Quadi. A powerful and warlike German tribe, belonging to the Suevic race, whose territories were situated between the Danube, the Bohemian mountains, and the river Marus. They make their first appearance in history in the 1st century as formidable foes of the Romans. Their bodies were covered with mail, consisting of plates of horn; their weapons were long spears; and each man had three swift horses for his use in battle. Thus equipped, they commenced the practice of making rapid and sweeping raids into Pannonia, Moesia, and other neighboring provinces. Sometimes they routed the imperial forces which tried to check their inroads. At all times they returned home with their predatory spirit unbroken. No reverses in fact, however frequent, could daunt those wild border troopers of the Danube. The emperors Marcus Aurelius, Probus, Carus, and Valentinian I., defeated them without subduing or crushing them. The last glimpse that we get of them in history shows them in company with other barbaric hordes, in 407, overrunning Gaul, and reveling in boundless havoc and slaughter.

Quadrant. An instrument for measuring altitudes, variously constructed and mounted for different specific uses in astronomy, surveying, gunnery, etc., consisting commonly of a graduated arc of 90°, with an index or vernier, and either plain or telescopic sights, together with a plumb-line or spirit-level for fixing the vertical or horizontal direction.

Quadrant, Gunner’s. See Gunner’s Quadrant.

Quadrat. Or to quadrat a gun, is to see it duly placed on its carriage, and that the wheels be of an equal height.

Quadriga. In antiquity, a car or chariot, drawn by four horses harnessed abreast. This chariot was used in battle and in triumphal processions.

Quadrilateral. In military language, an expression designating a combination of four fortresses, not necessarily connected together, but mutually supporting each other; and from the fact that if one be attacked, the garrisons of the others, unless carefully observed, will harass the besiegers, rendering it necessary that a very large army should be employed to turn the combined position. As a remarkable instance, and a very powerful one, may be cited the celebrated quadrilateral in Venetia, comprising the four strong posts of Mantua, Verona, Peschiera, and Legnago. These form a sort of outwork to the bastion which the southern mountains of the Tyrol constitute, and divide the north plain of the Po into two sections by a most powerful barrier. Napoleon III., in 1859, even after the victories of Magenta and Solferino, hesitated to attack this quadrilateral.

Quadrille (Fr.). Small parties of horse richly caparisoned, etc., in tournaments and at public festivals. The quadrilles were distinguished from one another by the shape or color of the coats which the riders wore.

Quadruple Alliance. Between Great Britain, France, and the emperor of Germany (signed at London, July 22, 1718); it obtained its name on the accession of the states of Holland, February 8, 1719. It guaranteed the succession of the reigning families of Great Britain and France, settled the partition of the Spanish monarchy, and led to war.

Quadruple Treaty. Concluded in London, April 22, 1834, by the representatives of Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal, which guaranteed the possession of her throne to Isabella II., the young queen of Spain.

Quaker-guns (Fr. passe-volans). Were wooden pieces of ordnance which were made to resemble real artillery. They subsequently were used in other countries, and placed in the embrasures of forts, in order to deceive an enemy.

Quarrel, or Quarry. An arrow with a square head, for a cross-bow, was so called.

Quarrels. See Appendix, Articles of War, 24.

Quarte. In tactics, a word of command given in the bayonet exercise; as, quarte parry, to thrust in quarte.

Quarter. A fourth part of anything.

Quarter. To furnish with shelter or entertainment; to supply with the means of living for a time; especially to furnish shelter to; as, to quarter soldiers.

Quarter. In heraldry, one of the divisions of a shield, when it is divided into four portions by horizontal and perpendicular lines meeting in the fesse point; especially either of the two divisions thus made. Also, to bear as an appendage to the hereditary arms. “The coat of Beauchamp ... quartered by the Earl of Hertford.”

Quarter. In war, signifies the sparing of the life of a vanquished enemy, which by the laws of war is forfeit to the victor. The expression seems to be derived from the use of the word “quarter” to designate the lodging of the particular warrior; to give quarter to a prisoner being to send him to his captor’s quarter for liberation, ransom, or slavery. The refusal of quarter is a terrible aggravation of the horrors of war, and is only at all justifiable towards an enemy who has been guilty of atrocious cruelty himself, or of some flagrant breach of faith.

Quarter Arms, To. In heraldry, to place the arms of other families in the compartments of a shield, which is divided into four quarters, the family arms being placed in the first quarter. When more than three other arms are to be quartered with the family arms, it is usual to divide the shield into a suitable number of compartments; and still the arms are said to be quartered.

Quarter Guard. The guard which is stationed in front of the centre of the camp of each corps, at about 80 paces from it.

Quarter of Assembly. The place where the troops meet to march from in a body, and is the same as the place of rendezvous.

Quarter Upon, To. Is to oblige persons to receive soldiers, etc., into their dwelling-houses, and to provide for them. In the United States no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Quarter-block. See Implements.

Quartering. In heraldry, the division of a shield containing many coats. See Quarter.

Quarterly. In heraldry, in quarters or quarterings; as, to bear arms quarterly.

Quartermaster. A regimental staff-officer, of the relative rank of lieutenant, whose duty is to look after the assignment of quarters, the provision of clothing, forage, fuel, and all other quartermaster’s supplies; and when on the march he sees to the marking out of the camp. He is appointed by the colonel of the regiment, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. He vacates his staff position when promoted to the rank of captain, or at the discretion of the colonel. In the British service the regimental quartermaster rises, with scarcely any exception, from the ranks. He has no further promotion to look forward to; but after thirty years’ service in all—including ten as an officer—he may retire with the honorary rank of captain.

Quartermaster-General. A staff-officer in the U.S. army, who has the rank of brigadier-general, and is at the head of the quartermaster’s department.

Quartermaster’s Department. This department provides the quarters and transportation of the army, except that, when practicable, wagons and their equipment are provided by the ordnance department; storage and transportation for all army supplies; army clothing; camp and garrison equipage; cavalry and artillery horses; fuel, forage, straw, and stationery. The incidental expenses of the army (also paid through the quartermaster’s department) include per diem to extra-duty men; of the pursuit and apprehension of deserters; of the burials of officers and soldiers; of hired escorts; of expresses, interpreters, spies, and guides; medicines for horses; and of supplying posts with water; and, generally, the proper and authorized expenses for the movements and operations of an army not expressly assigned to any other department. The present organization of the quartermaster’s department consists of 1 quartermaster-general, with the rank of brigadier-general; 3 assistant quartermaster-generals, with the rank of colonels; 8 deputy quartermaster-generals, with the rank of lieutenant-colonels; 14 quartermasters, with the rank of majors; and 30 assistant quartermasters, with the rank of captains.

Quartermaster-Sergeant. A non-commissioned officer who assists the quartermaster. He ranks among the regimental non-commissioned staff, and is appointed by the colonel of a regiment upon the recommendation of the quartermaster.

Quarters. In military affairs, are, generally, the positions assigned to persons or bodies of men. In a more special sense, the quarters in the army are the places of lodging assigned to officers or men when not actually on duty.

Quarters. The encampment on one of the principal passages round a place besieged, to prevent relief and intercept convoys.

Quarters, Choice of. In the U.S. service, when officers arrive in a garrison they shall have choice of quarters according to rank; but the commanding officer may direct the officers to be stationed near their troops. The commanding officer of a post cannot be displaced by his senior who does not command, though assigned to the same post. An officer who has made his choice of quarters cannot again displace a junior, unless himself displaced by a senior.

Quarters, Intrenched. A place fortified with a ditch and parapet to secure a body of troops.

Quarters of Refreshment. The place where the troops that have been much harassed are put to recover themselves, during some part of the campaign.

Quarters, Out of. Beyond the prescribed limits. For punishment of soldiers sleeping out of quarters, see Appendix, Articles of War, 31.

Quarter-sights. In gunnery, are divisions marked on the upper quarters of the base-ring, commencing where it would be intersected by a plane parallel to the axis of the piece, and tangent to the upper surface of the trunnions. These sights are used for giving elevations up to three degrees; but especially for pointing a piece at a less elevation than the natural angle of sight. Quarter-sights are not used in the U.S. service.

Quarter-staff. Formerly a favorite weapon with the English for hand-to-hand encounters; was a stout pole of heavy wood, about 6¹/₂ feet long, shod with iron on both ends. It was grasped in the middle by one hand, and the attack was made by giving it a rapid circular motion, which brought the loaded ends on the adversary at unexpected points.

Quasi Officers. See Surgeons, Acting-Assistant.

Quatre Bras. See Waterloo.

Quatrefoil. A heraldic bearing meant to represent a flower with four leaves. It is not represented with a stalk unless blazoned as slipped, in which case the stalk joins the lower leaf.

Quebec. The capital of the province of Quebec, formerly Canada East, is situated on a steep promontory at the junction of the rivers St. Lawrence and St. Charles, and its citadel is the most impregnable fortress on the continent of America. The site of Quebec, originally occupied by an Indian village named Stadacona, was discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1535; but the city was founded by Champlain in 1608. It was taken from the French by the English in 1626, restored in 1632, and fortified in 1690. It remained in the possession of the French till 1759, when in consequence of the victory of Wolfe, it was surrendered to the British, and finally confirmed to them by the treaty of Paris in 1763. Quebec was attacked by the American republicans in 1775, but the siege was raised in the following year. Since then its capture has not been attempted.

Queen Anne’s Pocket-piece. An ancient 18-pounder cannon at Dover, England. See Ordnance, History of.

Queen’s Color. In the British service, the one which is carried on the right of the two colors of a battalion of infantry. It is, in the line, the great union or union-jack, with the imperial crown in the centre and the number of the regiment in gold Roman characters below the crown. In the Guards the queen’s color is crimson, with various devices on it.

Queen’s County. An inland county of the province of Leinster, Ireland. Queen’s County anciently formed part of the districts of Leix and Ossory; and after the English invasion, on the submission of the chief O’More, the territory retained a qualified independence. Under Edward II., the O’Mores became so powerful, that for a long series of years an unceasing contest was maintained by them with the English, with various alternations of success. In the reign of Edward VI., Bellingham, the lord-deputy, succeeded in re-annexing the territory of the O’Mores to the Pale; and in Mary’s reign it was reduced to a shire.

Queenstown. A town of Upper Canada. It was taken by the U.S. troops October 13, 1812; but was retaken by the British forces, who defeated the Americans with considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners, on the same day. Queenstown suffered severely in this war.

Quell. To crush; to subdue; to put down; to reduce; as, the military were called out to quell the riot.

Quentin, Saint-. See Saint-Quentin.

Queretaro. An important town of Mexico, capital of a state of the same name, situated on a hilly plateau, 110 miles northwest of the city of Mexico. The peace between Mexico and the United States was ratified here by the Mexican congress in 1848. The town was besieged and taken (through the treachery of Lopez) by the Liberal general Escobedo, May 15, 1867. The emperor Maximilian, and his generals Miramon and Mejia, were taken prisoners, and after trial, were shot on June 19 following.

Quesnoy. A fortified town of France, in the department of Nord. It was taken by the Austrians, September 11, 1793, but was recovered by the French, August 16, 1794. It surrendered to Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, June 29, 1815, after the battle of Waterloo.

Queue. A tail-like twist of hair formerly worn at the back of the head by soldiers.

Queues d’Hironde (Fr.). In fortification, lines composed of projecting tenailles, or works, which, from the facility with which an enemy can enfilade their long branches, are considered extremely defective, and consequently are seldom employed.

Quiberon. A town of France, in the department of Morbihan, situated on a long and narrow peninsula of the same name, which, with some islands, forms one of the largest bays in Europe, 20 miles southwest from Vannes. A body of French emigrant royalists, under D’Hervilly and Puisaye, landed here from an English fleet, on June 27, 1795, and endeavored to rouse the people of Brittany and La VendÉe against the Convention, but were defeated, in July, and driven into the sea by Gen. Hoche. A large number of prisoners taken were shot, by order of the Convention. During the war of the Austrian Succession, an English force attempted a landing here (1746), but was repulsed.

Qui Vive? Qui va La? Qui est La? (Fr.) Literally means, Who is alive? Who goes there? and Who is there? These terms are used by the French sentinels when they challenge, and are equivalent to the English challenge, Who comes there?

Quick Time. In tactics, the length of the direct step in quick time is 28 inches, measured from heel to heel; the cadence is at the rate of 110 steps per minute, or 2 miles 1613 yards in an hour.

Quick-match. See Laboratory Stores.

Quickstep. A lively, spirited march generally played by military bands.

Quiloa, or Keelwa. A seaport town of Zanguebar, on the east coast of Africa, 225 miles north of Mozambique. It was taken and burned by the Portuguese, in 1505, but abandoned by them soon after.

Quincunx. Forming a body of men checkerwise.

Quintain, or Quintin. An instrument used in the ancient practice of tilting. It consisted of an upright post, on the top of which a cross post turned upon a pivot; at one end of the cross post was a broad board, and at the other a bag of sand. The practice was to ride against the board with a lance, at such speed as to pass by before the sand-bag could strike the tilter on the back.

Quinte. The fifth guard in fencing.

Quirites. In ancient Rome the citizens were so called as distinguished from the soldiery.

Quischens. The old term for cuisses, the pieces of armor which protected the thighs.

Quit. To leave; to abandon. To quit your post or ranks, is to retire, without having received any previous order for that purpose, from a station intrusted to your care, or a position in which you may be. For punishment inflicted upon persons quitting their posts, see Appendix, Articles of War, 40.

Quiver. A case or sheath for arrows.

Quoin. In gunnery, is a wedge used to lay under the breech of a gun to elevate or depress it.

Quota. A proportional part or share; or the share, part, or proportion assigned to each. “Quota of troops and money.”