Part 289

Light-armed MARKSMEN, men that are armed and accoutred for very active and desultory service. See RIFLEMEN.

Austrian volunteer MARKSMEN, a corps which has been formed in the hereditary dominions of the emperor of Germany, and is daily increasing by recruits and volunteers from the Tyrol, &c. The success which has uniformly attended the French Tirailleurs in all their actions, has induced other nations to pay great attention to the formation of similar corps.

MARLINS, in artillery, are tarred white skains, or long wreaths or lines of untwisted hemp, dipped in pitch or tar, with which cables and other ropes are wrapped round, to prevent their fretting and rubbing in the blocks or pullies through which they pass. The same serves in artillery upon ropes used for rigging gins, usually put up in small parcels called skains.

MARON, Fr. a piece of brass or copper, about the size of a crown, on which the hours for going the rounds were marked, in the old French service. Several of these were put into a small bag, and deposited in the hands of the major of the regiment, out of which they were regularly drawn by the serjeants of companies, for the officers belonging to them. The hours and half hours of the night were engraved upon each maron in the following manner--Ronde de dix heures, de dix heures et demie. The ten o’clock rounds, or those of the half hour past ten.

These pieces were numbered 1, 2, &c. to correspond with the several periods of the nights; so that the officers for instance, who was to go the ten o’clock rounds, had as many marons marked 10, as there were posts or guard-houses which he was directed to visit. Thus on reaching the first, after having given the mot, or watchword to the corporal, (who, whilst he receives it, must keep the naked point of his sword or bayonet close to the chest of the person who gives it) he delivers into his hands the maron marked 1. These marons being pierced in the middle, are successively strung by the different corporals upon a piece of wire, from which they slide into a box called boîte aux rondes, or box belonging to the rounds. This box is carried next morning to the major, who keeps the key: and who on opening it, can easily ascertain whether the rounds have been regularly gone, by counting the different marons, and seeing them successively strung. This is certainly a most excellent invention to prevent a neglect of duty in officers, or non-commissioned officers.

MARON d’artifice, Fr. a species of firework, which is made with a piece of pasteboard in the shape of a parallelogram, one side of which is as five to three, so that fifteen squares equal among themselves may be made, three on one side, and five on the other; these are folded into the form of a die or cube, and filled with gunpowder. The effect produced by this firework is extremely beautiful.

MARQUE, or Letters of Marque, in military affairs, are letters of reprisal, granting the people of one state liberty to make reprisals on those of another. See LETTERS of MARQUE.

MARQUEE, a word corrupted from the French marquise, signifying a tent or cover made of strong canvas or Russia-duck, which is thrown over another tent, and serves to keep out rain. Its primitive etymology may be traced to marquis, or marchio, whence marchers, and marches.

The complete weight of a marquée is 1 cwt. 17lbs. ridge pole, 7 feet; standard 8 feet.

MARQUER le pas, to mark time.

MARQUER un camp, Fr. to prick out the lines of an encampment.

MARQUIS, marquess, marchio, margrave, a title of honor given by letter patent to a person who holds a middle rank between the dignity of a duke and that of an earl. This word, like margrave, is derived from the high Dutch, or from the French marche, a limit, as the guard of the frontiers was entrusted to a marquis. The title itself is originally French, and was first known under Charlemagne. King Richard the second first introduced the dignity of marquis among the British, by creating Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, marquis of Dublin; but it was a title without any office annexed to it.

MARQUISE, Fr. See MARQUEE.

Tendre une MARQUISE, Fr. to pitch a marquée.

MARQUISE, Fr. This word likewise means a species of fusée volante, which see.

MARS. According to the heathen mythology, the god of war was so called. The French frequently use the word in a figurative sense, viz. Les travaux de Mars, the labors or exploits of Mars; le métier de Mars, the military profession.

MARSAGLIA; near Turin in Italy, at the battle of 24th September, 1693, Catinat defeated prince Eugene and the duke of Savoy; this battle and place are memorable for being the first at which bayonets were used at the ends of musquets, and to this the French owed the victory.

The MARSEILLOIS, or Marseilles hymn, a national march adopted by the French during the course of their revolution, and since regularly played in their armies when they go to battle. It is frequently accompanied, or rather succeeded by the Cá Ira, a quick lively tune; the former being calculated for slow or ordinary time, and the latter for quick movements.

MARSHAL, Field-MARSHAL, in its primitive signification means an officer who has the care and charge of horses; but it is now applied to officers who have very different employments.--In a military sense, it means the commander in chief of all the forces. It is likewise given as an honorary rank to general officers who have no immediate command. See GENERAL.

MARSHAL of France, was an officer of the greatest dignity in the French army. It was first established by Philip-August, in the year 1185.

The French military institutions under the empire, has an establishment of marshals, which is a title of military honor given to generals of pre-eminent merit.

PROVOST-MARSHAL, an executive officer, whose duty is to see punishments put in force, when soldiers are condemned to death, or are to be otherwise chastised. Every army is provided with a provost-marshal general, who has several deputies under him. By the last general regulations it has been ordained, that in case the army should take the field in Great Britain, a deputy provost-marshal will be appointed to each district. The provost, under those circumstances, will frequently make the tour of the camp, and its environs, and will have orders to seize such persons as are committing disorders.

The provost-marshal will be particularly directed, in making his rounds, to execute the awful punishment which the military law awards against plundering and marauding.

And in order to assist him in the discovery of such persons as may be guilty of those offences, the regiments encamped nearest villages, will send frequent patroles into them, to apprehend such persons, as may be there without passes, or who having passes, may behave improperly.

If any soldier is base enough to attempt to desert to the enemy, he will suffer immediate death.

Any person forcing a safeguard will suffer death.

These punishments will attach equally to the followers of the camp, as to soldiers, and must be explained to them by the officers commanding the regiments by which such followers are employed.

The articles of war have decreed punishments for the following offences:--