Part 83

CATAFALCO, in military architecture, a scaffold of timber, decorated with sculpture, painting, &c. for supporting the coffin of a deceased hero, during the funeral solemnity

CATAPHRACT, the old Roman term for a horseman in complete armor.

CATAPHRACTA, in the ancient military art, a piece of heavy defensive armor, formed of cloth or leather, fortified with iron scales or links, wherewith sometimes only the breast, sometimes the whole body, and sometimes the horse too, was covered.

CATAPULTA, in military antiquity, an engine contrived for throwing of arrows, darts and stones, upon the enemy. Some of these engines were so large, and of such force, that they would throw stones of an hundred weight. Josephus takes notice of the surprising effects of these engines, and says, that the stones thrown out of them beat down the battlements, knocked off the angles of the towers, and had force sufficient to level a very deep file of soldiers

CATATROME. See CRANE.

CATERVA, in ancient military writers, a term used in speaking of the Gaulish or Celtiberian armies, denoting a body of 6000 armed men. The word is also used to denote a party of soldiers in disarray; in opposition to cohort or turma, which signify in good order.

CATTUS, CATHOUSE, in ancient military history, was a kind of covered shed, sometimes fixed on wheels, and similar to the Vinca and Pluteus of the ancients.

CAVALCADE, in military history, implies a pompous procession of horsemen, equipages, &c. by way of parade, to grace a triumph, public entry, or the like.

CAVALIER, in fortification, is a work generally raised within the body of the place, 10 or 12 feet higher than the rest of the works. Their most common situation is within the bastion, and made much in the same form: sometimes they are placed in the gorges, or on the middle of the curtain; they are then made in the form of a horse-shoe. See FORTIFICATION. Their use is to command all the adjacent works and country round about it; they are seldom, or never, made but when there is a hill or rising ground, which overlooks some of the works.

Trench-CAVALIER, in the attacks, is an elevation which the besiegers make by means of earth or gabions, within halfway, or two thirds of the glacis, to discover, or to enfilade the covert way.

CAVALRY, in military affairs, that body of soldiers which serves and fights on horseback: under this denomination are included,

Horse, that is, regiments or troops of horse. The first English troop of horse was raised in 1660.

Dragoons, are likewise regiments of horse, but distinguished from the former by being taught to fight both on foot and on horseback. The first English regiment of dragoons was raised in 1681. See American Mil. Lib. Art. CAVALRY.

Hunters. See LIGHT-HORSE.

Light-horse, are regiments of cavalry, mounted on light, swift horses, whose men are but small, and lightly accoutred. They were first raised by the British, in 1757.

Hussars, generally Hungarian horse; their uniform is a large furred cap, adorned with a cock’s feather; those of the officers, either with an eagle’s or a heron’s; a very short waistcoat, with a pair of breeches and stockings in one; short light boots, generally of red or yellow leather; with a curious doublet, having five rows of buttons, which hang loosely on the left shoulder. Their arms are a long crooked sabre, light carbines, and pistols. Before they begin an attack, they lay themselves so flat on the necks of their horses, that it is hardly possible to discover their force; but being come within pistol-shot of the enemy, they raise themselves with surprising quickness, and fall on with such vivacity, that it is very difficult for the troops to preserve their order. When a retreat is necessary, their horses have so much fire, and are so indefatigable, their equipage so light, and themselves such excellent horsemen, that no other cavalry can pretend to follow them; they leap over ditches, and swim over rivers, with a surprising facility. Most of the German powers have troops under this name, as also France; into which country they were originally introduced under Louis the XIII. and were called Hungarian cavalry. This description of cavalry was accordingly more ancient in the French service, than that of hussars.

CAVEATING, in fencing, implies a motion whereby a person in an instant brings his sword, which was presented to one side of his adversary, to the opposite side.

CAVIN, in military affairs, implies a natural hollow, sufficiently capacious to lodge a body of troops, and facilitate their approach to a place. If it be within musket-shot, it is a place of arms ready made, and serves for opening the trenches, free from the enemy’s shot.

CAUTION, an explanation given previous to the word of command, by which the soldiers are called to attention, that they may execute the movement to be directed with unanimity and correctness.

CAZEMATTE. See CASEMATE.

CAZEMATE, CASEMATE, in fortification, is a certain retired place in the flank of a bastion, for the defence of the ditch, and face of the opposite bastion; not used at present. It also implies a well, having several subterranean branches, which are extended when they suspect the enemy is forming a mine, till they hear the miners at work.

CAZERNES, Fr. See CASERNES.

CEINTURE militaire, Fr. a broad leather belt which was worn round the waist, and was ornamented with gold or silver plates.

CELERES, the life-guards which attended Romulus, in the infancy of Rome, were so called. They were laid aside by Numa Pompilius. Celeres are properly distinguished from other troops, by being lightly armed and acting always on foot. The Celeres cannot be considered under the same head as Velites.

CEMENT. See CÆMENT.

CENOTAPH, in military history, implies the empty tomb of a hero, or a monument erected to the honor of a person, without the body of the deceased being interred in or near it.

CENTESIMATION, in ancient military history, a mild kind of military punishment, in cases of desertion, mutiny, and the like, when only every 100th man was executed.

CENTER, CENTRE, in a general sense, signifies a point equally distant from the extremities of a line, surface, or solid.