Part 91

COLONEL of engineers, should be a very able mathematician and mechanician, he should be master of fortification, and be correctly versed in the art of planning, constructing, attacking, and defending. See ENGINEER.

Lieutenant COLONEL, is the second person in command of a regiment. Under his direction all the affairs of the regiment are conducted. His military qualifications should be adequate to the size and the importance of the corps in which he has the honor to serve.

COLONEL general of the French infantry. An appointment of great trust and authority, which was suppressed during the old government of France. A colonel-general was formerly entitled to the nomination of every commission and place of trust in the infantry. He could order courts-martial, and enforce the sentences awarded by them without ulterior reference; and he had a company in every regiment which was called the colonel-general’s company.

This appointment was created during the reign of Francis I. in 1544, and became an immediate gift of the king, under Henry III. in 1584.

There was likewise a colonel-general of the cavalry; which appointment was entrusted to two officers under the reign of Louis XIII. One commanded the French and the other the German cavalry.

The appointment of colonel-general of dragoons was created by Louis XIV. in 1688.

COLONELLE, Fr. was formerly the first company in a French regiment. Madame la Colonelle is still the colonel’s wife.

COLORS in the military art, are large silk flags fixed on half pikes, and carried by the ensigns; when a battalion is encamped, they are placed in its front; but in garrison they are lodged with the commanding officer.

The size of the colors to be 6 feet 6 inches flying, and 6 feet deep on the pike. The length of the pike (spear and ferril included) to be 9 feet 10 inches. The cords and tassels of the whole to be of the standard color, mixed with gold or silver; silver for the infantry and cavalry; gold for the artillery, rifle corps, and engineers.

Camp-COLORS, are a small sort of colors placed on the right and left of the parade of a regiment when in the field; one or two to each company; they are 18 inches square, and of the color of the facing of the regiment, with the number of the regiment upon them. The poles to be 7 feet 6 inches long, except those of the quarter and rear-guards, which are to be 9 feet. See BANNEROLLS.

COLOR-guard. See GUARD.

COLORS, used in the drawings of fortification. It is necessary to use colors in the drawings of plans and profiles of a fortification, in order to distinguish every particular part, and separate, as it were, the one from the other, so as to make their difference more sensible. The different sorts of colors, generally used in these kinds of drawings, are, Indian-ink, carmine, verdigrease, sap-green, gum-bouge, Prussian blue, indigo, and umber.

Indian-ink is the first and most necessary thing required in drawing; for it serves, in drawing the lines, to express hills or rising grounds, and, in short, for all what is called shading in drawings. The best sort of Indian ink is of a bluish black, soft and easily reduced into a liquid, free from sand or gravel. It is made in oblong squares. The manner of liquefying it, is by putting a little clear water into a shell or tea-cup, and rubbing it gently ’till the water is black, and of a consistence much like common ink: when it is used for drawing lines, it must be made very black, though not too thick, otherwise it will not easily flow out of the camel hair pencil; but when it is for shading, it must be pale, so as to go over the same shade several times, which adds a beauty to the shading.

Carmine, is an impalpable powder, and the fairest red we know of: it serves for coloring the sections of masonry, the plans of houses, and all kinds of military buildings; as likewise their elevation; but then it is made of a paler color. It is also used for drawing red lines in plans, to represent walls. It is of a high price, but a little will go a great way. It must be mixed with a little gum-water.

Verdigrease, or sea-green, used in drawings, is either liquid in small phials, or mixed in little pots or shells, &c. it serves to color wet ditches, rivers, seas, and in general to represent all watery places; it is most soluble in vinegar; and mixed with vinegar makes a fine green ink.

Sap-green, is a stone of a faint yellowish green, when liquefied with clear water: but when mixed with a little sea green, it makes a beautiful grass-green; but, as all mixed colors are liable to fade, if verdigrease can be had, it will be much better. Sap-green is very cheap.

Gum-bouge, is a fine yellow gum. It may be dissolved in water, but requires no other gum: it serves to color all projects of works; as likewise to distinguish the works unfinished from those that are complete. It serves also to color the trenches of an attack.

Indigo, is in small cakes, and very cheap; it serves to color iron, and roofs of buildings which are covered with slates: it must be well ground upon a smooth stone or glass, and mixed with a little gum-water.

Prussian blue, is a kind of friable substance of an exceeding fine blue: it is used to represent the color of blue cloth in drawing encampments, battles, &c. It must be well ground, and mixed with a little gum-water.

Smalt, also a good sort of blue, and may be used for the same purposes.

Ultramarine, is an impalpable powder, and of a very delicate sky-blue. It is a color of high price.

Umber, is a yellowish brown color in powder: when it is mixed with gum-water, it serves to color dry ditches, sand, and all kinds of earth. By mixing a little red ink with it, it will make a wood color.

If some tobacco-leaves be steeped in clear water for several hours, and filtered through a woollen cloth, or brown paper, with a little red ink mixed with it, it will make the best earth or wood color, as lying smoother than any other.

Gum-water, is best when it is made some time before it is used; for which purpose take some gum arabic and steep it in clear water for some hours, ’till it is dissolved; then strain it through a woollen cloth or brown paper, and preserve it in phials, well stopped, ’till wanted.

COLUMN, in the art of war, a long, deep file of troops or baggage. The advantages and disadvantages of columns are so numerous, that we shall only mention, that columns ought to be able to form near the enemy; and in such a position, as not to suffer much from the artillery; that their motions be quick, so as not to suffer much during the operation; and that the divisions, in short, which compose each column, be so arranged as to afford each other a mutual defence and assistance, in case they should be attacked. Such are the principles that should guide, in forming of columns judiciously, and of freeing them from that multiplicity of inconveniencies which make them liable to the most melancholy accidents. The chevalier Folard has written a treatise on the disposition of the column as the best order of battle; after his death the theory sunk into disregard; but the French revolution has revived and realized all the advantages, held forth by Folard.

Close-COLUMN, a compact, solid column, with very little space between the divisions of which it is composed.

Open-COLUMN, a column with intervals between the divisions equal to their respective fronts.

COMBAT, a battle or duel. Anciently it was not uncommon for contending powers to adjust their disputes by single combat, when each party chose for itself a champion who contested the point in presence of both armies.