Part 143

A cubic FOOT, is the same measure in all the three dimensions, length, breadth, and thickness; containing 12 × 12 = 144 × 12 = 1728 cubic inches. The foot is of different length in different countries. The Paris royal foot exceeds the English by 9 lines; the ancient Roman foot of the capitol consisted of 4 palms = 11⁴⁄₁₀ English inches; and the Rhineland or Leyden foot, by which the northern nations go, is to the Roman foot as 950 to 1000. The proportions of the principal feet of several nations are as follow. The English foot divided into 1000 parts, or into 12 inches, the other feet will be as follow:

PLACES. 1000 feet. inch. lines. parts ---------------------------------------------- London foot 1000 -- 12 -- Amsterdam 942 -- 11 3 Antwerp 946 -- 11 2 Bologna 1204 1 2 4 Berlin 1010 1 -- 2 Bremen 964 -- 11 6 Cologne 954 -- 11 4 Copenhagen 965 -- 11 6 Dantzic 944 -- 11 3 Dort 1184 1 2 2 Frankfort on the Main 948 -- 11 4 The Greek 1007 1 -- 1 Mantua 1569 1 6 8 Mechlin 999 -- 11 -- Middlebourg 991 -- 11 9 Paris Royal 1068 1 -- 9 Prague 1026 1 -- 3 Rhineland 1033 1 -- 4 Riga 1831 1 9 9 Roman 967 -- 11 6 Old Roman 970 -- 11 8 Scotch 1005 1 -- ⁵⁄₇ Strasbourg 920 -- 11 -- Madrid 899 -- 10 7 Lisbon 1060 1 -- 6 Turin 1062 1 -- 7 Venice 1162 1 1 9

To be on the SAME FOOTING with another, is to be under the same circumstances in point of service; to have the same number of men, and the same pay, &c.

To gain or lose ground FOOT by FOOT, is to do it regularly and resolutely; defending every thing to the utmost extremity, or forcing it by dint of art or labor.

FOOT-bank, in fortification. See BANQUETTE.

FORAGE, in the art of war, implies hay, straw, and oats, for the subsistence of the army horses. This forage is divided into rations, one of which is a day’s allowance for a horse, and contains 20 lb. of hay, 10 lb. of oats and 5 lb. of straw.

Dry FORAGE, oats, hay, &c. which are delivered out of magazines to a garrison, or to troops when they take the field, before the green forage is sufficiently grown to be cut or gathered.

Green FORAGE, oats, hay, &c. that have been recently cut. It likewise means meadow pasture, into which horses are turned.

When the British cavalry are stationed in barracks, the number of rations of forage to be issued to the horses of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers is not to exceed what follows, and is to be confined to those which are actually effective in the barracks.

Rations. Field officers, having 4 effective horses 4 Captains, having 3 ditto 3 Subalterns and staff officers, having 2 ditto 2 Quarter masters, each 1 Non-commissioned officers and private men, each 1

For each of which rations a stoppage is to be made of 8¹⁄₂d. per diem.

On foreign service this article is governed by circumstances.

FORCE, an armament or warlike preparation.

FORCE, in a military sense, any body of troops collected together for warlike enterprize.

Effective FORCES. All the efficient parts of an army that may be brought into action are called effective, and generally consist of artillery, cavalry, and infantry, with their necessary appendages such as hospital staff, waggon-train, artificers and pioneers: the latter, though they cannot be considered as effective fighting men, constitute so far a part of effective forces, that no army could maintain the field without them.

Effective FORCES of a country. All the disposable strength, vigour and activity of any armed proportion of native or territorial population. The navy of Great Britain must be looked upon as part of the effective force of England, to which is added the body of marines.

Distribution of the effective FORCES of a country. Under this head may be considered, not only the effective forces which might engage an enemy, but likewise those included in the several returns that are made from home to foreign stations to the war office, and out of which a grand total is formed to correspond with the estimates that are annually laid before the government.

To FORCE is to take by storm; also to man the works of a garrison.

To FORCE an enemy to give battle. To render the situation of an enemy so hazardous, that whether he attempt to quit his position, or endeavor to keep it, his capture or destruction must be equally inevitable. In either of which desperate cases, a bold and determined general will not wait to be attacked, but resolutely advance and give battle; especially if circumstances should combine to deprive him of the means of honorable capitulation. This can only be safely effected, by having previously disposed your own forces so as to defy any impression on his part, and by subsequent able manœuvres to have it in your power to foil his attack.

To FORCE a passage. To oblige your enemy to retire from his fastnesses, and to open a way into the country which he had occupied. This may be done either by coup de main, or renewal of assaults. In either case, the advancing body should be well supported and its flanks be secured with the most jealous attention.

FORCING an adversary’s guard or blade, a term used in the science of broadsword.

“If at any time your antagonist appears languid and weak on his guard, and barely covers his body on the side he is opposed; by stepping well forward, and striking the fort of your sword smartly on his blade, you may be enabled to deliver a cut without risk, even at the part he intends to secure, taking care to direct your blade in such a manner, that the plate or cross bar of your hilt shall prevent his sword from coming forward.”

Art of defence on foot.

FORCEPS, an instrument used in chirurgery, to extract any thing out of wounds or to take hold of dead or corrupt flesh, to amputate. It is made somewhat in the shape of a pair of tongs or pincers, with grappling ends. Every regimental surgeon, or assistant surgeon, should have a pair among his set of instruments.

FORD. The shallow part of a river where soldiers may pass over without injuring their arms.

FORE-RANK, first rank, front.

FOREIGN service, in a general sense, means every service but home. In a more confined and native acceptation of the term, it signifies any service done out of the limits of the United States, or the dependent territories.

FOREIGN troops, in an English acceptation, regiments or companies which are composed of aliens, as the Hessians in the American revolution. Before the present war, no foreigner could bear a commission in the British service, or be enlisted as a soldier.