Part 273

MANIGLIONS, the two handles on the back of a piece of ordnance. See CANNON.

MANIPLE. See MANIPULUS.

MANIPULARIS (manipulaire,) Fr. from MANIPLE, a handful or bottle of straw. The chief officer in a part of the Roman infantry called manipulus, was so called. This officer was likewise ordinary, ordinaire, Fr.

MANIPULA, Fr.. See MANIPULUS.

MANIPULE Pyrotechnique, Fr. a certain quantity of iron or brass petards, which may be thrown by the hand upon an enemy. These petards and the method of making them, are particularly described by Casini in his work on artillery. See PETARDS.

MANIPULUS (manipule, Fr.) A small body of infantry originally so called among the Romans, during the reign of Romulus. Their ensign was a hand on the end of a staff.

It consisted of one hundred men, and in the days of the consuls and first Cæsars, of two hundred. Three manipuli constituted a Roman cohort. Each manipulus was commanded by two officers called centurions, one of whom acted as lieutenant to the other. A centurion among the Romans, may be considered in the same light, as we view a captain of a company in modern service. Every manipulus made two centuries or Ordines. This, however, cannot be said to have been the uniform establishment or formation of the manipulus; for according to Varro and Vegetius, it was the smallest body of men employed in the Roman armies, and composed the tenth part of a century. Spartian in his life of Sexennius Niger, says, it consisted only of ten soldiers. We have already observed, that it takes its name from manipulus, which signifies a handful of straw; the latter having been fixed to a long pole to serve as a rallying signal, before the eagles were adopted. This circumstance has given rise to the modern expression, a handful of men, une poignée de gens. Vegetius, on the other hand says, it comes from manus, which signified a small body or handful of men collected together, and following the same standard; and Modestus as well as Varro, state it to have been so called, because, when they went into action, they took one another by the hand, or fought all together. A French writer conceives, that manipulus may be considered as one of those parts of a modern battalion, which are distributed in different rooms, &c. and which is called une chambrée, or a company that messes together.

MANIPULUS, so called from its standard or flag, which was made of cloth, and hung suspended on a staff with a hand. The manipulus was distinguished in this manner from the chief standard of each legion, which was an eagle of massive metal.

MANOEUVRE, (Manoeuvre, Fr.) Manœuvres of war consist chiefly in habituating the soldier to a variety of evolutions, to accustom him to different movements, and to render his mind familiar with the nature of every principle of offensive or defensive operation. The regular manœuvres of the British army have been reduced to nineteen, though these are not competent to every exigency of service the skilful officer will know how to manœuvre as the ground he is upon requires.

The word manœuvre is frequently used in the French artillery to express the method with which a piece of ordnance or mortar is raised and placed upon its carriage by several hands, assisted by the crab or any other machine. In a general acceptation of the term, manœuvre means that mechanical process by which any weight is lifted.

To MANŒUVRE, is to manage any body or armed force in such a manner as to derive sudden and unexpected advantages before the enemy, from a superior talent in military movements. It consists in distributing equal motion to every part of a body of troops, to enable the whole to form, or change their position, in the most expeditious and best method, to answer the purposes required of a battalion, brigade, or line of cavalry, infantry, or artillery.

The use of all manœuvres and of all discipline is the same, to habituate men to the word of command, to perform what is commanded, and in the shortest time, in the best manner. The idea therefore of reducing manœuvres to 18 or 19, or any given number, manifests a misconception of the military art, that is truly surprizing; for it must be perceived by a practical man, that the principles of all manœuvres are few and simple; although manœuvres are as susceptible of infinite variety and of real use, as arithmetical numbers. The ability of the officer is shewn in the choice of manœuvre, and its adaptation to the ground manœuvred upon, the end proposed to be obtained by the manœuvre, the position of the enemy, and the exactness and celerity with which it is performed. The great perfection of manœuvre is when troops at a single word of command perform movements of different kinds at the same instant, but all to accomplish the same object; that is to accomplish together the end proposed by the commander. Soldiers should be so exercised as to be competent to move in any manner or direction on the instant; a fixt number of manœuvres is calculated to defeat this end. The Austrians have attempted to follow the French, and practise their methods of manœuvre, which are not so much for parade as for practice. In the United States, the prejudice against, or the ignorance of manœuvre is excessive.

It has always been lamented, that men have been brought on service without being acquainted with the uses of the different manœuvres they have been practising; and having no ideas of any thing but the uniformity of the parade, instantly fall into disorder and confusion when they lose the step, or see a deviation from the straight lines they have been accustomed to at exercise. It is a pity to see so much attention confined to show, and so little given to instruct the troops in what may be of use to them on real service.

Manœuvre when executed in the presence of the enemy, must be protected by some light troops, riflemen or horse artillery.

Grand MANŒUVRE de Guerre, Fr. This expression is peculiarly French, and may be said to signify the dispositions of war upon a large scale. According to marshal Saxe these dispositions consist chiefly in drawing troops up in such a manner, that the cavalry and infantry may support each other; but he objects to that arrangement by which companies or platoons of infantry are intermixed with squadrons of horse; for, as he justly observes, if the latter should be beaten, the foot soldiers must unavoidably be thrown into confusion by the enemy’s cavalry, and be cut to pieces. For further particulars on this important article, see Saxe’s Reveries, where he treats of La Grande Manœuvre de Guerre, and the supplement to them by baron d’Espagnac, page 69.

Warlike MANOEUVRES, (Manoeuvres de Guerre, Fr.) Warlike manoeuvres, or the different exercises, &c. by which men are taught the military profession: these exercises, from the earliest periods of history, have been infinitely diversified. Vegetius, an ancient writer, remarks, that the Romans, in order to enure their raw troops to the fatigues of war, had specific regulations drawn up, by which every recruit was regularly practised in martial exercises. These regulations were originally formed during the existence of their republic, and were afterwards confirmed by the emperors Augustus and Adrian.

It was particularly ordained, that the cavalry as well as the infantry should be walked out (être mené à la promenade) three times every month. The foot were obliged to go ten miles beyond the lines of their encampment. On these occasions they were originally drawn up. But their movements both in going and returning were frequently altered; being sometimes obliged to march at a moderate rate, and at others to increase their pace and run. The same regulation held good with respect to the cavalry, which was armed and divided into certain proportions, called turmæ. The troops on horseback went the same distance, and practised different evolutions on the road. Sometimes advancing to attack, and at others suddenly wheeling round, to return to the charge with greater impetuosity. These exercises were not, however, confined to open roads, or a level country: both horse and foot were frequently ordered to make their way through intricate passes, over cragged hills, &c. and to accustom themselves to every possible obstacle that might occur in military movements.

This species of manoeuvre or practising exercise, has at last obtained in modern times. It was till lately thought sufficient to teach a raw recruit the use of the firelock, and to make him master of a certain number of movements, by the knowlege of which he was held fit to make a part of a well disciplined corps. How to march against and attack an enemy, or to meet his attack with skill and steadiness; these principally constituted the system of modern manoeuvres, and are better understood by the name of evolutions. In the British service there is a specific number of manoeuvres or evolutions to which every regiment must conform, and with the particular practice of which every officer and soldier must be made intimately acquainted. See Am. Mil. Library.

MANOEUVRER, Fr. To manoeuvre. This verb in the French language may be applied two ways; as, manoeuvrer les voiles, to manage the sails and tackle of a vessel.

MANOEUVRER des Troupes, to make soldiers go through their different manoeuvres. Ces troupes ont bien manoeuvré, those soldiers have ably manoeuvred.

Bien ou mal MANOEUVRER, Fr. signifies to manoeuvre well or ill; as, un tel gênéral ou officier a bien manoeuvré à tel passage, à tel endroit, such a general manoeuvred well at such a passage or quarter: mais un tel à mal manoeuvré à la defense ou à l’attaque de tel poste, but such an officer manoeuvred extremely ill in his defence or attack of such a post. The word manoeuvre is originally derived from the Latin Manûs Opus.

MANOEUVRIER, Fr. any officer who is perfectly acquainted with the art of manoeuvring.

MANOEUVRIER, Fr. A sea phrase, which is frequently used among the French, to signify that an officer not only understands all the different words of command, but can thoroughly manoeuvre his ship. It is common to say, il est un des meilleurs manoeuvriers qui soient sur mer, he is one of the ablest sea officers in the service.

MANTEAU, Fr. This word, which literally signifies a cloak, is frequently used among the French to express the covering that hussars or light infantry troops carry for the double purpose of shielding their bodies from the inclemencies of the weather in outposts, &c. and for spreading over their heads, by means of poles, when they occasionally halt, and take a position.

MANTELETS, in a military sense, are either single or double, composed of great planks of wood, of about 5 feet high, and 3 inches thick. The single ones are sometimes covered with tin, made musquet-proof, which the pioneers generally roll before them, being fixed upon wheels, to cover them from the enemy’s fire, in opening the trenches, or carrying on the sap, &c. The double ones form an angle, and stand square, making two fronts, which cover both the front and flank of the sappers, &c. when at work: these have double planks with earth rammed in between them: they are 5 feet high and 3 in breadth, sometimes covered with plates of iron; they may with propriety be called a moving parapet, having a shaft to guide them by.

MANTONET, Fr. A small piece of wood or iron, which is notched, for the purpose of hanging any thing upon it. The pegs in soldier’s rooms are sometimes so called.

MANUAL.--In a general acceptation of the word, means any thing done by the hand.

MANUAL Exercise, in the British service, is the exercise of the musquet, independent of powder and ball, and consists in seven motions of the firelock; 5 of which are essentially different from each other, viz. order arms, fix bayonets, shoulder arms, present arms, shoulder arms, charge bayonets, and shoulder arms.