Part 16

+---------------+-------+-------+---------------------------+ | |Length | Diam. | Balls weight for | | Nature. | of | of +-------------+-------------+ | |Barrel.| Bore. | Proof. | Service. | +---------------+-------+-------+-------------+-------------+ | |Ft. In.|Inches.|oz. dr. gr. |oz. dr. gr. | |Wall pieces | 4 6 | .98 | 2 8 8 | 2 5 7 | |Musquet | 3 6 | .76 | 1 6 11¹⁄₂| 1 1 12 | |Carbine | 3 0 | .61 | 0 14 13 | 0 12 11 | |Pistol, common | 1 2 | .58 | 0 8 15 | 0 7 4¹⁄₂| |Ditto, Carbine | 1 0 | .66 | 0 14 13 | 0 12 11 | |Rifle, the long| 3 6 | .55 | 0 9 0 | 0 8 0 | |Short Rifle | 3 2 | .58 | 0 10 8 | 0 10 0 | +---------------+-------+-------+-------------+-------------+

In a legal sense, arms may extend to any thing that a man wears for his own defence, or takes in his hand, and uses in anger, to strike, throw at, or wound another. It is supposed, that the first artificial arms were of wood, and only employed against beasts; and that Belus, the son of Nimrod, was the first that waged war; whence, according to some, came the appellation bellum. Diodorus Siculus takes Belus to be the same with Mars, who first trained soldiers up to battle. Arms of stone, and even of brass, appear to have been used before they came to iron and steel. Josephus assures us, that the patriarch Joseph first taught the use of iron arms in Egypt, arming the troops of Pharaoh with a casque and buckler.

The principal arms of the ancients were hatchets, scythes, lances, swords, and bucklers: the Saxons used the halberd, bow, arrows, cross-bow, &c. By the ancient laws of England, every man was obliged to bear arms, except the judges and clergy. Under Henry VIII. it was expressly enjoined on all persons to be regularly instructed, even from their tender years, in the exercise of the arms then in use, viz. the long bow and arrows; and to be provided with a certain number of them.

But by the common law of England now it is an offence for persons to go or ride armed with dangerous weapons; but gentlemen, both in and out of the army, may wear common armor, according to their quality.

ARMS of parade, or courtesy, were those used in the ancient justs and tournaments; which were commonly unshod lances, swords without edge or point, wooden swords, and even canes.

Bells of ARMS, or Bell Tents, a kind of tents in the shape of a cone, where a company’s arms are lodged in the field. They are generally painted with the colour of the facing of the regiment; they have gone much out of use.

Pass of ARMS, a kind of combat, when anciently one or more cavaliers undertook to defend a pass against all attacks.

Place of ARMS. See FORTIFICATION.

Stand of ARMS, a complete set of arms for one soldier.

ARMS, in artillery, are the two ends of an axletree. See Axletree, under the word CARRIAGE.

ARMY, a large number of soldiers, consisting of artillery, foot, riflemen, horse, dragoons, and hussars or light horse, completely armed, and provided with engineers, a train of artillery, ammunition, provisions, staff, forage, &c. and under the command of a general, having lieutenant-generals, major-generals, brigadier-generals, colonels, lieutenant-colonels, majors, captains, and subalterns, and the suitable staff to each portion. An army is composed of legions, or corps, brigades, regiments, battalions, and squadrons; and is generally divided into three or more co-operating corps, and formed into three lines; the first of which is called the front line, a part of which forms the van-guard; the second, the main body; and the third, the rear-guard, or corps of reserve. The centre of each line is generally possessed by the foot; the cavalry and light troops form the right and left wings of each line; and sometimes a squadron of horse is posted in the intervals between the battalions. When an army is drawn up in order of battle, the horse are frequently placed at five feet from each other, and the foot at three. In each line the battalions are distant from each other about 180 feet, which is nearly equal to the extent of their front; and the same rule holds good of the squadrons, which have about 300 feet distance, being the extent of their own front. These intervals are left for the squadrons and battalions of the second line to range themselves against the intervals of the first, that both may more readily march through those spaces to the enemy. The front line is generally about 300 feet from the centre line; and the centre line as much from the rear, or corps of reserve; that there may be sufficient room to rally when the squadrons or battalions are broken. European armies anciently were a sort of militia; composed chiefly of the vassals and tenants of the lords. When each company had served the number of days or months enjoined by their tenure, or the customs of the fees they held, they returned home.

Armies in general are distinguished by the following appellations--

The grand army.

A covering army.

A blockading army.

An army of observation.

An army of reserve.

A flying army.

The grand army, is that which is the principal of several armies acting at different points remote from each other.

An army is said to cover a place when it lies encamped or in cantonments for the protection of the different passes which lead to a principal object of defence.

An army is said to blockade a place, when, being well provided with heavy ordnance and other warlike means, it is employed to invest a town for the direct and immediate purpose of reducing it by assault or famine.

An ARMY of observation is so called because by its advanced positions and desultory movements it is constantly employed in watching the enemy.

An ARMY of reserve may not improperly be called a general depot for effective service. In cases of emergency the whole or detached parts of an army of reserve are generally employed to recover a lost day or to secure a victory. It is likewise sometimes made use of for the double purpose of secretly increasing the number of active forces and rendering the aid necessary according to the exigency of the moment, and of deceiving the enemy with respect to its real strength. Such was the army at Dijon, before Bonaparte entered Italy.

Flying ARMY, a strong body of horse and foot, commanded for the most part by a lieutenant-general, which is always in motion, both to cover its own garrisons, and to keep the enemy in continual alarm.

A naval or sea ARMY, is a number of ships of war, equipped and manned with sailors, mariners, and marines, under the command of a superior officer, with the requisite inferior officers under him.

ARNAUTS, Turkish light cavalry, whose only weapon was a sabre very much curved. Some are in the Russian service.

ARQUEBUSE a Croc, an old piece of fire-arms, resembling a musquet, but which is supported on a rest by a hook of iron, fastened to the barrel. It is longer than a musquet, but of larger calibre, and was formerly used to fire through the loop holes of antique fortifications.

ARQUEBUSIER, a French term, formerly applied to all the soldiery who fought with fire arms, whether cavalry or infantry.