Part 134

FAULX, Fr. an instrument nearly resembling a scythe. It is often used to defend a breach, or to prevent an enemy from scaling the walls of a fortified place. This weapon was first resorted to with some success, when Louis the XIV. besieged Mons. On the surrender of that town, the besiegers found large quantities of faulx, or scythes in the garrison.

FAUSSE-BRAIE. See FAUSSE BRAYE.

FAUSSE-BRAYE, in fortification, is a low rampart encircling the body of the place; its height is about 3 feet above the level ground, and its parapet about three or four toises from that of the body of the place. These works have been entirely rejected by the modern engineers, excepting M. Vauban, who makes them only before the curtains; and then they are called more properly tenailles.

FEATHERS, are ornamental marks worn by officers and soldiers in their caps or hats. The following distinctions are made, and directed by authority to be observed in the British service. In the royal artillery, both officers and men, have white feathers. The cavalry and battalion corps scarlet and white; the grenadiers all white, and the light-infantry all green.

FEDERATE. See CONFEDERATE.

FEES, are sums of money claimed by persons in office, and to the payment of which every British officer is subject. Fees are paid at the British war office for different commissions, and are charged to their respective owners by the army agents.

FEINT, a mock attack, or assault, often made to conceal the true one.

FELLOES, or FELLIES, in artillery, are the parts of a wheel which form its circumference. The dimensions of fellies of British wheels are as follow: for a 24-pounder, 5 inches thick, and 6.5 inches broad; for a 12-pounder, 4.5 inches thick, and 6 inches broad; for a 6-pounder, 4 inches thick, and 5.5 inches broad, &c. made of dry elm. There are generally 6 in each wheel. See WHEEL.

FELLOW soldier one who fights under the same commander, a comrade. Dr. Johnson very properly calls this term an endearing appellation used by officers, to their soldiers. The French use an equivalent expression, camarade, or comrade; the officers also call the soldiers mes enfans, my boys or my children. The toils and perils, in fact of a military life, are so many, that an army fighting under the same banners may be truly called one family, and every officer should look upon himself as the father, the guardian, and the protector of his men.

FENCE, a guard, security, outwork, &c.

To FENCE, to practice with foils; to fight with swords; to secure any place by pallisades, &c.

FENCIBLE, any thing capable of defence. Such regiments as are raised for limited service, and for a limited time, are called fencible regiments. They rank junior to the line.

FENCING, is the art or science of making a proper use of the sword, as well for attacking an enemy, as for defending one’s self. Fencing is a genteel exercise, of which no military gentleman should be ignorant. It is learned by practising with steel foils. See FOILS.

Fencing is either simple, or compound. Simple is that which is performed nimbly, and off hand, on the same line. In this the principal intention, in respect to the offensive part, should be to attack the enemy in the most unguarded quarter; and in the defensive, to parry or ward off the enemy’s thrusts or blows.

Attitude, in FENCING, the head upright, though the body hath a forward inclination on a longe; and all the weight resting on the left haunch when on guard. The feet, hand, body, arm, and sword, must be to the line.

Appel, in FENCING, is a sudden beat of your blade, on the contrary side to that you join your adversary on, and a quick disengagement to that side again.

Beating, in FENCING, is when you parry with a sudden short beat, to get a quick repost; or when you beat with your foot, to try if you are firm on it, or on both feet.

Battering, in FENCING, is to strike the feeble of your adversary’s blade on the side opposite to that you join, &c.

Back-quarte, is a parade of a late invention, and is a round quarte over the arm.

Cave, in FENCING, is a tierce on a quarte side, also the thrust of a prime, or a seconde, at the low quarte side.

Darting, in FENCING, to defend a blow with some contraction of your arm, and to dart a thrust right forward.

Feint forward, in FENCING, made by advancing your point a little from its line and coming to it again.

Guard, in FENCING, is any of the parades you stand on.

On guard, is being placed properly on your feet, and well covered with your weapon.

Lurching, in FENCING, to make an opening, to invite your adversary to thrust at you, when you, being ready, may find a favorable repost at him.

Locking, in FENCING, is to seize your adversary’s sword arm by twining your left arm round it, after you close your parade, shell to shell, in order to disarm him.

Guards in carte, tierce, implies the putting of the body and sword in such a state of defence, as to prevent the antagonist from wounding you, by either of the thrusts so denominated. These are the principal positions on which to engage. The others, viz. prime, seconde, quinte, half-circle, &c. are termed parades, when used with the small sword.

Hanging-guard, one of the broad-sword guards. See BROAD-SWORD.