Chapter LIV: Part 54

=Sedan.= A town of France, department of Ardennes, on the Meuse; it is fortified, and contains an arsenal and several magazines. On July 6, 1641, a victory was gained at La Marfée, near Sedan, by the Count of Soissons and the troops of Bouillon and other French princes over the royal army supporting Richelieu. On August 29-31, 1870, a series of desperate conflicts took place here between the French Army of the North under MacMahon (about 150,000 men), and the greater part of the three German armies, under the king and crown-prince of Prussia and the crown-prince of Saxony (about 250,000 men), and was brought to a close on September 1, 1870. The battle began with attacks on the French right and left, about 5 A.M., and was very severe at 2 P.M. At 4 P.M. the Germans remained masters of the field, and the crown-prince of Prussia announced a complete victory, the chief part of the French army retreating into Sedan. The emperor Napoleon was present during the battle, and, it is said, stood at Iges, near Sedan, exposed for four hours to the German grenades. The impossibility of further resistance was then evident. The Germans had contracted their circle close around Sedan; their formidable artillery held all the heights, from which they could at pleasure wholly destroy the town and the army, and only 2000 men were in a condition to respond to their commander’s call, and to make a supreme effort to break through the enemy with the emperor, and escape to Montmédy. At first, Gen. de Wimpffen (called to the command when MacMahon was wounded), indignantly rejected the terms offered by the victor, and the emperor had a fruitless interview with Count Bismarck to endeavor to mitigate them. On September 2, 1870, a capitulation of Sedan and the whole army therein was signed by Gens. von Moltke and de Wimpffen, at the chateau of Bellevue, near Frenois. The conflict was principally carried on by the artillery, in which the Germans had the advantage, not only in number (600 to 500), but also in weight, range, and precision. The carnage was awful, and the field the next day was a mass of shattered bones, torn flesh, and colored rags. About 25,000 French prisoners were taken in the battle, and 83,000 surrendered the next day, together with 70 mitrailleures, 400 field-pieces, and 150 fortress guns. About 14,000 French wounded were found lying in the neighborhood, and about 3000 escaped into Belgium and laid down their arms. The great Army of the North ceased to exist. On September 1, the village of Bazeilles was stormed by the Bavarians and burnt, it was said, because the inhabitants fired on the ambulances; many women and children perished. The French denied the provocation. The place had been previously twice bombarded and stormed by the maddened combatants.

=Sedgemoor.= A wild tract of England, in Somersetshire, between Bridgewater and King’s Weston, where the Duke of Monmouth (the natural son of Charles II. by Lucy Walters), who had risen in rebellion on the accession of James II., was completely defeated by the royal army, July 6, 1685. The duke was made a prisoner in the disguise of a peasant, at the bottom of a ditch, overcome with hunger, fatigue, and anxiety.

=Sedition.= In a military sense, is to disobey orders, to cabal or form factions against the officer or officers in command; to loosen confidence; to resist or oppose orders, or to stir up mutiny. It is an offense in military law of the most fatal character, and always punished in a most exemplary manner.

=Sedusii.= A German people, forming part of the army of Ariovistus when he invaded Gaul, 58 B.C.; they are not mentioned at a later period, and consequently their site cannot be determined.

=See, To.= In a military sense, is to have practical knowledge of a thing; as, to see service. _To have seen a shot fired_ is a figurative expression in the British service, signifying to have been in action; also, to have been under fire.

=Seetabuldee.= A strong military position in Hindostan, near Nagpore, where a severe contest took place during the Mahratta war between the Boosla rajah and a small number of the British troops, in which the former were defeated.

=Segbans.= Are horsemen among the Turks who have care of the baggage belonging to cavalry regiments.

=Segesta.= A town situated in the northwest of Sicily, near the coast, between Panormus and Drepanum. Its inhabitants were constantly engaged in hostilities with Selinus; and it was at their solicitation that the Athenians were led to embark in their unfortunate expedition against Sicily. The town was taken by Agathocles, who destroyed or sold as slaves all its inhabitants, peopled the city with a body of deserters, and changed its name into that of Dicæopolis; but after the death of this tyrant, the remainder of the ancient inhabitants returned to the city, and it resumed its former name.

=Seistan= (formerly called _Segestan_). A khanat or principality of Asia, forming the southwest portion of Afghanistan. It was devastated by Tamerlane in 1383.

=Sejant=, or =Assis=. In heraldry, is the term of blazon applied to a beast in his usual sitting posture. A lion borne in full face, with his forepaws extended sideways, is blazoned _sejant_ affronté, as in the crest of Scotland.

=Sejour= (_Fr._). In a military sense, signifies a halting day.

=Selection.= The act of choosing in preference to others; hence, selection of officers to act upon the staff, etc.; to select quarters, etc. See QUARTERS, CHOICE OF.

=Seleucia ad Tigrin= (also called _Seleucia Babylonia_, _Seleucia Assyriæ_, and _Seleucia Parthorum_). A great city on the confines of Assyria and Babylonia, and for a long time the capital of Western Asia. It commanded the navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates. It was burned by Trajan in his Parthian expedition, and again by L. Verus, the colleague of M. Aurelius Antoninus. It was again taken by Severus.

=Seleucia Pieria= (ruins, called _Seleukeh_, or _Kepse_, near _Suadeiah_). A great city and fortress in Syria, founded by Seleucus in April, 300 B.C. In the war with Egypt, which ensued upon the murder of Antiochus II., Seleucia surrendered to Ptolemy III. Euergetes (246 B.C.). It was afterwards recovered by Antiochus the Great (219). In the war between Antiochus VIII. and IX., the people of Seleucia made themselves independent (109 or 108); afterwards they successfully resisted the attacks of Tigranes for fourteen years (84-70). The city had fallen entirely into decay by the 6th century of our era.

=Selictar.= A Turkish sabre.

=Seljuks=, or =Seljuk-Turks=. A small Turkish tribe which, at an early date, took possession of Bokhara and the surrounding country. They attracted the notice of Sultan Mahmoud, the founder of the dynasty of the Ghuznevides, who had advanced into Bokhara with his army, and was so impressed with the fine military qualities of their chief, that he induced them to cross the Oxus and to occupy the country of Khorassan. He had soon reason to repent of this fatal error. Like all those wandering hordes, the Turkomans were shepherds or robbers. They either molested the neighboring states by petty inroads, or, with the whole united force of the nation, they practiced robbery on a great scale, seizing on kingdoms and despoiling nations. The first migrations of these Eastern Turkomans is generally fixed in the 10th century. They became formidable to Mahmoud, and more especially to his successor, Massoud, who, from inability to resist their progress, was forced to grant them lands. He was afterwards defeated by them in a great battle; and the victorious Turks, under their leader, Togrul Beg, whom they now elected king, invaded Khorassan, and finally expelled the Ghuznevides, the descendants of Mahmoud, from the eastern provinces of Persia. They fled eastwards towards the Indus, and established the Ghuznian empire in the northwestern provinces of India. This empire was maintained with various success till about the year 1184, under the Ghuznian emperors, when they were superseded by that of the Afghan or Patan emperors, who completed the conquest of the greatest part of Hindustan Proper about 1210. Togrul Beg hastened to improve his victory over the Persian monarch. Turning his arms to the west, he invaded Irak, in the centre of Persia, and advancing westward of the Caspian Sea into Azerbijan, the ancient Media, he made his first approaches to the confines of the Roman empire. He afterwards proceeded to Bagdad, and by his conquest of that place, gained possession of the caliph. His successors Alp Arslan and Malek Shah extended the empire transmitted to them by Togrul Beg. They subdued the fairest portions of Asia. Jerusalem and the Holy Land were taken and pillaged by the Seljuks, and it was the vexation and rapine to which the Christian pilgrims were exposed in their journey to Jerusalem, that gave rise to those wild and warlike expeditions for the recovery of the Holy Land, known under the name of the Crusades. The empire under Malek Shah extended from the Mediterranean to the Chinese frontier, and from the Caspian to the Arabian Sea. Upon the death of Malek Shah the empire was divided up into petty sultanates, which finally caused the overthrow of the Seljuk empire. The Turkish dynasty of the Seljuks continued for 215 years, and with the overthrow of its dynasty in 1299, and on its ruins, arose the Turkish empire.

=Selkirkshire= (formerly called the _Ettrick Forest_). A small inland county of Scotland, in the Lowlands. Among the interesting historical scenes this county contains is the field of Philiphaugh, where the great Marquis of Montrose was defeated by the Covenanters under Gen. Leslie.

=Sell Out.= In the British service, was a term generally used when an officer was permitted to retire from the service, selling or disposing of his commission or commissions. It was the correlative word to _buy in_. Officers who purchased commissions were usually allowed to sell out.

=Sellasia.= A town in Laconia, north of Sparta, situated near the River Œnus, and commanded one of the principal passes leading to Sparta. Here the celebrated battle was fought between Cleomenes III. and Antigonus Doson, 221 B.C., in which the former was defeated.

=Selling Ammunition.= See APPENDIX, ARTICLES OF WAR, 16.

=Selymbria=, or =Selybria= (now _Selivria_). An important town in Thrace, on the Propontis. It was a colony of the Megarians. It was conquered by Philip, father of Alexander.

=Semaphore.= A machine for facilitating the internal communications of the country by means of telegraphic signals, especially between the government and the military or naval functionaries of the outposts; but its use has been entirely superseded by the introduction of the railways and the electric telegraph.

=Semé.= In heraldry, when a charge is repeated an indefinite number of times so as to produce the appearance of a pattern, the term semé (sometimes _aspersed_ or _powdered_) is applied to it. When a field is semé, it is treated as if it were cut out of a larger extent of surface, some of the charges being divided by the outline of the shield. The term _crusilly_ denotes semé of cross crosslets, and _billetty_ semé of billets.

=Semendria.= A frontier fortress of the principality of Servia, on the right bank of the Danube, 28 miles southeast of Belgrade. It has frequently been stormed by the nations who have contended for the Danube from the Middle Ages to the present century.

=Seminara.= A town of Naples, province of Calabria Ultra II. Near here Gonsalvo de Cordova, the great captain, was defeated by the French, in 1495; but defeated them April 21, 1503.

=Seminoles.= A tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited Central Florida, but now located on a reservation in the Indian Territory. During the time they were in Florida they became allies of the British in their incursions into Georgia during the Revolutionary war. They commenced a series of border-forays in 1794, when their numbers were largely increased by fugitive slaves and negroes; their force was also augmented by the Creeks in 1808. They invaded the frontiers of Georgia in 1812 and 1817, when they massacred a number of persons; but were speedily punished by Gen. Gaines and subsequently by Gen. Jackson. Florida was purchased by the United States in 1819, and the Seminoles made treaties with the United States a few years afterwards. The government resolved to move the Seminoles to a reservation beyond the Mississippi, in conformity with a treaty signed in 1832, but the Indians, headed by Osceola, their chief, resisted, which gave rise to a prolonged bloody war, which began in December, 1835. This war cost the U. S. government $10,000,000 and 1500 lives. The greater portion of the Seminoles were subdued and transported beyond the Mississippi in 1842, only about 300 remaining in the Everglades of Florida, under their chief, Billy Bowlegs. The Seminoles on their new reservation in Indian Territory were divided in their sentiments during the civil war, some of them taking up arms for the South; a civil contest ensued, in which those remaining loyal to the Union were defeated with great slaughter in December, 1861. After the civil war the two bands were reunited and purchased a reservation from the Creeks, where they are now industrious and prosperous. In 1870 they numbered 2553.

=Semi-steel.= See ORDNANCE, METALS FOR, STEEL.

=Sempach.= A small town of Switzerland, in the canton of Lucerne, situated on the eastern shore of the Lake of Sempach. It was one of the outposts of the confederate cantons against their Suabian and Austrian assailants in the 14th century. Under the walls of Sempach took place the second great conflict of the confederate Swiss cantons with Austria, in which the nobles of Austria, in spite of their valor and overwhelming numbers, were slaughtered like sheep by the Swiss. The Swiss lost but 200 men, while the loss of the Austrians was ten times as great. The anniversary of this great victory is still celebrated by prayer and thanksgiving on the field of battle.

=Sena.= A town on the coast of Umbria, at the mouth of the small river Sena, was founded by the Senones, a Gallic people, and was made a colony by the Romans after the conquest of the Senones, 283 B.C. In the civil war it espoused the Marian party, and was taken and sacked by Pompey.

=Seneca Indians.= One of the tribes of the Six Nations, and the most numerous and warlike of that confederation. When they first became known they were located in the region between the Lakes of Cayuga, Seneca, Canandaigua, and Ontario. In the 17th century they waged successful wars against the Hurons and other tribes to the westward, and finally the defeated tribes were adopted by the Senecas, who by this means of recruiting their ranks became a powerful people. They were firm allies of the English, as was attested in several battles against the French, and took a valiant part in the memorable battle wherein Gen. Braddock was killed; they again suffered severely in the campaign led by Gen. Sullivan in 1779. They removed to Lake Erie in 1784. The Senecas were allies of the Americans in the war of 1812-14. In 1870 there were 240 Senecas on a reservation in Indian Territory, and 3017 on a reservation in the State of New York.

=Seneffe=, or =Senef=. A town in the province of Hainault, Belgium, about 11 miles northwest of Charleroi. Seneffe is notable for its proximity to the battle-field on which William of Orange (III. of England), at the head of the forces of the coalition against France, fought the French army under the great Condé, August 11, 1674. In William’s army there were four lieutenants,--Montecuculi, Duke Charles of Lorraine, the Prince of Waldeck, and the Prince of Vaudemont, the first three of whom subsequently attained prominence as military commanders. Of the allied forces of 60,000 men, the Dutch lost from 5000 to 6000 men, the Spaniards 3000, and the Imperialists 600; while the French army, which entered into the conflict 30,000 strong, could scarcely muster 20,000 after the battle. Under the walls of Seneffe, Moreau, in 1794, defeated the Austrians.

=Senegal.= French colonies on the river of that name in Senegambia, West Africa, settled about 1626; several times taken by the British, but recovered by the French, to whom they were finally restored in 1814.

=Seneschal.= In the origin of the office, probably an attendant of the servile class, who had the superintendence of the household of the Frankish kings. In the course of time, however, the seneschalship rose to be a position of dignity, held no longer by persons of servile race, but by military commanders, who were also invested with judicial authority. The lieutenants of the great feudatories often took the title of seneschal. A similar office in England and Scotland was designated steward.

=Seniority.= Priority of rank and standing in the army. As regards regiments, this precedence is regulated by the number of the corps; among individuals, it is decided by the date of the commission. Where commissions of the same date interfere, reference is to be had to the dates of former commissions.

=Senones.= A powerful people in Gallia Lugdunensis, dwelt along the upper course of the Sequana (now _Seine_). A portion of this people crossed the Alps about 40 B.C., in order to settle in Italy; but the greater part of Upper Italy being already occupied by other Celtic tribes, the Senones were obliged to penetrate a considerable distance to the south, and took up their abode on the Adriatic Sea, between the modern Ravenna and Ancona. They extended their ravages into Etruria; and it was in consequence of the interference of the Romans while they were laying siege to Clusium, that they marched against Rome and took the city, 390 B.C. They were defeated by Camillus, 367 B.C. They defeated Metellus, the consul, at Arretium, 284, but were almost exterminated by Dolabella, 283. They invaded Greece in 279; were defeated by Antigonus Gonatus, 278, and sued for peace. See ROME.

=Sent to the Front.= A term applied to bodies of troops or individual soldiers when ordered from camp or garrison to the scene of active hostilities.

=Sent to the Rear.= A term applied to bodies of troops or individual soldiers when ordered from the immediate scene of active hostilities to the rear of the command in which they are serving, so as to be out of immediate danger.

=Sentence.= Decision, determination, final judgment. There is an appeal allowed from the sentence of a regimental court-martial to the opinion of a general one.

=Sentinel=, or =Sentry= (from the Lat. _sentire_, “to feel or perceive,” through the Ital. _sentinella_). A private soldier, marine, or sailor, posted at a point of trust, with the duty of watching the approach of an enemy, or any person suspected of hostile intentions. Sentinels mount guard over dépots of arms, the tents of commanding officers, etc. During the night, each sentinel is intrusted with the “word,” or countersign; and no person, however exalted in position, may attempt to approach or pass him without giving that as a signal. In such case, the sentinel is bound to arrest the intruder, and if necessary to shoot him. It has happened before now that the commander-in-chief of an army has been prisoner in the hands of one of his own sentinels. When an army is in the field, the sentinels are its eyes, for they guard the approaches in every direction some distance in front of the main body of troops. In the event of an attack, they give the alarm, and retire slowly on their supports. There is usually an agreement, tacit or expressed, between commanders that their outlying sentinels shall not fire upon one another, which would only be productive of useless bloodshed. Under martial law, death is the penalty to a sentinel sleeping on post. Sentinels will present arms to general and field-officers, to the officer of the day, and the commanding officer of a post; to all other officers they will carry arms. Staff-officers above the rank of captain are entitled to the same compliments from sentinels as are given to field-officers.

=Sentinum, Battle of.= See ROME.

=Sentry.= The same as sentinel. “Sentry go,” is the warning given by the sentry at the guard-room or tent that it is time to relieve sentries.

=Sentry-box.= A box to cover a sentinel at his post, and shelter him from the weather.

=Sepadar.= Is an East Indian term for an officer of the rank of brigadier-general.

=Sepahi.= An East Indian term for a feudatory chief, or military tenant; a soldier.

=Sepoy.= Corrupted from the Indian word _sipahi_, “a soldier.” This word sipahi, in its more familiar form of _spahis_, is known in most Eastern armies; and is itself derived from _sip_, “a bow and arrow,” the ordinary armament of an Indian soldier in ancient times. The word Sepoy now denotes a native Hindoo soldier in the British army in India. The Sepoys consist of Mohammedans, Rajpoots, Brahmans, and men of other castes, besides Sikhs, Ghoorkas, and men of various hill-tribes. They are generally officered by Europeans.

=Septembrizers.= In the French revolution a dreadful massacre took place in Paris, September 2-5, 1792. The prisons were broken open and the prisoners butchered, among them an ex-bishop, and nearly 100 non-juring priests. Some accounts state the number of persons slain at 1200, others at 4000. The agents in this slaughter were named Septembrizers.

=Sepulchre, Knights of the Holy.= A military order, established in Palestine about the year 1114. Those of this class chose Philip II., king of Spain, for their master, in 1558, and afterwards his son; but the grand master of the order of Malta prevailed on him to resign; and when afterwards the Duke de Nevers assumed the same quality in France, the same grand master, by his interest and credit, procured a like renunciation by him, and a confirmation of the union of this order to that of Malta.

=Sequani.= A Celtic nation of ancient Gaul. Before the conquest of Gaul by Cæsar, the Arverni and Ædui, the two most powerful nations of that country, were in a state of hostility; and the Sequani allied themselves with the former. In order more effectually to crush their enemies, these two nations hired a large body of Germans, under Ariovistus, from over the Rhine. With their assistance they totally defeated the Ædui; but the Germans seized for themselves a third part of the territory of the Sequani, and would have made further encroachments, had not Cæsar defeated them, and expelled them from the land.

=Serakhur, Serang.= In the East Indies are non-commissioned officers who are employed in the artillery and on board ships of war. In the artillery the former title answers to that of sergeant; in the naval service the latter to that of boatswain.

=Seraphim, or Jesus, Order of The.= An ancient Swedish order of knighthood, instituted in 1334; but dormant from the period of the Reformation until 1748. The number of knights, besides the king and members of the royal family, is limited to 24.

=Seraskier=, or =Seri-Asker= (_Pers._ “head of the army”). The name given by the Turks to every general having the command of a separate army, and, in particular, to the commander-in-chief or minister of war. The seraskier, in the latter sense, possesses most extensive authority, being subordinate only to the sultan and grand vizier. He is selected by the monarch from among the pashas of two or three tails.

=Seraskur= (_Ind._). This word is sometimes written _seraskier_, and signifies the commander-in-chief of a Turkish army.

=Serdans.= Colonels in the Turkish service are so called.

=Seregno.= A town in the province of Milan, Italy, 13 miles north from Milan. It is noted for the heroic resistance which the women of the city made against the conscription, and which ultimately induced Bonaparte to rescind his order for the bombardment of the place. The Austrians, in 1848, severely chastised Seregno for its patriotism.

=Sergeant.= A non-commissioned officer in a company, battery, or troop, usually selected from among the corporals on account of his general intelligence and good conduct. He is vested with the command of small detachments, and sometimes with his company in the absence of his superior officers.

=Sergeant, Armorer-.= In the British service, is a trained artificer who repairs the arms of a corps.

=Sergeant, Band-.= In the British service, is a non-commissioned officer who is responsible for the discipline of the band, as is the bandmaster for instruction. In the United States service a principal musician performs this duty.

=Sergeant, Color-.= See COLOR-SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, Cook.= In the British service, is a non-commissioned officer who superintends the cooking for the corps.

=Sergeant, Covering.= Is a non-commissioned officer, who, during the exercise of a battalion, regularly stands or moves behind each officer commanding or acting with a platoon or company.

=Sergeant d’Armes= (sergeant of arms), Fr. Philip Augustus, fearing to be assassinated on the instigation of the sheik of the mountain, during his stay in Palestine, organized for the protection of his person a corps of _sergeants d’armes_, consisting of gentlemen, which he armed with bronze war-clubs, and bows and arrows, whose duty it was to accompany him everywhere.

=Sergeant, Drill-.= See DRILL-SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, Hospital.= In the British service, is a non-commissioned officer who carries out the orders of the surgeon as regards discipline in a hospital.

=Sergeant Instructor in Fencing.= In the British service, is a sergeant who performs the duties implied by his title in regiments of cavalry.

=Sergeant Instructor in Gunnery.= A sergeant of artillery who aids the officer instructor in teaching gunnery.

=Sergeant, Lance-.= Is a corporal who acts as a sergeant in a company, but only receives the pay of a corporal.

=Sergeant-Major.= The chief non-commissioned officer in a regiment, and, from the nature of his duties, in a great degree an assistant to the adjutant. He must be master of every point connected with the drill, interior economy, and discipline of a regiment. It is his duty, on receiving the orders from the adjutant, to assemble the orderly sergeants, and issue the orders and details correctly. He is to keep a regular duty roster of the sergeants and corporals, and to proportion the number of men to be furnished for duty according to the strength of their respective companies. Finally, it is always expected that he should set an example to the non-commissioned officers by his activity, zeal, and personal appearance. In the British cavalry service this non-commissioned officer is termed regimental sergeant-major, the chief non-commissioned officer of a troop being styled troop sergeant-major. Similarly in the artillery there are the brigade sergeant-major and the battery sergeant-major.

=Sergeant, Orderly.= See ORDERLY SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, Pay-.= See PAY-SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, Paymaster-.= See PAYMASTER-SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, Pioneer.= See PIONEER SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, Quartermaster.= See QUARTERMASTER SERGEANT.

=Sergeant, White.= Is a term of ridicule in the British service, applied to those ladies who, taking advantage of the weakness of their husbands, neglect their domestic concerns to interfere in military matters.

=Seringapatam= (anc. _Sri-Rungaputtun_, “City of Vishnu”). A celebrated fortress of South India, and under Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sahib, the capital of Mysore, at the west angle of the island of the Cavery (Kaveri). Seringapatam was besieged by Lord Cornwallis in 1791, and again in 1792, when Tippoo purchased a peace by ceding half his dominions and paying 330 lacs of rupees to the British and their allies. It was again besieged in 1799 and taken by storm on May 3 (4), on which occasion Tippoo was killed, and the dynasty of Hyder terminated; the ancient Rajpoot line being restored to the sovereignty of Mysore.

=Serjeant.= See SERGEANT.

=Serpenteau= (_Fr._). A round iron circle, with small spikes, and squibs attached to them. It is frequently used in the attack and defense of a breach. It likewise means a fusee, which is filled with gunpowder, and is bent in such a manner, that when it takes fire, it obtains a circular rapid motion, and throws out sparks of light in various directions.

=Serpentine= (_Fr._). An ancient wall-piece, with a matchlock, carrying an 8-ounce leaden ball, with a charge of 4 ounces of powder. It was 6 or 7 feet long, and weighed from one to two hundred-weight.

=Serpentix= (_Fr._). Cock of the ancient matchlock, also the lock itself. Also, an ancient 24-pounder gun, of 13 feet, weighing 4360 pounds, whose dolphins represented the figures of serpents.

=Serre-demi File= (_Fr._). That rank in a battalion which determines the half of its depth, and which marches before the demi-file. Thus a battalion standing six deep, has its _serre-demi file_ in the third rank, which determines its depth.

=Serre-file= (_Fr._). The last rank of a battalion, by which its depth is ascertained, and which always forms its rear. When ranks are doubled, the battalion resumes its natural formation by means of the serre-files. _Serre-file_ literally signifies a “bringer up.”

=Servans d’Armes=, or =Chevaliers Servans= (_Fr._). Were persons belonging to the third class of the order of Malta. They were not noblemen, although they wore the sword and the cross.

=Servants.= In the British service, regimental and staff officers are allowed the indulgence of a steady and well-drilled soldier for a servant; and field-officers, keeping horses, two each. These soldiers are to take their share of any duty on which the officer to whom they are attached is employed, and they must fall in with their respective troops and companies at all reviews, inspections, and field-days. In the U. S. service, officers are not permitted to employ soldiers as servants.

=Serve.= To be in service; to do duty; to discharge the requirements of an office or employment; and, specifically, to act as a soldier, seaman, etc. _To serve a piece_, in the artillery, is to load and fire with promptitude and correctness. _To serve the vent_, to stop it with the thumb.

=Servia.= One of the Danubian principalities, nominally included in the Ottoman empire, but in reality only tributary to that power. It is bounded on the north by Austria, on the east by Wallachia and Bulgaria, on the south by Rumli and Bosnia, and on the west by Bosnia. In the earliest times of which we have any record, Servia was inhabited by Thracian or Illyrian races; shortly before Christ it was subjugated by the Romans, and formed part of the province of Illyricum, whose fortunes it shared during the vicissitudes of the empire. Overrun successively by the Huns, Ostrogoths, Longobards, etc., it reverted to the Byzantine rulers about the middle of the 6th century, but was wrested from them by the Avars in the 7th century, who in turn were routed by the Serbs, and compelled to give up the country. They were converted to Christianity in the 9th century, but this did not in the least abate their ardor for battle, and for nearly 200 years they were almost constantly at war with the neighboring Bulgarians,--the inveterate enemies of their Byzantine liege lord. In 1043, however, the royal governors were expelled, and they became an independent kingdom. For the next 100 years the Serbs had to fight hard to maintain their independence, and the struggle terminated in their favor; and in 1165, Stephen Nemanja founded a dynasty which lasted for two centuries, during which period the kingdom of Servia attained the acmé of its power and prosperity. Eventually the progress of the Turks, however, was fatal to its welfare, and in 1389 King Lazar fell in the disastrous battle at Kossovapolje. Sultan Bajazet divided the country between Lazar’s son and son-in-law, compelled them to pay tribute and follow him in war. Gradually the Serbs sunk more and more under the Turkish yoke, until, in 1459, Servia was thoroughly subjugated by the sultan Mahmoud. It was uniformly the theatre of the bloody wars between Hungary and Turkey, and frequently suffered the uttermost horrors of devastation. Prince Eugène’s brilliant successes for a moment flashed a ray of hope into the miserable hearts of the long-suffering Serbs, and by the treaty of Passarowitz (1718), a considerable portion of the country was made over to Austria; but in 1739 it reverted to Turkey, and for the next sixty years the cruelty and oppressions of the pashas and their Janissaries surpass all belief. At length the unhappy people could endure the tyranny of their foreign masters no longer, and in 1801 an insurrection broke out, headed by George Czerny, which, by the help of Russia, ended in the triumph of the patriots, and in the election of Czerny by the people as prince of Servia. The invasion of Russia by France, however, left the Serbs at the mercy of their late rulers and the war again broke out. Czerny was forced to flee, and the tyranny of the Turks became more ferocious than ever. Again the people flew to arms under the leadership of Milosch Obrenovitch, and were a second time successful in winning back their liberties. Milosch ruled as prince of Servia until 1839, when he was forced to abdicate; but in 1858 he was restored to his former dignity. In the war between Russia and Turkey in 1876, the Servians took the side of the former, but were not actively engaged.

=Service.= In a military sense is the art of serving the state in war. All studies, acts, and efforts of the profession of arms have this end in view. To belong to the army and to belong to the land service, are the same thing. In a more restricted sense, service is the performance of military duty. In its general sense, service embraces all details of the military art. But in its restricted sense, actual service is the exercise of military functions. _To see service_, is a common expression denoting actual collision with an enemy. _To retire from service_, to quit the army, or resign.

=Service, Foreign.= See FOREIGN SERVICE.

=Service, Home.= See HOME SERVICE.

=Service, Secret.= Any service performed by an individual in a clandestine secret manner. It likewise means intelligence or information, given by spies when countries are engaged in war, for which they receive pecuniary compensation.

=Serviceable.= Capable of performing all military duty, or of being used in the military service.

=Servile or Slave War.= See ROME.

=Session.= The actual sitting of a court, council, etc., or the actual assembly of the members of such a body for the transaction of business. Hence, also the time, period, or term during which a court, council, and the like, meet daily for business; or the space of time between the first meeting and prorogation or adjournment.

=Sestus.= A town in Thrace, situated at the narrowest part of the Hellespont, opposite Abydos in Asia, from which it was only seven stadia distant. It was always reckoned a place of importance in consequence of its commanding, to a great extent, the passage of the Hellespont. It was for some time in possession of the Persians, but was retaken by the Greeks, 478 B.C., after a long siege. It subsequently formed part of the Athenian empire.

=Set.= A word used in a military sense in various combinations; as, to set a sentinel, is to place a soldier at any particular spot for its security. To _set on_, is to attack. To _set at defiance_, is to defy, to dare to combat, etc. To _set up_, is to make a man fit for military movements and parade.

=Seteef=, or =Setif= (anc. _Sitipha_, or _Sitifi_). A town of Algeria, distinguished by the obstinate resistance it made against the Saracens, when Northern Africa was overrun by that fierce and warlike people. The old city is now in ruins.

=Setendy.= In the East Indies, the militia is so called.

=Setia.= An ancient town of Latium, in the east of the Pontine Marshes; originally belonged to the Volscian confederacy, but was subsequently taken by the Romans and colonized. It was here that the Romans kept the Carthaginian hostages.

=Setter.= In gunnery, a round stick, to drive fuzes, or any other compositions, into cases of paper.

=Sevastopol.= See SEBASTOPOL.

=Seven Weeks’ War.= The war declared by Prussia, on June 18, 1866, which ended in the total defeat of Austria and her allies. See PRUSSIA.

=Seven Years’ War.= This was the third, last, and by far the longest and most terrible of the contests for the possession of Silesia. This long and desperate war was maintained by Frederick II. of Prussia against Austria, Russia, and France, from 1756 to 1763. It made no change in the territorial distribution of Europe, but it increased tenfold the moral power of Prussia, and gave its army a prestige it retained till the battle of Jena. It cost Europe 1,000,000 lives, and prostrated the strength of almost all the powers who had engaged in it.

=Seville=, or =Sevilla= (anc. _Hispalis_, or _Hispal_). A famous city of Spain, capital of the province of the same name, on the left bank of the Guadalquiver, 60 miles north-northeast of Cadiz. It was captured by Julius Cæsar, 45 B.C. It surrendered to the Moors at once, after the defeat of Don Roderick on the Guadalete, and it continued its allegiance to the caliph of Damascus until 756; it surrendered to Ferdinand III. of Castile on November 23, 1248, when 300,000 Moors left for Granada and Africa. In 1810 it was taken and ravaged by Soult. It was taken by assault by the British and Spaniards, August 27, 1812. It capitulated to Espartero in 1843. The peace of Seville between England, France, and Spain, and also a defensive alliance to which Holland acceded, was signed November 9, 1729.

=Sevir.= A captain of cavalry among the Romans was so called.

=Sextant.= An instrument of reflection for measuring angular distances between objects. It is constructed on the same optical principle as Hadley’s quadrant, but usually of metal, with a nicer graduation, telescopic sight, and its arc the sixth, and sometimes the third part of a circle.

=Seymeny-bassy.= Appellation given to the lieutenant-general of Janissaries in the Turkish service.

=Shabrack=, or =Shabraque.= A Hungarian term, generally used among cavalry officers, to signify the cloth furniture of a troop-horse.

=Shaft.= A body of a long, cylindrical shape; a stem, stalk, trunk, or the like. Hence, the stem of an arrow, upon which the feather and head are inserted; hence, an arrow; a missile weapon. Also, the handle of a weapon; as, the shaft of a spear. It likewise means a perpendicular excavation into the earth for the purpose of mining.

=Shafted.= In heraldry, borne on a shaft;--applied to a spear-head.

=Shaftesbury.= A town of England, in Dorsetshire, 95 miles southwest of London. It was destroyed by the Danes both before and after 888, but each time it was afterwards restored.

=Shag-bush.= An old term for a hand-gun.

=Shahporee=, or =Shapuree.= An island of British Burmah, lying off the coast of Aracan. The capture of this island by the Burmese led to the first British war with that nation, in 1824.

=Sham.= False; counterfeit; pretended; as, a sham fight.

=Shamaka=, =Shamachi=, or =Shemakha=. A town of Russia in Asia, Transcaucasia, 207 miles east-southeast from Tiflis. It was taken and sacked by Nadir Shah in 1734.

=Shambrie.= In the manège, is a long thong of leather, made fast to the end of a cane or stick, for the purpose of animating a horse, or of punishing him if he refuses to obey the rider.

=Shang-hae=, or =Shanghai=. A seaport city of China, in the province of Kiangsu, on the river Woo-sung, one of the five ports opened for European commerce. It was captured by the British, June 19, 1842, by the Taeping rebels, September, 1853; retaken by the imperialists, 1855. The rebels were defeated near here by the English and French, allies of the emperor, March 1, 1862.

=Sharp.= Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous. “In sharp contest of battle.”

=Sharps Rifle.= One of the oldest of successful breech-loading rifles. The chamber of this piece is fixed, and the barrel closed by a vertical sliding breech-piece, which moves nearly at right angles to the axis of the piece. The fire-arm is loaded by depressing the lever, or trigger-guard, which withdraws the slide and opens the breech for the insertion of the cartridge. Originally a paper cartridge was used, the rear end of which was broken open by the breech-piece in closing; this was superseded by a linen cloth cylinder to contain the powder, one end of which overlaps and is gummed to the base of the bullet; the other is closed with a layer of thin bank-note paper. The flame of the percussion-cap penetrates through this paper and ignites the powder. The linen case is carried out with the bullet and drops to the ground a short distance in front of the piece. A metallic cartridge is now used.

=Sharpsburg.= See ANTIETAM CREEK.

=Sharpshooters.= An old term applied in the army to riflemen.

=Sharp-shooting.= A shooting with great precision and effect.

=Shawnees.= A tribe of American Indians, which were first known on the banks of Fox River, Wisconsin, in 1648. They were a warlike tribe, and waged war with the Iroquois. The Shawnees eventually became a scattered race, and dispersed to several parts of the country; we find a part of them afterwards taking part with the French in their wars in America; joined in Pontiac’s conspiracy, but were subdued by Col. Boquet. They took a prominent part in the Western wars, especially against the expeditions of Harmer, Wayne, etc.; but made peace at Greenville in 1795. They afterwards effected an alliance with some tribes of Northwestern Indians, and under their celebrated leader Tecumseh gave battle to the whites under Gen. Harrison, at Tippecanoe, but were defeated. Tecumseh, with a band of Shawnees, proceeded to Canada at the outbreak of the war of 1812, and made an alliance with the English, who gave him a brigadier-general’s commission; he was killed while leading the right wing at the battle of the Thames in 1813. Since then the Shawnees have again reunited and are now upon reservations in Indian Territory, and numbered in 1870 about 800.

=Sheaf.= A bundle of arrows.

=Sheathe.= To put into a sheath, case, or scabbard; to inclose or cover with a sheath or case. _To sheathe the sword_, to put an end to war or enmity; to make peace.

=Sheeting.= The term sheeting is applied to the coarse hempen cloth used for making tarpaulins.

=Sheffield.= A large town of England in the West Riding of Yorkshire, at the confluence of the Sheaf and Don, 43 miles southwest from York. During the civil wars in the time of Charles I., the castle sustained a long siege for the king, but scarcely a vestige of it can now be discerned.

=Shell.= To throw shells or bombs upon; to bombard; as, to shell a town.

=Shell Extractor.= An instrument for extracting headless cartridge-cases from breech-loading small-arms.

=Shell-hooks.= See IMPLEMENTS.

=Shelling.= The act of bombarding a fort, town, or position.

=Shell-jacket.= An undress military jacket.

=Shell-plug Screw.= See IMPLEMENTS.

=Shell-proof.= Capable of resisting bomb-shells.

=Shells.= Hollow projectiles; also, the cases of metallic cartridges for use in small-arms. See PROJECTILES.

=Shelter.= In a military sense, that which protects the troops in the field. There are various means resorted to for this purpose. A common arrangement is as follows: A cross-bar is supported by two uprights; against this cross-bar a number of poles are made to lean; on the back of the poles abundance of fir branches are laid horizontally; and lastly, on the back of the fir branches is another set of leaning poles, in order to make all secure by their weight. A cloth of any kind is made use of to give shelter by an arrangement of this kind. The corners of the cloth should be secured by a simple hitch in the rope, and not by a knot. The former is sufficient for all purposes of security, but the latter will jam, and you may have to injure both cloth and string to get it loose again. It is convenient to pin a skewer in the middle of the sides of the cloth, round the ropes.

_Shelter-tents_ affording an excellent protection for 6 soldiers may be made as follows: Three tent-sticks are fixed into the ground, whose tops are notched; a light cord is then passed round their tops, and fastened into the ground with a peg at each end. Two sheets are then buttoned together and thrown over the cord, then two others, which are buttoned to the previous ones. Lastly, another sheet is thrown over each of the slanting cords, and buttoned to the others. The sides of the tent are, of course, pegged to the ground. There are many modifications in the way of pitching these tents. For want of sticks muskets can be used.

_Huts_ are also frequently used as a means of protection by troops, as there is scarcely any place which does not furnish materials for their construction.

_Walls._--Those principally in use are as follows: Skins, canvas, felt, tarpaulin, bark, reed mats, reed walls, straw walls, wattle-and-dab, log huts, fascines or fagots, boards, etc., fastened by malay-hitch, brick, sunburnt or baked, turf, stones, gabions, bags or mats filled with sand or shingle, snow huts, underground huts, tents over holes in earth.

_Roofs._--Many of the above list would be perfectly suitable for roofs; in addition may be mentioned slating with flat stones, thatch, sea-weed, and wood shingles.

_Straw walls_ of the following kind are very effective, and they have the advantage of requiring a minimum of string (or substitute for string) in their manufacture. The straw or herbage of almost any description is simply nipped between two pairs of long sticks, which are respectively tied together at the two ends, and at a sufficient number of intermediate places. The whole is neatly squared and trimmed. A few of these would help in finishing the roof or walls of a house. They can be made movable so as to suit the wind, shade, and aspect. Even the hut door can be made on this principle.

_Malay hitch_ is the name given to a wonderfully simple way of attaching together wisps of straw, rods, laths, reeds, planks, poles, or anything of the kind into a secure and flexible mat; the sails used in the far East are made in this way, and the movable decks are made of bamboos joined together with a similar but rather more complicated stitch.

=Shenandoah.= A river of Virginia, United States, the largest tributary to the Potomac, drains the beautiful and fertile valley between the Blue Ridge and the principal range of the Alleghanies. In the war of 1861-65, this valley was the scene of numerous conflicts, was successively occupied by the opposing armies, and finally laid waste by Gen. Sheridan in the autumn of 1864.

=Shield.= A piece of defensive armor, borne on the left arm, to ward off the strokes of the sword and of missiles. It has been constantly used from ancient times, through the Middle Ages, till the invention of fire-arms. The large shield worn by the Greeks and Romans (_clipeus_) was circular, and often ornamented with devices. Another form of shield (_scutum_) was used by the Roman heavy-armed infantry, square, but bent to encircle the body. The early shield or knightly escutcheon of the Middle Ages was circular in outline, and convex, with a boss in the centre; the body generally of wood, and the rim of metal. There were many other kinds of shields, made of leather, wood, basket-work, etc., employed up to the introduction of fire-arms, when they became practically useless, although some savage nations employ shields at the present time.

=Shield.= To cover, as with a shield; to cover from danger; to defend; to protect; to secure from assault or injury.

=Shift.= In a military sense, to change place or station. Hence, to shift quarters.

=Shiloh.= A locality in Tennessee, a few miles from Pittsburg Landing, situated on the Tennessee River. Here on April 6-7, 1862, a great battle was fought between the Union troops under Grant and the Confederate army under Albert Sydney Johnston and Beauregard. The Confederates began the attack, taking the Union forces by surprise, who, after a brave resistance during the first day, were compelled to retire before the victorious Confederates, who, however, lost their gallant chief, Gen. Johnston. The Federals having been reinforced during the night, commenced the attack on the 7th, along the whole of the rebel line, which was resisted gallantly, and the field was stubbornly contested until about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, when the Union army regained their lines of the day before, and drove the enemy off the field. The Confederates retreated to Corinth. The loss of the Confederates was 1735 killed, about 8000 wounded, and 960 missing. Grant’s loss was estimated at something under this number.

=Shirvan=, or =Shirwan=. A province of Russia in Asia, in the country of the Caucasus. Shirvan formed until the 6th century a part of the monarchy of Armenia; but was afterwards conquered by the Persians, and made a part of that empire under Khosroo Nooshirvan, who called this country after his name. The rulers of Shirvan carried on many wars with Persia, over which country they repeatedly gained great advantages. Finally, in the end of the 15th century, it was completely brought under Persian sway. The Russians gradually invaded the country, and it was ceded to them in 1812.

=Sholapore.= Capital of the collectorate of the same name, in British India, in the Presidency of Bombay. It is strongly fortified, and was taken by escalade by a British force under Gen. Pritzter.

=Shoomla.= See SCHUMLA.

=Shoot.= To let fly or cause to be driven with force, as an arrow or bullet;--followed by a word denoting the missile, as an object. Also, to discharge, causing a missile to be driven forth;--said of the weapon or instrument, as an object; as, to shoot a gun and the like.

=Shooter.= One who shoots; an archer; a gunner; a shot. Also, that which shoots; as, a five-shooter.

=Shooting-iron.= A fire-arm is sometimes so called.

=Shoshones=, or =Snakes=. A tribe of North American Indians inhabiting the country between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains, and from Idaho southward into Utah. They have generally been peaceable; but they collided with the whites on several occasions, which resulted disastrously for them, several of their bands being almost annihilated. Treaties were formed with them on several occasions between 1863 and 1868, and attempts have been made to place them upon reservations. All the property of a dead Shoshone is buried with him, and formerly his favorite wife and horse were killed over the corpse. In 1870 they numbered about 4000 souls.

=Shot.= See PROJECTILE.

=Shot.= The act of shooting; discharge of a missile weapon. Also, the flight of a missile weapon, or the distance which it passes from the engine; as, a cannon-shot; a musket-shot, etc. Also, a marksman; one who practices shooting; as, an excellent shot.

=Shot.= To load with shot over a cartridge; as, to shot the guns.

=Shot, Canister-.= See CANISTER-SHOT.

=Shot, Case-.= See CASE-SHOT.

=Shot, Chain-.= See CHAIN-SHOT.

=Shot, Grape-.= See GRAPE-SHOT.

=Shot-belt.= A belt having a pouch for carrying shot.

=Shot-gauge.= An instrument for measuring the diameter of round-shot.

=Shot-tower.= A lofty tower for making shot, by dropping from its summit melted lead, which cools in the descent, and is received into water or other liquid.

=Shoulder.= The upper part of a blade of a sword. Also, the salient angle of the flank of a bastion. _To shoulder_, to lay on the shoulder, or to rest anything against it. Hence, to shoulder arms, a word of command in the manual exercise.

=Shoulder-belt.= See BELTS.

=Shoulder-knot.= An ornamental knot of gold cord on cloth of the same color as the facings of the arm to which the officer belongs, with insignia of rank and number of regiment embroidered on the cloth ground. They are worn on the shoulder by commissioned officers of the army, and are sometimes embroidered. A kind of epaulette.

=Shoulder-strap.= A narrow strap, 1³⁄₈ inches wide by 4 inches long, bordered with an embroidery of gold ¹⁄₄ inch wide. It is worn on the shoulder of a commissioned officer in the army, indicating by a suitable device the rank he holds in the service. See RANK, INSIGNIA OF.

=Shrapnel.= See PROJECTILE, SMOOTH-BORE PROJECTILES.

=Shrewsbury.= An ancient town of England, in Shropshire, on the Severn. It was the scene of many military events, the inhabitants always taking an active share in the various contests of the most turbulent period of English history, from the conquest to the civil war. It was taken by Llewellyn the Great, prince of North Wales, in 1215, during the disturbances between King John and the barons. The famous battle of Shrewsbury, in which Henry IV., then prince of Wales, first distinguished himself in the field, and the fiery Hotspur was slain, was fought in 1403.

=Shropshire, Battle of.= In which the Britons were completely subjugated, and Caractacus, the renowned king of the Silures, became, through the treachery of the queen of the Brigantes, a prisoner to the Romans.

=Shunt Gun.= A rifled fire-arm having two sets of grooves, down one of which the shot is passed in loading, and along the other of which it passes out when fired, having been shunted from one set to the other, when at the bottom, by turning upon its axis.

=Shuternaul.= In the East Indies, is a sort of arquebuse, which is fixed upon the back of a camel.