Part 498

TOOKSOWARS, Ind. The vizir’s body of cavalry.

TOOLS, used in war, are of many denominations and uses, as laboratory tools, mining tools, artificers tools, &c. which see.

TOPARCH, (Toparque, Fr.) The principal man in a place.

TOPARCHY, (Toparchie, Fr.) Superintendence; command in a district.

TOPAS, Ind. This name was originally given by the natives of India to a native Portuguese soldier, on account of his wearing a hat; contra-distinguished from the Hindus and Mahomedans who wear turbans.

TOPE, Ind. A small wood or grove.

TOPE, Ind. A gun.

TOPEE, Ind. A hat.

TOPEE Walla, Ind. A person who wears a hat.

TOPEKHANA, Ind. The place where guns are kept; the arsenal.

TOPGI-Bachi. Grand master of the Turkish artillery. This appointment is one of the most important situations in the gift of the Porte. It is generally bestowed upon a relation to the Grand Signor, or upon a favorite to the Grand Visier.

The name is derived from tope, which, in the Turkish language, signifies cannon, and from Bach, which means lord, chief or commandant.

The person next in command to the Topgi-Bachi is called Dukigi-Bachi, or master of the Topgis, who are both cannonneers and founders. The latter are paid every month by a commissary of their own, whom they call Kiatib.

TOPGIS, sometimes written Topchis. A name generally used among the Turks to signify all persons employed in the casting of cannon, and who are afterwards appointed to the guns. It is here necessary to observe, that on account of the vast extent of the Ottoman empire, the Turks do not attach much heavy ordnance to their armies, especially when they carry on their operations from one frontier to another. This is owing to the scarcity of draught-horses, and to the natural obstacles of the country. So that they seldom carry into the field guns above eight or twelve-pounders.

But when it is their design to form any considerable siege, they load camels with all the materials requisite for casting cannon. A certain number of Topgis accompany them, and the instant the army takes up its quarters near to the spot where the attack is to be made, they set to work and cast pieces of ordnance of every species of calibre or bore.

The Turkish cannon is extremely beautiful and well cast. The ornamental parts consist of plants, fruits, &c. for it is expressly forbidden in the Koran to give the representation of any human figure upon fire-arms, particularly upon pieces of ordnance; the Turks being taught to believe that God would order the workman to give it life, or would condemn him to eternal punishment.

The Turks are very awkward in constructing platforms for their batteries, and are almost ignorant of the art of pointing their pieces. From a consciousness of their deficiency on this head, they encourage Christian artillerymen and engineers to come amongst them; but until the year 1798, they seldom viewed them but with a jealous eye, and always gave the preference to renegadoes. General Koehler, with a few British officers belonging to the train, joined their army in 1800 for the purpose of acting against Egypt.

TOPIKHANNAH, Ind. A house for keeping guns, an arsenal, armory.

TOPOGRAPHER. A person skilled in viewing, measuring, and describing ground.

TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS. A body of military men which are now become essential in war.

TOPOGRAPHICAL DEPOT. The following short sketch of the only institution of this kind which is peculiar to France, will explain its nature and origin. Louvois minister of Louis XIV. in 1668 undertook to reform all the departments of government; and the war department among the rest. His death interrupted his design which was nevertheless afterwards pursued upon the peace of Utrecht in 1713: when all the military papers were classed, under different heads, and tables of contents to each prepared, amounting to 2700 volumes. These papers embraced all military subjects from 1631 to that time.

In 1696 a corps called “engineers of camps and armies” was instituted; who in 1726 were called “geographical engineers” employed with the staff in drawing plans, &c. But their drawings were used only in the camp, until 1744, when d’Argenson improved the corps and established them at Versailles. It was from this depot that Voltaire obtained all the materials which render his concise sketches of history more accurate and preferable to any other, who has not made use of his materials.

In the seven years war, the Hotel de la Guerre was erected at Versailles, it was completed in 1760. Berthier who was the intimate friend of marshal Saxe was appointed chief geographical engineer; and he collected a vast body of charts, drawings, and topographical sketches on the Rhine, Hesse, Westphalia, Hanover, &c.

But some idea of former insufficiency may be had from the following anecdote taken from memoirs of marshal Rochambeau (the same who served with Washington) published at Paris in 1809: the marshal was an officer under marshal Richelieu at the attack on Minorca during the seven years war, which he thus describes--“When the marshal left Versailles to proceed on the expedition, there could be found only one plan very old of Port Mahon, in the military depot, and this was merely a draft of Fort St. Philip. M. de Valliere, a minister of that day, who was much better adapted to be a man-midwife than a chief of the war depot, was consulted, and said that 24 pieces of heavy ordnance and 15 mortars would be sufficient to lay the place in ashes. At Toulon, Richelieu had some discourse with a captain of a merchant ship who had been prisoner at Port Mahon, who said the duke’s plan of St. Philip was no more like it than the Bastile. This intelligence induced the duke to take 14 pieces of artillery and 7 mortars more. But what was our astonishment when on the first sight of Fort St. Philip we discovered works bristled with arms and fortifications presenting 140 embrasures with their tompions out.”

There can be no greater ignorance than this in military affairs, excepting the ignorance of the British at Walcheren in 1809, who did not know that the channel which formerly made Cadsand an island, and separated it from the continent, had been filled up and become terra firma for 25 years preceding.

By an arret of 1769 the topographical board was again revived, but fell into neglect. St. Germain made them one corps with the engineers; but they were again separated in 1777. M. de Vault who had been the soul of the institution for 40 years, ever since 1750, died in 1790, he had digested all the materials of the wars down to the year 1763 in a military historical manner, they amounted to 125 volumes. It came under the care of his colleague M. Beaudoin, who died, and was succeeded by general Mathieu Dumas, until the revolution; when the war depot in 1791 was removed to Paris for safety and for use. Colon, Desdorides, Lacuer, and Carnot, were active in it; Carnot for his own advantage and convenience formed out of this a private topographical cabinet, to which may be attributed the developement of those grand combinations, which put fourteen armies in motion and maintained their co-operation in a manner which has astonished mankind, and laid the foundation for those congenial achievements which have since subverted all previous axioms in tactics and prostrated and encircled Europe.

But the want of topographers being so much felt in the early campaigns of the revolution no doubt stimulated Carnot to render it perfect. Accordingly the corps was new organized, three companies were formed, and each composed of 12 artists and a considerable number of pupils or assistants to each. These were employed on the topography of Bavaria, Suabia, &c. the materials collected in Italy, Piedmont, Spain, Naples, Egypt, and St. Domingo. The grand map of France by Cassini; the chart by Ferraris of the Netherlands, and Piedmont by Borgonio, were engraved under the inspection of this corps. During the war all topographical materials were collected with zeal. General Dupont (who has been since made prisoner in Spain) considerably improved and enriched it; Ernout who was lately commander of one of the French W. I. islands, was for a time at the head of this depot; its organization was completed in 1795. General Clarke, having been educated in this corps, was placed at the head of it in the year 1800. A library was established and 8000 volumes appropriate to the subject added by him. In 1801 it was enriched with all that the campaigns of Bonaparte procured.

But the most important of its works was a plan of France upon a combined projection of 4 points of view taken on the banks of the Rhine, 24 topographical engineers under Franchot the astronomer accomplished this. The organization was further improved on a project of general Clarke; general Andreossi afterwards succeeded, and under his care numerous charts were engraved and published.