Part 95

lbs. oz. Mealed powder 1 4 Saltpetre 6 0 Sulphur 1 8

All dry compositions must be well mixed; first by the hands, and then passed several times through fine hair sieves, that the ingredients may be thoroughly incorporated. In mixing compositions which require fire, the greatest precautions are necessary; particularly in those where gunpowder enters. The dry parts of the composition may in general be mixed together first, and put by degrees into the cauldron, while the other ingredients are fluid, being well stirred all the time of putting in. When the dry ingredients are inflammable, the cauldron must not only be taken off the fire, but the bottom must be dipt in water, to prevent the possibility of accident while mixing them.

COMPOUND motion. See GUNNERY.

COMPTROLLER of the artillery, inspects the musters of the artillery, makes the pay-list, takes the account and remains of stores, and is accountable to the office of ordnance. This post is only in war-time. Also an officer who superintends the accounts of the army at large.

COMRADE, a fellow soldier in the same regiment, troop, or company.

To CONCERT, in a military sense, is to digest, arrange, and dispose matters in such a manner, that you may be able to act in conjunction with other forces, however much divided, at any given point of offensive or defensive operation.

CONCORDANT, Fr. a certain agreement, which officers belonging to the same corps in the French service formerly entered into, for the specific purpose of providing for a comrade who left the regiment. This contract was, however, without the sanction of government, and if known incurred its displeasure.

CONDUCTORS, are assistants to the commissary of stores, to conduct depots, or magazines, from one place to another: they have also the care of the ammunition waggons in the field; they report to the commissary, and are under his command.

CONFEDERATE Troops. Troops of different nations united together in one common cause against an enemy. Hence the league by which they are so engaged, is called a confederacy. The same as coalition, the powers of Europe coalesced in 1791, to partition France, and were defeated; there were several other coalitions since, which have ended in the subjugation of them all.

CONFIDENCE, in a military sense, implies an explicit reliance upon the skill, courage, &c. of an individual. Next to a perfect knowlege of military tactics, the faculty of securing the confidence of the soldiers is, perhaps, one of the surest means of becoming successful in war. There are instances, indeed, which prove that many victories have been gained by men who had the entire confidence of their army, without being remarkable for much military knowlege; whilst on the other hand, battles have been lost by the most celebrated generals, because they did not possess the good opinion of their men. When confidence and military science go together, an army must be unfortunate not to succeed in the most desperate enterprize.

CONFLICT. See COMBAT.

CONGE, Fr. leave of absence, The old service of France admitted of two sorts. The Congé limité, a limited or specific leave, and Congé absolu, a full discharge: in time of war, the latter was always suspended.

CONGLOMERATE, to gather together, to assemble in a knot.

CONGRESS, in military and political affairs, is an assembly of commissioners, deputies, envoys, &c. from several powers meeting to agree on terms for a general pacification, or to concert matters for their common good. A committee of the American Congress conducted the war during the first years of the revolution.

CONNETABLE de France. Constable of France. This appointment succeeded to that of Grand Sénéchal de France. It was not originally a military place of trust, but merely an office belonging to the king’s household.

CONSCRIPT, conscriptus, a term anciently applied to the senators of Rome, from their names being entered all in one register. It was used by congress in our revolution.

CONSCRIPTS, men raised to recruit the French armies. In Bohemia and Hungary, all men capable of bearing arms are enregistered, and must march whenever there is occasion for their services. The conscripts in France have been raised during the present war upon similar principles.

The militia of Great Britain come under the appellation, with this difference, that the men are raised by ballot, and do not march out of their native country, unless they be voluntarily disposed so to do. In a republic every man is a soldier, and as the word means must have his name written on the militia roll.

CONSEILLE-de-guerre, Fr. not only signifies a council of war, at which the French king and his minister sat to determine upon military matters, both by sea and land, but it likewise meant a general or regimental court martial.

CONSIGNE, Fr. parole or countersign.

It likewise means, when used in the masculine gender, a person formerly paid by the French government for constantly residing in a garrisoned town, in order to take cognizance of all persons who entered or went out of the gates. He had a place allotted to him in the half-moon, and delivered a regular report to the governor or commandant of the place.

CONSPIRATION, Fr. Conspiracy.

CONSPIRATION contre le service du Roi, Fr. a conspiracy against the King’s service. During the existence of the old government of France, any conspiracy, collusion, or unlawful understanding, which was discovered to exist against the king, his governors, commandants, or other inferior officers, was reckoned a capital military offence; and by an order which took place on the 1st of July, 1727; it was enacted, that every person convicted of the crime should be broken upon the wheel.

CONSTABLE, chief. A person employed under the militia establishment to collect fines.

They may likewise apprehend persons suspected of being deserted serjeants, corporals or drummers.

High CONSTABLE and Marshal were officers of considerable weight and dignity, not only in France, but throughout all the feudal governments of Europe. The title of constable or comes stabuli, according to the ingenious author of an essay on military law, explains the original nature of this office, which was that of commander of the cavalry, and as these once constituted the principal strength of the imperial or royal armies, this officer became naturally the commander in chief of those armies. The office of marshal appears originally to have been of a much inferior nature, the person who exercised it being the actual superintendant of the stables, or chief of the equerries, whose duty was to furnish the provender for the horses, and to oversee their proper management. But in process of time this office grew into high consideration, and the marshal subordinate only to the constable, became the second in command of the armies, and in the absence of the latter supplied his place. See MARSHAL.

The powers of the constable as a field officer, were extremely ample and dignified. The constable was subordinate only to the king in the command of the army; and even when the king was actually in the field, the efficient command of the troops seems to have been in this officer, and all the general orders were issued jointly in the sovereign’s name and in the constable’s.

CONSUL. The person invested with the powers of the consulate.