Part 122

ENROLLED, ENROLLMENT, See INLISTED.

ENSCONCE, to cover as with a fort.

ENSEIGNE, Fr. the colors, originally derived from the Latin word Insignire. The French designate all warlike symbols under the term enseigne; but they again distinguish that word by the appellations of drapeaux, colors, and étendarts, standards. Drapeaux or colors are particularly characteristic of the infantry; étendarts or standards belong to the cavalry. We make the same distinctions in our service. See COLORS.

ENSEIGNE de vaisseau, Fr. The lowest commissioned officer in the French navy.

ENSHIELD, to cover from the enemy.

ENSIFORM, having the shape of a sword.

ENSIGN, in the military art, a banner, under which the soldiers are ranged according to the different regiments they belong to. See COLORS.

ENSIGN, or ensign-bearer, is an officer who carries the colors being the lowest commissioned officer in a company of foot, subordinate to the captain and lieutenant. The word ensign is very ancient, being used both by the Greeks and Romans, and amongst both foot and horse. Ensigns belonging to the foot, were either the common ones of the whole legion, or the particular ones of the manipuli. The common ensign of the whole legion was an eagle of gold or silver, fixed on the top of a spear, holding a thunderbolt in his talons as ready to deliver it. That this was not peculiar to the Romans, is evident from the testimony of Xenophon, who informs us, that the royal ensign of Cyrus was a golden eagle spread over a shield, and fastened on a spear, and that the same was still used by the Persian kings. In the rustic age of Rome, the ensigns were nothing more than a wisp of hay carried on a pole, as the word manipulus properly signifies. The ensign of the cavalry was a dragon; but there were some of cloth, somewhat like our colors, distended on a staff; on which the names of the emperors were generally depicted. The religious care the soldiers took of their ensigns, was extraordinary: they worshipped them, swore by them (as at present several European powers do) and incurred certain death if they lost them. The Turks and Tartars make use of horses tails for their ensigns, whose number distinguishes the rank of their commanders; for the Sultan has 7, and the Grand Vizier only 3, &c.

ENTERPRIZE, in military history, an undertaking attended with some hazard and danger.

ENTERPRISER, an officer who undertakes or engages in any important and hazardous design. This kind of service frequently happens to the light infantry, light horse, and hussars.

ENTIRE, or rank ENTIRE, a line of men in one continued row on the side of each other. When behind each other, they are said to be in file. See INDIAN files.

ENTONNOIR, Fr. the cavity or hole which remains after the explosion of a mine. It likewise means the tin-case or port-feu which is used to convey the priming powder into the touch-hole of a cannon.

ENTREPOSTS, Fr. magazines and places appropriated in garrison towns for the reception of stores, &c. In a mercantile sense it means an intermediate public warehouse, where goods were deposited, and from whence they might be forwarded to different quarters within or beyond the immediate confines of a country.

ENTREPRENEUR, Fr. See CONTRACTOR.

ENVELOPE, in fortification, a work of earth, sometimes in form of a single parapet, and at others like a small rampart: it is raised sometimes in the ditch, and sometimes beyond it. Envelopes are sometimes en zic-zac, to inclose a weak ground, where that is practicable, with single lines, to save the great charge of horn works, crown works, and tenailles, or where room is wanting for such large works. These sort of works are to be seen at Besancon, Douay, Luxembourg, &c. Envelopes in a ditch are sometimes called sillons, contregardes, conserves, lunettes, &c. which words see.

To ENVIRON, to surround in a hostile manner, to hem in, to besiege.

EPAULE, in fortification, denotes the shoulder of a bastion, or the place where its face and flank meet, and form the angle, called the angle of the shoulder. See FORTIFICATION.

EPAULEMENT, in fortification, is a kind of breast work to cover the troops in front, and sometimes in flank. In a siege, the besiegers generally raise an epaulement of 8 or 10 feet high, near the entrance of the approaches, to cover the cavalry, which is placed there to support the guard of the trenches. These works are sometimes made of filled gabions, or fascines and earth. This term is frequently used for any work thrown up to defend the flank or a post, or any other place. It is sometimes taken for a demi-bastion, and at other times for a square orillon to cover the cannon of a casemate. See FORTIFICATION.

EPAULETTES, are shoulder knots, worn by officers; those for the officers are made of gold or silver lace, with rich fringe and bullions, those of non-commissioned are of cotton or worsted. They are badges of distinction worn on one or both shoulders. When a serjeant or corporal is publicly reduced, the shoulder-knot is cut off by the drum major in the front or circle of the battalion.

Among the French, all the degrees of rank, from a cadet to a general officer, were so minutely marked out by the epaulette, that a common centinel might instantly know what officer approached his station, and could pay the prescribed honors without hesitation or mistake.

All officers above the rank of captain wear two in the United States army and militia; captains wear one on the right shoulder: lieutenants and ensigns on the left; serjeants and corporals wear as captains and lieutenants.

Epaulettes have been introduced into the British navy.

The following are the gradations of rank as distinguished by epaulettes.

Masters and commanders have one epaulette on the left shoulder.

Post captains under three years, one epaulette on the right shoulder.

And after having been post three years, two epaulettes.

Rear admirals have one star on the strap of the epaulette, vice admirals two stars, and admirals three stars.

EPEE, Fr. a sword.