[17]The gramme, or the unit of French weights, is therefore equivalent to 15,446 grains troy-weight.[18]According to the prices current received from Leghorn, the equivalent to 112 pounds is only 145.
[17]The gramme, or the unit of French weights, is therefore equivalent to 15,446 grains troy-weight.
[18]According to the prices current received from Leghorn, the equivalent to 112 pounds is only 145.
The following examples will shew in what manner the proportion between the weights of any two given countries may be ascertained.
EXAMPLES.
It is required to reduce 100 kilogrammes of France into pounds of Amsterdam.
The kilogramme of France weighing 15446 grains, and the pound of Amsterdam 7625, according to the table prefixed, state the following equation:
Reduce 100 pounds of Amsterdam into kilogrammes of France.
WEIGHT, (poids,Fr.) Impression, pressure, burthen, overwhelming power. The great advantage which heavy cavalry has over the light horse, and particularly over infantry troops, consists wholly in its pressure and overwhelming power.
WELL. In themilitary art, a depth which the miner sinks under ground, with branches or galleries running out from it; either to prepare a mine, or to discover and disappoint the enemy’s mine. SeeShaft.
ToWET. In a sense of good fellowship and hilarity, and of course in a military one, to take a cheerful glass, or, speaking popularly, to “moisten the clay.”
ToWeta Commission. It has always been customary in the army, for every officer, when he obtains a commission, gets promoted, or exchanged, to afford some mark and acknowlegement to the corps he joins.
WERE. The preterite of I am.
As youWere. A word of command in the British service which corresponds with the Frenchremettez vous. It signifies to return to the same position from which you had faced or wheeled, &c. and is generally used when any motion of the firelock or movement of the body has been done improperly.
WERST. A Russian measure in travelling. The Werst contains seven hundred and fifty geometrical paces.
WHEEL, in artillery. A circular body which turns round on its axis. The strength of these wheels is always, or should be, proportional to the weight they carry: the diameters of the wheels of heavy gun-carriages are 85 inches, and those for light field-pieces 52 only.
ToWheel, (Faire conversion,Fr.) In a military sense, to move forward or backward in a circular manner, round some given point. SeePivot. Wheeling is one of the most essential and importantoperations of the squadron, necessary in many changes of position, and in the formation of column and of the line.
Wheelof the squadron. When the entire squadron is to wheel, a caution is given to that purport, and to which hand. At the wordMarch, the front rank of the squadron remains dressed to the centre, the leader fixes his eye and makes his circle on the standing flank man; the standard follows him exactly, and the squadron wheels with the same uniform front, at such a pace as is requisite to keep every where dressed with the standard. The rear rank and the serrefiles look to the wheeling flank, and incline, at the same time that they wheel, so as always to cover their front leaders.
The standard must take care, never to oblige the wheeling man to exceed a moderate gallop, otherwise the rear rank, which has still more ground to go over, cannot keep up; the squadron will wheel loose and in disorder, and be longer in dressing than if it had come about at a slower pace, but close and connected.
The flanks must always conform to the centre, in case the leader does not take his ground as exactly as he ought. At any rate, the standard is the guide for the pace, and the point from which the distance of files is to be preserved.
The leader must take care to time his wordDressthe instant before the wheel is completed, otherwise an over wheel or reining back will be the consequence. The whole dress by the centre.
The squadron breaks into column of any of the divisions in which it is told off, by each of those divisions wheeling up the quarter circle. If the body is in motion (as in column) the wheels of the divisions all begin at the wordWheel!If halted, they are begun at the wordMarch!
In all division wheelings, the whole look to the wheeling hand. In all wheelings, the rear rank must rein back at the standing flank, and incline towards the wheeling hand, in order to cover.
At the wordmark time! halt!given when the wheel is completed, the whole turn eyes and dress to the standing flank, and remain so till a new direction is given.
Wheelings of the squadron, or its parts, from the halt, are made on the flanks, except those of ranks by threes, which are made on the middle man of each.
Wheelof divisions into squadron. When the squadron is to be formed by the wheeling up of its divisions, there must not be any intervals, and the rear ranks must rein back, and incline so as not to interrupt the front ranks coming up together.
In division wheelings, the whole keep closed lightly towards the hand they wheel to, and must avoid pressing the pivot man off his ground. The outward man looks to his rank, he of course regulates the pace at which the wheel is made; he must not press in on his rank, nor turn his horse’s head towards the standing flank; all the horse’s heads must be kept rather outwards (for to attempt to bend them inwards, would certainly occasion a crowding on the standing flank) and the croupes lightly closed inwards with the leg. The pivot man of the wheel turns his horse on his fore-feet, keeps his ground, and comes gradually round with his rank.
Wheelsof divisions made on a halted, or on a moveable Pivot. Wheels of divisions of the squadron or line are made on aHALTED, or on aMOVEABLEpivot. When on ahaltedpivot, they are made from line into column, or from column into line; and also generally by the column of manœuvre or march, when moving on a considerable front, and when the wheel by which its direction is to be changed, approaches to, or exceeds the quarter circle. When on amoveablepivot, they are generally used and ordered when the front of the column is small, and its path winding and changeable.
Whenever the wheel, made on a halted pivot, is less than the quarter circle, the pause after the wheel will be considerable; should the wheel be greater than the quarter circle, it must be accelerated, otherwise more than one division will be arrived, and arrested at the wheeling point.
Wheelon a moveable pivot. When wheels or changes of direction of bodies in column, are made on aMOVEABLEPIVOT, both flanks are kept in motion; thepivotone always describing part of a circle, and the reverse flank, and intermediate men of the division, by a compound of inclining and wheeling, conforming to the pivot movement.
Wheelmade to the pivot hand, and moveable. When the change is made to thePIVOThand, (the whole being in motion) the leader of the head division, when at the distance of twenty or thirty yards from the point of intersection of the old and new direction, will give the word,right or left quarter wheel, which is a caution for each man to give a small turn of his horseTOWARDSthe pivot hand, and the leader himself carefully preserving the rate of march, without the least alteration of pace, will in his own person begin to circleBEFOREthe line, from the old, so as to enter the new direction twenty or thirty yards from the point of intersection, which he in this case leaves at some distanceWITHINhis pivot hand. When this is effected (the rest of his division having, during the transition, and on the principle of gradual dressing, conformed to the direction he is giving them) he will give the wordForward!for the division to pursue the right line. The leader of the second, and of every other division, when he arrives on the ground on which the first began to wheel, will in the same manner follow his exact tract, always preserving his proper distance from him.
Wheelmade to the reverse flank. Whenthe change is made to theREVERSEhand, the pivot leader having arrived as before, at the spot where he gives his wordright or left quarter wheel!for each man to give a small turn of his horse’s headFROMthe pivot hand, will begin in his own person to circleBEHINDthe line from the old, so as to enter the new direction twenty or thirty yards from the point of intersection, which, in this case, he leaves at some small distanceWITHOUThis pivot hand. The rest of his division, by giving way, having gradually conformed to his movement, he will at the proper instant orderForward!and resume a straight line.
During the change to either hand, the whole continue looking to the pivot flank, which never alters the rate of the then march; but the reverse flank is in the one case obliged to slacken, and in the other to quicken its movement.
In this manner, without the constraint of formal wheels, a column, when not confined on its flanks, may be conducted in all kinds of winding and changeable directions; for if the changes be made gradual, and circling, and that the pivot leaders pursue their proper path at the same uniform equal pace, the true distances of divisions will be preserved, which is the great regulating object on this occasion, and to which every other consideration must give way.
The wheelings of cavalry being more difficult than those of infantry, we have, on that account, been more particular; but the subject is handled more amply in theAmerican Military Library. The French do not make use of any word that immediately corresponds withWheel, as a term of command. They say briefly, by platoons, &c. To the right or left into line, march.Par pelotons, àdroite ou à gauche en bataille, marche.The act of wheeling in general is expressed by quarter or half-quarter wheel.
WHEELINGS. Are different motions made by horse and foot, either to the right or left, or to the right and left about, &c. forward or backward.
Wheeling.The old aukward method of oblique moving and wheeling, is now superceded byhalfandquarterwheeling.
General rules forWheeling. The circle is divided into four equal parts: thence, wheeling to the right or left, is only a quarter of the circle; wheeling to the right or left about, is one half of the circle.
When you wheel to the right, you are to close to the right, so near as to touch your right hand man, but without pressing him; and to look to the left, in order to bring the rank about even.
When you wheel to the left, you are to close to the left, and look to the right, as above directed. This rule will serve for all wheeling by ranks; as when a battalion is marching by subdivisions with their ranks open, then each rank wheels distinctly by itself, when it comes to the ground on which the ranks before it wheeled, but not before.
In wheeling, the men are to take particular care, neither to open nor close their ranks, and to carry their arms well.
In wheeling, the motion of each man is quicker or slower, according to the distance he is from the right or the left: thus, when you wheel to the right, each man moves quicker than his right-hand man; and, wheeling to the left, each man moves quicker than his left-hand man; the circle that every man wheels being larger, according to the distance he is from the hand he wheels to; as may be seen by describing several circles within one another, at two feet distance from each, which is nearly the space every man is supposed to take up.
Wheel-carriages. In artillery, &c. The whole doctrine thereof, as it stands on a mathematical theory, may be reduced to the following particulars, viz.
1.Wheel-carriagesmeet with less resistance than any other kind of carriage.
2. The larger the wheels, the easier is the draught of the carriage.
3. A carriage, upon four wheels of equal size, is drawn with less force than with two of those wheels, and two of a lesser size.
4. If the load be all on the axle of the larger wheels, it will be drawn with less force than if laid on the axis of the lesser wheels; contrary to the common notion of loading carriages before.
5. Carriages go with much less force on friction-wheels, than in the common way.
WHEELBARROW. A small carriage of burthen, pushed forward by the hands on one wheel; a certain number are always attached to the artillery.
WHINYARD. A sword, so called by Butler in his Hudibras.
WHIPCORD. A tight spun cord, with which the cat-o-nine-tails is made.
WHOLE. All, total, containing all.
Take care theWHOLE. A cautionary word which was formerly used in the British service, and is sometimes, but improperly, given now. The termAttentionis adopted in its room.
WHOOP. A shout; a loud noise which soldiers make in charging, &c. It is a natural though a barbarous habit, and has been preserved in civilized armies from a prevailing custom among savages, particularly the wild Indians of America.
WICKET, (guichet,Fr.) A small door in the gate of a fortified place, through which people go in and out, without opening the great gate.
WIDERZOUROUK. A compound word from the German, which signifies back again. The French pronounce itVuiderzourouk. It means a movement which is made to the rear, in order to bring a squadron to the right about, in the samemanner that a battalion is faced about. Marshal Puysegur remarks, that the French adopted this movement from the Germans, in the year 1670. He is of opinion, that previous to this epoch, squadrons were faced to the rear by means of a double caracol, describing a half-circle, the extent of whose front was equal to half of its diameter; on which account, the general order of battle in those days had considerable intervals, and great loss of time and space of course.
WIG. A Saxon termination of the names of men, signifying war.
WIGWAM. A hut used in America by the Indians.
WILBE,Ind.Guardian; protector.
WILDFIRE. A composition of firework, so called from its ready ignition and rapid combustion.
WINCH, (Manivelle,Fr.) The handle or lever by which a jack, windlass, &c. is turned.
WINDAGEof a gun, mortar, or howitzer. The difference between the diameter of the bore, and the diameter of the shot or shell. In England the diameter of the shot is supposed to be divided into 20 equal parts, and the diameter of the bore into 21 of those parts. The French divide the shot into 26, and the bore into 27. The Prussians divide the shot into 24, and the bore into 25. The Dutch nearly the same as the English. The general windage of shells in England is ¹⁄₄ of an inch, let them be large or small, which is contrary to all reason. It is evident, that the less windage a shot or shell has, the farther and truer it will go; and having less room to bounce from side to side, the gun will not be spoiled so soon.
It is true that some artillery officers say, that the windage of a gun should be equal to the thickness of the ladle; because, when it has been loaded for a while, the shot will not come out, without being loosened thereby, in order to unload it—and when this cannot be done, it must be fired away, and so lost: but the most advantageous windage should be in dividing the shot into 24 equal parts, and the bore into 25, on account of the convenient scale it affords, not only to construct guns thereby, but also their carriages. Hence, agreeable to this plan, the windage of a nine-pounder will be 166 of an inch, consequently a sufficient thickness for a ladle; and those of a higher calibre become still thicker in proportion: but suppose this thickness is not enough, the loss of a shot is a mere trifle, in respect to the advantage gained thereby.
Windage.The usual windage of English guns is ¹⁄₂₀ of the calibre. It appears by experiments, that ¹⁄₄, or nearly ¹⁄₃ of the force of the powder is lost by this windage. SeeVelocity.
Windage of Mortars and Howitzers.
From the 13 to 5¹⁄₂ inch the windage is ·15 of an inch, and that of the 4²⁄₅ is ·2 of an inch.
Windage of Guns and Carronades.
Windage of French Guns.
WIND-GUN. SeeAir-Gun.
WINDLASS, (Vindas,Fr.) Is a roller of wood, square at each end, through which are either cross holes for handspikes or staves across to turn it round: by this means it draws a cord, one end of which is fastened to some weight which it raises up. They are used in gins, and about Dutch mortars, to help to elevate them. The French sayVindas ou Cabestan horizontal, the latter being a sea term.
WINDSAILS, (Manches à vent,Fr.) Large pieces of canvas, which are used in ships at sea for the purposes of ventilation, &c. During voyages in hot climates, the most beneficial effects are derived from the use of windsails. The master of the vessel should be desired to have them made immediately as troops are embarked, if not already provided, and they should be constantly hung up.—These sails throw a stream of cold air between decks, and it is not an unusual practice among the men, at least among the unexperienced soldiers, to tie up the bottom of them, by which this salutary purpose is defeated. The serjeant of the watch must be responsible that this irregularity is never committed.
ToWINDWARD, (Au Vent,Fr.) As St. Domingo is to the windward of Jamaica.
WINGSof an army. When drawn up in battle, are the right and left parts counting from the centre; when a battalion is drawn up, the divisions on theright and left of the centre are called the wings. The word wing is sometimes used to denote the large sides of horn-works, crown-works, tenailles, and other out-works, &c.
WINTER-Quarters. SeeQuarters.
WITHERBAND. A piece of iron laid under a saddle, about three inches above the withers of the horse, to keep tight the two pieces of wood.
WITNESSES. In fortification. SeeTemoins.
Witnesses.In a military judicial sense, persons summoned by the judge-advocate, or any of his deputies, to attend at a general court-martial, there to speak to facts which they know of their own knowlege, and to which they can bona fide swear, from having been present at the transaction, &c. SeeMacomb on Court-Martials.
According to the articles of war, witnesses attending courts-martial are to be privileged from arrests, and not attending are liable to be attached.
WOHKEELE,Ind.An ambassador.
WOLF-Holes. In the defence of places, are round holes, generally about two or three feet in diameter at the top, one at bottom, and two and an half deep, dug in the front of any work. Sometimes a sharp-pointed stake or two are fixed at the bottom, and covered with very thin planks, and green sods; consequently the enemy, on advancing, fall in, and are put into confusion.
WOOD. Artillery carriages are generally made of elm, ash, and oak. The bed and house of a sea mortar are made of oak, and the bolster of elm. The bottoms of land mortar beds are of oak, and the upper parts of elm.
Carriages—Ship.—The cheeks, transoms, and trucks of elm; the axle trees of live oak.
——Garrison.—The whole of oak; trucks, iron.
——Field.—Heavy 24 and 12 Pr. the cheeks and transoms of elm; the axle trees of ash or hickory. In the wheel the nave and fellies are of elm; the spokes of ash; limber shafts, bars, and axle trees are of ash. Light guns, from 3 to 12 prs. the cheeks and transoms are of elm: the ammunition boxes are of sycamore. In the wheels, the nave is of elm, the spokes of oak, and the fellies of ash. In the limber the shafts and bars of ash.
WoodMatches. SeePortfire.
WOODEN-Bottoms. In laboratory works, are cylindrical pieces of wood, of different lengths and diameters, agreeable to the size of the gun. They are hollowed at one end to receive the shot, and the flannel cartridge is fastened to the other end: the whole forming one cartridge, which is put into the piece at one motion. Iron bottoms are to be preferred.
WOOL-Packs. Bags of wool. They are frequently ranged in form of a breastwork, because they resist cannon-shot. SeeSiege.
WORD(Mot,Fr.) A single part of speech, consisting of one or more syllables, for the purpose of expressing ideas; In a military sense, it signifies signal, token, order; as watch-word, &c.
TheWord,-WatchWord,
Is a peculiar word that serves for a token and mark of distinction, given out in the orders of the day in times of peace, but in war every evening in the field, by the general who commands, and in garrison by the governor, or other officer commanding in chief, to prevent surprise, and hinder an enemy, or any treacherous person, to pass backwards and forwards. This watchword is generally called theparole, and to which is added thecountersign. The first is known to all officers and non-commissioned officers, the latter only to the centinels. The officers that go the rounds, or patroles, exchange the word with the officers on duty; nor must the centinels let any one pass who has not got the countersign.
Wordsof command, (Mots de commandement,Fr.) Certain terms which have been adopted for the exercise and movement of military bodies, according to the nature of each particular service. Words of command are classed under two principal heads, and consist of those which are given by the chief or commander of a brigade, battalion, or division, and of those which are uttered by the subordinate leaders of troops or companies, &c.
CautionaryWords, (Commandement d’advertissement,Fr.) Certain leading instructions which are given to designate any particular manœuvre. The cautionary words precede the words of command, and are issued by the chiefs of corps.
WORKMEN. Are persons that attend the ammunition, boatsmen, carpenters, smiths, millers, bakers, waggoners, miners, pioneers, &c.
When soldiers are employed upon fatigue, or working parties, the drums and fifes, &c., should invariably play to time and measure. According to marshal Saxe, they should be relieved at the expiration of two hours and an half; by which means the individuals are less harrassed, and all the troops share alike. With regard to accompanying them in their labor with music, the policy of it is warranted by antiquity. The Lacædemonians, with a detachment of only three thousand men, under the command of Lysander, destroyed the famous Pyræus of Athens in less than six hours. During the whole of the operation, the flutes were playing, to enliven and encourage the troops. This custom existed in France to a late period among the galley-slaves at Marseilles; who, whilst they were employed in removing enormous loads of rubbish, &c. were constantly accompanied by musical instruments and drums. Marsh.Saxe’s Reveries, pages 157 and 158.
WORKS. This term is generally understood to comprehend the fortifications about the body of a place; as by outworks are meant those without the first inclosure. The word is also used to signify the approaches of the besiegers, and the several lines, trenches, &c. made round a place, an army, or the like, for its security.
ToWORMa Gun, (Décharger un canon avec la tire-bourre,Fr.) To take out the charge of a firearm by means of a worm.
Worm of aGun, (Tire-bourre,Fr.) An instrument vermiculated or turned round, that serves to extract any thing into which it insinuates itself by means of a spiral direction. It is much the same as wad-hook, with this difference, that the one is more proper for small-arms, and the other for ordnance.
ToWORST. To defeat, to overthrow.
WORSTED. Defeated; put to the rout.
WORTHY. A man particularly distinguished, more especially for his valor, as the worthies of antiquity.
WREATHof victory. The garland or chaple, of triumph. SeeTriumph.
WRESTLER. One who contends in wrestling.
WRESTLING. A contest for ascendancy of bodily strength; as when two wrestlers attempt to throw each other down. It was in great vogue among the Olympic games.
WRONG. An injury; a designed or known detriment; not right, not justice.
Wrongs.We have already observed under the articleRights, that although they are not specifically mentioned or described in the mutiny bill, they nevertheless exist in military life. Every officer and soldier possesses rights, and when either is wronged he is authorized to seek for redress. In the articles of war, it is expressly laid down, that if any officer shall think himself to be wronged by his colonel, or the commanding officer, of the regiment, and shall upon due application made to him, be refused to be redressed, he may complain to the general commanding, in order to obtain justice; who is required to examine into such complaint; and either by himself or by the secretary at war, to make his report. It will be observed, that officers may be peremptorily dismissed the service without trial or investigation.
If any inferior officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier shall think himself wronged by his captain, or other officer commanding the troop or company to which he belongs, he is to complain thereof to the commanding officer of the station or regiment.
WUHAH,Ind.Sandals.
WULANDA, orWulandez,Ind.The Dutch are so called in India.