Part 408

REDOUBTS en cremaillere, differ from all the rest, because the inside line of the parapet is broken in such a manner as to resemble steps of stairs, or teeth of a saw; whereby this advantage is gained, that a greater fire can be brought to bear upon the defile, than if only a simple face was opposed to it, and consequently the passage is rendered more difficult.

REDOUTER, Fr. To be alarmed at. Redouter les armes d’un ennemi, to be alarmed at the strength of an enemy.

REDOUTES de terre, Fr. redoubts that are hastily thrown up, and are made with earth, for the purpose of securing entrenchments, circumvallations, passages of rivers, &c.

REDOUTES de maconnerie, Fr. redoubts made of mason work. These are generally constructed in places where an enemy might derive advantage from establishing himself; they are likewise built upon the saliant angles of the glacis.

REDOUTES casematées, Fr. Casemated redoubts. These are arched over and are bomb proof. Those constructed for the defence of Gibraltar, and for the security of Dover Castle, are of this description.

REDOUTES à machicoulis, Fr. redoubts made of stone work, which are several stories high. The highest story juts out about one foot beyond the wall that surrounds or fronts the redoubt.

REDRESSER, Fr. in a military sense, to recover. To make straight again, viz.

Redressez vos armes, recover arms. Redressez la ligne, redress the line.

To REDRILL. To drill again. To put a soldier through the first elements of military training. Every soldier on his return from furlough, should be redrilled before he is permitted to act in the ranks of his company.

To REDUCE a place, is to oblige the governor to surrender it to the besiegers, by capitulation.

To REDUCE the circle. To restore or bring back a battalion or company, which has been formed in circle, to its original position in line.

To REDUCE the square. To restore or bring back a battalion or battalions, which have been formed in a hollow or oblong square, to their original situation in line or column. On the word form close column, the front which the column is to have is noted to stand still by its proper officer, whether it be flank or centre; the other portions of the line are faced towards the point of formation; and then quarter faced or wheeled to front or rear; as the columns is to be formed. The column upon the centre, is the best and most effective of all the formations for columns of attack.

To be REDUCED, in a military sense, to be taken off the establishment, to cease to receive pay as soldiers. When a regiment is reduced, the officers are generally put upon half pay. Sometimes the corps are reduced, and the officers remain upon full pay. This happens at the close of a war, when the standing army of the country is confined to a certain number of battalions. Hence is derived the expression, in and out of the break. In the break, is the liability of being reduced; out of the break, is the certainty of being kept upon the establishment.

To be REDUCED to the ranks. To be taken from a superior appointment in a regiment, and to be ordered to the duty of a common soldier. This sometimes happens, by way of punishment, when a serjeant or corporal misbehaves himself.

REDUCT. See REDOUBT.

REDUCTION des troupes, Fr. A reduction of the armed force of a country.

REDUIRE, Fr. in drawing, to copy, to reduce a plan or picture. This operation differs from that of chalking out. The French use the expression in various senses, viz.

REDUIRE en grand, Fr. To copy an original drawing, by giving it larger dimensions.

REDUIRE en petit, Fr. To copy an original drawing, by giving it smaller dimensions, which is literally to reduce it.

REDUIRE un plan au petit pied, Fr. To make a copy of a drawing, in which every part is faithfully represented, though on a small scale.

REDUIT, Fr. literally means a nook, or bye-place; in a military sense, it signifies a sort of citadel, which is extremely inconvenient to the inhabitants of the town, because it takes up more ground than those that are regularly built, and is, at the same time, uncomfortable to the troops, because they must be very much crowded. This word is explained by an English lexicographer, in the following manner:--Reduct or Reduit, an advantageous piece of ground, intrenched and separated from the rest of the place, camp, &c. for an army, garrison, &c. to retire to in case of surprize. Reduits are sometimes made for the purpose of securing different posts in a town independent of its citadel. These have been proposed by the celebrated Vauban.

REDUIT, in architecture, a recess.

REED, an arrow.

REEDIFIER, Fr. To rebuild.

RE-ENTERING angle, in fortification, is that which, turns its point towards the centre of the place. See FORTIFICATION.

REFAIT, bois refait et remis à l’equerre, Fr. An expression used among French carpenters, and by the artificers belonging to the train, to signify any piece of wood which has been planed and made perfectly square and level.

REFEND, Fr. in architecture, a partition wall, viz. Mur de refend.

To RE-FORM, in a military sense, is after some manœuvre or evolution, to bring a line to its natural order, by aligning it on some given point. This frequently occurs in the passage of lines, &c. viz. When a line or several battalions hath passed another that remains posted, by retreating through by files, it may be reformed in the following manner: