The assembly,-The troop,
to order the troops to repair to the place of rendezvous, or to their colors.
The march, to command them to move, always with the left foot first.
Tat-too, to order all to retire to their quarters.
The reveille, always beats at break of day, and is to warn the soldiers to rise, and the centinels to forbear challenging, and to give leave to come out of quarters.
To arms, for soldiers who are dispersed, to repair to them.
The retreat, a signal to draw off from the enemy. It likewise means a beat in both camp and garrison a little before sun-set, at which time the gates are shut, and the soldiers repair to their barracks.
The alarm, is to give notice of sudden danger, that all may be in readiness for immediate duty.
The parley,-The chamade,
is a signal to demand some conference with the enemy.
Drum, orDrummer, the person who beats the drum.
Kettle-Drums, are two sorts of large basons of copper or brass, rounded at the bottom, and covered with vellum or goatskin, which is kept fast by a circle of iron, and several holes, fastened to the body of the drum, and a like number of screws to stretch it at pleasure. They are used among the horse.
Drum-major, is always that person in the regiment, who beats the best drum, has the command over the other drums, and teaches them their duty. Every regiment has a drum-major.
Drum-Sticks, the sticks with which the drummer beats his drum.
DUEL, is a single combat, at a time and place appointed, in consequence of a cartel or challenge. Duelling was anciently authorised; but the motive of the duellists was the good of their country, when one, or a small number of combatants were chosen to save the blood of a whole army, and decide, by victory or death, the quarrels of kings or nations. Thus it was with Goliah and David, the Horatii and Curatii, and several others.
Duellingwas so general a method of determining differences among the nobles, that even ecclesiastics were not excused; only, to prevent their being stained with blood, they procured champions to fight for them. None were excepted from combat, but sick people, cripples, and such as were under 21 years of age, or above 60. Justs and tournaments, doubtless, rendered duels more frequent.
No officer or soldier shall pretend to send a challenge to any other officer or soldier, to fight a duel; if a commissioned officer, on pain of being cashiered; if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, of suffering corporal punishment, at the discretion of a court martial.Articles of war.
Pharamond king of the Gauls, in the year 420, issued the following edict against duelling.
“Whereasit has come to our royal notice and observation, that in contempt of all laws, divine and human, it has of late become a custom among the nobility and gentry of this our kingdom, upon slight and trivial, as well as great and urgent provocations, to invite each other into the field, there, by their own hands, and of their own authority, to decide their controversies by combat: we have thought fit to take the said custom into our royal consideration, and find, upon inquiry into the usual causes whereon such fatal decisions have arisen, that by this wicked custom, maugre all the precepts of our holy religion, and the rules of right reason, the greatest act of the human mind,forgiveness of injuries, is become vile and shameful; that the rules of good society and virtuous conversation are hereby inverted; that the loose, the vain, and the impudent, insult the careful, the discreet, and the modest; that all virtue is suppressed, and all vice supported, in the one act of being capable to dare to death. We have also further, with great sorrow of mind, observed that this dreadful action, by long impunity, (our royal attention being employed upon matters of more general concern) is become honorable, and the refusal to engage in it ignominious. In these our royal cares and inquiries, we are yet farther made to understand, that the persons of most eminent worth, of most hopeful abilities, accompanied with the strongest passion for true glory, are such as are most liable to be involved in the dangers arising from this licence. Now, taking the said premises into our serious consideration, and well weighing, that all such emergencies (wherein the mind is incapable of commanding itself, and where the injury is too sudden, or too exquisite to be borne) are particularly provided for by laws heretofore enacted; and that the qualities of less injuries, like those of ingratitude, are too nice and delicate to come under general rules; we do resolve to blot this fashion, or wantonness of anger, out of the minds of our subjects, by our royal resolutions declared in this edict, as follows:—No person who either sends or accepts a challenge, or the posterity of either, though no death ensues thereupon, shall be, after the publication of this our edict, capable of bearing office in these our dominions:—The person who shall prove the sending or receiving a challenge, shall receive to his own use and property, the whole personal estate of both parties; and their real estate shall be immediately vested in the next heir of the offenders, in as ample a manner as if the said offenders were actually deceased:—In cases where the laws (which we have already granted to our subjects) admit of an appeal for blood: when the criminal is condemned by the said appeal, he shall not only suffer death, but his whole estate, real, mixed, and personal, shall, from the hour of his death, be vested in the next heir of the person whose blood he spilt:—That it shall not hereafter be in our royal power, or that of our successors, to pardon the said offences, or restore the offenders to their estates, honor, or blood, for ever. Given at our court, at Blois, the eighth of February, 420, in the second year of our reign.”
Duellingwas authorised before the Normans came into England, but the practice was not so frequent as after the conquest.
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.
DUMB-BELLS, weights which were used in drilling the soldier, who held one in each hand, which he swung backwards and forwards, to open his chest, increase muscular strength, throw back his shoulders, and accustom him to that freedom of action in the arms, and to that erect position of body which are so essentially necessary to a soldier.
The following method of exercising recruits with the dumb-bells, is extracted from a work entitled Military Instruction.
The dumb-bells being placed one oneach side of the recruit, and himself in an erect, steady posture—on the word,
Raise bells—he will take one in each hand, and by a gentle motion, raise them as high as his arm will suffer him above his head; then gradually sinking them with stretched arm, as much behind him as possible, he will form a circle with them, making the circle complete, by causing the backs of his hands to meet behind his body; this will be repeated according to his strength, 5 or 6 times.
Extend bells.—The bells being raised to the shoulder, they will be forced forwards, keeping the same height, then brought back in the same manner; this will throw the chest forward, and force back the neck and shoulders, this must be frequently repeated.
Swing bells.—The top part of the bells to be made meet together in front, the height of the breast; then forced backwards with an extended arm, and be made to touch behind: in doing this, the palm of the hands must be uppermost, and the elbows well down: this circle must be repeated 14 or 15 times: Time, the circle performed, in 2 seconds.
Ground bells.—The recruit will let fall the bells by his sides, and remain steady and firm.
DUNES,Fr.sand hills, commonly called downs. Asles dunes sur la cote de Flandres; the downs, or sand hills along the coast of Flanders.
DUNGEON,-DONJON,Fr.
infortification, is commonly a large tower or redoubt of a fortress, whither the garrison may retreat, in case or necessity, and capitulate with greater advantage. Also a dark and secluded place in which prisoners were kept.
DUTY, in a military sense, is the exercise of those functions that belong to a soldier; yet with this nice distinction, that duty is counted the mounting guard, &c. where no enemy is directly to be engaged; for when any body of men marches to meet the enemy, this is strictly calledgoing upon service.
On all duties, whether with or without arms, picquets, or courts martial, the tour of duty begins with the eldest downwards. An officer who is upon duty cannot be ordered for any other before that duty is finished, except he be on the inlying picquet, as then he shall be relieved, and go on the duty ordered.
MilitaryDutiesmay be divided into two general classes, under the heads of Brigade and Regimentalduties.
Brigade duties, are those which one regiment does in common with another, collectively or by detachments; and of which the brigade major keeps a regular roster.
Regimental Duties, are those which the several companies of a regiment perform among themselves, and of which the adjutant keeps a regular roster.
The followinggeneral regulationsare to be observed, respecting duties in general.
When field or other commissioned officers, are given out at head quarters for oneduty, they cannot be taken off to be put on any otherduty.
No officer is allowed to exchange hisdutywith another, after he has been put in orders for it, without leave of the commanding officer of his regiment.
Guards, or detachments, which have not marched off from the parade, are not to be reckoned as for adutydone; but, if they should have marched from the parade, it stands for adutydone, though they should be dismissed immediately.
If any officer’s tour ofdutyfor the picquet, general court martial, ordutyof fatigue, happen when he is onduty, he shall not make good suchdutywhen he comes off.
No regiment can demand a tour ofduty, unless it has marched off the place of parade, and beyond the main guard.
General courts martial that have assembled, and the members sworn in, shall be reckoned for aduty, though they should be dismissed without trying any person.
Whenever the picquets are ordered to march to any parade, it is not to be accounted aduty, unless they march off that parade.
All commands in the regular forces, fall to the eldest officers in the same circumstances, whether of cavalry or infantry, entire, or in parties. In case two commissions, of the same date, interfere, a retrospect is to be had to former commissions, or to lot.
Officers, on all duties under arms, are to have their swords drawn, without waiting for any word of command for that purpose.