Part 456

Table of English case shot for different services.

-----+------------------------+------------------------------- | Sea service. | Carronades. +------+------+----------+--------+------+------+-------- | | | Weight | | | |Weight |Weight|Number| of | |Weight|Number| of | of | in | each | | of | in |each | each | each | case | | each | each | case Kind.| shot.| case.| filled. | Kind. | shot.| case.|filled. -----+------+------+----------+--------+------+------+-------- Pr. | oz. | No. |lbs. oz. | Pr. | oz. | No. |lbs oz. 32 | 8 | 70 | 33 8 | 68 | 8 | 90 | 46 2 24 | 8 | 42 | 22 15 | 42 | 8 | 66 | 32 8 18 | 6 | 42 | 15 8 | 32 | 8 | 40 | 21 4 12 | 4 | 42 | 11 5 | 24 | 8 | 32 | 16 1 9 | 3 | 44 | 8 9 | 18 | 6 | 31 | 12 2 6 | 2 | 40 | 5 2 | 12 | 4 | 32 | 8 2 4 | 2 | 28 | 4 -- +--------+------+------+-------- 3 | 2 | 20 | 2 15 | 1 | 1¹⁄₄ | 12 | 1 2¹⁄₄| Tier shot for field service. -----+------+------+----------+--------+------+------+-------- | | oz. | No. |lbs. oz. Common land service. |12 pr.} | 18 | 15 | 18 8 |Med. } | 6!!!| 42 | 17 11 -----+------+------+----------+6 pr. }| 8- | 15 | 9 -- Pr. | oz. | No. |lbs. oz. |Med. }| 3- | 42 | 8 14 24 | 4 | 84 | 21 11 |3 pr. } | 4- | 15 | 4 10 12 | 2 | 84 | 12 1 |Med. } | 1- | 42 | 4 6 6 | 1¹⁄₂ | 55 | 5 10¹⁄₂|12 pr. }| 14 | 12 | 14 14 3 | 1¹⁄₄ | 52 | 2 14 |light }| 6 | 34 | 14 11 | | | |6 pr. } | 8- | 12 | 7 3 | | | |light } | 3- | 34 | 7 7 | | | |3 Pr. }| 4- | 12 | 3 10 | | | |light }| 1- | 34 | 3 11 -----+------+------+----------+--------+------+------+--------

Table of case shot.--Continued.

----------------------------+---------------------- For mortars | Howitzers. -----+------+------+--------+------+------+-------- |Weight|No. of| Weight |Weight|No. of| Weight | of | shot | of | of | shot | of | each | in | case | each | in | case Kind.| shot.| each.| filled.| shot.| each.| filled. -----+------+------+--------+------+------+-------- In. | oz. | No. |lbs. oz.| oz. | No. |lbs. oz. 10 | 8 | 170 | 91 8 | -- | -- | -- -- 8 | 6 | 90 | 38 4 | 6 | 90 | 38 8 5¹⁄₂| 3 | 55 | 12 6 | 3 | 55 | 12 8 4 | 2 | 55 | 8 1 | 2 | 55 | 8 2 -----+------+------+--------+------+------+--------

Small shells, as 4²⁄₅ inches, and hand grenades were quilted into grape for 13 inch mortars at Gibraltar. The fuzes were turned inwards next the iron tompion, and leaders of quick match for communicating fire to the fuzes were introduced through holes made in the wooden bottom, and placed as near the fuzes as possible in the centre of the grape. These answered very well for short ranges.

Hot Shot.--The powder for firing with hot shot must be in strong flannel cartridges, without any holes, lest some grains should remain in the bore, in putting the cartridge home. Over the powder must be rammed a good dry wad, then a damp one, and then the hot shot; and if the gun lays at a depression, there must be a wad over the shot, which may be rammed home. If the above precautions be attended to, the gun may be pointed after being loaded, without the smallest danger, as it is well known that the shot will grow cold in the gun, without burning more than a few threads of the wads next it. This is not the mode usually taught of loading with hot shot, but is that which was practised during the siege of Gibraltar. Mr. Durtubie proposes putting the shot when heated, into a tin cannister, as an effectual method of preventing accidents.

The grates usually made for heating shot will generally make them red hot in three-fourths of an hour.

SHOULDER. The upper part of the blade of a sword is so called. The shoulders of regimental sword-blades, for the infantry, should be one inch broad at least.

SHOULDER of a bastion. In fortification. See EPAULE.

SHOULDER-belt, so called because it hangs over the shoulder, to carry the bayonet or sword: it is made of strong leather.

To SHOULDER. In a military sense; to lay on the shoulder, or to rest any thing against it. Hence to shoulder a musquet.

SHOULDER arms. A word of command which is used in the manual exercise. See MANUAL.

Right SHOULDERS forward. Left SHOULDERS forward. Two terms of command in the British service, when a column of march (in order to follow the windings of its route) changes its direction in general, less than the quarter of the circle. This is a clumsy translation of the line of science, or oblique facing of the French system; the proper word of command is half or quarter face to the right or left.

SHROF, Ind. A banker; a moneychanger, or one who keeps a shop for the accommodation of the public in pecuniary matters, and who derives considerable advantage from the circulating medium of other people’s property.

SHROFFING, Ind. The act of examining and sorting money.

SHUMSERTREEPUT, Ind. Avowal, acknowlegement, confession.

To SHUT. To close; to make not open.

SHUT pans. A word of command used in the inspection of arms. Place the inside of your fingers against the back part of the hammer, and bring it briskly to in one motion. In opening pans, you place the thumb against the inside of the hammer.

SHUTERNAUL, Ind. A sort of arquebuss, which is fixed upon the back of a camel.

SICK and hurt. A board so called, to which the agents, commissaries, &c. belonging to the several military hospitals in Great Britain, are responsible.

SIDE-pieces, of gun-carriages. See CARRIAGES.

SIDE-straps, in a field carriage, are flat iron bands which go round the side-pieces, in those places where the wood is cut across the grain, to strengthen them near the centre and the trail.

SIEGE, (Siege, Fr.) The position which an army takes, or its encampment before a fortified town, or place, for the purpose of reducing it. The term comes from siege, which signifies seat, chair, &c. Hence; to sit down before a place, signifies in a military sense, to chuse a position from which you may commence the necessary operations to attack and get possession of it. The French use the word generally as we do.

To undertake the SIEGE of a town. Entreprendre le siege d’une Ville. To invest it, to form lines of circumvallation, to open trenches, &c.

To lay SIEGE to a town, (faire le siége d’une ville, Fr.) To draw your forces round a town, for the purpose of attacking it.

To carry on a SIEGE, (continuer un siége, Fr.) To persevere by regular approaches, &c. in gaining ground upon the garrison.

To lay close SIEGE, (presser le siége, Fr.) To approach close to the walls for the purpose of making a breach and storming, or of starving out the garrison. For a full and scientific explanation of the different methods, which are adapted in modern times, for the attack or defence of places, particularly of sieges, see Essai General de Fortification, d’attaque et defense de places, tom. 1, page 61, &c. &c.

SIEGE brusque, Fr. An expression used among the French, to signify the prompt and immediate movement of a besieging army, against a fortified town or place, without waiting for the regular formation of lines, &c. In this case the troops make a vigorous attack upon all the outworks, and endeavour to make a lodgment upon the counterscarp. When they have succeeded, they instantly throw up temporary lines, &c. behind them, in order to secure a retreat, should the garrison force them to quit their ground.