Part 400

RANK. Range of subordination, degree of authority. The relative situations which officers hold with respect to each other, or to military things in general. Hence regimental rank, local rank, rank in the army, &c.

One of the egregious errors of the British military institutions is, that the officers belonging to the life guards are entitled to the rank of lieutenant colonel, when they obtain, or purchase a majority, provided they have been seven years. Their commissions in this case run major and lieutenant colonel. But if an officer should not have completed either of those periods, he obtains the rank of major only, until its completion. A lieutenant colonel receives the rank of full colonel if he has been seven years major, or twenty one years in the British service. Cornets in the life guards rank as sub-lieutenants in their own corps, and as first lieutenants in the army. The English fuzileers enjoy the same privilege. Sub-lieutenants in the Welsh fuzileers rank only as second lieutenants in the army. Marines do the same.

With respect to rank in general, the following are the rules of the British army, by which the relative rank of the officers of the regulars, militia, fencibles, yeomanry cavalry, and volunteer corps, is to be determined.

Officers of the regular forces command the officers of equal degree, belonging to the other services; with the exception after mentioned.

Officers of the militia, fencibles, yeomanry cavalry, and volunteer corps, rank together according to the dates of their respective commissions.

Notwithstanding this regulation, such officers of fencibles as have commissions dated on or before the 25th July, 1798, continue to rank with the officers of the regular forces of equal degree, according to the dates of their respective commissions: unless when acting in conjunction also with officers of the militia; in which case, if the commission of the fencible officer be of a junior date to that of a militia officer, of the same degree, the regular officer of equal rank, although his commission be of a junior date to that of the fencible officer, commands both.

It will further be observed, that all commands in the regular forces fall to the eldest officers in the same circumstances, whether of cavalry or infantry, entire or in parties. In case two commissions of the same date interfere, a retrospect is to be had to former commissions. Should it happen, as it possibly may, that the original commissions interfere, it must be decided by lot.

In page 49 of the Articles of War, it is laid down, that the eldest officer is to command when any troops of the horse guards, and the regiment of horse guards, shall do duty together; or when any of the life guards, horse or foot guards, shall do duty with any other corps. The regiments of life guards, doing duty unmixed, are to be considered as one corps; and the officers are to take rank according to the dates of their commissions. The same holds good with respect to the foot guards. Regular officers with whom militia officers take rank as youngest, command officers of equal degree in the fencibles, yeomanry cavalry, and volunteer corps, who are to rank together according to the dares of commissions.

To RANK with, to hold the same relative situation with regard to others. Thus post captains of three years standing in the royal navy rank with colonels in the army; and lieutenants in the guards rank with captains in the line or regulars. Officers in the militia rank generally with the regular forces as junior of their respective commissions. An ensign in the guards ranks no higher than an ensign in the regulars.

To RANK with, in a figurative sense, to be in equal estimation, to bear the same character for skill and valor, &c. viz. lord Nelson ranks with the bravest seaman that England, or any other country, has ever produced; Bonaparte with the greatest general in ancient or modern history; Washington with Cincinnatus; and Montgomery with Wolfe, Decatur with Desaix, or Lannes.

Brevet-RANK. Rank without pay, nominal distinction, which sometimes entitles the holder of it to command in mixed service.

Brigade majors rank with captains, provided they have that rank in the army, independent of their staff appointment. But aids-de-camp do not possess any rank in that capacity with regard to the army. The latter constitutes a part of the general’s family, and are paid out of his allowance; they are in fact the mere carriers of his orders in the field, and his domestic inmates at home, &c. The former belonging to the brigade, and are a necessary part of its effective force.

There is likewise a sort of brevet rank which exists in the several regiments belonging to the British service, and is confined to the rank and file, or corporals and private soldiers. Thus a lance serjeant is a corporal who does the duty of serjeant without the pay or emoluments of the latter; and a lance corporal is a private soldier who does the duty of corporal. So that lance, which comes from lansquenet, which signifies a private soldier, and is derived from the German, and when put before serjeant or corporal, points out that a private soldier has the brevet rank of one of those situations. Captains of companies appoint or reduce lance serjeants or corporals, according to their judgment.

RANK, and precedence in the army and navy, are as follow:

Engineers RANK. Chief, as colonel; director, as lieutenant colonel; sub-director, as major; engineer in ordinary, as captain; engineer extraordinary, as captain lieutenant; sub-engineer, as lieutenant; practitioner engineer, as ensign.

Navy RANK. Admiral, or commander in chief of the British fleet, has the rank of a field marshal; admirals, with their flags on the main top-mast head, rank with generals of horse and foot; vice-admirals, with lieutenant generals; rear-admirals, as major generals; commodores, with broad pendants, as brigadier generals; captains of post ships, after three years from the date of their first commission, as colonel; other captains, as commanding post ships, as lieutenant colonels; captains not taking post, as majors; lieutenants as captains.

The rank and precedence of sea officers in the classes abovementioned, are to take place according to the seniority of their respective commissions in the sea service. Post captains commanding ships or vessels that do not give post, rank only as majors during the time they command those vessels.

Nothing in this shall give any pretence to land officers to command any of his majesty’s squadrons; nor to any sea officer to command on shore; nor shall either have right to demand the military honors due to their respective ranks, unless upon actual service.

RANK, is a straight line made by the soldiers of a battalion, or squadron, drawn up side by side: this order was established for the marches, and for regulating the different bodies of troops and officers which compose an army.

Doubling of the RANKS, is the changing one rank to two, by telling off the files, one, two, one, two, &c. and by the word, even files to the rear double; this method is frequently used in the manœuvres of a regiment.

RANK and file, men carrying the firelock, and standing in the ranks, are called rank and file. Thus corporals are included in the return which is made under that head.

RANKS and files, are the horizontal and vertical lines of soldiers when drawn up for service, &c.

RAPE, Fr. a rasp, a file.

RAPIDES, Fr. Falls in a river are so called; as the falls in the rivers Ohio and St. Laurence, &c.

RAPIER, (Rapiére, Fr.) formerly signified a long, old fashioned broadsword, such as those worn by the Scotch regiments; but now is understood only to mean a small sword, in contradistinction to a broad sword.

RAPINE, Fr. Rapine, plunder,

RAPPORT, Fr. Report.

RAPPORT, Fr. in mathematics, a term frequently used among the French. It bears the same import as raison, and signifies the relation which two quantities have one with another. Thus the rapport or relation between twelve and six is the same as between six and three.