RENDEZVOUS,-RENDEVOUS,
in amilitary sense, the place appointed by the general, where all the troops that compose the army are to meet at the time appointed, in case of an alarm. This place should be fixed upon, according to the situation of the ground, and the sort of troops quartered in the village. In an open country it is easy to fix upon a place of rendezvous, because the general has whatever ground he thinks necessary. In towns and villages the largest streets, or market places, are very fit; but let the place be where it will, the troops must assemble with ease, and be ready for the prompt execution of orders.
RENDU,Fr.Surrendered, given up.
SoldatRENDU,Fr.This term is used, to express the difference between a soldier who deserts to the enemy, and one who lays down his arms. In the former instance he is calleddéserteur; in the latter,soldat rendu. It is sometimes used as a substitute, viz.Un rendu, a man who has surrendered.
RENEGADE,-RENEGADO,
a deserter; any one who goes over to the enemy.
RENFORCEMENT,Fr.a hollow place.
RENFORCER,Fr.to reinforce, to strengthen, to fortify.
RENFORT,Fr.Reinforcement.
Renfort,Fr.a certain part or a cannon so called. SeeReinforce.
REPARATIONSdans un regiment,Fr.repair of arms, necessaries, camp equipage, &c.
ToRENEW, (renouveler,Fr.) to repeat, to begin afresh. Hence to renew hostilities.
Renewal.The act of renewing, as therenewalof hostilities.
RENVOI,Fr.Sending back; any thing returned.
Chevaux deRenvoi,Fr.Returned horses.
REPARTIR,Fr.To divide, to separate, to detach.
REPARATIONdes troupes,Fr.Distribution of troops in different quarters.
REPERTORY. SeeMagazine.
REPLIER,se replier,Fr.To fall back, to retreat. In military movements, to take a rear direction towards any particular part of the line, viz.
SeREPLIERsur la droite,Fr.To fall back upon the right.
REPLY. After the prisoner’s defence before a court-martial, the prosecutor or informant mayreply, but without noticing any matter foreign to the specific crime or crimes expressed in the charge.
REPORT, sound; loud noise, as that made by the discharge of a musquet or cannon.
REPORT. Specific statement of persons and things. Although this word may, in some sense, be considered the same asreturn, yet it so far differs in military matters, that it is less comprehensive, and relates more immediately to persons and occurrences than to things.
General officers report to the commander in chief only.
The commander in chief’s guard reports to himself by one of his aid-de-camps.
Reports of cavalry are given in to the senior generals of cavalry; and reports of infantry, to the senior general officers of infantry. On a march the field officer of the piquet reports to the general of the day who leads the column; and in camp to the next superior officer to himself. A provost martial gives in his return of prisoners, and reports to the general of the day.
Judge advocates, acting in districts or garrisons, &c. send in the minutes of courts-martial, and report to the district general. Regimental surgeons report to their commanding officers, and surgeons in districts, &c. to the war office.
MonthlyReport. Every company in the service of the United States, is required to make a monthly inspection and report, according to forms furnished by the adjutant and inspector.
All troops belonging to the British service, the marines excepted, who report to the admiralty, report through their several commanding officers, &c. to the adjutant general and secretary at war, and to the commander in chief.
SpecialReport. A special report is said to be made when the name of an officer is transmitted by his commander to the general of a district, independent of the regular returns; and some specific instance of misconduct is laid before him; every officer on his arrival from abroad with a regiment or detachment of troops, must report himself to the governor or commanding officer of the seaport at which he arrives; and every officer who takes his passage for foreign service, must do the same previous to his departure.
The senior officer in each recruiting quarter reports weekly to the field officer of the district, the number and strength of the parties therein. The field officers commanding recruiting parties in districts, report to the adjutant and inspector, to whom all returns and reports are to be transmitted by them, and not direct from the recruiting officers.
Reports are made daily, weekly, or monthly, according to circumstances.
The various subordinate reports consist of
Report of a rearguard.
Report of a barrack guard.
Report of a quarter guard.
Report of a main guard and its dependencies, &c. &c.
In the column of remarks which must accompany each of these reports, it is necessary, for the person who signs, to specify all casualties and extraordinary occurrences according to the particular nature of each report. The different hours at which the grand rounds, visiting rounds, and patroles went, must likewise be put down.
REPOS,Fr.Rest, ease. It is used by the French as a word of command, viz.
Repos,Fr.a word of command which agrees withstand at ease.
Quartiers deRepos,Fr.These places are so called where troops remain for some days to refresh themselves.
SoldatREPOSEsur l’arme,Fr.a soldier standing at ease with ordered arms.
Reposezvous sur vos armes,Fr.Order arms.
InREPOSE, (en repos,Fr.) This term, which is manifestly taken from the French, applies to troops that are allowed to be stationary for any given period during an active campaign either through sickness, or from some other cause. Thus the 5th regiment beingin repose, it was judged expedient to order the 28th to advance by forced marches.
REPOSITORY, a place or repertory, in which any thing is preserved. Thus the British Repository at Woolwich, contains models of every sort of warlike stores, weapons, and fortification: whether invented by officers of the army or civilians, as well of other nations as of Britain, receipts being given to preserve the title to the inventor. The British Repository is indebted to the ingenuity of colonel Congreve, for some of its most useful and important instruments of escalade, fortification, and gunnery.
REPOUSSER,Fr.to drive back, to repel.
REPOUSSOIRS,Fr.Drivers, chissels.
Repoussoir,Fr.a small stick which artificers and fire-workers use in making fire pots and other works.
REPRESAILLES,Fr.Reprisals.
REPRIMAND, a slighter kind of punishment sometimes inflicted on officers and non-commissioned officers. It consists in reproving or reprimanding them at the head of their respective regiments, troop, or company, as the cases may be. A reprimand is sometimes inserted in the orderly books.
REQUISITION, (réquisition,Fr.) A term peculiarly used by the French during the course of their revolution, and applicable to most nations in its general import.It signifies the act of exacting either men or things for the public service. Hence—Denrées, marchandises mises en réquisition; necessaries of life, goods, &c. put in a state of requisition, or subject to be disposed of for the common good at a fixed price.
Jeunes gens de laRequisition,Fr.Young men required or called upon to serve in the army.
REQUISITIONNAIRE,Fr.A person liable to be put in a state of requisition.
RESERVE,corps de réserve,Fr.any select body of troops posted by a general out of the first line of action, to answer some specific or critical purpose, in the day of battle. The French likewise call that body acorps de réserve, which is composed of the staff of the army, and moves with the commander in chief, from whom it receives the parole or word; but in every other respect it is governed by its own general.
RESINE,Fr.Rosin.
RESOLUTION, in algebra, the solution of a problem.
Resolution, (résolution,Fr.) an indispensible quality of the mind, which every general of an army should possess to its full extent. It is the advice of all wise men, leisurely to digest plans, and calmly deliberate upon them; but when once it becomes necessary to put them into execution, the person entrusted with command, should be prompt and vigorous.
RESOOM,Ind.Fees or dues.
ToRESPITE, to suspend, to delay; from the Frenchrespiter.
To beRESPITEDon the muster-roll, to be suspended from pay, &c. during which period all advantages of promotion, pay, &c. are stopped. It is originally derived from respite, which signifies delay, forbearance, &c. Thus in Clarendon’s history of the civil wars we read, that an act passed for the satisfaction of the officers of the king’s army, by which they were promised payment in November following; till which time they were torespiteit, and be contented, that the common soldiers and inferior officers should be satisfied upon their disbanding. At present torespitemeans to deprive an individual of all the advantages attached to his situation; in which sense it signifies much the same as to suspend.
When an officer has exceeded his leave of absence, and has not sent a satisfactory account of himself to his commanding officer, the latter reports him, in an especial manner, to the general of the district, by whom he is returned absent without leave. It sometimes happens, that the colonel or commanding officer gives directions to have him noted on the muster-roll of the regiment; in which case he is said to be respited or deprived of pay. This is the first step towards suspension from rank and pay, which ultimately terminates in a total exclusion from the service, by the offending party being peremptorily superseded. The name of the person is laid before the secretary at war, who with the approbation of the president, directs the adjutant and inspector to strike it off the list of the army.
The money which is respited upon the muster-roll is accounted for by the account of the war department, and placed to the credit of the public by the paymaster-general.
RESPONSIBILITY. The state of being answerable. All public officers, civil or military, are in a state of responsibility with respect to national concerns.
RESPONSIBLE. Answerable; accountable; liable to be called upon. Colonels of regiments are responsible for the discipline of their men; and captains for the interior economy and clothing of their companies.
RESPONSION,Fr.A term used by the French. In military orders signifying the same aschargeorredevance, charge or service. Thus each commandery pays a certain sum, calledsomme de responsion, to its order in proportion to its value.
RESSERRER, to hem in; to confine.Une garnison fort resserrée, a garrison narrowly watched by a besieging army, and kept within its walls.
RESSORT,Fr.Spring. Elasticity. This word is used in various senses by the French, viz.
DernierRessort,Fr.the last shift.
N’agir que parRESSORT,Fr.To do nothing of one’s own free will; to be influenced, to be acted upon by others.
Manquer deRESSORT,Fr.To want energy, vigor, &c.
Un caractère qui a duRESSORT,Fr.A firm, determined character.
RESSOURCE,Fr.Resource, shift, refuge.
Un homme deRESSOURCES,Fr.a man who has resources within himself.
Un homme plein deRESSOURCES, a man full of resources, full of expedients.
ToRESTarms, to bring the firelock to the same position as in present arms. SeeManual.
ToRESTupon arms reversed. At military funerals the arms are reversed. The soldiers belonging to the firing party, rest upon the butt ends of their firelocks, while the funeral service is performed, leaning with their cheeks, so as to turn from the corpse.
Restupon your arms reversed!A word of command which is used at military funerals.
RESTANT,Fr.the remainder; what is left.
RESTE,Fr.Remainder, viz.Le reste des troupes, the remainder of the troops.
Etre enRESTE,Fr.To be in arrears.
RESTER,Fr.to remain behind.
RETENUE,Fr.Stoppage; any thing kept back.
RETIAIRE,Fr.SeeRetiarius.
RETIARIUS, a kind of gladiator who fought in the amphitheatre during the time of the Romans. He is thus described by Kennett, in his Roman Antiquities, page 274.
The Retiarius was dressed in a short coat, having a fuscina or trident in his left hand, and a net, from which he derives his name, in his right. With this he endeavored to entangle his adversary, that he might then with his trident easily dispatch him: on his head he wore only a hat tied under his chin with a broad riband.
RETIRADE,or Coupure,Fr.In fortification, a retrenchment, which is generally made with two faces, forming a rentrant angle, and is thrown up in the body of a work for the purpose of receiving troops, who may dispute the ground inch by inch. When the first means of resistance have been destroyed, others are substituted by cutting a ditch, and lining it with a parapet. Theretiradesometimes consists of nothing more than rows of fascines filled with earth, stuffed gabions, barrels or sand bags, with or without a ditch, and either fenced with palisadoes, or left without them.
Whenever it becomes absolutely necessary to quit the head or side of a work, the whole of it must, on no account, be abandoned. On the contrary, whilst some determined troops keep the enemy in check, others must be actively employed in throwing upretirades, which may flank each other, and in cutting a ditch in front. It is particularly incumbent upon the engineer officer to assist in works of this sort, and every officer and soldier should zealously co-operate with him. A slight knowlege of field fortification will on these occasions give a decided advantage. The body of aretiradeshould be raised as high as possible, and several fougasses should be laid beneath it, for the purpose of blowing up the ground on which the enemy may have established himself.
Retiradesas practised by the ancients: these were walls hastily run up behind breaches that were made by the battering rams. The able commentator upon Polybius observes, that in no instance, did the skill of the great men of antiquity appear in so conspicuous a light, as in the various chicanes to which they resorted for the preservation of a town. Their ingenuity and resolution increased in proportion as the danger approached. Instead of offering to capitulate as the moderns generally do, when a practicable breach has been opened by a besieging enemy, the ancients, in that emergency, collected all their vigor, had recourse to various stratagems, and waited behind the retirades or temporary retreats to give the enemy a warm and obstinate reception. Cæsar, in his Commentaries, has given a minute description of the manner in which these retirades were constructed; and we find them mentioned by Josephus, in his history of the war of the Jews against the Romans.
The intermediate periods, since the days of the Greeks and Romans, and before the modern era furnish various examples on this head. In 1219, Genghis Khan set all his battering rams to work, for the purpose of effecting a breach in the walls of Ottrar; but, to his great surprise, he no sooner entered the town, than he found a fresh line of entrenchments that had been thrown up in the very heart of the city. He saw every street cut asunder with temporary ditches, and every house presented fresh obstacles: so much so, that he experienced more difficulty in subduing the inhabitants after he had forced the walls, than had occurred in practising the breach.
When the emperor Charles V. laid siege to Metz in 1552, the duke de Guise, who was governor of the town, instantly adopted the necessary precautions to defend it to the last. He built a new wall behind the one against which the principal attack was directed; and when the breach was made, the besiegers found themselves obstinately opposed afresh, within a short space of the ground they had carried. In consequence of this unexpected check, the enemy’s troops grew disheartened; and their want of confidence soon convinced the emperor that the place could not be taken. The siege was unexpectedly raised, and the preservation of the town was entirely owing to the wise precautions that had been adopted by the duke de Guise.
In 1742, marshal Broglio, being closely besieged in the city of Prague, threw up retrenchments within the walls, and prepared to make a most vigorous resistance. An occasion, however presented itself, of which he took advantage, that rendered any further precautions useless. He made a vigorous sortie and forced the enemy to raise the siege.
RETIREDList, a list on the British marine establishment upon which superannuated officers are placed.
Officers whoRETIREin the East India company service. The India company have resolved, that an officer, (in his military capacity) after twenty years actual service in India, coming to Europe on leave, will be allowed to retire on the pay of his rank, provided he signifies his intention of so doing, within twenty months after his arrival. Officers on leave who are desirous of retiring, and who declare their intention to that effect, within twelve months from their arrival, will be permitted to retire on the pay of the rank they may be entitled to at that period. An officer having completed 22 years actual residence in India, will be allowed to retire on the full pay of his rank, directly on his leaving India.
RETOURSde la mine,Fr.returns of a mine. SeeGallery.
Retoursde la tranchée,Fr.returns of a trench. In fortification, the several windings and oblique deviations of a trenchwhich are drawn, in some measure, parallel to the sides of the place attacked, in order to avoid being enfiladed, or having the shot of the enemy scour along the length of the line. On account of these different returns a considerable interval is opened between the head and the tail of the trench, which, were the lines directed, would not be at any great distance from each other.
RETRAITE,Fr.SeeRetreat.
Retraitedans les montagnes,Fr.The act of fading back or retreating among the mountains.
FaireRETRAITE,Fr.To retire, to fall back.
Battre laRETRAITE,Fr.To beat the tap-too.
Se battre enRETRAITE,Fr.To maintain a running fight.
RETRAITE,Fr.certain appointments which were given during the French monarchy to infantry officers, when they retired from the active duties of their profession, to afford them means of support. The pensions which were settled upon cavalry officers were likewise distinguished by the same term.
Retraite,Fr.SeeRelais.
RETRANCHEMENS.Fr.SeeRetrenchments.
Retranchemensparticuliers qu’on fait sur la tête des brèches d’une place assiègèe,Fr.Particular retrenchments, which are made in front of breaches that have been effected in the walls of a besieged town.
It is always necessary, that retrenchments of this description should have the figures of rentrant angles, in order, that they may not only flank the breaches, but be capable of defending themselves.
A besieging enemy, seldom or ever, attempts a breach at the flanked angle of a bastion, because it must be seen by the two flanks of the neighboring bastions, and be perpetually exposed to the fire of the casemates of the town. Nevertheless should the breach be actually effected, retrenchments might be thrown up, in the same manner that horn-works are constructed, for the purpose of flanking it.
If the breach should be made in the face of the bastion, (which usually happens, because that quarter can be seen by the garrison from one side only) retrenchments in the shape of rentrant angles must be constructed.
Breaches are seldom attempted at the angle of the epaulement, because that part of the bastion is the most solid and compact, and the most exposed to the fire from the curtain to that of the opposite flank, and to the reverse discharge, or fire from the rear. Add to this, that the storming party would be galled in flank and rear, not only from the simple bastion, but likewise from the casemates. If, however, a breach should be effected in that quarter, it would become necessary to throw up retrenchments of a saliant and rentrant nature.
In constructing these different retrenchments it must be an invariable rule, to get as near as possible to the parapets of the bastions and to their ruins, in order to batter those in flank and rear, who should attempt to scale, and at the same time to be out of the reach of the besieger’s ordnance.
When the head of the breach is so much laid open, that the besieger’s cannon can scour all above it, small mines must be prepared beneath, and a retrenchment be instantly thrown up in the body of the bastion.
ToRETREAT. To make a retrograde movement. An army or body of men are said to retreat when they turn their backs upon the enemy, or are retiring from the ground they occupied: hence, every march in withdrawing from the enemy is called a retreat.
That retreat which is done in sight of an active enemy, who pursues with a superior force, is the one we particularly allude to in this place; being with reason, looked upon as the glory of the profession. It is a manœuvre the most delicate, and fittest to display the prudence, genius, courage, and address, of an officer who commands: the records of all ages testify it, and historians have never been so lavish of eulogiums as on the subject of the brilliant retreats of their heroes. If it be important, it is no less difficult to regulate, on account of the variety of circumstances, each of which demands different principles, and an almost endless detail. Hence a good retreat is esteemed, by experienced officers, the master-piece of a general. He should therefore be well acquainted with the situation of the country through which he intends to make it, and careful that nothing is omitted to make it safe and honorable. General Moreau’s retreat in 1796, has rendered his name immortal. The three most celebrated modern retreats have been—the one already mentioned, that of Prague, and that of general Macdonald in Italy.
Retreat, is also a beat of the drum, at the firing of the evening gun; at which the drum-major, with all the drums of the battalion, except such as are upon duty, beats from the camp colors on the right to those on the left, on the parade of encampment: the drums of all the guards beat also; the trumpets at the same time sounding at the head of their respective troops. This is to warn the soldiers to forbear firing, and the sentinels to challenge till the break of day, when the reveille is beat. The retreat is likewise called setting the watch.
ChequeredRETREAT,rétraite en échequier,Fr.It is so called from the several component parts of a line or battalion, which alternately retreat and face in the presence of an enemy, exhibiting the figureof the chequered squares upon a chess board.
All manœuvres of a corps retiring, are infinitely more difficult to be performed with order, than those in advancing. They must be more or less accomplished by chequered movements; one body by its numbers or position, facing and protecting the retreat of another; and if the enemy presses hard, the whole must probably front in time and await him: as the ground narrows or favors, different parts of the corps must double; mouths of defiles and advantageous posts must be possessed; by degrees the different bodies must diminish their fronts, and throw themselves into column of march when it can be done with safety.
Thechequered retreatby the alternate battalions or half battalions of a line going to the rear, while the others remain halted, cover them, and in their turn retire in the same manner, is the quickest mode of refusing a part of a corps to the enemy, and at the same time protecting its movement, as long as it continues to be made nearly parallel to the first position.
In the chequered retreat, the following rules must be observed: the battalions of the division nearest to the enemy, will form flanks as soon as there is nothing in their front to cover them; but the other divisions will not have any flanks except to the outward battalion of each. The battalions always pass by their proper intervals, and it is a rule in retiring, that the left of each shall always pass the right of the neighboring one.—Whatever advantage the ground offers, those advantages must be seized, without too critical an observance of intervals, or minute adherence to the determined distance of each retreat. The division next the enemy must pass in front, through the intervals of the division immediately behind, and any battalion that finds it necessary, must incline for that purpose. The retiring division must step out, and take up no more time than what is absolutely required to avoid confusion. The division nearest the enemyfires; the flanks of its battalions only fire when the enemy attempts to push through the intervals. When that division retires it fires on, skirmishes by its riflemen, and if they have none, by men detached from the light companies, if any, or from platoons formed of rear rank men of one or two of the companies, and placed behind the flanks of the battalions. But should any of its battalions be obliged to halt and to fire, a shorter step must then be taken by the line; and should the enemy threaten to enter at any of its intervals, besides the fire of its flanks, such platoons of the line behind it, as can with safety, must give it support.
RETRENCHMENT, in theart of war, is any work raised to cover a post, and fortify it against an enemy; such as fascines loaded with earth, gabions, barrels, &c. filled with earth, sand bags, and generally all things that can cover the men, and stop the enemy; but it is more applicable to a ditch bordered with a parapet; and a post thus fortified, is called aretrenched post, orstrong post.Retrenchmentsare either general or particular.
GeneralRetrenchments, are a kind of new defence made in a place besieged, to cover the defendants, when the enemy becomes master of a lodgment on the fortification, that they may be in a condition of disputing the ground inch by inch, and of putting a stop to the enemy’s progress, in expectation of relief; as, if the besieger’s attack a tenaille of the place, which they judge the weakest, either by its being ill flanked, or commanded by some neighboring ground; then the besieged make a greatretrenchment, inclosing all that part which they judge in most danger. These should be fortified with bastions and demi-bastions, surrounded by a good ditch countermined, and higher than the works of the place, that they may command the old works, and put the besiegers to infinite trouble in covering themselves.
ParticularRETRENCHMENTS,or retrenchments within a bastion, (retrenchemens dans un bastion,Fr.) Retrenchments of this description must reach from one flank to another, or from one casemate to another. It is only in full bastions that retrenchments can be thrown up to advantage. In empty bastions you can only have recourse to retirades, or temporary barricadoes above the ramparts. The assailants may easily carry them by means of hand grenades, for these retrenchments never flank each other. It is necessary to raise a parapet about five or six feet thick before every retrenchment. It must be five feet high, and the ditches as broad and as deep as they can be made. There must also be small mines run out in various directions, for the purpose of blowing up the assailants should they attempt to force the retrenchments.
RETURNS, in amilitary sense, are of various sorts, but all tending to explain the state of the army, regiment, troop, or company; namely, how many capable of doing duty, on duty, sick in quarters, barracks, infirmary, or hospital; prisoners, absent with or without leave; total effective; wanting to complete the establishment, &c. SeeRegulationsandAmer. Mil. Lib.
Returnsof a mine, are the turnings and windings of the gallery leading to the mine. SeeGallery.
Returnsof a trench, the various turnings and windings which form the lines of the trench, and are, as near as they can be, made parallel to the place attacked, to avoid being infiladed. Thesereturns, when followed, make a long way from the end of the trench to the head, which going the straight way is very short: but then the men are exposed; yet, upon a sally, the courageous never consider the danger, but getting over the trench with such as willfollow them, take the shortest way to repulse the enemy, and cut off their retreat if possible.
Any officer who shall knowingly make a false return to any his superior officer authorised to call for such returns, shall, upon being convicted thereof before a general court-martial, be cashiered.
Whoever shall be convicted of having designedly, or through neglect, omitted sending such returns, shall be punished according to the nature of the offence by the judgment of a general court-martial.
ToRETURN, in a military sense, to insert the names of such officers, as are present or absent on the stated periods for the identification of their being with their regiments, on detachment, or absent with or without leave.
To beRETURNED. To have one’s name inserted in the regular monthly, fourteen days, or weekly state of a regiment, according to circumstances; asto be returned absent without leave; to be reported to the commander in chief, or to any superior officer, as being absent from the duty of the corps; either from having exceeded the leave given, or from having left quarters without the necessary permission. To be returned upon the surgeon’s list as unfit for duty, &c. from illness, &c.
Commanding officers of regiments or posts, in the British service, are regularly to transmit to the adjutant and inspector’s office the following returns:
A monthly, on the 1st of each month.
A return of officers, on the 14th of each month.
A weekly state, to arrive on Mondays.
To the war office.
A monthly return, on the 1st of each month.
A return of absent officers, on the 14th of each month.
Every officer commanding a regiment, or detachment, on embarking for a foreign station, will transmit an embarkation return to the adjutant-general’s office, and to the war office, a duplicate of which he will deliver to the general or officer commanding at the port from which he embarks.
On a regiment embarking, the commanding officer is to transmit to the adjutant-general’s office, a return of the recanting parties he purposes to leave in Great Britain, or Ireland, specifying their strength, their stations, and the officers by whom they are commanded; a duplicate of this return is to be transmitted to the inspector-general of the recruiting service in the Isle of Wight.
All officers belonging to regiments on foreign stations, not actually employed on the recruiting service, are to report their arrival from abroad, and the cause of their absence, at the adjutant-general’s office, and are to leave their addresses with their respective agents, and in case of their changing their places of residence, are immediately to notice the same to their agent: any officer whose address is not with his agent, will be considered as absent without leave, and guilty of disobedience of orders.
Officers upon half pay are, in like manner, to leave their addresses at the war office; particularly so if they should leave the united kingdoms; and officers belonging to the militia are to leave their names, &c. with the several adjutants of regiments.
Commanding officers of regiments or posts, are to transmit to the adjutant and inspector an half yearly return of quarters, on the 1st of December, and the 1st of May, agreeable to the printed form; like wise a report of any march performed by the corps under their orders.
All returns, reports, and papers, purely of a military and public nature, which are to be sent to the war office of the United States, are to be addressed, “To the adjutant and inspector, Washington.”
All official letters, intended for the secretary at war, should be transmitted, under covers, addressed as above, to the adjutant and inspector.
To prevent an improper expence of postage, all official letters and returns sent to the adjutant and inspector, are to be sent, under covers, addressed “To the officer by name, with the title of adjutant and inspector, at Washington,” and on the outside of the covers is to be written in legible characters, “public service, and then the name and rank of the writer.”
RETURNpistol. SeePistol.
Returnbayonet. This term is sometimes used, but it is not technically correct, as the proper word of command isunfixbayonet.
Returnramrod. SeeManual.
Returnswords. SeeSword.
REVEILLE, is the beat of a drum, about break of day, to advertise the army that it is day light, and that the sentinels forbear challenging.
REVERS,Fr.Behind, in rear, at the back of any thing.
Etre vu deREVERS,Fr.To be overlooked by a reverse commanding ground. When a work, for instance, is commanded by some adjacent eminence, or has been so badly disposed, that the enemy can see its terre-pleine, or rampart, that work may be said to be overlooked,être vu de revérs. The same term is applicable to a trench when the fire of the besieged can reach the troops that are stationed within it.
Reversde la tranchée,Fr.Literally means the back part of the trench. It is the ground which corresponds with that proportion of the border of the trench that lies directly opposite to the parapet. One or two banquettes are generally thrown up in this quarter, in order that the trench guard may make a stand upon the reverse when it happens to be attacked by a sortie of the enemy.
REVERSE. A contrary; an opposite; as, the reverse, or outward wheeling flank; which is opposite to the one wheeled to or upon. SeePivot.
Reverselikewise signifieson the back, orbehind: so we say,a reverse commanding ground,a reverse battery, &c.
REVERSEDarms. Arms are said to be reversed when the butts of the pieces are slung or held upwards.
Reversed.Upside down; as arms reversed.
REVETEMENT, (revêtement,Fr.) infortification, a strong wall, built on the outside of the rampart and parapet, to support the earth, and prevent its rolling into the ditch.
Revetementdu rampart,Fr.Revetement belonging to the rampart.
REVETIR,Fr.To line, to cover, to fortify.
REVIEW, (revue,Fr.) In the military acceptation of the term, an inspection of the appearance, and regular disposition of a body of troops, assembled for that purpose, is called areview.
At allreviews, the officers should be properly armed, ready in their exercise, salute well, in good time, and with a good air; their uniform genteel, &c. The men should be clean and well dressed; their accoutrements well put on; very well sized in the ranks; the serjeants expert in their duty, drummers perfect in their beatings, and the fifers play correct. The manual performed in good time, and with life; the men carry their arms well; march, wheel, and form with exactness; manœuvres performed with regularity, both in quick and slow time. The intention of areviewis, to know the condition of the troops, to see that they are complete, and perform their exercise and evolutions well. SeeMovements, likewiseInspection.
ToREVISE, (réviser,Fr.) To review; to re-examine; to re-consider. This term is used in military matters, which relate to the proceedings of a general or regimental court-martial. It sometimes happens that the members are directed to re-assemble for the purpose ofrevisingpart of the whole mass of the evidence that has been brought before them, and of maturely weighing afresh the substance of the proofs upon which they have formed their opinion and judgment. Great delicacy and discretion are required in those who have authority to order a revision of this sort. A court-martial ought to be the most independent court on earth. Interest, prejudice, or partiality, has no business within its precincts. An honest regard to truth, a sense of the necessity of good order and discipline, and a stubborn adherence to facts, constitute the code of military laws and statutes. Quirks, quibbles and evasions, are as foreign to the genuine spirit of martial jurisdiction, as candor, manliness, and resolute perseverance in uttering what he knows to be the fact, are familiar to the real soldier.
REVOCABLE, (révocable,Fr.) That may be recalled. Nominations for appointments in the army, are made by the president of the United States, subject to the concurrence of the senate, who, if they disagree, revoke the appointment.
REVOLT, (révolte,Fr.) Mutiny; insurrection.
Revolter.One who rises against lawful authority; a deserter, &c.
REVOLTES,Fr.Rebels.
REVOLUTION, (révolution,Fr.) A change in government, as the throwing off the tyranny of Britain, by the declaration of independence, in 1776, and as the French revolution.
REVOLUTIONNAIRE,Fr.A friend to the revolution.
Revolutionnaire,Fr.An adjective of two genders. Anything belonging to the revolution. Hence
ArméeRévolutionnaire. A revolutionary army; such as appeared in France.
REVOLUTIONNER,Fr.To revolutionize. To propagate principles in a country which are subversive of its existing government.
REWARD, (récompense,Fr.) A recompence given for good performed. Twenty shillings are allowed by the mutiny act, as a reward for apprehending deserters.
MilitaryRewards, (récompenses militaires,Fr.) The original instances of military rewards are to be found in the Grecian and Roman histories. The ancients did not, however, at first recompence military merit in any other way than by erecting statues to the memory, or presenting them with triumphal crowns. The warriors of that age were more eager to deserve public applause by extraordinary feats of valor, by temperance and moral virtue, than to become rich at the expence of the state. They thirsted after glory; but it was after a species of glory which was not in the least tarnished by the alloy of modern considerations.
The services which individuals rendered were distinguished by the kind of statue that was erected, and its accompanying decorations, or by the materials and particular formation of the crowns that were presented.
In process of time, the state or civil government of a country, felt the propriety and justice of securing to its defenders something more substantial than mere show and unprofitable trophies. It was considered, that men who had exposed their lives, and had been wounded, or were grown infirm through age, &c. ought to be above want, and not only to have those comforts which through their exertions millions were enjoying, but to be placed in an independent and honorable situation. The most celebrated of their warriors were consequently provided for atthe public expence, and they had regular claims made over to them, which were answered at the treasury.
Triumphal honors were likewise reckoned among the military rewards which the ancients voted to their best generals. Fabius Maximus, Paul Emilius, Camillus, and the Scipios were satisfied with this recompense for their services. With respect to old infirm soldiers, who were invalided, they were provided for by receiving, each a lot of ground, which they cultivated and improved. Lands, thus appropriated, formed part of the republican or national domains, or were divided amongst them in the conquered countries.
The Roman officer was rewarded for his services, or for particular acts of bravery in three ways: 1st. By marks of honor or distinction, which consisted of two sorts, viz. Of that which was merely ornamental to their own persons, or limited to the investiture for life; and of that which may be calledrememorative, such as statues, &c. The latter descended to their posterity, and gave their families a certain rank in the republic. 2dly. By pensions or allowances, and 3dly. By a grant of lands which exceeded the lots given to private soldiers. These lands, the property of the veteran soldier, in process of time became objects of solicitude among the Patricians and rich men; they encroached upon them, and often excited foreign wars, in order to take away the citizens, and in their absence, engross their lands; this rapacity of the senators, was the true cause of theagrarian laws, which has generally been held up as a reproach to the injured and not to the oppressors, and the people in republics have been held forth as turbulent and inimical to personal property, because the people of Rome sought to recover the lands of which they had been despoiled by the avarice of the senate, and by an inordinate spirit of speculation.
The Franks, who got possession of the country which was formerly occupied by the Gauls, had, at first, no other method of recompensing their generals than by giving them a certain proportion of land. This grant did not exceed their natural lives, and sometimes it was limited to the time they remained in the service.
These usages insensibly changed, and by degrees it became customary for the children of such men as had received grants of national territory, to continue to enjoy them; upon condition, however, that the actual possessors of such lands should be liable to military service. Hence the origin offiefsin France, and the consequent appellation ofmilice des fieffés, or militia, composed of men who held their lands on condition of bearing arms when called upon. The French armies were for many years constituted in this manner; and the custom of rendering military service in consideration of land tenure, only ceased under Charles the VIIth.
In process of time, those lands which had been originally bestowed upon men of military merit, descended to their children, and were gradually lost in the aggregate mass of inheritable property. Other means were consequently to be resorted to by the state, in order to satisfy the just claims of deserving officers and soldiers. The French, therefore, returned to the ancient custom of the Romans, and rewarded those, who distinguished themselves in war, by honorary marks of distinction.
Under the first race of French kings may be found several instances of men of obscure condition having, by their valor, obtained the rank and title of count, and even those of duke. These dignities, of themselves, entitled the bearers to places of high command in the armies. The title of knight, most especially ofknight banneret, gave very high rank during the reign of Philip Augustus: and in the reigns of one or two of his predecessors, it was bestowed upon individuals who behaved in a distinguished manner in the field.
This species of reward did not cost the public any thing. It was bestowed upon the individual by the general of the army, and consisted in nothing more than a salute given by the latter on the field of battle, by which he becameknight banneret, and was perfectly satisfied with the honor it conferred.
This mode of rewarding individuals for great actions or long services, continued until men inlisted themselves for money, and the army was regularly paid, according to the several ranks of those who composed it. At this period, however, it became expedient to have recourse to the second method which was adopted by the Romans to compensate individuals for services rendered to the state. The royal treasury was either subjected to the annual claims of individuals, or to the payment of a specific sum, for having eminently distinguished themselves under arms. Notwithstanding this, honorary rewards continued to be given, and the knighthood conferred in the field by the kiss or salute of a general, which the French styleaccolade, was practised until the 16th century:
It was usual, even during that century, to reward a soldier, who did a brave action, by some mark of distinction, that was given on the spot by a crown made of grass or other verdure, which was placed upon his head by his comrades, or by a gold ring, which his commanding officer put upon his finger in the presence of the whole troop or company to which he belonged. It sometimes happened, as in the reign of Francis the first, that this mark of distinction was given by the general of the army.
Several brave men have been distinguished with titles of nobility and armorial bearings, which were conferred by princes, in consequence of some singular feat or exploit. There have been instancesrecorded in the French history of extraordinary actions having been rewarded upon the spot by kings who commanded in person. A soldier of merit was peculiarly honored by Louis the XIth, for bravery and good conduct in the field. That monarch took the collar of a military order off his own neck, and placed it round the neck of Launay Morvillier, as a reward for great prowess and intrepidity.
Besides the gramineous crown and gold ring, which were thus given as marks of honor and distinction, the private soldiers were frequently rewarded by small sums of money when they performed any particular feat or act of bravery. They were likewise promoted from the ranks, and made serjeants or corporals.
Honorary rewards and compensations for service were not confined to individual officers and soldiers. Whole corps were frequently distinguished in the same manner. When several corps acted together, and one amongst them gave signal proofs of gallantry and good conduct, that one frequently took precedence of the others in rank, or was selected by the sovereign to be his personal guard. Sometimes, indeed, the king placed himself at the head of such a corps on the day of battle, thereby testifying his approbation of their conduct, and giving a proof of his confidence in their bravery.
It is now usual, in most countries, to confer marks of distinction on those corps, that have formed part of any army that has signalized itself. Thus the kettle drums, under the appellation ofnacaires, were given to some regiments, as proofs of their having behaved gallantly on trying occasions.
The military order of St. Louis, which was created by Louis the XIVth in 1693, and that of Maria Theresa. The modern Frenchlegion of honor, instituted by Bonaparte, adopts and organizes into a most influential and comprehensive military and political system, all the usages of pre-existing military orders; and fixes degrees of rank under various denominations, those thus decorated are preferred for other trusts and honors. There are many other orders in different countries, were only instituted for the purpose of rewarding military merit. The Greeks and Romans satisfied themselves with honorary rewards, or occasional compensations. The moderns, particularly the French and English, have placed military claims upon a more solid footing. The gratitude of the public keeps pace with the sacrifices of individuals, and permanent provisions are made for those who are wounded or rendered infirm in the service.
The Athenians supported those who had been wounded in battle, and the Romans recompensed those that had served during a given period. The French kings reserved to themselves the privilege of providing for individuals who had been maimed in action, by giving them certain monastic allowances and lodging, &c. in the different convents of royal institution. Philip Augustus, king of France, first formed the design of building a college for soldiers who had been rendered infirm, or were grown old in the service. Louis, surnamed the great, not only adopted the idea, but completed the plan in a grand and magnificent style. Charles the second, on his restoration to the crown of Great Britain, established Chelsea, and James the second added considerable improvements to this institution.
REZ,Fr.A preposition which signifies close to, adjoining, level with.Rez le metalin a right line with the metal, a phrase used in pointing guns, to discriminate between the real and artificial point blank; it means on a level with the tops of the base-ring and swell of the muzzle. Asrez pied,rez-terre.Démolir les fortifications, rez-pied, rez-terre.To level the fortifications with the ground.
Rez-de-chaussée,Fr.The ground floor. This term properly means the surface or floor of any building which is even with the ground on which it is raised. It would be incorrect to sayRez-de chaussée d’une cave, ou du premier étage d’une maison; the ground floor of a cellar, or of the first story of a house.
RHAGOON,Ind.The twelfth month which, in some respect, corresponds with February. It follows the month Magh, which agrees with January.
RHINELANDrod, is a measure of twelve feet, used by all the Dutch engineers.
RHOMBUS, (Rhombe,Fr.) ingeometry, an oblique angled parallelogram, or a quadralateral figure whose sides are equal and parallel, but the angles unequal; two of the opposite ones being obtuse, and the other two acute.
RIBAND,Rubande,Ruban,Fr.This word is sometimes writtenRibbon. A narrow web of silk which is worn for ornament.
Ribandcockade. The cockades which are given to recruits, and is commonly calledthe colors.
RIBAUDE,Fr.Irregular, noisy, ill-mannered. This term is likewise used as a substantive, viz.
UnRibaud,Fr.A noisy, ill-mannered fellow. It is an old French word, which at present is seldom spoken in the polished circles of life. In former times, as late indeed as during the reign of Philip Augustus, king of France, it was current without carrying along with it any particular reproach or mark of infamy. The foot guards, who did duty at the palace, were generally calledribauds, from the looseness of their morals; which by degrees grew so very corrupt, that the term, (harmless perhaps at first) was insensibly applied to persons guilty of dishonorable acts. Hence pick-pockets, thieves, cheats, &c. were calledribauds.On which account the provost of the hotel or town house in Paris, was popularly stiledroi des ribands, or provost ofribauds. This phrase prevailed until the reign of Charles the VIth.
Ribaud,Fr.adj.likewise means lewd, debauched, &c.