Part 79

CAPTAIN-General. The King is captain-general of all the forces of Great Britain. This term implies the first rank, power, and authority in the British army. This power was delegated to the Duke of York, in 1799.

CAPTAIN-Lieutenant, the commanding officer of the colonel’s troop or company in the British army, in case the colonel is absent, or he gives up the command of it to him. He takes rank as full captain, by an order in 1772, and by a late regulation, succeeds to the first vacant troop or company; the price of a captain-lieutenancy being the same as that of a captaincy. This title is still used in foreign services.

CAPTAIN reformed, one who, upon a reduction of the forces, on the termination of war, loses his company, yet keeps his rank and pay, whether on duty or not.

CAPTAIN on half pay, is one who loses his company on the reduction of an army, and retires on half-pay, until seniority puts him into duty and full pay again.

CAPTAIN en second, or second captain, is one whose company has been broke, and who is joined to another, to serve under the captain of it.

In some armies the captain en seconde, is also a second captain to the same company, whose rank is above all the lieutenants, and below all the captains of the same corps.

CAPTURE de deserteurs, Fr. Under the old government of France, a particular order existed, by which every intendant de province or commissaire de guerre was authorised to pay one hundred livres, or twenty dollars, to any person or persons who should apprehend and secure a deserter; and three hundred livres, or seventy dollars for every man that could be proved to have enticed a soldier from the regular army or militia.

CAQUE de poudre, Fr. a term synonymous to a tun or barrel of powder.

CAR, in military antiquity, a kind of small carriage; figuratively, used by the poets for a chariot: it is mounted on wheels, representing a stately throne, used in triumphs and on other solemn occasions.

CARABINIERS, Fr. One complete regiment of carabineers was formed, during the monarchy of France, out of the different corps of cavalry. They were usually distributed among other bodies of troops, and it was their duty to charge the advanced posts of the enemy.

CARABINS, Fr. These were light-armed horsemen, who sometimes acted on foot. They were generally stationed in the out-posts, for the purpose of harrassing the enemy, defending narrow passes, &c. In action, they usually fought in front of the dragoons, or upon the wings of the first line. Their name is derived from the Arabian word Karab, which signifies, generally, any warlike instrument.

CARAVAN; Caravanne, Fr. from a Turkish word, which signifies, a troop of travellers, who go armed by sea or land.

CARBINE, in military affairs, is a fire-arm somewhat smaller than the firelock of the infantry, and used by the cavalry. It carries a ball of 24 in the pound: its barrel is three feet long, and the whole length, including the stock, 4 feet.

Rifled-CARBINES, are generally of the same dimensions with the above, and have their barrels rifled spirally from the breech to the mouth; so that when the ball, which is forced into it, is driven out again by the strength of the powder, it is lengthened about the breadth of a finger, and marked with the rifle of the bore. Fire-arms of this kind have a much greater range than any other, because the rifle of the barrel gives a spiral direction, instead of a rotatory direction to the ball, which by that means makes the greater resistance at the first inflammation of the powder, giving time for the whole charge to take fire, before the ball is out of the bore. These arms are used by horse-riflemen, the chasseurs, or light infantry.

CARBINEERS, or Carabineers. All regiments of light armed horse were formerly called so; but since the establishing of hussars and chasseurs, they have lost that denomination; and now all the cavalry are called carabineers, who carry the carabine.

CARACOLE, a semi-circular motion or half-wheel; chiefly applied to that used either by individuals or squadrons of cavalry, to prevent an enemy from discovering where they intend to make their attack.

CARBON, charcoal. It is the name in the new chemistry given to every body which has the properties or qualities of the carbonic acid or charcoal; impregnated in certain degrees, bodies are called carbonates. See AIGREMORE.

CARBONE. Pure charcoal is called carbone in the new chemical nomenclature. It is the black residuum of vegetables, which have suffered a complete decomposition of their volatile principles by fire. Charcoal is black, brittle, sonorous, and light. It is placed among simple bodies, because no experiment has hitherto shown the possibility of decomposing it. It exists in the animal, vegetable, and mineral regions. When it is required to procure carbone in a state of great purity, it must be dried by strong ignition in a closed vessel.

CARBONIC ACID. Carbonaceous acid. Fixed air. Mephitic gas. Aerial acid. The name of cretaceous acid appears to agree best with this substance, because it is contained in very large quantities in chalk; and there is no other body with which it has so strong an affinity, as with lime, which composes the base of this earthy salt. The carbonic acid possesses all the more obvious qualities of air, and exists in the atmosphere, of which it is a small part.

Atmospheric air. In 100 parts of atmospheric air there are 72 of azote, 27 of oxygene, and 1 of carbonic acid.

CARCASS, a composition of combustibles. Carcasses are of two sorts, oblong and round: the uncertain flight of the first sort has almost rendered them useless. They are prepared in the following manner: boil 12 or 15 lb. of pitch in a glazed earthen pot; mix with that 3 lb. of tallow, 30 lb. of powder, 6 lb. of salt-petre, and as many stopins as can be put in. Before the composition is cold, the carcass must be filled; to do which, smear your hands with oil or tallow, and fill the carcass 1-third full with the above composition; then put in loaded pieces of gun or pistol barrels, loaded grenades, and fill the intervals with composition; cover the whole over with coarse cloth, well sewed together, keeping it in a round form. Then put it into the carcass, having a hollow top and bottom, with bars running between them to hold them together, and composed of four slips of iron joined at top, and fixed at the bottom, at equal distances, to a piece of iron, which, together with the hoops, when filled, form a complete globular body. When quite finished and cold, the carcass must be steeped in melted pitch, and then instantly immerged in cold water. Lastly, bore three or four holes at top, and fill the same with fuze composition, covering the holes with pitch until used. Carcasses are thrown out of mortars, and weigh from 50 to 230 lb. according to the size of the mortars they are to be thrown out of. There are other carcasses for the sea-service, which differ from a shell only in the composition, and in the four holes from which it burns when fired.

CARCASSES were first used by the bishop of Munster, at the siege of Groll, in 1672, where the duke of Luxemburg commanded.

CARCASSES. Their dimensions and weight, 1796.

--------------+------------------------------------+---------- | Weight. | +-----------+------------+-----------+---------- | | Of | |Time each Kinds. | Empty. |composition.| Complete. |will burn. --------------+-----------+------------+-----------+---------- Round for |lb. oz. dr.| lb. oz. dr.|lb. oz. dr.| Min. | | | | Mortars 13|194 10 11| 18 14 --|213 8 16| 11 and 10| 89 13 11| 7 8 11| 97 6 11| 8¹⁄₂ How’rs. 8| 44 9 5| 4 4 11| 48 14 --| 5- 42| 27 3 --| 2 7 11| 29 10 11| 5 | | | | 32| 20 13 5| 1 14 5| 22 11 11| 4- Guns. 24| 14 12 --| 1 9 11| 16 5 11| 4 18| 11 13 11| 1 1 5| 12 15 --| 4 | | | | 68| -- -- --| -- -- --| | 42| 26 -- --| 2 7 --| 28 7 --| 4- Carronades. 32| 21 10 --| 1 13 --| 23 7 --| 4 24| 14 5 --| 2 5 --| 16 10 --| 3- 18| 10 4 --| 1 2 --| 11 6 --| 3 | | | | Oblong for | | | | | | | | Mortars 10| 36 7 5| 35 10 --| 72 1 5| 12 and 8| 16 5 5| 18 2 --| 34 7 5| 10 How’rs. 5¹⁄₂| 1 12 2| 6 15 --| 8 11 3| 6 4-| 1 0 6| 3 11 7| 4 11 13| 4 +-------------+-----------+------------+-----------+----------

Note.--It being found at the siege of Quebec, that the quantity of powder requisite for throwing the carcasses into the town, always destroyed them, the method of filling the interval between the powder and carcass with turf was adopted; and found to preserve the carcass, and to produce every desired effect.

CARIPI, a kind of cavalry in the Turkish army, which to the number of 1000 are not slaves, nor bred up in the seraglio, like the rest, but are generally Moors, or renegado Christians, who have obtained the rank of horse-guards to the Grand Seignior.

CARMINE, a bright scarlet color, which is used in plans of fortification, and serves to describe those lines that have mason work.

CAROUSAL, in military history, signifies a magnificent entertainment, exhibited by princes or other great personages, on some public occasion, consisting of cavalcades of gentlemen richly dressed and equipped, after the manner of the ancient cavaliers, divided into squadrons, meeting in some public place, and performing justs, tournaments, &c.