Chapter LVII: Part 57

=Spherical Case-Shot.= A spherical case-shot consists of a thin shell of cast iron, containing a number of musket-balls, and a charge of powder sufficient to burst it; a fuze is fixed to it as in an ordinary shell, by which the charge is ignited and the shell burst at any particular instant. A spherical case-shot, when loaded ready for use, has about the same specific gravity as a solid shot, and therefore, when fixed with the service charge of powder, its range, and its velocity at any point in its range, is about equal to that of a solid shot of the same caliber. The spherical case mostly used for field service is the 12-pounder, and contains, when loaded, 90 bullets. Its bursting charge is 1 ounce of powder, and it weighs 11.75 pounds. Its rupture may be made to take place at any point in its flight, and it is therefore superior to grape or canister. The attrition of the balls with which it is loaded, formerly endangered the firing of the bursting charge. This is now obviated, in making one mass of the balls, by pouring in melted sulphur. It is also prevented by Capt. Boxer’s improved spherical case-shot, of which there are two forms. In one form the bursting charge of powder is contained in a cylindrical tin box, attached to a brass socket which receives the fuze, and which is screwed into the shell. In the other, the part of the shell containing the bursting charge is separated from that containing the bullets by a diaphragm of sheet-iron, cast into the shell (_i.e._, the shell is cast on to the diaphragm which is inserted into the core). The bullets are introduced into the shell by a second orifice, and are kept in their places by a composition afterwards poured in. The present 12-pounder spherical case-shot, fixed with a charge of 2¹⁄₂ pounds of powder, is effective at 1500 yards. The proper position of the point of rupture varies from 50 to 130 yards in front of, and from 15 to 20 feet above, the object. The mean number of destructive pieces from a 12-pounder spherical case-shot, which may strike a target 9 feet high and 54 feet long, at a distance of 800 yards, is 30. The spherical case-shot from rifle-cannon is said to be effective at over 2000 yards. Spherical case should not be used at a less distance than 500 yards.

=Spicheren=, or =Speicheren=. See SAARBRUCK.

=Spike Cannon, To.= Is to drive into the vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail without a head; break it off flush with the outer surface and clinch the point inside by means of a rammer. A gun may be unspiked if the spike is not screwed in or clinched, and the bore is not impeded, by putting in a charge of powder one-third of the weight of the shot, and ramming junk-wads over it; laying on the bottom of the bore a slip of wood, with a groove on the under side containing a strand of quick-match, by which fire is communicated to the charge. In a brass gun, take out some of the metal at the upper orifice of the vent, and pour sulphuric acid into the groove, and let it stand some hours before firing. If this method, several times repeated, is not successful, unscrew the vent-piece if it be a brass gun; and if an iron one, drill out the spike, or drill a new vent.

Artillery can be rendered unserviceable by other methods besides spiking, as follows: (1) Wedge a shot in the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of iron wedges, using the rammer or a bar of iron to drive them in. (2) Cause shells to burst in the bore of bronze guns. (3) Fire broken shot from them with large charges. (4) Fill the piece with sand over the charge, to burst it. (5) Fire a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one to the chase of the other. (6) Light a fire under the chase of a bronze gun, and strike on it with a sledge, to bend it. (7) Break off the trunnions of iron guns; or burst them by firing them at a high elevation, with heavy charges and full of shot.

To drive out a shot wedged in the bore: unscrew the vent-piece if there be one, and drive in wedges so as to start the shot forward; then ram it back again in order to seize the wedge with a hook; or pour in powder, and fire it after replacing the vent-piece. In the last resort, bore a hole in the bottom of the breech, drive out the shot, and stop the hole with a screw. When a shot is jammed in a gun and cannot be rammed home to the cartridge, destroy the charge by pouring water down the vent and muzzle until the ingredients are dissolved, and cleared out of the bore; then introduce a small quantity of powder through the vent and blow out the shot.

=Spin Hay, To.= Is to twist it up in ropes, very hard, for an expedition; by which means it is less bulky, and less troublesome for the cavalry to carry behind them. An expert horseman can spin five days’ forage into a very narrow compass.

=Spingard.= A kind of small cannon.

=Splay.= The divergence outwards from the line of fire of the lines which mark the bottom of the sides of an embrasure.

=Splinter-bar.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Splinter-proof.= Strong enough to resist the splinters of bursting shells.

=Spoils.= Whatever is taken from the enemy in time of war. Among the ancient Greeks, the spoils were divided among the whole army, only the share given to the general was the largest; but among the Romans the spoils belonged to the republic.

=Spoleto= (anc. _Spoletium_). A city of Central Italy, province of Umbria, is situated on a rocky hill, 61 miles north-northwest of Rome. During the second Punic war, Hannibal is said to have been repulsed by the colonists in an assault which he made on the town (217 B.C.), after the battle of Thrasymene. In 1860 it was taken by the Italians from a body of Irish mercenaries in the service of the pope, and now forms part of the kingdom of Italy.

=Sponge.= See IMPLEMENTS.

=Sponge and Rammer-stop.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Sponge-bucket.= See IMPLEMENTS.

=Sponge-chain.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Sponge-hook.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Spontoon.= A weapon bearing resemblance to a halberd, which, prior to 1787, was borne instead of a half-pike by officers of British infantry. It was a medium for signaling orders to the regiment. The spontoon planted in the ground commanded a halt; pointed backwards or forwards, advance or retreat; and so on.

=Sporting Powder.= Gunpowder used in sporting arms,--usually finer grained than that for military arms.

=Sporting Rifle.= A rifle made especially for hunting. There is no invariable feature distinguishing it from other rifles. Ordinarily the rear sight is not elevating.

=Spottsylvania Court-house.= A village in Spottsylvania Co., Va., situated on the river Po, 65 miles north from Richmond. A series of desperate battles took place in the neighborhood of this village between the Federals and Confederates, from May 8 to 21, 1864, in which the former compelled the latter, after much carnage, to retreat to the North Anna River, which ultimately resulted in the battle of Cold Harbor (which see).

=Spread-eagle.= In heraldry, an eagle, or the figure of an eagle, with its wings elevated and its legs extended;--often met as a device in heraldry, upon military ornaments, and the like.

=Springfield.= A post-town, capital of Greene Co., Mo., 130 miles southwest of Jefferson City. Near here was fought the desperate battle of Wilson’s Creek, in which the Federals had the advantage over the Confederates, but lost their brave general, Nathaniel Lyon, August 10, 1861.

=Springfield.= A city of Massachusetts, on the east bank of the Connecticut River, 98 miles west by south of Boston. The national armory is located here, which repaired and altered in 1869 upwards of 25,000 rifles and muskets. The present U. S. breech-loader, model of 1873, is made here.

=Springfield Rifle.= See SMALL-ARMS.

=Sprue.= See ORDNANCE, CONSTRUCTION OF, MOLDING.

=Spur.= An apparatus fastened to the heel of a horseman, for goading the horse. It is much less used than formerly. All cavalry soldiers wear spurs; but their use, except in the heat of an actual charge, is discouraged as much as possible. In the days of chivalry, the use of the spur was limited to knights, and it was among the emblems of knighthood. To win his spurs, was for a young man to earn knighthood by gallant conduct. The degradation of a knight involved the hacking off of his spurs; and the serving before a knight of a pair of spurs on a dish, was a strong hint by his host that he had outstayed his welcome.

=Spurs, Battle of the.= See COURTRAI.

=Spy.= In war, is a useful but not highly honored auxiliary, employed to ascertain the state of an enemy’s affairs, and of his intended operations. Spies have been used in all wars from the time when Moses sent Joshua on such a purpose to the present time. Their employment is quite recognized by the law of nations as interpreted by Grotius, Vattel, and Martens; nor is it held to be any dishonor to a general to avail himself of their services. On the other hand, the spy himself is looked upon as an outlaw, and one devoid of honor. If taken by the enemy, he is put to death ignominiously and without mercy. As, however, the calling is so dangerous, and so little redounds to honor, it is never permissible for a general to compel by threats any person, whether of his own or the hostile party, to act as a spy; but he is at liberty to accept all such services when proffered. A spy is well paid, lest he betray his employer. In the British army, spies are usually controlled by the quartermaster-general. Martial law, though distinct enough in ordering the death of a spy, is not clear in defining what constitutes a spy. A man--not of the enemy--within the enemy’s lines, and in the enemy’s uniform, would presumably be a spy. If in civil dress, and unable to give a good account of himself, his chance of hanging would be considerable; but if found in one camp in the uniform of the opposite side, he may not be treated otherwise than as a prisoner of war, or at least as a deserter from the enemy. Both as regards honor and penalties, it would seem that spies ought in fairness to be divided into two classes,--first, those who betray their own country to an enemy; secondly, those who, being enemies, contrive surreptitiously to obtain information by penetrating into the opposing army. The first class are traitors of a deep dye, for whom no ignominious death is too bad; but the second class are often brave men, who dare much in the service of their country. It is unfair to accord them the same treatment as the traitors.

=Squad.= A small portion of a company, troop, or battery, placed in the especial charge of an officer or non-commissioned officer for purposes of inspection and supervision. In the infantry it corresponds with a section. It also signifies a small number of men drilled together. The term _awkward squad_ is applied to those soldiers who, on account of clumsiness or want of attention, are sent back to the lowest squad to be re-drilled.

=Squad Book.= In the British service, is the roll of a squad, containing, besides the names, the trades and other particulars of the men.

=Squad-bags.= In the British service, are black canvas bags, which are issued at the rate of one to every 25 men, and are intended to contain those articles of a man’s kit which are not comprised in the “service kit.” They are only used when a regiment is in the field or on the line of march. In India, where knapsacks are never carried, a small squad-bag is issued to each soldier.

=Squadron.= In military language, denotes two troops of cavalry. It is the unit by which the force of cavalry with an army is always computed. Three or four squadrons constitute a regiment. The actual strength of a squadron ranges from 120 to 200 sabres.

=Squall.= A sudden and violent gust of wind, often attended with rain or snow. _Black squall_, a squall attended with dark, heavy clouds. _Thick squall_, a black squall accompanied by rain, hail, sleet, etc. _White squall_, a squall which comes unexpectedly, without being marked in its approach by the clouds.

=Square.= In military evolutions, is the forming of a body of men into a rectangular figure, with several ranks or rows of men facing on each side. With men of ordinary firmness, a square should resist the charges of the heaviest horse. The formation is not new, for a Grecian _Syntagma_ was a solid square of 16 men in every direction; but in modern warfare, the solid square having been found cumbrous, has been abandoned for the hollow square, with officers, horses, colors, etc., in the centre. The front rank kneels, and the two next stoop, which enables five ranks of men to maintain a rolling fire upon an advancing enemy, or to pour in a murderous volley at close quarters.

=Square-pierced.= In heraldry, a term used to designate a charge perforated with a square opening, so as to show the field. A cross square-pierced is often improperly confounded with a cross quarter-pierced, where the intersecting part of the cross is not merely perforated, but entirely removed.

=Squire.= An attendant on a warrior was formerly so called.

=Stab.= To pierce with a pointed weapon; as, to be stabbed by a bayonet, dagger, etc.

=Stabiæ= (now _Castella Mare di Stabia_). An ancient town in Campania, between Pompeii and Surrentum; was destroyed by Sulla in the Social war.

=Stable Guard.= In each squadron, the stable guard generally consists of a corporal and one man for every 20 horses. It is their duty to feed the horses, watch over their safety during the night, and attend to the general police of the stables, being assisted by an additional detail at the hours of stable call.

=Stable Horse.= A name formerly applied to that part of the Tippoo Sahib’s cavalry which was best armed, accoutred, and most regularly disciplined.

=Stack Arms.= To set up muskets or rifles together, with the bayonets crossing one another, and forming a sort of conical pile.

=Stack of Arms.= A number of muskets or rifles set up together, with the bayonets crossing one another, forming a sort of conical pile.

=Stacket.= A stockade.

=Stadia.= A very simple aid in estimating distances, consists of a small stick, held vertically in the hand at arm’s length, and bringing the top of a man’s head in line with the top of the stick, noting where a line in the eye of the observer to the feet of the man cuts the stick or _stadia_, as it is called. To graduate the stadia, a man of the ordinary height of a foot-soldier, say 5 feet 8 inches, is placed at a known distance, say 50 yards, and the distance on the stick covered by him when it is held at arm’s length is marked and divided into eight equal parts. If the distance is now increased until the man covers only one of these divisions, we know he is at a distance equal to 50 × 8 = 400 yards. This instrument is not very accurate, except for short distances. A much more accurate stadia is constructed by making use of a metal plate having a slit in it in the form of an isosceles triangle, the base of which, held at a certain distance from the edge, subtends a man (5 feet 8 inches), say at the distance of 100 yards. A slider moves along the triangle, being always parallel to the base, and the length of it comprised between the two sides of the triangle represents the height of men at different distances, which are marked in yards on the side of the triangle, above or below, according as the object looked at is a foot-soldier or horseman. In order to keep the stadia always at the same distance from the eye, a string is attached to the slider, the opposite end having a knot tied in it, which is held between the teeth while using the instrument, which is held in the right hand, the slider being moved with the left-hand finger. The string should always be kept stretched when the instrument is used, and the line in a vertical position. It must be graduated experimentally by noting the positions in which the slider represents the height of the object. The instrument used is not, however, reliable. Its uncertainty increases in an equal ratio with the distance of the object observed. At the extreme ranges it is quite useless. At the school for firing, at Vincennes, therefore, they rely entirely on the eye alone for the judgment of distances, and great pains by careful practice and instruction is taken to perfect that judgment. A simple instrument by which distances can be determined is, therefore, still a great desideratum.

=Staff.= The staff of an army consists of a body of skilled officers whose duty it is to combine and give vitality to the movements and mechanical action of the several regiments and drilled bodies composing the force. The distinction between an officer on the staff of an army and a regimental officer is that the latter is concerned with his own regiment alone, while the former deals with his army (of course under the orders of his commanding officer), or section of an army, and regulates the combined action of the several arms and bodies of men. A good staff is all-important to the success of a military enterprise. In the British service the _general staff_ of an army comprises the general in actual command, with the subordinate generals commanding the several divisions and brigades; as assistants to these the officers of the adjutant-general’s department,--_i.e._, the adjutant-general, his deputy, assistants, and deputy-assistants, if the army be large enough to require them all. Similarly, the officers of the quartermaster-general’s department; the brigade-major; the provost-marshal, and the judge-advocate.

In the U. S. service the general staff consists of the officers of the several military bureaux, such as of the adjutant-general’s department, the quartermaster’s department, etc. For the officers comprising these corps, see appropriate headings throughout this work.

The _general staff_ of the British army consists at present of a field-marshal commanding-in-chief, whose headquarters are at London; under him, of a lieutenant-general commanding-in-chief in Ireland. This command includes, of course, the general officer commanding in each military district of the United Kingdom and in each colony; each of these generals having the usual subordinate staff subject to his orders. India forms a nearly independent command, under a commander-in-chief, whose headquarters are at Bengal. There are subordinate commanders-in-chief in Bombay and Madras; and in each presidency there are several military divisions.

The _personal staff_ consists of the aides-de-camp and military secretaries to the respective general officers. These officers, who are treated of separately in this work, are appointed within certain limits by the generals whom they serve, and their appointments expire on those generals ceasing to command.

The _garrison staff_ consists of the officers governing in fortresses and garrisons; as commandants, fort-majors, town-majors, fort-adjutants, and garrison-adjutants.

The _civil_ or _department staff_ includes those non-combatant officers who have to provide for the daily requirements of the troops. These are the commissaries, barracks, medical, chaplains, purveyors, store, and veterinary departments.

The _recruiting staff_ consists of inspecting field-officers, district paymasters, district adjutants, and superintending officers.

The _pensioner staff_ includes only the staff-officers of the enrolled force.

_Regimental Staff._--(See OFFICERS, STAFF-.) Staff-officers should carry in their heads all general information regarding the army with which they are serving; the composition and distribution of corps, divisions, brigades, etc.; they should remember as accurately as possible the strength of each battalion in their immediate division, and the names of the respective commanding officers. Officers of the headquarters staff should know the position of every division or detachment each night; their composition and strength, and the names of their commanders, etc.

In communicating orders to others, staff-officers must speak and write in the name of their generals. They must remember that they have no power of themselves to confer favors, and that all patronage rests with the general. In theory they are merely his agents, and, although, in practice, officers of importance have much in their power, they should be careful to prevent its being generally known. Their commander must never be ignored, even when they know him to be a fool. It is not that you injure an individual by slighting him, but that by doing so you deprive of that general confidence which for the public good it is essential he should possess.

In delivering verbal orders, and in their dealings with superior officers, the staff should be most respectful. A staff-officer should feel bound by his position, if not by his breeding, to treat every one with the courtesy due from one gentleman to another. The motto for the staff should be “affability and reticence.”

=Staff, Cylinder.= See INSPECTION OF CANNON.

=Stafford.= A town of England, in Staffordshire, 123 miles northwest by west from London. In the civil war of the 17th century, it was occupied by the king’s forces, after the capture of Lichfield by their adversaries. An indecisive battle was fought at Hopton Heath, in the vicinity, in 1643, and at a later period the town was taken by the Roundheads, under Sir William Brereton. The castle was also taken shortly after, and at the close of the war was entirely demolished.

=Stakes, Pointing-.= See POINTING-STAKES.

=Stalwart.= Brave; bold; strong; redoubted; daring.

=Stamford.= An ancient town of England, in Lincolnshire, 12 miles northwest from Peterborough. The Britons and Saxons here defeated the Picts and Scots in 449. Many of the Jews of Stamford were slain, and the whole community plundered in 1190 by those who had enlisted for the Crusade.

=Stand.= The act of opposing. Thus, troops that do not yield or give way, are said to make a stand.

=Stand, To.= To _stand one’s ground_, to keep the ground or station one has taken; to maintain one’s position; as, raw troops are not able to stand their ground against veteran soldiers. _To stand fire_, to receive the fire of arms from an enemy without giving way. _To make a stand_, to halt for the purpose of offering resistance to a pursuing enemy.

=Stand at Ease.= In the British service, is to be allowed, when in the ranks, a certain indulgence with regard to bodily position, with or without arms.

=Stand Fast.= Is the term used as a caution to some particular part of a line or column, to remain quiescent while the rest are moving.

=Stand of Arms.= See ARMS, STAND OF.

=Stand of Ammunition.= See AMMUNITION, STAND OF.

=Stand of Colors.= A single color, or flag.

=Stand to the Guns.= Is to prepare for action, by taking one’s station at the guns.

=Stand to your Arms.= Is a cautionary command, when soldiers are put upon the alert.

=Standard.= A measure by which men enlisted into the army have the regulated height ascertained.

=Standard.= In its widest sense, a standard is a flag or ensign under which men are united together for some common purpose. The use of the standard as a rallying-point in battle takes us back to remote ages. The Jewish army was marshaled with the aid of standards belonging to the four tribes of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan; and the Egyptians had ensigns with representations of their favorite animals. The flag of Persia was white, and, according to Xenophon, bore in his time a golden eagle with expanded wings; it was fixed on a chariot, and thus conveyed to the field of battle. Æschylus, in enumerating the six chiefs who, headed by Polynices, set themselves in battle array against Thebes, describes the device on the standard of each. In the earliest era of Roman history, a bundle of hay or fern is said to have been used as a military standard, which was succeeded by bronze or silver figures of animals attached to a staff, of which Pliny enumerates five,--the eagle, the wolf, the minotaur, the horse, and the boar. In the second consulship of Marius, 104 B.C., the other animals were laid aside, and only the eagle retained, and down to the time of the later emperors, the eagle, often with a representation of the emperor’s head beneath it, continued to be carried with the legion. On the top of the staff was often a figure of Victory or Mars. Each cohort had also an ensign of its own, consisting of a serpent or dragon woven on a square piece of cloth, and elevated on a gilt staff with a cross-bar. Under the Christian emperors, the _Labarum_ was substituted for the imperial standard. Standards or ensigns among the Greeks were of different kinds; some had the representations of different animals, bearing some relation to the cities they belonged to. Among the earlier Greeks the standard was a piece of armor at the end of a spear; though Agamemnon, in Homer, uses a purple vail to rally his men, etc. Afterwards the Athenians bore the olive and owl; the Thebans, a sphinx; the other nations, the effigies of their tutelary gods, or their particular symbols, at the end of a spear. The Corinthians carried a pegasus, the Messenians their initial Μ, and the Lacedæmonians Λ. But the most frequent ensign among the Greeks was a purple coat upon the top of a spear. The flag or standard elevated was a signal to begin the battle, and the standard depressed was a signal to desist. The Anglo-Saxon ensign was splendid. It had on it the white horse, the Danish being distinguished by the raven. Various standards of great celebrity occur in mediæval history, among which may be enumerated the Flag of the Prophet (which see); the standard taken from the Danes by Alfred of England; and the Oriflamme, originally belonging to the Abbey of St. Denis, and borne by the counts of Vexin, which eventually became the standard of the French kingdom. In the Middle Ages the ensigns of the army were the banderols, banners, guidons, pencels, and pennons, for which see appropriate headings. In strict language, the term standard is applied exclusively to a particular kind of flag, long in proportion to its depth, tapering towards the fly, and, except when belonging to princes of the blood royal, slit at the end. Each baron, knight, or other commander in feudal times, had a recognized standard, which was distributed among his followers. The length of the standard varied according to the rank of the bearer. A king’s standard was from 8 to 9 yards in length; a duke’s, 7 yards; a marquis’s, 6¹⁄₂ yards; an earl’s, 6 yards; a viscount’s, 5¹⁄₂ yards; a baron’s, 5 yards; a banneret’s, 4¹⁄₂ yards; and a knight’s, 4 yards. There was never a complete coat of arms on the standard; it generally exhibited the crest or supporter with a device or badge of the owner, and every English standard of the Tudor era had the cross of St. George at the head. Standards were registered by the heralds, and the charges on them selected and authorized by an officer-of-arms.

=Standard, Battle of the.= See NORTHALLERTON.

=Standard Hill.= A hill in England, so called because William the Conqueror upon it set his standard, before he gave battle to Harold.

=Standard-bearer.= An officer of an army, company, or troop, who bears a standard; an ensign of infantry or a cornet of horse.

=Standard-rule.= See INSPECTION OF CANNON.

=Standing.= Settled, established, not temporary. _Standing army_, is an army which is kept up by a country, and is liable to every species of duty, without any limitations being fixed to its service.

=Standing.= Rank; condition. It likewise signifies length of time; as, such an officer is of very old standing in the army.

=Stanford Bridge.= In Yorkshire, England. In 1066, Tostig, brother of Harold II., rebelled against his brother, and joined the invading army of Harold Hardrada, king of Norway. They defeated the northern earls and took York, but were defeated at Stanford Bridge by Harold, September 25, and both were slain.

=Stang-ball.= A projectile consisting of two half-balls united by a bar; a bar-shot.

=Stanislaus, Saint.= A Polish order of knighthood, founded by Stanislaus, king of Poland, in 1765; renewed by the emperor Alexander in 1815.

=Star.= In heraldry, the star is of frequent occurrence; it sometimes represents the heavenly body so called, and sometimes the rowel of a spur. In the latter case it is blazoned a _Mullet_. Stars of more than five points should have the number of points designated, and the points may be wavy. The star, or _estoile_, with wavy points, is often designated a blazing star; and when the points are more than six in number, it is usual to represent only every second point as waved. The star is a well-known ensign of knightly rank. A star of some specified form constitutes part of the insignia of every order of knighthood.

=Star Fort.= An inclosed field-work, in shape like the heraldic representation of a star.

=Star, Order of the.= An order of knighthood formerly existing in France, founded by John II in 1350, in imitation of the then recently instituted order of the Garter in England. The ceremony of installation was originally performed on the festival of the Epiphany, and the name of the order is supposed to have been allusive to the Star of the Magi.

=Star of India, The Order of the.= An order of knighthood instituted by Queen Victoria in June, 1861, with the view of affording the princes, chiefs, and people of the Indian empire a testimony of her majesty’s regard, commemorating her majesty’s resolution to take on herself the government of India and rendering honor to merit and loyalty. The order consists of the sovereign, a grand master, who is to be the governor-general of India for the time being, and 25 knights, together with such extra and honorary knights as the crown may appoint. The members of the order are to be military, naval, and civil officers who have rendered important service to the Indian empire, and such native princes and chiefs of India as have entitled themselves to her majesty’s favor. The insignia consists of a collar, badge, and star. The collar of the order is composed of the heraldic rose of England, two palm branches in saltire tied with a ribbon, and a lotus-flower alternating with each other, all of gold enameled, and connected by a double golden chain. From an imperial crown, intervening between two lotus-leaves, depends the _badge_, consisting of a brilliant star of five points, and hanging from it an oval medallion, with an onyx cameo profile bust of Queen Victoria, encircled by the motto, “Heaven’s light our Guide,” in gold letters, on an enriched border of light-blue enamel. The _investment badge_ is similar to the collar-badge, but with the star, the setting of the cameo, and the motto all of diamonds; it is worn pendent from a ribbon of pale blue with white borders. The _star_ of the order is a five-pointed star or mullet of diamonds on an irradiated field of gold. Around it, on an azure fillet bordered with gold, is the same motto in diamonds, the whole encircled by wavy rays of gold.

=Star-gauge.= See INSPECTION OF CANNON.

=Statant.= In heraldry, a term applied to an animal standing still, with all the feet touching the ground. If the face be turned to the spectator it is said to be _statant gardant_, or in the case of a stag, at gaze.

=State.= In the British service, is a statement of the number of officers and men of any body of troops, distinguishing those present, those employed, absent, or sick, and the different ranks under separate headings.

=States of the Church.= See PAPAL STATES.

=Station.= To place; to set; or to appoint to the occupation of a post, place, or office; as, to station troops on the right or left of an army; to station a sentinel on a rampart.

=Station, Military.= A place calculated for the rendezvous of troops, or for the distribution of them; also, a spot well calculated for offensive or defensive measures. The name of _stationes_, or stations, was given by the Romans to the guard which was kept in the daytime at the gates of the camp, and at the intrenchments. The _statio agraria_ was an advanced post to prevent surprise, insure the safety of prisoners, etc. The chief use was to keep the military sway secure from hostile incursions, whence we find them at the concurrence of roads. The word is also extensively applied to the old military stations of the Romans, when encampments of towns existed. The _statira castra_ were encampments for a short time; the _æstiva castra_ were the same, but might be occupied only for one night. The _hyberna castra_, or winter camps, were elaborately fortified, even with stone walls, houses within, etc., so that many towns grew out of them.

=Status in Quo=, or =Status Quo= (_Lat._). A treaty between belligerents, which leaves each party _in statu quo ante bellum_,--that is, in the state in which it was before the war.

=Stays.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR.

=Steam-gun.= A machine or contrivance by which balls or other projectiles may be driven by the force of steam.

=Steed.= A horse either for state or war.

=Steel.= See ORDNANCE, METALS FOR.

=Steel Punches.= See INSPECTION OF PROJECTILES.

=Steenkerke=, or =Steenkerque=. A village of Belgium, province of Hainaut, 15 miles north-northeast of Mons. The allies, commanded by William III. of England, were here defeated by the French, July 24, 1692.

=Step.= Progression by one removal of the foot. It likewise signifies pace. _To step_, to move forward or backward by a single change of the place of the foot. _To step out_, is to lengthen the step, without altering the cadence. _To step short_, is to diminish or slacken the pace, according to the tactics. These phrases are frequently used in military movements when it is found necessary to gain ground in front, or to give the rear of a column, etc., time to acquire its proper distance. _To step off_, is to take a prescribed step from a halted position, in common or quick time, in conformity to some given word of command or signal. _Balance-step_, is so called from the body being balanced upon one leg, in order to render it firm and steady in military movements, etc. Step is likewise figuratively used to signify promotion; as, the next step from a lieutenancy is a captaincy, from a captaincy a majority, etc.

=Stettin.= A fortified town of Prussia, capital of the province of Pomerania, on the left bank of the Oder, 78 miles northeast from Berlin. In 1121, Boleslas, duke of Poland, gained possession of it. The peace of Westphalia gave it to the Swedes. From them it passed to the Prussians, with whom, though not without some interruptions, it has since remained. In 1171 it was besieged by the Danes; in 1677 by the elector of Brandenburg; in 1713 by the Prussians; and from 1806 to 1813 it was occupied by the French.

=Steward, Hospital.= See HOSPITAL STEWARD.

=Stick, Gold.= See GOLD STICK.

=Stick, Silver.= See SILVER STICK.

=Stickler.= A sidesman to fencers, or second to a duelist.

=Sticklestadt= (Norway). Here Olaf II., aided by the Swedes, was defeated and slain in his endeavors to recover his kingdom from Canute, king of Denmark, July 29, 1030.

=Stiletto.= A small dagger with a round pointed blade.

=Stillwater.= A township of the United States, on the Hudson River and on Saratoga Lake. The township includes the incorporated village of Mechanicsville and the post-village of Bemis’s Heights, notable for the two battles of September 19 and October 7, 1777 (sometimes called the battles of Stillwater), which led to the surrender of Burgoyne.

=Stink-pot.= Is a shell, often of earthenware, charged with combustibles, which, on bursting, emit a foul smell and a suffocating smoke. It is useful in sieges for driving the garrison from their defenses; also in boarding a ship, for effecting a diversion while the assailants gain the deck. The stink-pot is a favorite weapon of the Chinese. Under the more elegant title of _asphyxiated shell_, the French and other modern nations have experimented considerably on this mode of harassing an enemy.

=Stipendium.= The amount of pay for soldiers, a term in general use among the Romans.

=Stirling.= An ancient town of Scotland, the chief town of Stirlingshire, 31 miles northwest from Edinburgh. During the Danish invasion in 1009, it was the headquarters of the Scottish army. In the vicinity was fought the battle of Stirling in 1297. The town was taken by Edward I., after a siege of three months, in 1304. It was held by the English for ten years, until it was retaken by Robert Bruce after the battle of Bannockburn. In 1651, after the battle of Dunbar, the castle was taken by Gen. Monk; and it withstood a siege by the Highlanders in 1745.

=Stirrup.= A kind of ring, or bent piece of metal, leather, etc., horizontal in one part for receiving the foot of the rider, and attached to a strap which is fastened to the saddle,--used to assist persons in mounting a horse, and to enable them to sit steadily in riding, as well as to relieve them by supporting a part of the weight of the body.

=Stirrup-cover= (Sp. _tapadéra_). A hood made of leather attached to a stirrup to protect the foot of a mounted soldier.

=Stoccade.= To fortify with sharpened posts. See STOCKADE.

=Stoccado.= A push or thrust with a rapier.

=Stock.= The whole of the wooden part of a musket or pistol. Also, the neck-gear of a soldier, generally of black leather, answering the double purpose of keeping the cold out and the soldier’s head up.

=Stock.= See ORDNANCE, CARRIAGES FOR, CAISSON.

=Stockach.= A town of Germany, in the southeast of Baden, 15 miles northwest of Constance. Near here the Austrians under the Archduke Charles defeated the French, March 25, 1799.

=Stockade.= A work in which a palisade; of strong and closely-planted timbers constitutes the principal defense. The stockades or picket-works usually employed against Indians are composed of rough trunks of young trees cut into lengths of 12 or 14 feet, and averaging 10 or 12 inches in diameter. They should be firmly planted close together. A banquette or step will generally be required, and the loop-holes so arranged that they cannot be used from the outside. If necessary, such a work can be strengthened by ditch and abatis, and flanked by block-houses.

=Stockholm.= The capital of Sweden, situated at the junction of the Lake Malar with an inlet of the Baltic, 320 miles northeast from Copenhagen. Stockholm sustained several sieges. One of the most memorable of these took place in 1501 and 1502, when it was held for nearly six months by Queen Christina of Denmark against the Swedish insurgents, but was at last surrendered after the garrison had been reduced from about 1000 to 80 in number. A still more noble defense of the city was made in 1520, by Christina Gyllenstierna against Christian II. of Denmark. It was surrendered after a siege of four months; but the terms of the surrender were violated soon after by the conqueror ordering the execution of all the most distinguished Swedes in the town. This and similar acts of treachery and cruelty led to the final expulsion of the Danes by Gustavus Vasa. A peace was concluded here, between the king of Great Britain and the queen of Sweden, by which the former acquired the duchies of Bremen and Verden as elector of Brunswick, November 20, 1719. A treaty took place here, between Sweden and Russia, in favor of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, March 24, 1724; another between England and Sweden on March 3, 1813; and between England, France, and Sweden, November 21, 1855.

=Stockport.= A town of England, in Cheshire, on the borders of Lancashire, at the confluence of the Mersey and the Tame, 5 miles southeast of Manchester. The castle, which has now entirely disappeared, was held in 1173, by Geoffrey de Constantin against Henry II. During the civil war of the 17th century, Stockport was the scene of some fighting; it was taken from the Parliamentarians by Rupert in 1644, but retaken by Lesley in the following year. In 1745, the town was occupied by Prince Charles Edward. At this place the Manchester Blanketeers (which see) were dispersed, March 11, 1817.

=Stock-purse.= In the British service, is a certain saving which is made in a corps for regimental purposes.

=Stockton-on-Tees.= A town of England, in Durham, on the left bank of the Tees, 11 miles east-northeast of Darlington. It was plundered by the Scotch in 1325; taken for the Parliament in 1644, and totally destroyed by the Roundheads in 1652.

=Stœni.= A Ligurian people in the Maritime Alps, conquered by Q. Marcius Rex, 118 B.C., before he founded the colony of Narbo Martius.

=Stoke, East.= A parish of England, county of Notts, 4 miles southwest of Newark. Near here, on June 16, 1487, the adherents of Lambert Simnel, who personated Edward, earl of Warwick, and claimed the crown, were defeated by Henry VII. John de la Pole, the earl of Lincoln, and most of the leaders were slain; and Simnel, whose life was spared, was afterwards employed in the king’s household.

=Stone Arabia.= See _Palatine_.

=Stone Fougass=. See _Fougass, Stone_.

=Stone River, Battle of.= See MURFREESBORO’.

=Stone-bow.= A cross-bow formerly used or designed for throwing stones.

=Stone-mortar.= Was a mortar which was used to throw stones a short distance, from 150 to 250 yards; and also 6-pounder shells from 50 to 150 yards. The stones which were used in this mortar were put into a basket fitted to the bore, and placed on a wooden bottom which covers the mouth of the chamber.

=Stony Point.= A village in Orange Co., N. Y., on the west bank of the Hudson River, at the head of Haverstraw Bay, 42 miles north of New York. The capture of the fort at this place by Gen. Wayne, on July 16, 1779, is justly considered one of the most brilliant exploits performed during the Revolutionary war. The fortifications were destroyed and abandoned on July 18.

=Stoppage of Pay.= Where pay is stopped on account of arrears to the United States, the party whose pay is stopped may demand a suit, and the agent of the treasury is required to institute a suit within sixty days thereafter.

=Stoppages.= In the British service, are the deductions from a soldier’s pay, the better to provide him with necessaries, etc.; also stoppage for the subsistence of the sick.

=Store-keeper, Military.= An officer specially appointed for the care of military stores. The law discontinues this grade in the U. S. service by casualties.

=Stores, Military.= The arms, ammunition, clothing, provisions, etc., pertaining to an army, is so called. In the United States all public stores taken in the enemy’s camp, towns, forts, or magazines, shall be secured for the service of the United States; for the neglect of which the commanding officer is to be answerable.

=Storm.= A violent assault on a fortified place; a furious attempt of troops to enter and take a fortified place by scaling the walls, forcing the gates, and the like. Also, to assault; to attack and attempt to take by scaling the walls, forcing gates or breaches, and the like; as, to storm a fortified town.

=Storming-party.= A party assigned to the duty of first entering the breach in storming a fortress.

=Stourton=, or =Stour Head=. A village of England, in Wiltshire, about 23 miles west from Salisbury. The Britons were defeated here in 658 by the Saxons, and in 1010 and 1025 the Danes also encountered the Saxons near this place.

=Stragglers.= Are individuals who wander from the line of march; and it is the duty of the rear-guard to pick up all such stragglers.

=Strains.= See ORDNANCE, STRAINS UPON.

=Stralsund.= A fortified town and seaport of Prussia, province of Pomerania, on a narrow strait called Strela Sunda, which divides the mainland from the island of Rügen. It was founded in 1209 by Prince Jaromar of Rügen, became a member of the Hanse, and rapidly rose into importance. During the Thirty Years’ War, it was unsuccessfully besieged (1628) by Wallenstein; and after being, with some alternations of fortune, in the possession of Sweden for about 200 years, it finally passed to Prussia in 1815.

=Strappado.= A punishment formerly inflicted upon foreign soldiers by hoisting them up with their arms tied behind them, and then suddenly letting them down within a certain distance of the earth.

=Strapped Ammunition.= See ORDNANCE, AMMUNITION FOR.

=Straps.= Are decorations made of worsted, silk, gold, or silver, and worn upon the shoulders, without epaulette.

=Strasbourg=, or =Strassburg=. Formerly a fortified town of France, and capital of the department of Bas-Rhin, but in 1871 ceded to Germany, and capital of the province of Alsace, not far from the left bank of the Rhine, 312 miles east from Paris by railway. During the Middle Ages it was subject to the German emperors, and was the capital of Alsace, but along with that province it was ceded to Louis XIV. in 1681. Subsequently its defenses were greatly improved under the direction of Vauban. Strasbourg was invested by the Germans, principally from Baden, during the Franco-Prussian war, August 10, 1870. Gen. von Werder assumed the command of the besiegers, and the bombardment began August 14, and a vigorous sally was repulsed August 16. Gen. Uhrich, the commander, declared that he would not surrender except upon a heap of ashes. After a heroic resistance, and when a breach had been made and an assault was impending, notice was given September 27, and the place surrendered at 2 A.M., September 28; at 8 A.M. 17,150 men and 400 officers laid down their arms. The German loss was said to be 906 men, of whom 43 were officers. The Germans entered Strasbourg, September 30, the anniversary of its surrender to the French in 1681 by a surprise. Uhrich received the grand cross of the Legion of Honor, October, 1870. About 400 houses and the invaluable library were destroyed, the cathedral injured, and 8000 persons rendered homeless.

=Stratagem.= In war, is any scheme or plan for the deceiving and surprising an army, or any body of men.

=Stratarithmetry.= The art of drawing up an army, or any given number of men, in any geometrical figure, or of estimating or expressing the number of men in such a figure.

=Strategetics.= The science of military movements; generalship.

=Strategic=, or =Strategical=. Pertaining to strategy; effected by artifice.

=Strategic Point.= Any point or region in the theatre of warlike operations which affords to its possessor an advantage over his opponent.

=Strategical Fronts.= The portion of the theatre of war in front of any position occupied by an army as it advances, is termed the _front of operations_. That part which is directly in front of an army, or which can be reached in two or three days, forms simply a _front_. When the whole extent lying between the two hostile armies is considered, the term _strategical front_ is applied.

=Strategical Lines.= See LINES, STRATEGICAL.

=Strategical Points.= Every point of the theatre of war, the possession of which is of great importance to an army in its military operations, is a _strategical point_. These are points which an army acting on the offensive strives to gain and the army on the defensive strives to retain.

=Strategist.= One skilled in strategy, or the science of directing great military movements.

=Strategos= (invented by Lieut. C. A. L. Totten, 4th U. S. Artillery). The American “game of war,” which takes its name from the Greek word _strategos_, the title of an Athenian general officer, derived in turn from _stratos_, “an army,” and _ago_, “I lead;” the secondary meaning of this term being a board or council of ten Athenians chosen annually to conduct the war department at home. The game of _strategos_ is divided into six separate ones, or studies, of gradually increasing importance, and is far more comprehensive than the foreign war games, which have little in common with the subaltern and the student, and are so complicated as to excite interest only among the most profound and advanced scholars of military science. The six parts of _strategos_ are: (1) The “minor tactical game,” which embraces all the details of the tactics of each of the three arms. (2) “Grand tactics,” embracing the topographical and strategical game, for the general elucidation of the grand principles of this branch of military science. (3) The “historical game,” for the study of historical battles and campaigns. (4) “Text-book illustration.” (5) A “battle game,” based upon military principles and precepts, which is calculated to instruct as well as interest without fatiguing that large class of students whose patience would not stand the close application required in a more advanced game. (6) The “advanced game,” which affords to the professional military student every opportunity for pursuing studies commenced in more elementary fields to their legitimate termination. It is only in the “advanced game” that _strategos_ solves the same problem attempted by the Germans in _kriegspiel_, and other military nations in various alterations and improvements upon the great original. War games are by no means of such modern invention as may at first appear; chess is a very ancient “battle game,” and checkers one in which decisive concentration plays a most important part. During the last century two games, the _jeu de la guerre_ and the _jeu de la fortification_, appeared in France and were played with cards. These games differ, however, entirely from the modern ones. Kriegspiel, the father of modern war games, was the invention of a civilian, Herr von Reitwitz, the details of which his son, a Prussian artillery officer, carefully improved. It rapidly grew into military favor, and since 1824, when it was first mentioned by officers of note, has undergone many modifications except as to its underlying principles. Von Moltke himself some twenty years ago was the president of a society whose special object was to play this game, and the great skill of Prussian officers and their success in their late wars is in no small degree to be attributed to this game, familiarity with which has become a sort of necessary step in advancement in the Prussian army. The American game possesses all the valuable features of kriegspiel, and some noticeable improvements thereon as to method, men, tables, etc., while it possesses the peculiar advantages of having elementary games of special interest to all classes of military men. The cost of this game is about $50.

=Strategus= (_Strategos_). Any Athenian general officer was so called.

=Strategy.= Is defined by military writers to be the science of manœuvring an army out of fire of the enemy, as tactics is the art of managing it in battle or under fire. Strategy is the greater science, as including all those vast combinations which lead to the subsequent available displays of tactics.

A movement of the army is said to be _strategical_ when by its means there are concentrated at a given point troops superior in numbers to those of the enemy; or, at this point, there is gained a position by which the enemy’s communications with his base are cut or threatened while those of the army are secure; or, a position is gained by which the forces of the enemy are separated, or are prevented from acting in concert. Strategical operations are directed to attain one or more of these objects; and the line followed by an army in an operation of this kind is called a _strategical line_. The area of country or territory in any part of which the hostile forces can come into collision is termed the _theatre of war_.

There may be employed in a given theatre of war several armies or only one. If there are several armies, but each acting independently of the others, or if there is only one, the particular portion of the territory in which each act is termed the _theatre of operations_ for that army.

A theatre of operations of an army may be defined to be all the territory it may desire to invade, and all that it may have to defend. Where several armies are employed, acting in concert, the theatre of operations of each army depends upon the movements of the other armies, and the theatres of operations of each army in this case are usually designated as _zones of operations_; although this term is also applied to those three divisions of a theatre of operations lying directly in advance of the centre and flanks of a front of operations. Whatever is true for a theatre of operations of an army acting alone is equally true for the theatre of operations of several armies acting separately, and is also applicable to the whole theatre of war.