Part 440

SASH. A mark of distinction, generally made of crimson silk for the officers, and of crimson mixed with white cotton for the serjeants. It is worn round the waist. Sashes are erroneously said to have been invented for the convenience and ease of wounded officers, in case any of them were so badly wounded, as to render them incapable of remaining at their posts, they might be carried off with the assistance of two men; but though they may have been so used, they are only an ancient remnant of military ornament, and correspond with the kummerbaund, worn by all Asiatics even to this day; they are of considerable use to the soldier during fatigues or marches; and the “girding up the loins,” as noted in scripture, would be found now not an unwise practice for the soldier in action. The American cavalry tie the sash on the left; the infantry on the right side. The sashes for the Austrian army are of crimson and gold; the Prussian army, black silk and silver; the Hanoverian were yellow silk; the Portugueze, crimson silk, with blue tassels. The modern French have their sashes made of three colors, viz. white, pink, and light blue, to correspond with the national flag.

SATELLITE, (Satellite, Fr.) A person who attends on another, either for his safety, or to be ready to execute his pleasure.

SATELLITES, Fr. Certain armed men, of whom mention is made in the history of Philip Augustus, king of France. The word satellite itself, which we frequently find in ancient historians, signifies a guard or attendant about the person of a prince. It is derived from the Latin word satelles, which comes from the Syriac term for a companion. The Satellites of Philip Augustus were men selected from the militia of the country, who fought on foot and horseback. The servants or batmen who attended the military knights when they went into action, were likewise called satellites, and fought in their defence mounted or on foot.

SATISFACTION. When an officer or other person goes out to fight a duel with one whom he has offended, or by whom he has been offended, he is said to give or take satisfaction!

SAUCISSE, SAUCISSON, in mining, is a long pipe or bag, made of cloth well pitched, or sometimes of leather, of about 1¹⁄₂ inch diameter, filled with powder, going from the chamber of the mine to the entrance of the gallery. It is generally placed in a wooden pipe, called an auget, to prevent its growing damp. It serves to give fire to mines, caissons, bomb chests, &c.

SAUCISSON, is likewise a kind of fascine, longer than the common ones; it serves to raise batteries, and to repair breaches. Saucissons are also used in making epaulements, in stopping passages, and in making traverses over a wet ditch, &c.

SAUCISSON de brulot, Fr. A machine made use of to set fire to the different compartments in a fire-ship.

SAUCISSONS d’artifice, Fr. Saucissons used in artificial fireworks.

SAUCISSONS volans, Fr. Flying saucissons; a species of sky-rocket.

SAUF-conduit. A pass.

SAUT, Ind. An hour.

SAUT, Fr. This word is used in hydraulics to signify a considerable fall of water, such as the falls of Niagara, &c.

SAUTER, Fr. To leap.

SAUTER a l’arbordage, Fr. To leap upon the deck, or on any part of an enemy’s ship, for the purpose of boarding her.

SAUTER en selle, Fr. To get on horseback. To jump upon your saddle.

SAUVE-garde, Fr. Safe-guard. Protection.

Accorder des SAUVE-gardes, Fr. To grant protections.

Envoyer une garde en SAUVE-garde, Fr. To send out a party for the purpose of escorting persons, or of protecting any particular quarter.

SAUVE qui peut! Fr. Let those escape that can. This expression is familiar to the French, it was employed in an early part of the revolution, by the royalists to produce panic in the ranks of the revolutionary army; and was used with success particularly in the corps under gen. Dillon in Flanders.

SAVAN, Ind. The name of an Indian month, which corresponds with July.

SAW. A dentated steel instrument with which wood or metal is cut by attrition. Each pioneer is provided with one.

SAYON, Fr. A kind of coarse habit in which soldiers were formerly clothed among the French.

SCABBARD, (Fourreau, Fr.) A case commonly made of black leather, with a ferrel at the end, in which a sword, sabre, &c. may be sheathed.

Bayonet SCABBARD. A leathern sheath made in a triangular form to correspond with the shape of the bayonet.

SCABBARD-button. A brass button or hook by which the scabbard is attached to the frog of the belt.

The word scabbard has been sometimes used in a figurative sense to distinguish those persons who have obtained rank and promotion in the army without seeing much hard service, from those who have fought their way through all the obstacles of superior interest, &c. Hence the favourite expression of the late sir William Erskine--Some rise by the scabbard, and some by the sword! Which means more than we are at liberty to illustrate, but which may be easily applied to cases in point.

SCALADE, from the French Escalade, a furious attack upon a wall or rampart, contrary to form, and with no regularity, frequently carried on with ladders, to insult the wall by open force.

SCALE, a right line divided into equal parts, representing miles, fathoms, paces, feet, inches, &c. used in making plans upon paper; giving each line its true length, &c. See also BALANCE, ESCALADE, &c.