great-grandson, Conal, was king of the British Scots when Columba began the conversion of the Northern Picts. His nephew, Aidan, who succeeded him was a powerful prince, and more than once successfully invaded the English border, but toward the end of his reign he received a severe defeat from the Northumbrian sovereign Ethelfrid at the battle of Degsestan. The history of Aidan’s successors is obscure. Their kingdom was overshadowed by the more powerful monarchy of the Picts, with which, as well as with its neighbors in the south,—the Britons of Cumbria,—it was engaged in almost unceasing conflict. The Scots were for some time under some sort of subjection to the English of Northumbria, but recovered their independence on the defeat and death of King Egfried in battle with the Picts at Nechtansmere in 685. In the middle of the 9th century, the Scots acquired a predominance in Northern Britain. Kenneth, son of Alpin, succeeded his father as king of the Scots. The Pictish kingdom was weakened by civil dissensions and a disputed claim to the crown. The Picts and Scots, each speaking a dialect of the Celtic tongue, gradually coalesced into one people. The reign of Constantine, son of Aodh, who succeeded in 904, was a remarkable one. Even before the establishment of the kingdom of the Picts and Scots in the person of Kenneth, Northern Britain had experienced the attacks of a new enemy, the Scandinavian invaders, generally spoken of under the name of Danes. Constantine resisted them bravely, but towards the end of his reign, he entered into an alliance with them in opposition to the English. A powerful army, composed of Scots, Picts, Britons, and Danes, disembarked on the Humber, and was encountered at Brunanburgh by Athelstan, king of England. A battle was fought there, the first of a series of unfortunate combats by Scottish princes on English ground. The confederate army was defeated, but Constantine escaped, and died 953. During the reign of Malcolm I., a portion of the Cumbrian kingdom was bestowed by Edmund, king of England, on the Scottish sovereign. The northern kingdom was still further increased in the reign of Kenneth, son of Malcolm, by the acquisition of Lothian and of Northern Cumbria, or Strathclyde. Alexander III. employed the period of his reign well; by a treaty with the king of Norway, he added to his kingdom Man and the other islands of the Western Sea. The reigns of David II. and his successors, Robert II. and Robert III., were the most wretched period of Scottish history. In the year 1411, half of the kingdom would have become barbarous if the invasion of the Lord of the Isles had not been repulsed atHarlaw(which see). The vigorous rule of James I. had restored a tranquillity to which his kingdom had long been unaccustomed; but strife and discord were againbrought back on his assassination. The reigns of Charles II. and James VII. were more corrupt and oppressive than any which Scotland had experienced since the regencies in the minority of James VI.; the natural result was the revolution, which seated William and Mary on the throne. Under James VI., who succeeded to the throne of England, the kingdoms became united, from which period (1603) the annals of the two kingdoms became almost identical, though they both retained their independence, and continued to be ruled by separate titles till the Act of Union in 1707.
Scots Fusileer Guards.SeeGuards.
Scots Grays.The 2d regiment of dragoons in the British service is so named. They are considered a superior body of cavalry, and bear as their motto “Second to None.”
Scott Projectile.SeeProjectile.
Scotussa.A very ancient town of Thessaly, in the district of Pelasgiotis, near the source of the Cynoscephalæ, where Flamininus gained his celebrated victory over Philip, 197B.C.
Scour, To.This term is frequently used to express the act of discharging ordnance or musketry, rapidly and heavily, for the purpose of dislodging an enemy. Hence, to scour the rampart, or the covert way. It likewise signifies to clear, to drive away; as, to scour the seas; also to run about in a loose desultory manner; as, to scour the country.To scour a line, is to flank it, so as to see directly along it, that a musket-ball entering at one end may fly to the other, leaving no place of security.
Scout.A person sent out in the front or on the flank of an army to observe the force and movements of the enemy. He should be a keen observer, and withal fleet of foot, or well mounted.
Scout-master-General.A person, formerly so called, under whose direction all the scouts and army messengers were placed.
Screw.SeeElevating Screw.
Screw-jack.SeeImplements.
Scribe(Heb.Sofer). Among the Jews, originally a kind of military officer, whose business appears to have been the recruiting and organizing of troops, the levying of war-taxes, and the like. At a later period, especially at the time of Christ, it had come to designate a learned man, a doctor of the law.
Scutari.A town of Asiatic Turkey, opposite Constantinople. It was anciently calledChrysopolis, “golden city,” in consequence, it is said, of the Persians having established a treasury here when they attempted the conquest of Greece. Near here Constantine finally defeated Licinius, 323. Scutari Hospital was occupied by the sick and wounded of the Anglo-French army in 1854-55, whose sufferings were much alleviated by the kind exertions of Miss Florence Nightingale and a band of nurses under her.
Scutum.A Roman buckler made of wood, the parts being joined together with little plates of iron, and the whole covered with a bull’s hide. In the middle was anumbo, or boss of iron, which jutted out, and was useful to glance off stones or darts. Thescuta, in general, were 4 feet long, and different in size from theclypei, which were less, and quite round.
Scythed.Armed or furnished with scythes, as some of the ancient chariots were.
Scythia.A name employed in ancient times to denote a vast, indefinite, and almost unknown territory north and east of the Black Sea, the Caspian, and the Sea of Aral. This country was inhabited by a race of people who were called Scythæ, but who called themselves Scoloti. Only two important events in Scythian history are mentioned by Herodotus; the one is the invasion of Media by the Scythians, and the other that of Scythia by Darius. In 624B.C.the Scythians entered Media, defeated Cyaxares, the reigning monarch, and occupied the land for twenty-eight years before they were expelled. It was at least ostensibly in revenge for this incursion that Darius Hystaspis determined to invade Scythia about 513B.C.He formed a bridge across the Danube, and crossing that river obtained some advantages over the Scythians. But he was unable to effect any real conquest over these nomad tribes, and narrowly escaped having his retreat cut off by the destruction of the bridge.
Sea-coast Carriage.SeeOrdnance, Carriages for.
Sea-coast Artillery.Is a species of artillery which is used for the defense of the sea-coast. In the United States it consists of 15-inch and 20-inch smooth-bores, 12-inch rifles, and 10-inch and 13-inch mortars. (SeeOrdnance.) The 24-pounder flank-defense howitzer, although no longer belonging to the system, is still employed in several of the forts on the sea-board. Sea-coast pieces are mounted on barbette, casemate, and flank-casemate carriages; and the carriage upon which the mortar is mounted is called itsbed. These carriages do not subserve the purpose of transportation. The heaviest rifle-cannon should be placed on the salients and flanks of a fortification, having an enfilading fire on a channel. Heavy smooth-bore pieces should occupy the curtains and faces which bear, directly on the channel. The 24-pounder flank-defense howitzer is employed in the defense of ditches. Single- or double-shotted canister should be fired from it. The Gatling gun has been recommended as a desirable auxiliary in special cases. A 12-pounder field-piece may be usefully employed to prevent a landing, or to fire in close engagements at the rigging and boats of vessels. There are three kinds of fire generally employed,—direct,ricochet, andplunging. The first should be used when the surface of the water is rough, and the accuracy of the rebound cannot be depended on. In aiming at avessel withdirectfire, the piece should be pointed at the water-line. The effective range ofdirectfire is about one mile and a quarter. The intended effect of sea-coast mortars is to strike the decks of vessels, penetrating to the bottom and causing them to sink.
Sea-coast Howitzer.SeeSea-coast Artillery.
Sea-horse.In heraldry, a fabulous animal, consisting of the upper part of a horse with webbed feet, united to the tail of a fish. A scalloped fin is carried down the back. The arms of the town of Cambridge are supported by two sea-horses, proper finned and maned or.
Sea-lion.In heraldry, a monster consisting of the upper part of a lion combined with the tail of a fish.
Sealkote.A town in the Punjab, near the left bank of the Chenab, 65 miles north-northeast from Lahore. All the European troops had been removed in July, 1857, to repress disturbances that had broken out elsewhere, and on the 9th of that month the native troops fired on their officers. A considerable number of Europeans were killed, and the survivors suffered great privations until the Sepoys, having plundered the station, started off in the direction of Delhi.
Search a Country, To.Is to examine minutely all the inlets and outlets, woods, rivers, etc., of a country through which an army is to advance.
Searcher.SeeInspection of Cannon.
Seasoned Troops.Are troops that have been accustomed to climate, and are not so liable to become the victims of any endemical disorder as raw men unavoidably are.
Seat of War.The country in which a war is being carried on.
Sebastopol, orSevastopol. A Russian seaport, fortress, and arsenal in the Crimea, in the government of Taurida. It is situated near the southwest extremity of the Crimea, on the southern side of the magnificent harbor or roadstead of Sebastopol, one of the finest natural harbors in the world. The siege of Sebastopol by the allied English and French armies will rank among the most famous sieges in history; it lasted for eleven months, from October, 1854, to September, 1855. Immediately after the battle of the Alma, September 20, 1854, the allied army marched to Sebastopol, and took up its position on the plateau between it and Balaklava, and the grand attack and bombardment commenced October 17, 1854, without success. After many sanguinary encounters by day and night, and repeated bombardments, a grand assault was made on September 8, 1855, upon the Malakoff tower and the redans, the most important fortifications to the south of the town. The French succeeded in capturing and retaining the Malakoff. The attacks of the English on the great redan and of the French upon the little redan were successful, but the assailants were compelled to retire after a desperate struggle with great loss of life. The French lost 1646 killed, of whom 5 were generals, 24 superior and 116 inferior officers, 4500 wounded, and 1400 missing. The English lost 385 killed, 1886 wounded, and 176 missing. In the night the Russians abandoned the southern and principal part of the town and fortifications, after destroying as much as possible, and crossed to the northern forts. They also sank or burnt the remainder of their fleet. The allies found a very great amount of stores when they entered the place, September 9. The works were utterly destroyed in April, 1856, and the town was restored to the Russians in July.
Second.The next in order to the first; the next in place or station; as, a second lieutenant of the artillery service.
Second Covert Way.In fortification, is that beyond the second ditch.
Second Ditch.In fortification, is that made on the outside of the glacis, when the ground is low and there is plenty of water.
Second Flank.SeeFlank, Oblique.
Second, To.To aid or assist; to support.
Secondary Bases.The bases established at the beginning of a campaign and from which the first advances are made, are known asprimary bases. An army carries with it ammunition only sufficient for one battle, and but a few days’ supply of food. Other supplies of ammunition and provisions must be brought from the base; and as an army advances, the difficulty of keeping it supplied increases. Unless some additional provision be made for its supply, the army cannot advance and is then said to be “tied to its base.” As the necessary supplies cannot be obtained in the theatre of operations in sufficient quantities for the daily needs of an army, depots and magazines must be organized near the army from which these supplies can be procured, and these together form what is known as asecondary base.
Seconding.In Great Britain, is a temporary retirement to which officers of Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers are subjected when they accept civil employment under the crown. After six months of such employment the officer is seconded, by which he loses military pay, but retains his rank, seniority, and promotion in his corps. After being seconded for ten years, he must elect to return to military duty or to retire altogether.
Secrecy.In military economy this quality is peculiarly requisite. It signifies fidelity to a secret; taciturnity inviolate; close silence. Officers, in particular, should be well aware of the importance of it, as the divulging of what has been confidentially intrusted to them, especially on expeditions, might render the whole project abortive. The slightest deviation from it is very justly considered a breach of honor, as scandalous conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. In official matters the person so offendingis liable to the severest punishment and penalty.
Secretary of War.Is an officer of the executive department and member of the Cabinet, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and has charge of all duties connected with the army of the United States, fortifications, etc., issues of commissions, movement of troops, payment, commissary, etc., and engineering. The following is extracted from the law of the United States:
“There shall be at the seat of government an executive department to be known as the Department of War, and a Secretary of War, who shall be the head thereof.
“The Secretary of War shall perform such duties as shall from time to time be enjoined on or intrusted to him by the President relative to military commissions, the military forces, the warlike stores of the United States, or to other matters respecting military affairs, and he shall conduct the business of the department in such manner as the President shall direct.
“The Secretary of War shall have the custody and charge of all the books, records, papers, furniture, fixtures, and other property appertaining to the department.
“The Secretary of War shall from time to time cause to be collected and transmitted to him, at the seat of government, all such flags, standards, and colors as are taken by the army from enemies of the United States.
“The Secretary of War shall from time to time define and prescribe the kinds as well as the amount of supplies to be purchased by the subsistence and quartermaster departments of the army, and the duties and powers thereof respecting such purchases, and shall prescribe general regulations for the transportation of the articles or supply from the place of purchase to the several armies, garrisons, posts, and recruiting-places, for the safe-keeping of such articles, and for the distribution of an adequate and timely supply of the same to the regimental quartermasters, and to such other officers as may by virtue of such regulations be intrusted with the same, and shall fix and make reasonable allowances for the store rent and storage necessary for the safe-keeping of all military stores and supplies.
“The transportation of troops, munitions of war, equipments, military property, and stores, throughout the United States, shall be under the immediate control and supervision of the Secretary of War and such agents as he may appoint.”
The British secretary of war was formerly a high officer of the British ministry, having control of the financial arrangements of the army, and being the responsible medium for parliamentary supervision in military affairs. The formation of a war-office proper took place about 1620, the secretary of state having previously performed its duties. It was, however, limited to financial authority, neither the commander-in-chief nor the muster-general of the ordnance being subject to it. During the Russian war the evils of this divided authority led to the creation of a secretary of state for war, to control all the military departments. The secretaryship-at-war was merged in the superior office in 1855, and abolished by act of Parliament in 1863. SeeMinister.
Section.A certain proportion of a battalion or company, when it is told off for military movements and evolutions.
Sector of Explosion.At the moment that a gun is fired, there is a sort of spherical sector of fire formed in front of the piece, whose extremity presses against the bottom of the bore, while the external portion of it terminates in the air, which this sector compresses and drives in every direction; the air thus forming a support, the sector reacts with its full force upon the bottom of the bore and causes the recoil of the piece.
Secure, To.In a military sense, is to preserve, to keep, to make certain; as, to secure a plan; to secure a conquest. In the management of a musket, it signifies to bring it to a certain position, by which the lock is secured against rain. Hence,secure armsis a word of command which is given to troops who are under arms in wet weather.
Secuteur(Fr.). A gladiator who was armed with a helmet, shield, and sword, or leaden club, and who fought with theRetiaire.
Sedan.A town of France, department of Ardennes, on the Meuse; it is fortified, and contains an arsenal and several magazines. On July 6, 1641, a victory was gained at La Marfée, near Sedan, by the Count of Soissons and the troops of Bouillon and other French princes over the royal army supporting Richelieu. On August 29-31, 1870, a series of desperate conflicts took place here between the French Army of the North under MacMahon (about 150,000 men), and the greater part of the three German armies, under the king and crown-prince of Prussia and the crown-prince of Saxony (about 250,000 men), and was brought to a close on September 1, 1870. The battle began with attacks on the French right and left, about 5A.M., and was very severe at 2P.M.At 4P.M.the Germans remained masters of the field, and the crown-prince of Prussia announced a complete victory, the chief part of the French army retreating into Sedan. The emperor Napoleon was present during the battle, and, it is said, stood at Iges, near Sedan, exposed for four hours to the German grenades. The impossibility of further resistance was then evident. The Germans had contracted their circle close around Sedan; their formidable artillery held all the heights, from which they could at pleasure wholly destroy the town and the army, and only 2000 men were in a condition to respond to their commander’s call, and to make a supreme effort to break through the enemy with the emperor, and escape to Montmédy. At first, Gen. de Wimpffen (called to the command whenMacMahon was wounded), indignantly rejected the terms offered by the victor, and the emperor had a fruitless interview with Count Bismarck to endeavor to mitigate them. On September 2, 1870, a capitulation of Sedan and the whole army therein was signed by Gens. von Moltke and de Wimpffen, at the chateau of Bellevue, near Frenois. The conflict was principally carried on by the artillery, in which the Germans had the advantage, not only in number (600 to 500), but also in weight, range, and precision. The carnage was awful, and the field the next day was a mass of shattered bones, torn flesh, and colored rags. About 25,000 French prisoners were taken in the battle, and 83,000 surrendered the next day, together with 70 mitrailleures, 400 field-pieces, and 150 fortress guns. About 14,000 French wounded were found lying in the neighborhood, and about 3000 escaped into Belgium and laid down their arms. The great Army of the North ceased to exist. On September 1, the village of Bazeilles was stormed by the Bavarians and burnt, it was said, because the inhabitants fired on the ambulances; many women and children perished. The French denied the provocation. The place had been previously twice bombarded and stormed by the maddened combatants.
Sedgemoor.A wild tract of England, in Somersetshire, between Bridgewater and King’s Weston, where the Duke of Monmouth (the natural son of Charles II. by Lucy Walters), who had risen in rebellion on the accession of James II., was completely defeated by the royal army, July 6, 1685. The duke was made a prisoner in the disguise of a peasant, at the bottom of a ditch, overcome with hunger, fatigue, and anxiety.
Sedition.In a military sense, is to disobey orders, to cabal or form factions against the officer or officers in command; to loosen confidence; to resist or oppose orders, or to stir up mutiny. It is an offense in military law of the most fatal character, and always punished in a most exemplary manner.
Sedusii.A German people, forming part of the army of Ariovistus when he invaded Gaul, 58B.C.; they are not mentioned at a later period, and consequently their site cannot be determined.
See, To.In a military sense, is to have practical knowledge of a thing; as, to see service.To have seen a shot firedis a figurative expression in the British service, signifying to have been in action; also, to have been under fire.
Seetabuldee.A strong military position in Hindostan, near Nagpore, where a severe contest took place during the Mahratta war between the Boosla rajah and a small number of the British troops, in which the former were defeated.
Segbans.Are horsemen among the Turks who have care of the baggage belonging to cavalry regiments.
Segesta.A town situated in the northwest of Sicily, near the coast, between Panormus and Drepanum. Its inhabitants were constantly engaged in hostilities with Selinus; and it was at their solicitation that the Athenians were led to embark in their unfortunate expedition against Sicily. The town was taken by Agathocles, who destroyed or sold as slaves all its inhabitants, peopled the city with a body of deserters, and changed its name into that of Dicæopolis; but after the death of this tyrant, the remainder of the ancient inhabitants returned to the city, and it resumed its former name.
Seistan(formerly calledSegestan). A khanat or principality of Asia, forming the southwest portion of Afghanistan. It was devastated by Tamerlane in 1383.
Sejant, orAssis. In heraldry, is the term of blazon applied to a beast in his usual sitting posture. A lion borne in full face, with his forepaws extended sideways, is blazonedsejantaffronté, as in the crest of Scotland.
Sejour(Fr.). In a military sense, signifies a halting day.
Selection.The act of choosing in preference to others; hence, selection of officers to act upon the staff, etc.; to select quarters, etc. SeeQuarters, Choice of.
Seleucia ad Tigrin(also calledSeleucia Babylonia,Seleucia Assyriæ, andSeleucia Parthorum). A great city on the confines of Assyria and Babylonia, and for a long time the capital of Western Asia. It commanded the navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates. It was burned by Trajan in his Parthian expedition, and again by L. Verus, the colleague of M. Aurelius Antoninus. It was again taken by Severus.
Seleucia Pieria(ruins, calledSeleukeh, orKepse, nearSuadeiah). A great city and fortress in Syria, founded by Seleucus in April, 300B.C.In the war with Egypt, which ensued upon the murder of Antiochus II., Seleucia surrendered to Ptolemy III. Euergetes (246B.C.). It was afterwards recovered by Antiochus the Great (219). In the war between Antiochus VIII. and IX., the people of Seleucia made themselves independent (109 or 108); afterwards they successfully resisted the attacks of Tigranes for fourteen years (84-70). The city had fallen entirely into decay by the 6th century of our era.
Selictar.A Turkish sabre.
Seljuks, orSeljuk-Turks. A small Turkish tribe which, at an early date, took possession of Bokhara and the surrounding country. They attracted the notice of Sultan Mahmoud, the founder of the dynasty of the Ghuznevides, who had advanced into Bokhara with his army, and was so impressed with the fine military qualities of their chief, that he induced them to cross the Oxus and to occupy the country of Khorassan. He had soon reason to repent of this fatal error. Like all those wandering hordes,the Turkomans were shepherds or robbers. They either molested the neighboring states by petty inroads, or, with the whole united force of the nation, they practiced robbery on a great scale, seizing on kingdoms and despoiling nations. The first migrations of these Eastern Turkomans is generally fixed in the 10th century. They became formidable to Mahmoud, and more especially to his successor, Massoud, who, from inability to resist their progress, was forced to grant them lands. He was afterwards defeated by them in a great battle; and the victorious Turks, under their leader, Togrul Beg, whom they now elected king, invaded Khorassan, and finally expelled the Ghuznevides, the descendants of Mahmoud, from the eastern provinces of Persia. They fled eastwards towards the Indus, and established the Ghuznian empire in the northwestern provinces of India. This empire was maintained with various success till about the year 1184, under the Ghuznian emperors, when they were superseded by that of the Afghan or Patan emperors, who completed the conquest of the greatest part of Hindustan Proper about 1210. Togrul Beg hastened to improve his victory over the Persian monarch. Turning his arms to the west, he invaded Irak, in the centre of Persia, and advancing westward of the Caspian Sea into Azerbijan, the ancient Media, he made his first approaches to the confines of the Roman empire. He afterwards proceeded to Bagdad, and by his conquest of that place, gained possession of the caliph. His successors Alp Arslan and Malek Shah extended the empire transmitted to them by Togrul Beg. They subdued the fairest portions of Asia. Jerusalem and the Holy Land were taken and pillaged by the Seljuks, and it was the vexation and rapine to which the Christian pilgrims were exposed in their journey to Jerusalem, that gave rise to those wild and warlike expeditions for the recovery of the Holy Land, known under the name of the Crusades. The empire under Malek Shah extended from the Mediterranean to the Chinese frontier, and from the Caspian to the Arabian Sea. Upon the death of Malek Shah the empire was divided up into petty sultanates, which finally caused the overthrow of the Seljuk empire. The Turkish dynasty of the Seljuks continued for 215 years, and with the overthrow of its dynasty in 1299, and on its ruins, arose the Turkish empire.
Selkirkshire(formerly called theEttrick Forest). A small inland county of Scotland, in the Lowlands. Among the interesting historical scenes this county contains is the field of Philiphaugh, where the great Marquis of Montrose was defeated by the Covenanters under Gen. Leslie.
Sell Out.In the British service, was a term generally used when an officer was permitted to retire from the service, selling or disposing of his commission or commissions. It was the correlative word tobuy in. Officers who purchased commissions were usually allowed to sell out.
Sellasia.A town in Laconia, north of Sparta, situated near the River Œnus, and commanded one of the principal passes leading to Sparta. Here the celebrated battle was fought between Cleomenes III. and Antigonus Doson, 221B.C., in which the former was defeated.
Selling Ammunition.SeeAppendix,Articles of War,16.
Selymbria, orSelybria(nowSelivria). An important town in Thrace, on the Propontis. It was a colony of the Megarians. It was conquered by Philip, father of Alexander.
Semaphore.A machine for facilitating the internal communications of the country by means of telegraphic signals, especially between the government and the military or naval functionaries of the outposts; but its use has been entirely superseded by the introduction of the railways and the electric telegraph.
Semé.In heraldry, when a charge is repeated an indefinite number of times so as to produce the appearance of a pattern, the term semé (sometimesaspersedorpowdered) is applied to it. When a field is semé, it is treated as if it were cut out of a larger extent of surface, some of the charges being divided by the outline of the shield. The termcrusillydenotes semé of cross crosslets, andbillettysemé of billets.
Semendria.A frontier fortress of the principality of Servia, on the right bank of the Danube, 28 miles southeast of Belgrade. It has frequently been stormed by the nations who have contended for the Danube from the Middle Ages to the present century.
Seminara.A town of Naples, province of Calabria Ultra II. Near here Gonsalvo de Cordova, the great captain, was defeated by the French, in 1495; but defeated them April 21, 1503.
Seminoles.A tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited Central Florida, but now located on a reservation in the Indian Territory. During the time they were in Florida they became allies of the British in their incursions into Georgia during the Revolutionary war. They commenced a series of border-forays in 1794, when their numbers were largely increased by fugitive slaves and negroes; their force was also augmented by the Creeks in 1808. They invaded the frontiers of Georgia in 1812 and 1817, when they massacred a number of persons; but were speedily punished by Gen. Gaines and subsequently by Gen. Jackson. Florida was purchased by the United States in 1819, and the Seminoles made treaties with the United States a few years afterwards. The government resolved to move the Seminoles to a reservation beyond the Mississippi, in conformity with a treaty signed in 1832, but the Indians, headed by Osceola, their chief, resisted, which gave rise to a prolonged bloodywar, which began in December, 1835. This war cost the U. S. government $10,000,000 and 1500 lives. The greater portion of the Seminoles were subdued and transported beyond the Mississippi in 1842, only about 300 remaining in the Everglades of Florida, under their chief, Billy Bowlegs. The Seminoles on their new reservation in Indian Territory were divided in their sentiments during the civil war, some of them taking up arms for the South; a civil contest ensued, in which those remaining loyal to the Union were defeated with great slaughter in December, 1861. After the civil war the two bands were reunited and purchased a reservation from the Creeks, where they are now industrious and prosperous. In 1870 they numbered 2553.
Semi-steel.SeeOrdnance, Metals for, Steel.
Sempach.A small town of Switzerland, in the canton of Lucerne, situated on the eastern shore of the Lake of Sempach. It was one of the outposts of the confederate cantons against their Suabian and Austrian assailants in the 14th century. Under the walls of Sempach took place the second great conflict of the confederate Swiss cantons with Austria, in which the nobles of Austria, in spite of their valor and overwhelming numbers, were slaughtered like sheep by the Swiss. The Swiss lost but 200 men, while the loss of the Austrians was ten times as great. The anniversary of this great victory is still celebrated by prayer and thanksgiving on the field of battle.
Sena.A town on the coast of Umbria, at the mouth of the small river Sena, was founded by the Senones, a Gallic people, and was made a colony by the Romans after the conquest of the Senones, 283B.C.In the civil war it espoused the Marian party, and was taken and sacked by Pompey.
Seneca Indians.One of the tribes of the Six Nations, and the most numerous and warlike of that confederation. When they first became known they were located in the region between the Lakes of Cayuga, Seneca, Canandaigua, and Ontario. In the 17th century they waged successful wars against the Hurons and other tribes to the westward, and finally the defeated tribes were adopted by the Senecas, who by this means of recruiting their ranks became a powerful people. They were firm allies of the English, as was attested in several battles against the French, and took a valiant part in the memorable battle wherein Gen. Braddock was killed; they again suffered severely in the campaign led by Gen. Sullivan in 1779. They removed to Lake Erie in 1784. The Senecas were allies of the Americans in the war of 1812-14. In 1870 there were 240 Senecas on a reservation in Indian Territory, and 3017 on a reservation in the State of New York.