open files and ranks, and acquire thereby || advance in column, that is, they are di independence and the command of his limbs and body.

DISTANCE of the bastions, in fortification, is the side of the exterior polygon. See FORTIFICATION.

DISTRIBUTION. In a military sense, generally applies to any division, or allotment, which is made for the purposes of warfare. Thus an army may be distributed about a country. In a more confined sense, it means the minute arrangements that are made for the interior œconomy of corps; as distribution of pay or subsistence, distribution of allowances,

&c.

DISTRICT, in a military sense, one of those parts into which a country is divided, for the conveniences of command, and to secure a ready co-operation between distant bodies of armed men.

DITCH. See FORTIFICATION, Молт.

To drain a DITCH, is to make the water run off into lower ground, by means of small trenches cut for this purpose.

vided into several squadrons and battalions of a given depth, successively formed upon one another. If an army be drawn out or displayed in order of battle it is usually divided into the first line, which constitutes the front, the second line, which makes the main body, and the third line or reserve.

DODECAGON, in geometry, is a regular polygon, consisting of 12 equal sides and angles, capable of being regularly fortified with the same number of bastions.

DODECAHEDRON, is one of the platonic bodies, or five regular solids, and is contained under 12 equal and regular pentagons.

The solidity of a dodecahedron, is found by multiplying the area of one of the pentagonal faces of it by 12; and this latter product by 1-3d of the distance of the face from the centre of the dodecahedron, which is the same as the centre of the circumscribing sphere.

The side of a dodecahedron inscribed in a sphere, is the greater part of the side of a cube inscribed in that sphere, cut into extreme and mean proportion.

If the diameter of the sphere be 1,0000, the side of a dodecahedron inscribed in it will be .35682 nearly.

All dodecahedrons are similar, and are to one another as the cubes of the sides and their surfaces are also similar, and therefore they are as the squares of their sides; whence as .509282 is to 10.51462, so is the square of the side of any dodecabedron to the superficies thereof; and as .3637 is to 2.78516, so is the cube of the side of any dodecahedron to the solidity

DIVERSION, in military history, is when an enemy is attacked in one place where he is weak and unprovided, in order to draw off his forces from making an irruption some where else; or where an enemy is strong, and by an able manoeuvre he is obliged to detach part of his forces to resist any feint or menacing attempt of his opponent. To derive advantage from a diversion, taken in an extended acceptation of the term, it is necessary, that one state should have greater resources than another; for it would be absurd to attack the territories of another before you had secured your own. It is likewise requisite, that the coun-of it. try you attack by stratagem or diversion, should be easy of access, and the invasion you make must be prompt, vigorous and unexpected, directed againt a weak and vulnerable quarter. A little good fortune is however essential to render a diversion perfectly successful, as all the ways and means by which it ought be made, cannot be reduced to rule.

The most memorable instance of a diversion well executed, which we meet with in ancient history, was performed by Scipio in Africa, whilst Annibal carried the war into Italy. In 1659, a diversion no less remarkable, was practised by the imperial and allied armies against the Swedes.

DIVISIONS of a battalion, are the several platoons into which a regiment or battalion is divided, either in marching or firing; each of which is commanded by an officer.

DIVISIONS of an army, are the number of brigades and squadrons it contains.

The advance, the main, and the rear guards are composed out of the several brigades, and inarch in front, in the centre, and in the rear of an army. Each army has its right wing, its centre, and its wing. When arinies march they

DOG-Nails. See NAILS.

DOLPHINS. See CANNON.

DOMMAGE, Fr. in a general accep tation of the term, signified in the old French service, the compensation which every captain of a troop, or company was obliged to make in consequence of any damage that their men might have done in a town, or on a march. If any disagreement occurred between the officers and the inhabitants, with respect to the indemnification, a statement of losses sustained was sworn to by the latter, before the mayor or magistrates of the place, who determined the same. But if the officers should refuse to abide by their decision, a remonstrance was drawn up and transmitted to the secretary at war, with a copy of the same to the intendant of the province. Officers have frequently been displaced or degraded on this account. Hence the term dommage is supposed to have heen derived from the latin words damnum jactura, and signifies the loss or privation of a step.

DONJON. Sec DUNGEON.

DOSSER, in military matters, is a sort of basket, carried on the shoulders of men, used in carrying the earth from one

DRA

part of a forrification to another, where || vice a dragon; as that of the infantry bors
an eagle.
it is wanted

DOUBLING, in the military art, is the placing two or more ranks, or files

into one.

DOUBLE your ranks, is for the 2d, 4th, and 6th ranks (when so drawn up) to march into the ist, 3d, and 5th; so that of 6 ranks they are made but 3; which is not so when they double by half files, because then 3 ranks stand together, and the 3 other come up to double them; that is, the 1st, 2d, and 3d, are doubled by the 4th, 5th, and 6th, or the contrary.

DOUBLE your files, is for every other file to march into that which is next to it, on the right or left, as the word of command directs; and then the 6 ranks are doubled into 12, the men standing 12 deep; and the distance between the files is double what it was before. By this method 3 files may be doubled into 6, &c.

To DOUBLE round, in military movements, is to march by an inversion of a second line, on the extremity of a first line, thereby to outflank an enemy.

DOUBLE tenaille.

See TENAILLE. DOUILLE, Fr. a small iron socket which is at the heel of the bayonet, and receives the extreme end of the musquet, so as to be firmly united together.

To DRAGOON, is to persecute by abandoning a place to the rage of the soldiery.

DRAG-ropes. See ROPES. See BR 1

COLE.

DRAIN or DREIN, in the military art, is a trench made to draw water out of a ditch, which is afterwards filled with hurdles and earth, or with fascines, or bundles of rushes and planks, to fa cilitate the passage over the mud. See TRENCH.

DRAKE, a small piece of artillery. DRAUGHT, a plan or delineation of any place; a body of troops selected from others.

To DRAUGHT, to draw forces from one brigade, &c. to complete another; to select a proportion from brigades, regiments, or companies for any particular service.

DRAUGHT-books, in a gun-carriage, are fixed to the transom-bolts on the cheeks of artillery carriages, near the trunnion holes and trails: they are used to draw the guns back wards and forwards by men with drag ropes fixed to those hooks.

DRAUGHTED, the soldiers of any regiment being allotted to complete other regiments are said to be draughted.

DRAUGHTSMEN, a body of men DOUILLE likewise signifies, the cavity educated to assist the engineers in drawwhich belongs to the round piece of ironing plans, fortifications, and surveying ; every officer should endeavor to be a good that is fixed to the end of the ramrod, by means of two nails through two small draughtsman; and every corps ought to holes, called yeux or eyes, and to which have a master to teach in camp or quar the worm is attached.

DRAGON et DRAGON VOLANT, Fr. some old pieces of artillery were anciently so called. The Dragon was a 40-pounder; the Dragon Volant a 32. But neither the name nor the size of the calibre of either piece is now in use.

DRAGONNER, Fr. According to the French acceptation of the term, is to attack any person in a rude and violent manner; to take any thing by force; to adopt prompt and vigorous measures; and to bring those people to reason by hard blows, who could not be persuaded by fair words.

DRAGOONS, in military affairs, are a kind of horsemen, or cavalry, who serve both on horseback, and foot; being always ready on every emergency, as being able to keep pace with the horse, and to do infantry duty. In battle, or on attacks, they generally fight sword in hand after the first fire. In the field they encamp on the right and left of the lines. They are divided into brigades, regiments, and squadrons. Their martial music is the clarion or trumpet. The first regiment of dragoons in England was raised in 1681, and called the royal regiment of dragoons of North Britain. This name is derived from the Latin word Draconarii, The standused amongst the Romans.

ard of the Roman cavalry bore as its de

ters.

To DRAW, to delineate or make a sketch.

DRAW RAMROD, a word of command, used in the drill exercise, on which the soldier draws his ramrod half from the pipes, and seizing it back handed by the middle, waits for the signal for the next motion, when he turns it round, and with an extended arm, places the butt of the rod about one inch in the muzzle of the firelock, in which position he waits for the command ram down cartridge.

DRAW SWORDS, a word of command in the sword exercise of the cavalry. The drawing of swords is performed in Ist, Bring the right hand 3 motions. smartly across the body to the sword knot, which being placed on the wrist, and secured by giving the hand a couple of turns inwards, seize the hilt of the sword. 2d. Draw the sword with an extended arm; sink the hand till the hilt of the sword is immediately againt the left nip, le, the blade of the sword perpendicu lar,and the back of the hand outwards. 3d. Bring down the hilt till in a line with the bridle hard, the blade perpendicular, the edge turned towards the horse's left ear.

Officers of infantry, when the men are under arms, draw their swords without waiting for any word of command.

To DRAW off, to retire.
To DRAW on, to advance.

To D AW out, to call the soldiers forth in array for action.

To DRAW up, to form in battle array. DRAW bridge. See BRIDGE. DRAWING, in a military sense, is the art of representing the appearances of all kinds of military objects by imitation, or copying, both with and without the assistance of mathematical rules.

DRESS-military. The clothing of the army is generally called regimentals, every part of which should facilitate, and not hinder, the various motions of the manual exercise. A soldier, without regard to fashion or taste (to use the words of a modern author) should be dressed in the most comfortable and least embarrassing manner possible; and the keeping him warm, and leaving him the entire use of his limbs, are objects always to be had in view.

To DRESS, in a military sense, is to keep the body in such a relative position, as to contribute towards, and form a part of, an exact continuity of line, upon whatever front, or in whatever shape, the battalion may be formed. Soldiers dress by one another in ranks, and the body collectively dresses by some given object.

the recruits in performing the manual and platoon exercise, &c. This is sometimes ordered as a punishment to those who are perfect in their exercise, when a battalion, company, or indivi ual has done something to merit exposure.

DRIVERS of baggage or artillery, men who drive the baggage, artillery, and stores, having no other duty in he army.

DRUM, is a martial musical instrument in the form of a cylinder, hollow within, and covered at the two ends with vellum, which is stretched or slackened at pleasure, by means of small cords and slidin leathers. This instrument is used both by infantry and artillery; which is done in several manners, either to give notice to the troops of what they are to do, or to demand liberty to make some proposal to an enemy. Every company of foot or artillery, has two or more drums, according to the effective strength of the party. The drum was first invented by Bacchus, who, as Polyenus reports, fighting against the Indians, gave the signal of battle with cymbals and drums; and the Saracens, who invaded Christendom, introduced the drum into the European armies. The various beats are as follow, among the British.

The general, is to give notice to the troops that they are to march.

The assembly, to order the troops to The troop, 3 repair to the place of rendezvous, or to their colors.

The march, to command them to move, always with the left foot first.

DRESSING of a battalion after the balt, is to bring all its relative parts in a line with the point, or object, towards which it was directed to move. Whatever correction is necessary, must be made by advancing or retiring the flanks, and not by moving the centre; which, hav-quarters. ing beco the guide in the march, has properly stopped at the point where it has arrived.

DRESSING of a battalion when it is to retire, is to have some intelligent officer placed thirty paces in the rear, so as to stand perpendicular to the front directing serjeant, by whom the direction of the march is to be ascertained, as the officer will, of course, be in the line, or nearly so, of the directing serjeants.

DRESSER, Fr. Ste to DRESS. DRINKING to excess in the army is at all times highly criminal, but upon service it ought never to be overlooked; and the consequence will be a trial by a court martial. It has been productive of almost innumerable mischiefs, and is a most detestable and horrid practice. Whatever commissioned officer shall be found drunk on his guard, party, or other duty, under arms, shall be cashiered; any noncommissioned officer or soldier, so offending, shall suffer such corporal punishment as shall be inflicted by the sentence of a court martial. Art. of Mar.

To DRILL, to teach young recruits the first principles of military movements and positions, &c.

To be sent to D. ILL, to be placed under the commau e re drill officer, or noncommissioned officer, and made to join

Tat-too, to order all to retire to their

The reveille, always beats at break of day, and is to warn the soldiers to rise, and the centinels to forbear challenging, and to ive 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, is a signal to demand
The chama le,} some conference with

the enemy.

DRUM, or DRUMMER, 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 re giment 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.

DUELLING was 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.

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 publica. tion 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 everGiven at our court, at Blois, the eighth of February, 420, in the second year of our reign."

DUELLING was 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, formning 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 the duledge plate.

"WHEREAS it 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 DUMB-BELLS, weights which were vain, and the impudent, insult the care-used in drilling the soldier, who held ful, 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 inatters of more general concern) is be- The following method of exercising come honorable, and the refusal to engage recruits with the dumb-bells, is extractin it ignominious. In these our royaled from a work entitled Military Instrucpares and inquiries, we are yet farther made to understand, that the persons of most eminent worth, of most hopeful

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.

tion.

The dumb-bells being placed one on

R