Part 318

MOUILLAGE, Fr. Anchorage.

MOUILLER, Fr. To anchor. To let go the anchor.

MOULDS, for casting shot for guns, musquets, rifles, and pistols: the first are of iron, used by the founders, and the others by the artillery in the field, and in garrison.

Laboratory MOULDS, are made of wood, for filling and driving all sorts of rockets, and cartridges, &c.

MOULDINGS, of a gun or mortar, are all the eminent parts, as squares or rounds, which serve for ornaments: such as the breech-mouldings. The rings, &c. are also called mouldings.

MOULE. Fr. See MOULD.

MOULE de fusée volante, Fr. a piece of round wood used in fireworks.

MOULIN, Fr. a mill.

MOULIN à bras portatif, Fr. a species of hand-mill, which was invented in France by le Sieur de Lavault, and which has been found extremely useful to troops on service. Ten of these mills may be conveniently placed on one waggon.

MOUND, in old military books, is a term used for a bunk or rampart, or other defence, particularly that of earth.

MOUNTEE, an alarm to mount or go upon some warlike expedition.

Half or small MOUNTING. The shirt, shoes, stock, and hose, or stockings which were formerly furnished by the colonels or commandants of corps every year. This mode of distribution, which engendered a multiplicity of abuses, has been abolished in the British service: in lieu of which, a regulation has taken place, that (if honestly attended to) must be highly beneficial to the soldier.

In lieu of the small articles of clothing, which were annually given, by the colonels of regiments, to non-commissioned officers and private soldiers, and were called small or half mounting, two pairs of good shoes, of the value of five shillings and sixpence each, have been substituted. These shoes are to be provided in conformity to a pattern lodged at the office of the comptrollers of the accompts of the army; and patterns of the shoes are to be approved and sealed by the general officers of the clothing board, at the same time, and in like manner, as for the clothing: one pair is to be delivered out at the annual period of clothing, and the other pair at the end of six months from that time; and in order to prevent the injury that the shoes might sustain, from remaining a long time in store in the East and West Indies, they are to be forwarded to corps on those stations at two different periods, instead of sending the whole quantity with the clothing.

Should the price of good shoes at any time exceed five shillings and sixpence per pair, the difference, which shall be declared by the clothing board at their first meeting on, or after the 25th of April in each year, is to be charged to the respective accompts of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers receiving them, but with respect to the 5th battalion of the 60th regiment, the difference is to be taken between four shillings and sixpence paid by the colonel, and the actual price declared as above mentioned.

The allowances, directed to be given by the colonels, in lieu of the former small articles, called half mounting, are to be regularly credited to the men, and to be expended for their use, in such articles as are suitable to the respective climates in which they are serving.

Non-commissioned officers and soldiers of infantry, dying or discharged before the completion of a full year, from the usual day of delivering the annual clothing of their regiments, have no demand whatever on account thereof.

A recruit, who comes into the regiment after the proper time of the delivery of the clothing, is entitled to a pair of shoes at the next delivery of that article.

The compensation money to be given to each servant in the infantry in lieu of half-mounting is 0 14 0 To each corporal, drummer, and private, 0 11 0

To MOUNT, is a word variously made use of in military matters, as

To MOUNT Cannon. To place any piece of ordnance on its frame, for the more easy carriage and management of it in firing. Hence to dismount is to take cannon from any serviceable position.

To MOUNT a breach, to run up in a quick, and determined manner to any breach made in a wall, &c.

To MOUNT guard, to do duty in a town of garrison, in a camp, or at out quarters.

To MOUNT, to place on horseback, to furnish with horses; as, twelve thousand men have been well mounted, without any considerable expence to the country. A cavalry regiment may be said to be well or ill mounted; in either of which cases, the commanding officer is generally blameable or praise-worthy.

To mount likewise signifies the act of getting on horseback, according to prescribed military rules: as, to prepare to mount, is when the left hand files move their horses forward in the manner described under unlink your horses. The dragoons put their firelocks into the buckets, and buckle them on, doubling the strap twice round the barrel, come to the front of the horses, fasten the links, throw them over the horses’ heads with the left hand round the horses’ heads, take their swords, and buckle them tight into the belt, take the bit reins up, then take a lock of the mane, and put it into the left hand, the left foot into the stirrup, and the right hand on the cantle of the saddle, waiting for the word mount; when they spring smartly up, and look to the right of the rear. At the next signal, they must throw the leg well over the valise and place themselves well in the saddle, with the right hand leaning on the off holster. The men must be careful not to check the horses with the bits in mounting. In mounting and dismounting, the files that move forward must take care to keep their horses straight, and at the prescribed distances from each other; and when mounting, as soon as the gloves are on, belts right, &c. the left files must dress well to the right, putting the horses straight, and leaving distance enough for the right files to come in.

To MOUNT a gun, is either to put the unit to its carriage, or else when in the carriage, to raise the mouth higher.

MOUNTAINS, called Great and Little St. Bernard. A part of the Alps, situated in the Glacieres of Switzerland, which has been rendered famous in modern history by the passage of the French army under Bonaparte. The following account is extracted from a French publication, and cannot fail of being interesting to the military reader, as it is told in the plain and simple language of a soldier, who was present during the whole of this astonishing campaign. On the 16th of May, 1800, the vanguard, commanded by general Lannes, climbed up the mountain: the Austrians, although greatly inferior in number, defended themselves step by step, and never disappeared till they perceived another corps of the French army descending the mountain of the Little St. Bernard, menacing their rear, and absolutely interrupting their retreat.

The first division of the army, under general Watrin, followed the movement of the vanguard.

Until this period of time, neither artillery nor ammunition had crossed either eminence; the whole was collected at St. Peter, (a small village at the foot of the mountain) where the park of artillery was established. It appeared at first impossible to transport this heavy and embarrassing ordnance across the mountain; however it was natural to consider the question, what is an army in the present day without artillery? Its necessity in this respect was manifest and imperious.