Part 72

CAMOUFLET, in war, a kind of stinking combustibles blown out of paper cases, into the miners faces, when they are at work in the galleries of the countermines.

CAMPEMENT, Fr. an encampment. This word is also used to denote a detachment sent before the army to mark out the ground for a camp.

CAMP. With some trifling variations, camps are formed after the same manner in all countries. This principle seems general, that there should not be more ground occupied by the camp of a body of men, in front, than the extent of their line when drawn out in order of battle. Intervals are however generally left between battalions of infantry of about one eighth their front, and between squadrons of cavalry of thirty or forty paces. An army is sometimes encamped in two lines, and sometimes in three; the distance between the lines varies according to the face of the country, from 200 to 600 yards, or more.

In the distribution of the front of a camp, two feet are generally allowed for every file of infantry, and three feet for each file of cavalry. When the ground will admit of it, the infantry are usually arranged in rows perpendicular to the front; each row containing the tents of one company; and the cavalry in the same position, each perpendicular row containing the horses of a troop.

The grenadiers and light infantry are usually placed in single rows on the flanks, and the battalion companies in double rows.

A single row, or one company, occupies in front, nine feet; and a double row, or two companies, twenty-one feet, if formed of the old pattern rectangular tents, which hold only five men each. But if the new bell tents are used, 15 feet must be allowed for a single row, and 30 feet for a double row in front.

In the cavalry, a row or troop occupies in front as follows:

Old Tents. New Tents. Tent 3 yards. 5 yards. From the front pole of the tent to picket rope 3 3 For the horse 6 6 For the dung 2 2 -- -- 14 yards. 16 yards.

The breadth of a row in front, whether of infantry or cavalry, being multiplied by the number of rows, and the product subtracted from the whole extent of front for a battalion of infantry, or a squadron of cavalry, will leave the space for the streets, which are generally divided as follows:

For the infantry, 59¹⁄₂ feet each.

For the cavalry, 30 feet each between the tents.

For the cavalry, 46 feet each between the horses.

The following is the distribution of the depth of a camp of infantry or cavalry, when the ground permits.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution of the Depth of a Camp. Infantry. Cavalry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Yards. Yards. From the quarter guard parade to the line of parade of battalion 62

From this first line of parade}serjeant’s tents 16 to the front of the }quarter master’s -- 24 N. B. These tents open to the front.

To the first picket of horses -- 5

Infant. for every tent in depth Infant. old pattern, 9 feet Infant. new pattern, 15 feet

Cavalry: for every horse, 3 feet

The soldiers tents for the infantry open to the streets. The cavalry tents front to the horses heads.

Suppose infantry 12 tents deep, old pattern} 36 60 Suppose cavalry, 60 horses, old pattern }

From the last tent of infantry, or the last horse of the cavalry, to the front of the subalterns’ tents 15 12

These tents open to the rear.

To the front of the line of captains 15 15

These open to the front. The captains and subalterns in the rear of their troops or companies.

To the front of the field officers 10 15

Open to the front, opposite the outside street of the battalion.

To the colonel’s 10 10

Opens to the front, opposite the main street of the battalion.