Part 93

COMMISSAIRE général des poudres et salpêtres, Fr. Commissary general of gun-powder and saltpetre.

COMMISSAIRE général des fontes, Fr. Commissary general of the Founderies.

COMMISSAIRES des guerres, Fr. Commissaries of the war departments or muster masters general.

COMMISSAIRES ordinaires des guerres, Fr. Commissaries in ordinary, or deputy muster masters. These were subordinate to the former, and were entrusted with the superintendance of hospitals, to see that proper provisions were procured for, and distributed among the sick. They likewise gave proper vouchers to account for the absence of soldiers, and regulated what number of extraordinary waggons should be furnished to the troops on marches.

COMMISSAIRES provinciaux et ordinaires des guerres, Fr. Provincial or ordinary commissaries of war. Specific duties were attached to their appointments, the discharge of which was principally confined to the different provinces.

COMMISSAIRES des guerres entretenus dans l’hotel des invalides, Fr. Commissaries of war, specifically attached to, and resident in the hotel des invalides. It was their duty to keep a regular roll, containing all the names of the different officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers who might be detached on garrison duty, &c. which return was made monthly by them to the secretary at war. Each commissary at every review or inspection of the corps of invalids, had particular directions to mark out those men who appeared capable of serving; and a regular return to that effect was made to the secretary at war.

COMMISSAIRE des vivres, Fr. Commissary of stores. The commissary of stores had several deputies, who acted immediately under, and were in every respect accountable to him for the management of their trust.

COMMISSAIRE general des fortifications, Fr. Commissary general of Fortifications. This was a very important situation during war, as it was the duty of the commissary general to trace the lines of circumvallation, &c. at the siege; to determine upon the mode of attack and defence, and to see, that the necessary repairs were made.

COMMISSARY, in military affairs, is of various denominations, though generally a civil officer appointed to inspect the musters, stores, and provisions for the army. In war-time their number is proportioned to the service required.

COMMISSARY-general of the musters, or muster-master general. He takes account of the strength of every regiment as often as he pleases; reviews them, sees that the horse are well mounted, and all the men well armed and clothed. He receives and inspects the muster rolls, and knows exactly the strength of the army. The British have created an inspector general of cavalry, which answers every purpose for which that of muster master general was intended.

COMMISSARY-general of stores, a civil officer in the artillery, who has the charge of all the stores, for which he is accountable to the office of ordnance. He is allowed various other commissaries, clerks, and conductors, especially in war-time.

COMMISSARY of the train horses, a civil officer likewise of the artillery, who has the inspection of all horses belonging to the train, the hospital, and the bakery; having under him a number of conductors, drivers, &c.

COMMISSARY of accounts is a responsible person who attends each army, where the numbers are of sufficient importance, with a proper establishment, for the purpose of examining and controlling accounts on the spot. All commissaries of accounts make returns of their examination, and on these documents the comptrollers of the army accounts found the best enquiry into the expenditure which the nature of the subject admits of.

COMMISSARY-general of provisions, has the charge of furnishing the army in the field with all sorts of provisions, forage, &c. by contract; he must be very vigilant and industrious, that the troops may never suffer want. He has under him various commissaries, store-keepers, clerks, &c.

COMMISSION, in a military sense, any situation or place which an individual may hold in the army, or militia. In the United States the President nominates the officer, who enters upon service and pay immediately on his acceptance, but the appointment must be submitted to the senate, and approved by a majority, before the commission issues.

Militia COMMISSIONS are issued in different modes in all the United States; officers being elective by the line in some states, as in Pennsylvania; they are appointed by the governor, as Maryland.

COMMISSION of array. In the reign of Henry II. 1181, an assize of arms was settled to the following effect: That every person possessed of a knight’s fee, was to have a coat of mail, an helmet, a shield, and a lance, and as many of these as he had fees. Every free layman that had in goods or rents to the value of 16 marks, was to have the same arms; and such as had 10 marks were to have a lesser coat of mail, an iron cap, and a lance; the two last of which with a wamhois were assigned for the arms of burgesses, and all the freemen of boroughs. These arms were all to be provided before the feast of St. Hilary next following.

To enforce these regulations, it was customary for the time, at certain seasons of the year, to issue commissions to experienced officers, to draw out and array the fittest men for service in each county, and to march them to the sea coasts, or to such other quarters of the country as were judged to be most in danger. Of these commissions of array, there are many hundreds in the Gascon and French rolls in the tower of London, from the 36th of Henry III. to the reign of Edward IV. The form of the ancient commissions of array may be seen in Rushworth’s historical collection published in 1640. These commissions were again attempted to be revived by Charles I but they were voted illegal and unconstitutional by the parliament.

Non-COMMISSIONED, applies to that particular class of men who act between what are called the rank and file of a battalion, and the commissioned or warrant officers. See SERJEANTS.

COMMITTEE, a select number of persons to whom the more particular consideration of some matter is referred, and who are to report their opinion to the court, &c. of which they are members.

COMMUNICATION, in fortification signifies all sorts of passages, or ways which lead from one work to another. The best, and indeed the only good communications are those which the besieger cannot annoy, or interrupt by his fire. The obstinate defence of a work is rendered almost impracticable, if you are destitute of good communications. Subterraneous galleries, coffers, or caponiers, slopes made on the outside of gorges, may be termed communications. When the ditches are filled with water, floating bridges, &c. serve as communications.

COMPAGNE, Fr. a room or cabin belonging to the chief of a galley.

COMPANIES-Franches, Fr. free corps or companies, which during the old government of France, were put upon a certain establishment in war time. The Austrians and Prussians had free corps in the seven years war; there were some in France at the beginning of the revolution, but they were more fatal to friends than enemies, and utterly destitute of discipline.

COMPANY, in a military sense, means a small body of foot, or artillery, the number of which is never fixed, but is generally from 50 to 120, commanded by a captain, a lieutenant, and an ensign, and sometimes by a first and second lieutenant, as in the artillery and flank companies of the line. A company has usually 4 or 6 serjeants, 4 or 6 corporals, and 2 drums. A company should have at least 4 commissioned officers, a serjeant and corporal for every ten men and a company consist of 120. In the Austrian service a company consists of 200 men.

Free COMPANY, is one of those corps commonly called irregular; is seldom or never under the same orders with the regular corps of the army, but for the most part acts like a detached army, either by itself, or in conjunction with some of its own kind; therefore their operations are properly considered under the title of the petite guerre. Same as companies Franches.

Independent COMPANY, that which is not incorporated in a regiment. Two such companies generally belong to each regiment in England, who are to supply the regiments with recruits.

COMPARTIMENT de feu, Fr. a specific division of the intermediate spaces belonging to a mine, and the regular allotment of the saucissons or train-bags to convey fire to the furnaces at one and the same time.

COMPLEMENT of the curtain, that part in the interior side of a fortification which makes the demi-gorge. See FORTIFICATION.