Chapter D: Caldwell, (49)

In the present war, the whole of the extraordinary expences of an army serving abroad, are conducted by the means of a commissary general, who receives and has charge of all provisions and stores sent for the use of the troops from this country; who purchases, or provides, under the direction of, or in concurrence with, the commander in chief (without whose authority no service can be performed, or expence incurred) such articles as may be more conveniently obtained on the spot, and who is responsible for all monies, provisions, or stores, whether actually used, damaged, lost, destroyed, or plundered, with the condition of procuring proper certificates to prove every mode of their consumption, before he can be discharged therefrom.

A commissary of accounts also attends each army where the numbers are of sufficient importance, with a proper establishment, for the purpose of examining and controlling accounts on the spot; Both acting under specific instructions.

All monies, for the ordinary services of the army, are obtained by the means of bills drawn by the deputy paymaster abroad on the paymaster general, which bills are negociated by the commissary general, who is obliged to note the rate of exchange on the bill.

All monies, for extraordinaries, are obtained by drafts of the commissary general on the treasury, which, on their arrival, are accepted, if drawn conformably to the rules laid down, as being in payment for services ordered by the commander in chief, and the value of which have been previously examined and ascertained by the commissaries of accounts on the spot.

The commissaries of accounts make returns of their examination; and on these documents the comptrollers of the army accounts found the best enquiry into the expenditure which the nature of the subject admits of.

The commissaries general and commissaries of accounts, are appointed by warrant under the king’s sign manual, directing them to obey all instructions given them for the execution of their duty by the lords commissioners of the treasury; which instructions, since the commencement of this war, have been prepared by the comptrollers of the army accounts, under the orders, and subjected to the inspection of the treasury. Instructions are also given by the secretary of state for the war department, to all commanding officers abroad, to conduct the service on which they are employed, with the utmost regard to public economy, and punctuality in their accounts.

The present establishment of this office is composed in the following manner:--

Two comptrollers at 1000_l._ per annum each.

One secretary, 700_l._ ditto.

_Civil Department._

One first accomptant and chief clerk 500_l._

One second ditto, 300_l._

One third ditto, salary not specified.

_Military Department._

One first clerk, one second clerk, one third clerk, salaries not specified.

One chamber keeper, one messenger, one necessary woman, salaries not specified.

OFFICE _of ordnance, or board of ordnance_ in the British service.--It belongs to the office of ordnance to supply all military stores for the army and navy; to defray the expence of the corps of artillery, corps of engineers, and other military corps attached to the ordnance service; and also the charge of repairing and building fortifications at home and abroad; excepting field works abroad, and excepting also those fortifications which commanders in chief may deem it expedient to erect without previous instructions from home; in which two cases the bills are paid by the treasury, and placed to account in the extraordinaries of the army. All contingent expences, attending ordnance stores, as well as camp equipage for the artillery, and the article of tents for the privates of the whole army, included in the payments of the ordnance.

The hire of vessels for the transportation of ordnance for foreign service, has, since the establishment of the transport board, been transferred to that office: and the building of barracks belongs now to the barrack department, except when barracks are ordered to be built within a fortification.

The master general, who, in his military character, is commander in chief over the artillery and engineers, has, in his civil capacity, the entire control over the whole ordnance department: he can alone do any act, which can otherwise, if he does not interpose, be done by the board. He can order the issue of money, but that order must be executed in the usual mode, by three board officers.

The lieutenant general, who is second in command over the artillery and engineers, is, in his civil capacity, the first in rank among the members of the board; which comprehends four other principal officers; the surveyor general, the clerk of the ordnance, the store-keeper, and the clerk of deliveries. During the absence of the master general, or the vacancy of the office, the whole executive power devolves on the board; and it belongs to them, though they are subject to the interposition of the master general, to make contracts for stores, and for performance of services, and to direct the issue of stores and of money. The signatures of three members of the board, of whom the clerk of the ordnance must be one, are necessary for the payment of money.

Fortifications are erected by the commanding engineer, pursuant to an order from the master general, for carrying a project into execution, according to an approved plan and estimate. The estimate is usually formed in the first place by the engineer, who is afterwards to execute the work; and its accuracy is examined into by a committee of engineers at home, the expediency of the measure being submitted to the master general. All fortifications, works, and repairs are carried on by measurement and by contract, except where the soldiers of the corps of royal military artificers have been employed; and even in such cases the materials worked up by the soldiers are usually supplied by contract.

The sums voted for the ordnance, consist of the three following heads:--1st. The ordinary, which comprehends the provision for the ordinary establishment, civil and military, for the year ensuing, 2dly; The extraordinary, which comprehends every service known before hand, of a temporary and contingent nature, being a provision for the ensuing year also; and 3dly, the services unprovided for, consisting of services which either have been actually paid in the past year, as is generally the case, or which are supposed to have been paid, but which were not foreseen when the estimate for the past year was made up. Among these unforeseen expences are included various exceedings, which have happened in the individual services voted in the past year’s ordnance estimates; to which are added, such sums as may be necessary to make up the deficiency of the sum directed to the ordnance use from the naval service.

OFFICERS _belonging to the military branch of the ordnance_.

_Corps of Royal Engineers._

One master general, one lieutenant general, one chief engineer and colonel, five colonels, six lieutenant colonels, fifteen captains, thirteen captain lieutenants, twenty-seven first lieutenants.

OFFICERS _belonging to the royal military academy at Woolwich_.

One governor, one lieutenant governor, one inspector, one professor of mathematics, one professor of fortification, one mathematical master, one arithmetical master, two French masters, one assistant fortification master, two drawing masters, one fencing master, one dancing master, two model makers, one clerk.--Salaries unknown.

_Ship-Letter_ OFFICE. During the continuance of the British army in Holland, a mail was made up every Tuesday and Friday night, and forwarded to Yarmouth, where two packets, taken from the Cuxhaven station, were appointed to convey them to the Helder. A gentleman (the deputy comptroller of the foreign office) was sent to the head quarters, as army post master, and in like manner made up two mails per week, but they were sometimes detained for despatches.

On application from the duke of York the letters of soldiers (being subscribed by the commanding officer) were suffered to pass at the reduced charge of one penny, although that sum was not paid at the time of the letter being put into the post-office, as the act of parliament on the subject requires.

The following particulars, relative to this useful and humane establishment, were issued from the general post-office, on the 20th of September, 1799.

“Notice is hereby given, that letters addressed to persons serving with the army under the command of field marshal his royal highness the duke of York, will be received at the Ship-Letter office twice, instead of once in the week, viz. on Tuesday and Friday from ten in the morning until ten o’clock at night, and not on Thursday, as mentioned in the advertisement from this office of the 10th instant.

“And that such letters will be regularly forwarded in vessels from Yarmouth to the Helder Point on the same days as the mails are sent to Cuxhaven.

“Letters by this conveyance will be chargeable with an half-rate of postage, under the act of the 39th of his present majesty, of sixpence each single letter, one shilling double, one shilling and sixpence treble, and so on in proportion, excepting single letters to and from private soldiers and sailors, which are chargeable with one penny only, under the act of the 35th of his present majesty.

“And that newspapers will also be forwarded at a rate of three pence upon each, provided such paper is sent without cover, or in covers open at the sides.”

_Transport_ OFFICE, in the British service. The transport-office is a newly created board, and was instituted in July, 1794, at first for the superintendance of the transport service only; but to that employment has since been added the management of the prisoners of war, in health, at home, and abroad.

The immediate duty of this office, so far as related to the transport service, used to be performed by the commissioners of the navy; except in some instances, where the ordnance, or other departments hired the transports wanted for their own immediate service; and the present transport board have pursued the modes of engaging transports which were practised by the navy board, when the transport service was under its directions; but it was thought expedient to constitute a distinct board, to transact the business of that extensive branch of the naval service; and from the unparalleled extent to which that service has been carried during the present war, it is highly proper that every possible check and control should be put over so vast an expenditure of money.

Since the institution of this board, which took place in July 1794, to 22d June 1797, the tonnage of vessels, hired as regular transports for four or six months certain, amounted to 99,656 tons; the tonnage of the vessels hired on freight for service amounted to 178,560 tons; making the whole tonnage 278,216. The total expenditure for this service, during this period, amounted to 4,088,524_l._, 3_s._ 5_d._

The total expence of this establishment for the year 1796, is stated to have been as follows:

Salaries and allowances £. 8,838 12 0
Contingent expences 3,907 12 2
Travelling charges and extra pay to officers on
distant duty 583 15 6
-------------
Total paid by the public 13,329 19 8
-------------
The fees which were received from individuals
amounted, in the transport department, to £. 2,128 7 6
Ditto prisoners of war, to 114 7 6
Making together £. 2,242 15 5 out of which sum
there has been paid to clerks £. 1,650; and for
taxes on salaries £. 334 7 6, which is carried
forward to the account of the year 1797.

Deducting from the sum of 13,329 19 8
The taxes paid to government 334 7 6} 592 15 0
And the balance carried to 1797 258 7 6}
-------------

The expence to the public for the year 1796, appears
to have been 12,737 4 8

In a schedule of the fees paid at the war office, and a paper describing the application thereof, it appeared, that (with the exception of an occasional arrangement made in favor of two retired principal clerks) they have been exclusively paid in certain proportions to the following clerks and officers:--

1. Deputy secretary at war. 2. First clerk. 3. Principal clerk. 4. Ditto. 5. Ditto. 6. Clerk for the entry of commissions. 7. Clerk for accounts of deserters. 8. Clerk for business of widows’ pensions. 9. Examiner of army accounts. 10. Assistant to the examiner of army accounts. It appeared on examination, that during the years 1792, and 1796, (being respectively periods of peace and war) the amount of all fees received and distributed at the war office, was in the year 1792, 4,991_l._ 3_s._ 4_d._ In the year 1796, 42,731_l._ 11_s._ 11_d._

_War_ OFFICE, British service, the nature of the accounts which come into the war office, the first head consists of the annual accounts of the ordinary and incidental charges of established regiments; the second regimental extraordinaries, or incidental expences more properly belonging to established corps than to the army in general, which latter are known by the term, “extraordinaries of the army.” All claims made by the regimental agents come under the inspection of the “examiner of army accounts,” to whose office they are transmitted of course, in virtue of a general delegation of that duty to him by the secretary at war: after his examination and report, the secretary at war, in many instances, orders partial issues of money by letter to the pay master general. No final payment is made, except under the authority of a warrant countersigned by the secretary at war, and in most instances by three lords of the treasury. The regimental agents account finally to the secretary at war. They are likewise accountable to him and to the commander in chief, for every species of mismanagement or misconduct with respect to the officers and soldiers, &c.

The forms under which all payments derived from the establishment are conducted, consist of the following papers:

1. The establishment of a regiment.

2. The warrant from the war-office to make out debentures, with the state of charges annexed.

3. The debenture made up at the pay-office.

4. The final or clearing warrant.

5. The pay-office state.

OFFICERS, in a _military sense_, are of several denominations and ranks, viz.

_Commissioned_ OFFICERS, are those appointed by commission; such are all from the general to the cornet and ensign, both inclusive.

_Warrant_ OFFICERS, those who have no commissions, but only warrants from such boards, or persons, who are authorized by law to grant them.

_Non-commissioned_ OFFICERS, are Serjeant majors, quarter master serjeants, serjeants, drum and fife majors, who are appointed by the commanding officers of regiments, and by them may be reduced without a court-martial. But it is not in the power of any captain of a company, or other subordinate officer, to reduce a serjeant without the sentence of a general or regimental court-martial.

_General_ OFFICERS, are those whose command is not limited to a single company, troop, or regiment; but extends to a body of forces, composed of several regiments: such are the general, lieutenant general, major general, and brigadier general; on the United States establishment we have three brigadier generals; and the territory of the United States consists of three districts, over each of which a general presides.

_Field_ OFFICERS, are such as command a whole regiment; as the colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major.

_Staff_ OFFICERS, are all those officers who are not attached to companies in a regiment; whose duties extend over the whole; or a large section, such as a brigade or division; such as the quarter master general, and the adjutant and inspector general, brigade officers, and aids-de-camp, also the quarter masters, adjutants, the physicians, surgeons, and chaplains.

_Subaltern_ OFFICERS, are lieutenants, cornets, and ensigns.

_Flag_ OFFICERS, are admirals who hoist flags at the mast-heads.

_Sea_ OFFICERS, are, in general, all those who have any command in the navy.

The following observations, are generally applicable to every other military situation on service, that we recommend them to the serious attention of every officer.

It is the duty of all officers, to take notice of any negligence, or impropriety of conduct, in the men, whether on duty or off duty, although the person, or persons offending, should not belong to their particular regiments. All neglects of duty, they are immediately to report to the officer commanding the guard; and they are enjoined to confine, and to report to the commanding officer of the regiment to which they belong, any non-commissioned officers or soldiers, they may detect in disorderly practices, or who appear out of their quarters, conducting themselves either in point of behaviour or appearance, in a manner unbecoming soldiers.

_Brevet_ OFFICER, in the British service. One who in doing duty with other corps takes rank according to the commission which he holds, and which is superior to the one for which he actually receives pay, or by which he can do duty in his own. A captain lieutenant, for instance, in the 23d regiment of foot, who has the rank of brevet major in the army, may, when that corps does brigade duty, command every captain on service with him. The word _brevet_ is taken from the French, and in the instance before us means rank without pay. During the French monarchy there were various instances in which individuals held posts of honor during the king’s pleasure, or during their own natural lives. Hence _ducs à brevet_; dukes by brevet: or to use an expression more familiar to us, persons who received the patent letter of a dukedom during their natural lives. _Brevet_ likewise signified a sum attached by order of the king to the sale of a commission or place for the benefit of a deceased person’s wife, heirs, or creditors: this was called _brevet de retenue_. So that the word _brevet_, though limited to one sense amongst us, was applicable to rank and emolument among the French. Hence _breveter_ signified to give a person a commission, place, or employment; to invest him with honorary rank; or to authorise him to receive a pension. _Brevet de capitaine_, signifies the commission, or rank of a captain.

_Civil_ OFFICERS _belonging to the British laboratory at Woolwich_:--

One comptroller, one chief fire-master, one assistant fire-master, one inspector of gunpowder manufactures, six clerks, one extra clerk, one surgeon, one inspector of artillery, one assistant ditto, one clerk and draftsman, one clerk, one proof master, one searcher, one instrument keeper, one modeller, one assistant, one constructor of artillery carriages, one assistant to ditto, one second assistant, and two clerks.

OFFICERS _belonging to the British military repository at Woolwich_:--

One superintendant, one modeller, one clerk, one draftsman, one astronomical observer at Greenwich, salaries unknown. To these may be added, the officers belonging to the different out ports and garrisons that are subject to the British government.

_Commissioners and_ OFFICERS _of the British hospital at Chelsea_:--

The _civil department_ consists of:

The president of the council. First lord of the treasury. The two secretaries of state. The paymaster general of land forces. The secretary at war. The two comptrollers of army accounts. The governor and lieutenant governor. Salaries unknown.

The _military department_ consists of:--

Governor. Lieutenant governor. Major. Adjutant. Treasurer, who is the paymaster general for the time being. Deputy treasurer, one clerk, two chaplains, one secretary and registrar, two clerks, one agent and paymaster to the out pensioners, one physician, one comptroller, one steward, one surgeon, two surgeon’s mates, one apothecary, one truss maker, one whitster, one wardrobe keeper, one compter of coal-yard, one organist, one clerk of the works, one master lamp-lighter, one master butler, one master cook, one second cook, two under cooks, one scullery man, one gardener, one master barber, one engine keeper, one clock keeper, one canal keeper and turncock, one sexton, one usher of the hall, one porter, one cellarman, two sweepers, one matron, one master mason, one master smith, one master painter, and one plumber.

_Field_ OFFICERS _belonging to the several regiments of militia in Ireland_.--By an act passed on the 24th of March 1801, the number of field officers of this description has been increased by adding one additional lieutenant colonel, and one additional major, to such of the Irish regiments as consist of eight companies or upwards, and one additional major to such of the said regiments as consist of seven companies or under. The following counties consist of eight companies and upwards:--_Antrim_, _Armagh_, _North Cork_, _South Cork_, _city of Cork_, _Donegall_, _city of Dublin_, _Galway_, _Kerry_, _Kilkenny_, _King’s County_, _County of Limerick_, _Londonderry_, _Louth_, _Meath_, _Monaghan_, _Roscommon_, _Tipperary_, _Tyrone_, _Waterford_, and _Wexford_. The _Carlow_, _Cavan_, _Clare_, _North Downshire_, _South Downshire_, _County of Dublin_, _Fermanagh_, _Kildare_, _Leitrim_, _city of Limerick_, _Longford_, _North Mayo_, _South Mayo_, _Queen’s County_, _Sligo_, _Westmeath_, and _Wicklow_, regiments consist of seven companies, or are under seven companies.

All such additional field officers, if qualified, in manner as field officers of the same rank in the militia of Ireland are now by law required to be, and not disapproved by the lord lieutenant, or other chief governor or governors of Ireland, within fourteen days after such certificate shall have been laid before him or them, shall, to all intents and purposes, be deemed and taken as field officers of the respective regiments in the respective ranks to which their commissions shall respectively appoint them; and shall have the same powers according to such commissions respectively, that other field officers in the militia now have, and shall have rank, and receive pay according to such rank from the dates of their respective commissions, in manner and form as the field officers of the militia regiments of Ireland are now entitled thereto.

OFFICER _in waiting_. The officer next for duty is so called. He is always mentioned in orders, and ought to be ready for the service specified, at a minute’s warning. He must not, on this account, quit the camp, garrison, or cantonments.

OFFICER _of the day_. An officer whose immediate duty is to attend to the interior œconomy and good order of the corps to which he belongs, or of those with which he does mixed duty. The following regulations will explain the nature of that duty when troops are encamped:--

The officers for daily duty in camp, independent of guards, will be a general or generals of the day, according to the circumstances and strength of the camp. In large camps there will be a lieutenant general of the day, and a major general for each wing, or one major general of cavalry, and one of infantry; and majors of brigade in the same proportion: a field officer per brigade, and a captain and subaltern of the day per regiment, and an adjutant and quarter master of the day per brigade.

The general of the day is to superintend the regularity and discipline of the camp, in every particular: he is to visit the guards of the camp and the outposts (unless the latter are put under the command of some particular officer): he is to call out and inspect the inlying piquets, as often, and at such times as he thinks proper: he is to receive all reports in camp, and make immediate communication of any extraordinary occurrences, to the commander in chief.

The captain of the day of each regiment superintends the cleanliness and regularity of the camp of the regiment: he attends the parading of all regimental guards, orders the roll to be called frequently and at certain hours, and reports every thing extraordinary to the commanding officer.

The subaltern of the day assists the captain in his various duties, and reports to him any irregularity, which may come to his knowlege.

The captain and subaltern of the day, are each to visit the hospital at uncertain hours, the captain is to make his report of the state of the hospital to the commanding officer of the regiment.

The regularity of the men’s messing is an object of primary importance. The captain or subaltern of the day must visit, and inspect the kettles, at the hour appointed for cooking, and no kettle is to be taken from the kitchens till this inspection is made, and the signal is given by the drum for the men to dine, which should be at the same hour, throughout the camp. Independent of this regimental arrangement, the officers of companies must daily and hourly attend to the messing and every circumstance of the œconomy of their companies, in camp more particularly than in quarters.

The adjutant of the day, of the brigades, is to assist the brigade major in the various details of it, and in the absence of the brigade major is to receive and execute all orders; it may frequently be necessary for him likewise to attend for orders, at head-quarters. It is the duty of the quarter master of the day, of the brigade, to attend to the cleanliness of the camp; to take care that all broken glass and filth of all kinds is removed, for which the quarter master of each regiment is responsible, as far as the camp of his regiment is concerned.

The officers on duty and those in waiting, as next for duty, who are always to be mentioned in the orders of the day, are constantly to remain in camp, or within their cantonments. No officer is, on any account, to sleep out of camp, or cantonments, without leave.

Officers making written report, are to sign them, specifying their rank, and the regiments to which they belong.

All orders relating to the men are to be read to them by an officer per company, at the next parade after such orders are given out.

When there is a field officer of the day, it is his duty to visit all guards frequently during the day and night; in the morning, on the dismounting of the guards, he will collect the reports, and carry them to the governor or commandant, together with any observations he may himself have made, in the course of his duty in the preceding day. When there is no field officer of the day, the reports will be collected, and delivered to the governor, by the captain of the main guard. Each regiment must have an alarm post assigned to it, to which it will repair in case of fire, or any other extraordinary alarm either by day or by night.

_Marine_ OFFICERS, all those who command in that body of troops employed in the sea service, under the direction of the lords of the admiralty.

OFFICIAL, all orders, reports, applications, memorials, &c. which pass through the regular channels of communication, are called official.

OFFICIER, _Fr._ See OFFICER.

OFFICIER _sur terre_, _Fr._ a land officer, or any commissioned person in the land service.

OFFICIER _du genie_, _Fr._ an engineer.

OFFICIER _sur mer_, _Fr._ a sea officer, or any commissioned person in the sea service. The term, however, is not confined to this class only, it likewise signifies the master, pilot, boatswain, &c. of a ship, in which case the latter are called _officiers mariniers_, in contradistinction to the former, who are stiled _officiers de la marine_, or persons who have naval rank, and whose immediate business is to fight their ships. These consisted, in the old French service, of admirals, vice-admirals, lieutenant generals, commodores, captains of ships, or post-captains, majors, captains of light frigates, captains of fireships, captains of stores or ordnance vessels, port-captains, to which may be added, _capitaines en second_, together with the lieutenants and ensigns de vaisseau, whether actually employed, and bearing rank, or being only _en second_. There were besides various employments and situations under the old French government, which entitled individuals to the appellation of _officier_. Those of a military or naval nature were generally and specifically as follow:--

OFFICIER _de guerre_, _Fr._ a military man or officer.

OFFICIER _dans les troupes_, _Fr._ any person holding a military situation in the army.

OFFICIER _général_, _Fr._ a general officer.

OFFICIER _subalterne_, _Fr._ a subaltern officer.

_Les hauts_ OFFICIERS, _Fr._ Commissioned officers.

_Les bas_ OFFICIERS, _Fr._ non-commissioned officers.

OFFICIER _de la garnison_, _Fr._ an officer belonging to the garrison of a town, or fortified place.

OFFICIER _en garnison_, _Fr._ Any officer in garrison.

OFFICIER _au régiment des gardes_, _Fr._ an officer belonging to the guards.

OFFICIERS _à la suite_, _Fr._ During the existence of the French monarchy a certain number of individuals were permitted to wear the uniform of a regiment, without being otherwise connected with it. These were divided into two classes, viz.

OFFICIERS _à la suite d’un régiment_, _Fr._ Officers nominally attached to a regiment. Of this description were the gentlemen appointed by the German princes who were in alliance with France. It is mentioned, as a fact, that before the French revolution took place, there were 42 lieutenant-colonels _à la suite du régiment Deux Ponts_. The prince of that name having been permitted to extend this strange brevet to any number, provided the officers so distinguished, never went into the town where the regiment lay, or interfered with regard to quarters, &c.

The other class consisted of noblemen and gentlemen, who were appointed by the court of Versailles, and received their brevets from the war-minister. These were called _officiers à la suite de toute l’armée_; or officers bearing brevet rank without being attached, even nominally, to any specific corps.

This institution though extravagant, was nevertheless calculated to maintain the preeminence of military passions, and to cherish those military ideas which, by thus becoming national, conduced in a great measure to the present military character and triumphs of the French.

OFFICIER _dans la marine_, _Fr._ an officer in the marine service.

OFFICIER _de marine_, _Fr._ a marine officer.

OFFICIER _marinier_, _Fr._ See OFFICIER _sur mer_.

OFF-_Reckonings_, a specific account so called, which exists between government and the colonels of British regiments for the clothing of the men. This account is divided into two parts, viz. gross-off-reckonings, and net off-reckonings.

_Gross_ OFF-_reckonings_ consist of all the pay of the non-commissioned officers and private men, above the subsistence.

_Net_ OFF-_reckonings_, are the produce of the gross off-reckonings, reserved for the clothing of the men, after the warrant deduction of one shilling in the pound, and one day’s pay of the whole regiment for Chelsea hospital; and also the deduction of 2_d._ in the pound for the agent, are made at the pay-office. The balance of the pay of the officers, over and above their subsistence, after the warrant deductions are made, and the respited pay, if there is any, is charged to the officer, is called _clearings_; which are paid by the paymaster to the agent, who pays them to the officers, and there finds his twopences.

Colonels of regiments either pay the clothier ready money, or allow him interest for forbearance. But no colonel can make a valid assignment of the off-reckonings, till the clothier has exhibited to a board of general officers, appointed by his majesty for that purpose, the patterns of each species of cloathing he is to provide; which patterns are left with the secretary to the clothing board, at the office of the comptrollers of the army, and compared with sealed patterns, already approved by the king; and if found conformable thereto, are sealed by all the general officers, who compose that board, in testimony of their approbation; and when the clothier has completed his clothing, ready to be delivered, the inspector of clothing is directed to view the said clothing, who certifies in writing, that he has found it conformable to his majesty’s instructions in quantity and quality; which certificate, together with the colonel’s assignment of the off-reckonings, is produced by the clothier to the board of general officers, who pass the assignment; but the contract between the colonel and clothier is not laid before any officer whatsoever; nor is any account brought afterwards of the expence of that clothing. Clothiers provide clothing for complete regiments, as upon the establishment.

There are several other articles of expence defrayed out of the clothing fund, as the charge of package, of carriage by land or water, of insurance, when sent abroad, of interest, more or less, as the off-reckonings are paid, of fees of offices, of clothing lost by desertion, of small accoutrements, colors, drums, and other contingent charges. The subsistence of the men, allowed for clothing lost by deserters, is paid to the respective colonels; and the off-reckonings only are included in the assignment. For the latest regulations on this head, see a British work called _Military Finance_, page 196.

OFFUSQUER, _Fr._ literally means to darken; or conceal. _Ce bâtiment est offusque par les maisons voisines._ This building is darkened or concealed from the eye by the neighboring houses. It likewise signifies in a figurative sense, to out-do or out-match. _Il se sent offusqué._ He feels himself out-done.

OGNON, _Fr._ literally means an onion. The word is sometimes used in a familiar manner by the French to express persons standing in a row. _Ils etoient tous en rang d’ognon._ They all stood, like a rope of onions, in a row.

OGEE, OGIVE, in pieces of ordnance, an ornamental moulding, in the shape of an S, taken from architecture, and used in guns, mortars, and howitzers. See CANNON.

OGIVE, (_Ogive_, _Fr._) In Gothic vaults those arches are stiled ogives, or ogees, which cross one another diagonally. The French likewise call them _croisés d’ogives_.

OIL. Every soldier should be supplied with a given quantity of oil and emery, for the purpose of cleaning his arms, accoutrements, &c.

OLYMPIAD, in _chronology_, the space of four years, for on the 5th the Olympic games were celebrated in honor of Jupiter Olympius, near Olympia. The Greeks began to use this epocha a little before the building of Rome.

OLYMPIC _Games_, were instituted by Hercules, A. M. 2856, in honor of Jupiter Olympius, at Olympia, a city of Elis, in Peloponnesus. They were celebrated every four years, about the summer solstice. The design of them was to accustom the young military men to running, leaping, and every other military exercise.

OMBRE, (_sécher à l’ombre_, _Fr._) This term is in use among the French founders of artillery, when they put the clay or putty, which serves to form the cannon moulds, out to dry, without making any fire for the purpose.

OMRA, _or_ OMHRA, _Ind._ plural of _ameer_, a lord. They were persons of considerable consequence in the dominions of the great Mogul. Some of them had command of 1000 horse, others 2000, and so on to 20,000: their pay being regulated according to the number of their horses. The governors and great officers of state were generally chosen out of this body.

ON, a preposition frequently used in military exercise. It precedes those words of command which direct the change or formation of bodies of men upon points that are fixed, viz.

By companies _on_ the left backwards wheel. The left pivot man of each company faces at this cautionary word, and remains a fixed point, _on_ which the rest wheel back when they receive directions so to do. When the column of companies is to be wheeled into line, the word _on_ is equally understood to direct the moveable parts of each company towards the given pivot which faces, and remains a fixed point. In the British drill instructions, they say, _to the left wheel into line_; but in the third part of the regulations _to_ is wholly omitted, and the commanding officer uses the term _left wheel into line_, and vice versa; the preposition _on_ is here understood: for it is evident, that in breaking into column the component parts of a line wheel as much _from_ a given point, as they do _to_ a given one, when the column returns into line. Whereas by using _on_, or understanding it to be used, when, for the sake of abbreviation, it is omitted, we preserve the true meaning of the preposition, keep the men in the recollection of the necessary adhesion, and shew, that whether you wheel backwards or forwards, from line into column, or from column into line, there is one invariable fixed point on which you move. It is more proper to say, _on_ the right or left forwards wheel into line, in lieu of _to_.

ONAGRA, (_Onagre_, _Fr._) a warlike machine, which was used by the ancients to throw stones of different sizes. It is mentioned by Vegetius.

ONDECAGON, a figure of eleven sides and angles.

ONSET, assault, storm, attack.

OPEN, in military movements and dispositions is frequently used, but it is seldom applicable to any operations in face of an enemy; the ranks, &c. on such occasions being generally compact and close. In formation, the word _open_ is opposed to _close_, viz. open column, open distance, open order. It also constitutes part of a word of command; as _rear ranks take open order_; in opposition to _rear ranks take close order_.

OPEN _distances in column_. (_Distances entieres en colonne_, _Fr._) The intervals in these cases are always equal in depth to the extent in front of the different component parts of the column.

OPEN _flank_, in _fortification_, that part of the flank, which is covered by the orillon. See FORTIFICATION.

OPENING _of trenches_, the first breaking of ground by the besiegers, in order to carry on their approaches towards the place.

OPERATIONS _de guerre_, _Fr._ See MILITARY OPERATIONS.

_Military_ OPERATION. Military operations consist in the resolute application of preconcerted measures, in secrecy, dispatch, regular movements, occasional encampments, and desultory combats, or pitched battles.

_Line of_ OPERATION. All the forward movements of an army for the purpose of attacking an enemy, penetrating into a country, &c. may be properly called a line of operation. There is so intimate and so necessary a connection between this line and the line of communication, that no army can be in security, let its temporary successes be what they may, without a strict and unremitting attention being given to their relative points of continuity and correspondence. The line of operation in a siege is partial and extremely limited, so is that of communication; but upon the large scale of war these two lines are of considerable extent and importance. No man, in fact, can be called a good general, or even an officer, who carries his views so far forward as to venture upon a long line of operation, without having previously secured his line of communication, by a perfect knowlege of the countries through which he moves, and having his flanks so thoroughly covered, that he may fall back or retreat according to circumstances. See _Amer. Mil. Lib._

OPINION. In military proceedings that regard the interior government of an army, this word signifies decision, determination, judgment formed upon matters that have been laid before a court-martial, or court of enquiry. Hence, the court-martial having duly weighed the whole matter before them, are of _opinion_, that ---- is not guilty of any part of the charge preferred against him.

OPINION. Officers on courts-martial give their opinion by seniority, beginning with the youngest in rank.

OPINION, abstractedly considered, may be defined an assent of the understanding, with some doubt or distrust of the contrary. In a political sense, it is the acquiescence of the mind to certain principles. In some instances opinion and principle are synonymous terms. Hence French revolutionary opinions, or revolutionary principles.

_A war of_ OPINION, (_Guerre d’opinion_, _Fr._) This expression has grown into familiar use since the commencement of the French revolution, and was never, perhaps, so strongly illustrated as by the perseverance of the French people. Hence also the war commenced against France, as fomented by Burke and the emigrants, was a war against the _opinion_, which overturned the corrupt abuses of the old French monarchy, to color its atrocity it was called a war against jacobinism--a war in support of religion and order--a war in support of regular government--at length a war of extermination; but experience has shewn, that the influence of opinion is paramount to every consideration in life. Friend, parent, and relation, have given way to the superior calls of public duty, growing out of and sanctioned by public opinion.

OPINION, _Fr._ This word is variously used among the French, and as we have already observed, is now generally attached to the contest in which they have been engaged for the maintenance of certain principles that seem to have altered their character. The nation at large, in fact, has taken up an opinion, grounded upon certain principles, which are diametrically opposite to those their forefathers had implicitly followed for 1400 years. When Great Britain formed a part of the well known coalition, the preservation of the balance of Europe was the ostensible cause for entering into hostilities against France; so that the war in 1792, &c. might not improperly be called a war of policy or political necessity, as far as it regarded the coalesced powers; but it has unquestionably been, all along, a war of opinion on the other side. The French familiarly say, _Il faut respecter l’opinion publique; le pouvoir, l’empire, l’influence de l’opinion._ Public opinion must be respected or attended to; the power, the dominion, the influence of opinion. _L’opinion est la reine du monde._ Opinion governs all the world. When the allied armies under the command of the duke of Brunswick, in 1792, were within a few days march of Paris, it was observed by a firm adherent to the royal cause: _Que malgré l’air imposant d’une telle force, ou combinaison, on avoit tout a craindre pendant qu’il existoit un ennemi a combattre, aussi terrible qu’etoit l’opinion._ That notwithstanding so formidable a force or combination, every thing was to be apprehended so long as that terrible enemy, opinion, remained to be combated against.

OPIUM, a juice, partly of the resinous, partly of the gummy kind. It is brought from Natolia, Egypt, and the East Indies, produced from the white garden poppy, with which the fields of Asia are in many places sown. The first effect of opium is making the person who takes it cheerful; it removes melancholy, and dissipates the dread of danger. The Turks always take it when they are going to battle: it afterwards quiets the spirits, eases pain, and disposes to sleep. A remarkable instance of the powerful influence of opium over the natives of the East is related by Mr. Orme, in his history of the Carnatic, page 270. His words are: the enemy remained quietly until noon, when having sufficiently intoxicated themselves with opium, they began to swarm out in great numbers; but the field pieces (which were served by Europeans) kept them for some time at a distance, every shot doing execution. During the cannonade a party of the nabob’s sepoys crossed the river, and taking possession of a small choultry, (an open house for the accommodation of travellers, so called in India) at a little distance to the right of the other, began to fire from this untenable post, upon which a body of 300 marattah horse galloped up to attack them; but before they arrived the sepoys took flight; several of them were cut to pieces, and the rest re-crossing the river ran into the city: the marattahs encouraged by this success, (and still flushed with the opium) now galloped up towards the entrenchment of the great choultry, where they were suffered to come so near, that several of them made use of their sabres across the parapet before the troops within gave fire, which then began, and seconded by that of the four pieces of cannon on the other side of the river, killed and wounded a great number of men and horses, and obliged the enemy to retire in confusion; in this instant an officer unadvisedly took the resolution of quitting his post, and passed the river, in order to give captain Dalton, (who commanded the detachment) some information concerning the artillery; some of the soldiers seeing this, imagined that he went away through fear, and concluding, that things were worse than appeared to them, followed his example and ran out of the entrenchment; which the rest perceiving, a panic seized the whole, and they left the post with the greatest precipitation, notwithstanding they had the minute before given three huzzas, on the retreat of the marattahs: a body of 3000 mysore horse, who were drawn up on the bank, immediately galloped into the bed of the river, and charging the fugitives with fury, cut down the whole party excepting 15 men: flushed with this success, they made a push at captain Dalton’s division on the other side. All these motions succeeded one another so rapidly, that he had hardly time to put his men on their guard; more especially as many of them had caught the panic, from having been spectators of the massacre of their comrades; however, some of the bravest hearkening to his exhortations, stood firm by the artillery: their behaviour encouraged the sepoys, who made a strong fire from behind the low wall in their front, which accompanied by the grape shot of the four field pieces, soon abated the ardor of the enemy, and obliged them to retreat, leaving some horses, whose riders fell within 20 yards of the muzzles of the guns: captain Dalton then advanced a little way into the bed of the river, where he remained until he had collected the dead and the wounded. Not a man who escaped could give any reason why he quitted his post, all of them acknowleging that at the time when they took flight, only one man in the intrenchment was wounded, and that they had nine barrels of ammunition.

OPPORTUNITY. In addition to what has been said respecting occasion, which is nearly similar to opportunity in its import, we shall extract the following account of the latter, which was also honored as a goddess among the pagans. Opportunity was represented by them as a naked woman, with a long lock of hair before, but bald behind, to intimate, that opportunity if not laid hold on when it offers, soon slips away; also standing with one foot on a wheel, and the other in the air, holding a sail in one hand, and a razor in the other; her feet also being winged, and the wheel in continual motion, to intimate that opportunity is always inconstant and in motion.

_To_ OPPOSE, to act as an adversary against another, to resist, &c. It likewise signifies to place as an obstacle.

OPPUGN, To oppugn, is to attack by force of arms.

ORANGE. A term applied to those persons who adhered to the Stadtholder. Hence, orange party. The troops of the prince of orange were taken into British pay in Sept. 1799.

ORANGE MEN. A title assumed by the members of certain clubs instituted by the British government in Ireland; when the Irish or united Irishmen meditated to rescue their country, in 1796, from British dominion, the orange men were sworn to extirpate the catholics wherever found; and their atrocities surpassed the cruelties of the British in India, and the Spanish in South America.

ORB, in _tactics_, is the disposing of a number of soldiers in circular form of defence. The _orb_ has been thought of consequence enough to employ the attention of the famous marshal de Puysegur, in his _Art of war_, who prefers this position, to throw a body of infantry in an open country, to resist cavalry, or even a superior force of infantry; because it is regular, and equally strong, and gives an enemy no reason to expect better success by attacking one place than another. Cæsar drew up his whole army in this form when he fought against Labienus. The whole army of the Gauls were formed into an _orb_, under the command of Sabinus and Cotta, when fighting against the Romans. The _orb_ was generally formed six deep.

ORDER. The arrangement or disposition of things in their proper place; custom or manner, rule or discipline, as order of march, &c.

ORDER _of battle_. The arrangement or disposition of the different component parts of an army in one or more lines, according to the nature of the ground, for the purpose of engaging an enemy, by giving or receiving an attack, or in order to be reviewed, &c.

_Parade_ ORDER. When a regiment of horse or foot, a troop, or company is drawn up with the ranks open and the officers in front, it is said to be in parade order.

_Close_ ORDER. When a battalion or company is commanded to take close order, at the word _march_, the ranks (supposing the men to stand three deep) close within one pace, marching one and two paces and then haulting. So that close order in ranks comprehends an interval of one pace between each.

_Open_ ORDER. When a battalion or company is commanded to take open order, on the word _march_, the dressers front, and the centre and rear ranks fall back one and two paces, each dressing by the right the instant it arrives on the ground. So that _open_ order comprehends an interval of two paces between each rank.

_Extended_ ORDER, is preparatory to rank entire, and is frequently practised in light infantry manœuvres. In order to execute this movement the files of a battalion or company, standing two deep, open from the given point, leaving just space enough for one man. Sometimes, and indeed almost always, when the ground will permit, extended order is taken by facing the battalion or company to the right or left, and by marching to either flank until the whole has gradually doubled its original front. This mode is extremely simple, and consists in nothing more than open order of files from the right or left. The battalion or company after it has obtained all its relative distances, and been halted, is fronted, and each rear rank man springs into the vacancy on the word of command--_Form rank entire_.

_Entire_, when applied to rank, means a straight line composed of half files. See RANK ENTIRE.

_Extended order_ may likewise be taken, without facing to the right or left. This is effected by every file moving sideways a given distance; say one pace, or twenty four inches, which extent of ground a man generally covers, from the centre file. The word of command in this case would be, battalion or company, _mark time_, from the centre by the _side step_ to the right and left. The centre file stands fast--_march_--_halt_.

ORDER _Arms_, a word of command, on which the soldier brings the butt of his musquet to the ground, the barrel being held perpendicular in a line with the right side.

ORDERS, in a _military sense_, all that is lawfully commanded by superior officers. Orders are given out every day, whether in camp, garrison, or on a march, by the commanding officer; which orders are afterwards given to every officer in writing by their respective serjeants.

_Commander in chief’s_ ORDERS. Such orders as issue directly from the commander in chief’s office for the government of the army at large, or for any specific purpose. These orders are sanctioned by the king, and are irrevocable elsewhere.

_General_ ORDERS, are such as are issued out by the general who commands, who gives them in writing to the adjutant general, who first sends exact copies to the general officers of the day, and distributes them at his own quarters to all the brigade majors, who daily go to head quarters for that purpose: where they write down every thing that is dictated to them; from thence they go and give the _orders_, at the place appointed for that purpose, to the different majors or adjutants of the regiments which compose that brigade, who first read them to their colonels and lieutenant colonels, or majors, and then dictate them to the serjeants of companies (this is more frequently done by the serjeant major) who write them correctly down in their respective orderly books, and bring them to all the officers belonging to the company.

_Garrison_ ORDERS, such orders and instructions as are given by the governor or commanding officer of a town or fortified place.

_Brigade_ ORDERS, orders which are issued by the generals commanding, through the brigade majors, to the several adju- corps that do duty together, or are brigaded.

_Regimental_ ORDERS, such orders and instructions as grow out of general or garrison orders, or proceed immediately from the commanding officer of a regiment.

_Standing_ ORDERS, certain general rules and instructions which are to be invariably followed, and are not subject to the temporary intervention of rank; of this description are those orders which the colonel of a regiment may judge fit to have inserted in the orderly books, and which cannot be altered by the next in command without the colonel’s concurrence.

_Sailing_ ORDERS, final instructions which are given to ships of war, and the commander in chief.

_Beating_ ORDER, an authority given to an individual empowering him to raise men, by beat of drum, for any particular regiment, or for general service. It consists of a warrant which is signed by the secretary at war, or issued in his name, by the adjutant general, or adjutant and inspector of the army.

_Military_ ORDERS, are companies of knights, instituted by kings and princes; either for defence of the faith, or to confer marks of honor on their military subjects. They are as follow:

ORDER _of the Bear_, a military order in Switzerland, erected by the emperor Frederic II. in 1213, by way of acknowlegement for the service the Swiss had done him, and in favor of the abbey of St. Gall. To the collar of the order hung a medal, on which was represented a _bear_, raised on an eminence of earth.