Part 330

OATH, a solemn asseveration made in the presence of a magistrate, and taken on the Bible, whereby an individual binds himself to observe certain conditions, or swears to specific facts which he knows of his own knowlege. Soldiers from time immemorial have been accustomed to take oaths of fidelity. These oaths were, however, observed with greater solemnity among the ancients than they are administered in modern armies, except upon very particular occasions. In the latter, indeed, it seldom or ever happens, that oaths are taken by bodies of soldiers, assembled for the purpose. Oaths are taken by men newly enlisted, but those oaths are individually administered, and separately taken. The military oath, on the contrary, among the Romans, was of a more general and impressive nature. Kennett, in his Roman Antiquities, page 188, gives the following account of it:--“The levies being finished, the tribunes of every legion chose out one whom they thought the fittest person, and gave him a solemn oath at large, the substance of which was, that he should oblige himself to obey the commanders in all things to the utmost of his power, be ready to attend whenever they ordered his appearance, and never to leave the army but by their consent. After he had ended, the whole legion, passing one by one, every man, in short, swore to the same effect, crying, as he went by, Idem in me. The same by me.”

OATH of Allegiance. See ALLEGIANCE.

OATS, a grain which constitutes a principal food of horses in Europe. The distribution of this article ought to be narrowly watched by every officer commanding a troop; since it is notorious, that government is frequently charged for quantities which are not delivered, by which means, the horse suffers, and the public are imposed upon.

OBEDIENCE, (Obéissance, Fr.) Submission to the orders of a superior. The first principle which ought to be inculcated and impressed upon the mind of every officer and soldier is obedience to all lawful commands. It is the main spring, the soul and essence, of military duty.

Preter obeissance, Fr. To swear allegiance.

Remettre dans l’obeissance, Fr. To recall to duty.

OBEDIENCE to orders. An unequivocal performance of the several duties which are directed to be discharged by military men. All officers and soldiers are to pay obedience to the lawful orders of their superior officers.

OBEIR, Fr. See OBEY.

To OBEY, in a military sense, is without question or hesitation, to conform zealously to all orders and instructions which are legally issued. It sometimes happens, that individuals are called upon (by mistake, or from the exigency of the service) out of what is called the regular roster. In either case they must cheerfully obey, and after they have performed their duty, they may remonstrate.

OBJECT, in a military sense, signifies the same as point, with respect to mere movements and evolutions. Thus in marching forward in line, &c. the leader of a squad, company, or battalion, must take two objects at least upon which he forms his perpendicular movement, and by which the whole body is regulated. In proportion as he advances he takes care to select intermediate and distant objects or points by which his march is governed. See MARCHING IN LINE.

OBLATE, any rotund figure flatted at the poles as a turnip, which is properly an oblate spheroid.

OBLIQUATION, OBLIQUITY, a deviation from the parallel or perpendicular line.

OBLIQUE, or second flank. The face of a bastion discovered from a part of the curtain, is so called.

OBLIQUE projection, is that wherein the direction of the striking body is not perpendicular to the body struck, which makes an oblique angle with the horizontal line.

OBLIQUE deployments. When the component parts of a column that is extending into line, deviate to the right or left, for the purpose of taking up an oblique position, its movements are called oblique deployments. This is thus executed, either by wheeling the line by quarter or half wheels toward the point directed in single files, sections, or platoons; so that the movement may be made perpendicular to the newly wheeled front, and the sections will form echellons; if files, they march by what is called the line of science.

OBLIQUE fire or defence, that which is under too great an angle, as is generally the defence of the second flank, which can never be so good as a defence in front. See Oblique Firing, at the word FIRINGS. See Am. Mil. Lib. plates.

OBLIQUE percussion, is that wherein the direction of the striking body is not perpendicular to the body struck, or is not in line with its centre of gravity.

Oblique position. A position taken in an oblique direction from the original line of formation. As described in oblique deployments.

OBLIQUE radius, a line extending from the centre to the exterior side of a polygon.

OBLIQUE STEP. This absurd and awkward contortion is deservedly exploded.

To OBLIQUE, in a military sense, is to move forward to the right or left, in either of those directions, from a line.

Pas OBLIQUE, Fr. Oblique step.

OBLIQUE à droite, Fr. Right oblique.

OBLIQUE à gauche, Fr. Left oblique.

Feux OBLIQUES à droite et à gauche, oblique firings to the right and left.

Marcher OBLIQUEMENT, Fr. To oblique, or march in an oblique direction.

OBLIVION. See AMNESTY.

OBLONG Square. See SQUARE.