  Raab, or Nagy-Gyor. A town of Hungary, 67 miles west-northwest of Buda. A battle was fought under its walls in June, 1809, in which Napoleon totally defeated the disorderly force of the Hungarian nobles. Rabinet. A small piece of ordnance formerly in use. It weighed but 300 pounds, and fired a small ball of 13/8 inch diameter; with a very limited range. Rachat des Cloches (Fr.). Redemption of bells. Formerly in France when a fortified place was taken, the bells became the property of the master-general of artillery, which were usually redeemed by the inhabitants at a certain price; it was necessary that the place should be attacked by artillery in order to secure this right over the bells. Rack, Forage. See Ordnance, Carriages for, Battery-wagon. Rack-stick and Lashing. Consist of a piece of two-inch rope, about 6 feet long, fastened to a picket about 15 inches long, having a hole in its head to receive the rope. Rack lashings are used for securing the planks of a gun or mortar platform, between the ribbons and the sleepers. Radius. In fortification, a term applied to a line drawn from the centre of the polygon to the extremity of the exterior side. There are the exterior, the interior, and the right radii. Radstadt. See Rastadt. Raft. A species of floating bridge for the passage of rivers, on which the soldiers and light artillery may be safely conveyed. Raft of Casks. This raft may be constructed by forming a frame of timber to contain the casks. The frame consists of four longitudinal In default of square timber, poles may be used in the construction of the frame. The string-pieces and transoms may be spiked or lashed at their points of junction. The four exterior casks in the raft should be lashed to the frame, otherwise they may be carried off by the current when the raft lurches. For other kinds of rafts, see Pontons. Raft, Prairie. See Pontons. Rafts, Timber. Employ the largest and longest timber, giving at least 35 feet length to the raft. Shorter than this it will not have sufficient stability, but will be subject to dangerous oscillations, especially in a rapid stream. Squaring the timber will be worse than useless. Any irregularities, such as branches and knots, should be trimmed off. The raft must be built in the water. Select a place where there is little current, and where the bank slopes gently to the water. The timber is then arranged in the position it is to have in the raft,—the butts alternately up and down the stream,—the upstream ends forming a right angle, salient up-stream. Suppose the case of a raft to be composed of 20 logs, 47 feet long, and averaging 12 inches in diameter. The first log is brought alongside the shore, and the end of a plank or small trunk of a tree is spiked to it, about 3 feet from each end; it is pushed off a little, and a second log is brought up, under the transoms and in close contact with the first. The second log is spiked like the first, and so on for each of the remaining logs; care being taken to alternate the butts, placing the whistle ends up-stream with the bevel underneath, and to spike the transoms perpendicular to the logs. When the current of the river in which the raft is to be used is very gentle, the up-stream ends may be on a line parallel to the transom; but if rapid, they should form a right-angle salient upstream, the vertex being in the middle log. When the bank is too steep to admit of this construction, the trees may be floated into their proper positions, lashed together, and the transoms spiked on; if the logs are nearly of the same size, the centre of gravity will be near the centre of the raft. Two additional transoms are spiked at equal distances from the centre of gravity of the raft, and at a distance apart equal to the width of the roadway or platform. The transoms should be about 8 inches wide by 6 inches thick, and should have a bearing on all the logs forming the raft. When a platform is to be constructed on the raft, intermediate transoms are laid, and at a distance apart depending on the strength of the planking. The size of the platform must be regulated by the buoyant power of the raft. A single course of logs will not have sufficient power to sustain troops enough to cover its whole surface. When the raft is to be used in a bridge the two intermediate transoms are separated by a distance a little less than the length of the chess, and placed at equal distances from a point somewhat astern of the centre of gravity of the raft, in order to correct the downward action of the cable on the bow. For use in a bridge, a raft should be able to sustain at least 15,000 pounds. The same expedients are employed for the anchorage of rafts as boats. Rafts are sometimes constructed for flying-bridges in the form of a lozenge, the acute angles being about 55°,—so that when two of the sides are parallel to the action of the current, the up-stream side, which in this form is the only one acted on by the current, is in the most favorable position. Raguled, or Ragguld. In heraldry, jagged or notched in an irregular manner. Raguled, Cross. One made of two trunks of trees without their branches, of which only the stumps appear. Raguly. In heraldry, a term applied to an ordinary whose bounding lines are furnished with serrated projections. Ragusa. A town of Austria, formerly the capital of an independent republic which now forms part of the kingdom of Dalmatia, on a peninsula on the east side of the Adriatic, and built in terraces on the side of Mount Sergio, the upper streets communicating with the lower by a flight of steps. It is strongly fortified with citadels, forts, and walls. It was taken by the Venetians in 1171, but became an independent republic, 1358; was taken by the French in 1806, and given up to Austria in 1814. Rahmanieh. A town of Lower Egypt, situated at the junction of the Nile with the canal of Alexandria, 25 miles southeast from Rosetta. The French, during their occupation of Egypt, made it a fortified station. It was taken from them by the British in 1801. Raid. A hostile or predatory incursion, especially an inroad or incursion of mounted men; a sudden and rapid invasion by a cavalry force. Raillon (Fr.). A quarrel; a short arrow. Rail-platform. See Platform. Rails. See Ordnance, Carriages for, Sea-coast Carriages. Rain, or Rhain. A town of Bavaria, 22 miles north from Augsburg, where the Austrian general Tilly received his mortal wound in 1632. Raise. Armies are raised in two ways: either by voluntary engagements, or by lot or conscription. The Greek and Roman levies were the result of a rigid system of conscription. The Visigoths practiced a general conscription; poverty, old age, and Raise a Blockade, To. To remove or break up a blockade, either by withdrawing the ships or forces employed in enforcing it, or by driving them away or dispersing them. Raise a Purchase, To. To dispose instruments or machines in such a manner as to exert any mechanical force required. Raise a Siege, To. To relinquish an attempt to take a place by besieging it, or to cause the attempt to be relinquished. Rajah, or Raja. A hereditary prince among the Hindus belonging to the warrior caste, or the Kshattriya. In later times it became a title given by the British government to Hindus of rank, and is now not uncommonly assumed by the zemindars, or land-holders; the title of Maharajah, or “great Rajah,” being in these days generally reserved to the more or less independent native princes. Rajpoots, or Rajputs. Is the name of various tribes in India which are of Aryan origin, and either descended from the old royal races of the Hindus, or from their Kshattriya, or warrior caste. They attained a high degree of power and renown just before the Mohammedan conquests in the 12th century. In 1193 and 1194 the Rajpoot chiefs sustained more than one defeat at the hands of the Mohammedans, and were deprived of all their possessions except the regions they now occupy. They came under the protection of the English, from about the beginning of this century, when the Rajpoots proved unable to defend their country against the Mahrattas. Rake. To enfilade; to fire in a direction with the length of; as, to rake the enemy’s ranks. Rally. To bring back to order troops that may have been dispersed, or have retreated in a panic. Rally. To come into orderly arrangement; to renew order, as troops scattered or put to flight; to assemble; to unite. Ram. To push home the charge of a gun; also, the corresponding word of command. Ram, Battering-. See Battering-ram. Ram Home, To. To drive home the ammunition in a gun. Ramillies. A village of Brabant, Belgium, 28 miles southeast of Brussels, is memorable as the place near which one of the most important battles of the War of the Spanish Succession was fought, May 23, 1706. In this conflict the French forces were under the command of Marshal de Villeroy and the elector of Bavaria, while the Duke of Marlborough led the troops of the allies. Villeroy, after a battle of three hours and a half, was defeated, with the loss of all his cannon, the whole of his baggage, and 13,000 men in killed and wounded. The great result of this victory was that the French were compelled to give up the whole of the Spanish Netherlands. About 4000 of the allies were slain in the engagement. Rammer. See Implements, and Inspection of Cannon. Rammer-head. See Implements, and Inspection of Cannon. Ramnuggur. A walled town of the Punjab, Ramp. An oblique or sloping interior road to mount the terre-plein of the rampart. Rampant (Fr., literally, “raging”). In heraldry, an epithet applied to a lion or other beast of prey when placed erect on the two hind-legs, with only one of the fore-legs elevated, the head being seen in profile. When the face is turned toward the spectator, the attitude is called rampant gardant, and when the head is turned backwards, rampant regardant. A lion counter-rampant is one rampant towards the sinister, instead of towards the dexter, the usual attitude. Two lions rampant contrariwise in saltire, are sometimes also said to be counter-rampant. Rampart. To fortify with ramparts. Rampart-grenades. Grenades used to defend a rampart. Shells of large size may be used, being rolled down the parapet. See Grenade. Rampart-gun. A large gun fitted for rampart use, and not used for field purposes. Ramparts. In fortification, are broad embankments or masses of earth which surround fortified places. A rampart forms the enceinte, or body of the place, and on its exterior edge the parapet is placed, while towards the place it is terminated by the interior slope of the rampart, on which ramps are made for the easy ascent of the troops and material. See Bulwark. Rampier. The same as rampart. Rampire. The same as rampart,—seldom used except in poetry. Ramps. Are inclined planes of earth serving as a means of communication between two levels. A ramp for a field-gun is 8 feet wide, and for short distances it has a slope of one-fourth to one-sixth. When the distance is long the slope is increased to as much as one-twelfth. Ramrod. The rod of iron formerly used in loading a piece to drive home a charge; but now used to clean the rifle. Ram’s Horns. In fortification, a kind of low works made in the ditch of a circular arc, which serves instead of tenailles. Rancheros (from the Spanish rancho, “comradeship”). Is the name given in Mexico to a mixed breed of Spanish and Indian blood, who inhabit the country, and may almost be said to live in the saddle from their youth; are splendid riders and hunters, and form the bravest part of the Mexican army,—its irregular cavalry. The importance of their services was seen in the wars between Mexico and the United States. The rancheros are lank in frame, with brown, weather-stained faces and muscular limbs, hardy, temperate, and always ready for the boldest enterprises. Rancon (Fr.). The name of an old weapon, consisting of a long stake with a sharp iron point at one end, and two blades or wings bent backwards, and extremely keen. Random. Distance to which a missile is thrown or projected; range; reach; as, the farthest random of a missile weapon. Random Shot. A shot not directed or aimed towards any particular object, or when the piece is elevated at an angle of 45° upon a level plane. Range. In artillery, is the horizontal distance from the muzzle of the piece to the first graze of the projectile. The extreme range is the distance from the muzzle to where the projectile finally rests. The range of a projectile may be extended without increasing the charge of powder, in the modes, viz.: 1st, by raising the piece to a higher level; 2d, by giving its axis greater elevation; 3d, by eccentric projectiles. Experiments have shown that if the centre of gravity be placed directly above the centre of figure, the range is greatly increased. The range increases with the angle of fire up to a certain limit, beyond which it diminishes. The greatest range in vacuo is at an angle of 45°. A mortar is usually fired at an angle of 45°, and the charge is varied according to the range required. Mortars are sometimes fired at an angle of 60°, when the battery is situated very near the object assailed, and it is desired that the shells may fall upon the magazines of the besieged. It is evident that the higher projectiles are thrown, the greater the velocity they acquire in falling; besides, they strike the object more directly and with increased violence. Stone-mortars were sometimes fired at an angle of 75°, that, in falling from a great height, the stone might have the maximum force of percussion. Grenades should be thrown from mortars at an angle of 33°; otherwise they will be buried in the earth, and their fragments will not be sufficiently destructive. For tables of ranges, see Roberts’s “Hand-book of Artillery.” Range, Point-blank. See Point-blank Range. Range-finder. An instrument for determining ranges. There are several different principles which may be used. The distance may be measured, 1st, by the visual angle subtended by objects of known height; 2d, by the velocity of sound; 3d, the instrument may furnish a base-line in itself and solve a triangle in which the base and two adjacent angles are given. The term is also applied to instruments used to solve a triangle, the base of which is obtained by outside means. Range-finders constructed on the visual angle principle have been known for many years. Boulanger’s instrument uses the 2d principle. It consists of a glass tube closed at both ends filled with a liquid in which a small umbrella-shaped piece of metal is submerged. The tube is held vertically in the hand, the metal slowly sinks to the bottom. When the flash of the enemy’s gun is seen, the tube is inverted and the metal moves towards the other end. When the sound is heard, the tube is brought to the horizontal. The distance through which the piece of To find the range, the instruments on their tripods are arranged at the end of the assumed base-line, which is perpendicular to the range; or the instruments may be attached to the right and left guns of a battery. The long telescopes are turned toward the object whose distance is to be found; the smaller ones upon each other, and the cross-threads of each made to cover the cross-lines on the leather disk through which each small telescope points. The coincidence obtained by directing the longer telescope on the object, the two angles at the base are determined; the base-line being measured, one side and two angles of the triangle are obtained. With this data recourse is then had to the reckoning cylinder. The arrow marked “band” is set on the figure that corresponds with the distance between the instruments or base-line,—say 34 yards; then set the arrow on the lower ring on the figure corresponding with the angle found through the instrument,—say 18°; then find the figure for the number of degrees of the other angle,—say 42° on the lower ring. Just above that is the figure 60 on the other division of the lower ring; coinciding with this on the lower edge of the upper ring is the distance, 1320 yards. The bases used are from 30 to 40 yards for a range of 2000 yards and over. Watkins’s range-finder and Gautier’s telemeter are instruments which require a measured base-line. See Telemeter. Ranger. One of a body of mounted troops, who were formerly armed with short muskets, and who ranged over the country around, and often fought on foot. Ranging. The disposal of troops in proper order for an engagement, manoeuvres, or march, etc. Rank. Range of subordination, degree of authority. The relative situations which officers hold with respect to each other, or to military things in general. Questions as to the positive or relative rank of officers may often be of the greatest importance at law, in consequence of the rule, that every person who justifies his own acts on the ground of obedience to superior authority must establish, by clear evidence, the sufficiency of the authority on which he so relies. There may also be many occasions on which the propriety of an officer’s assumption of command, or his exercise of particular functions, or his right to share with a particular class of officers in prize-money, bounties, grants, and other allowances, may depend on the correctness of the view taken by himself or others of his rights to a specific rank or command; and an error in this respect may expose him to personal loss and damage in suits before the civil tribunals. The regulation of military rank is vested absolutely in Congress, which confers or varies it at pleasure. The will of Congress in this respect is signified by the creation of different grades of rank; by making rules of appointment and promotion; by other rules of government and regulation; or is by fair deduction to be inferred from the nature of the functions assigned to each officer; for every man who is intrusted with an employment is presumed to be invested with all the powers necessary for the effective discharge of the duties annexed to his office. Rank and grade are synonymous, and in their military acceptation indicate rights, powers, and duties, determined by laws, creating the different degrees of rank, and specifying fixed forms for passing from grade to grade and when rank in one body shall give command in another body; and also when rank in the army at large shall not be exercised. Rank is a right of which an officer cannot be deprived, except through forms prescribed by law. When an officer is on duty, the rank itself indicates his relative position to other officers of the body in which it is created. It is not, however, a perpetual right to exercise command, because the President may, under the 62d article of war, at any time relieve an officer from duty; or an officer may be so relieved by arrest duly made according to law; or by inability to perform duty from sickness, or by being placed by competent authority on some other duty. But whenever an officer is on duty his rank indicates his command. Rank. A line of soldiers; a row of troops reckoned from side to side, or in breadth;—opposed to file. The ranks, the order of common soldiers; as, to reduce a non-commissioned Rank and File. The body of soldiers constituting the mass of the army, and including corporals and privates. In a more extended sense, it includes sergeants also, excepting the non-commissioned staff. Rank, Brevet. See Brevet. Rank, Double. A rank composed of front and rear files. Rank, Honorary. That which merely gives a title and precedence, without any command being attached to that rank. Rank, Insignia of. Are badges or distinguishing marks of office of honor. In the army of the United States the rank of officers is determined by the insignia on the epaulettes and shoulder-straps, and is as follows: “For the general commanding the army, two gold-embroidered stars of five rays, one on each side equidistant between the centre and the outer edge of the strap, and a gold-embroidered shield in the centre. For the lieutenant-general, three silver-embroidered stars of five rays, one star on the centre of the strap, and one on each side equidistant between the centre and outer edge of the strap; the centre star to be the largest. For the major-generals, two silver-embroidered stars, the centre of each star to be one inch from the outer edge of the gold embroidery on the outer ends of the straps, both stars of the same size. For a brigadier-general, the same as for a major-general, except that there will be but one star instead of two. For a colonel, the same as for a major-general, omitting the stars and introducing a silver-embroidered eagle; cloth of the strap as follows: for the general staff and staff corps—dark blue; artillery—scarlet; infantry—light or sky-blue; cavalry—yellow. For a lieutenant-colonel, the same as for a colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle, and introducing a silver-embroidered leaf at each end. For a major, the same as for a colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle, and introducing a gold-embroidered leaf at each end. For a captain, the same as for a colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle, and introducing at each end two gold-embroidered bars. For a first lieutenant, the same as for a colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle, and introducing at each end one gold-embroidered bar. For a second lieutenant, the same as for a colonel, according to corps, omitting the eagle. For a brevet second lieutenant, the same as for a second lieutenant.” Rank, Local. See Local Rank. Rank, Relative. See Relative Rank. Rank, Single. A rank of single files. Rank, Substantive. Is genuine rank, with all the command and authority, as well as precedence, attaching to the title. For instance, a regimental major possesses the substantive rank of major, while a captain and brevet major is only a substantive captain. It may be briefly described as being the reverse of brevet rank. Ranker. One who ranks, or disposes in ranks; and one who arranges. Ransack. To plunder; to pillage completely; to ravage; as, to ransack a city. Ransom of Prisoners. A prisoner of war, being a public enemy, is the prisoner of the government, and not of the captor. No ransom can be paid by a prisoner of war to his individual captor, or to any officer in command. The government alone releases captives, according to rules prescribed by itself. Rapier. Is said to have had distinct meanings at different times, and in ancient fencing to have been a long cutting broadsword; but for the last century, at least, the rapier has been a light, highly-tempered, edgeless, thrusting weapon, finely pointed and about 3 feet in length. At present, it is worn only on occasions of court ceremonial, and answers no other purpose than to incommode the wearer. In war a rapier could never have been of any service. Rapine. The act of plundering; the seizing and carrying away of things by force; spoliation; pillage; plunder. Violence; force; also, to plunder. Rappahannock. A river of Virginia, formed by the union of the North Fork and the Rapidan, 40 miles above Fredericksburg. On the Rappahannock and the Rapidan occurred some of the most sanguinary battles of the war of Secession, at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness. Rapparee. A wild Irish plunderer, so called from his being generally armed with a rapary, or half-pike. The term was in common use in the 17th century. Rappel. The beat of the drum to call soldiers to arms. Rarefaction. The extension of the parts of a gas, by which it is made to take up more room than it did before. Rasaldar. In the East Indies, the name applied to the commander of rasallah, which is 10,000 armed horsemen. Rasante. A French term, applied to a style of fortification in which the command of the works over each other, and over the country, is kept very low, in order that the shot may more effectually sweep or graze the ground before them. Ras-el-Kyma. A fortress in the Persian Gulf, and formerly the principal stronghold of the Joasmee pirates. This fortress was destroyed and the pirates thoroughly subdued by an English force under Sir W. Kier Grant in 1817. Rasgrad, or Hesarorad. A town of Turkey in Europe, in Bulgaria, and about 215 miles northwest from Constantinople. The Turks were defeated here by the Russians in 1810. Rassova. A fortified town of Turkey in Europe, on the right bank of the Danube, Rastadt, Radstadt, or Rastall. A fortified town of the grand duchy of Baden, on the Murg, not far from its confluence with the Rhine. The peace of 1714, which put an end to the War of the Spanish Succession, was signed in the palace by Prince EugÈne and Marshal Villars. A congress was held here in 1797-99, to negotiate a peace between France and the empire, after which the French ambassadors, Roberjot and Bonnier, were murdered on their return, only a short distance from the town. At Rastadt the insurrection in Baden in 1849 first broke out; and the insurgents, after a three weeks’ siege, were obliged to surrender at discretion to the Prussians. Ratchet-post. A cast-iron post at the head of large Rodman guns to serve as a fulcrum for the bar used in elevating the gun. See Fulcrum. Ratchet-wheel. A wheel with pointed and angular teeth, against which a ratchet abuts, used either for converting a reciprocating into a rotatory motion on the shaft to which it is fixed, or for admitting of its motion in one direction only. Rate of March. See Horses, Pack and Draught Horses, and Quick Time. Rathenow, or Rathenau. A town of Prussia, in the province of Brandenburg, 45 miles west of Berlin. A victory was gained here in 1675 by the troops of Brandenburg under the elector Frederick William, over the Swedes. Rathlin, Island of. An island off the north coast of Ireland, 3 miles northwest of Fairhead. It was the scene of more than one struggle in the Danish wars, and it afforded shelter, after his defeat in Scotland, to Robert Bruce. In 1558, the Scottish colony which then inhabited the island was attacked by the lord-deputy Sussex, and expelled from it with much slaughter. Rathmines. A suburb of Dublin, on its south side, 11/2 miles south of Dublin Castle. It is the site of a battle-field, where Col. Jones, governor of Dublin Castle, making a sally out, routed the Marquis of Ormond, killed 4000 men, and took 2517 prisoners, with their cannon, baggage, and ammunition, August 2, 1649. Ration. A portion or fixed allowance of provisions, drink, and forage, assigned to a soldier in the army, or a sailor in the navy, for his daily subsistence, and for the subsistence of horses, etc. The soldier’s ration in Europe is as follows: AUSTRIA. Peace Ration.
War Ration.
ENGLAND. In the home service the soldier receives from the government:
The soldier buys
In time of war the ration is varied according to location, climate, and kind of service. FRANCE. During peace the soldier buys from the government his ration, paying 43 out of the 48 centimes which he receives per day, except in Paris, where he pays 51 out of 58 centimes. Meat is furnished 35 per cent. below market rates.
War Ration.
PRUSSIA. About one-half the daily pay is retained by the government for the soldier’s food. Peace Ration.
War Ration.
RUSSIA.
Sepoy Ration.
Ratisbon, or Regensburg. A town of Bavaria, on the right bank of the Danube, 67 miles north-northeast of Munich. In 1524 the Roman Catholic powers of Germany assembled here, and formed a league against the Protestants; and near it, in 1809, Napoleon I. was wounded in a battle in which he forced the Austrians to retreat. Raucoux (Belgium). Here Marshal Saxe and the French army totally defeated the allies, October 11, 1746. Ravage. Desolation by violence; violent ruin or destruction; devastation; havoc; waste; ruin; as, the ravages of an army. Also, to lay waste by force; to desolate violently; to commit havoc or devastation upon; to plunder. Ravelin. In fortification, is the work constructed beyond the main ditch, opposite the curtain, composed of two faces, forming a salient angle, and two demi-gorges, formed by the counterscarp. It is separated from the covered way by a ditch which runs into the main ditch. See Demi-lune. Ravenna (anc. Ravenna). An important city of Central Italy, 43 miles east-southeast from Bologna, 41/2 miles from the Adriatic. Augustus made it a first-class seaport and naval station. It was taken by Odoacer, then by Theodoric, and by Totila; was subdued by the Lombards in 752, and their king, Astolphus, in 754, surrendered it to Pepin, king of France. In 1275, Guido da Polenta conquered it. Ravenna was afterwards taken by the Venetians, who kept it till 1509. Under the walls of Ravenna a battle was fought between the French under Gaston de Foix (duke of Nemours and nephew of Louis XII.) and the Spanish and Papal armies. The confederate army was cut to pieces. De Foix perished in the moment of his victory, and his death closed the good fortune of the French in Italy. Ravenna became a part of the kingdom of Italy in 1860. Ravine. In field fortification, a deep hollow, usually formed by a great flood, or long-continued running of water; frequently turned to advantage in the field. Raw. Unseasoned, unripe in skill, wanting knowledge in tactics. Raw Troops. Are inexperienced soldiers, or men who have been little accustomed to the use of arms. Razant. See Rasante. Razed. Works or fortifications are said to be razed when they are totally demolished. Razzia. A plundering and destructive incursion. Readiness. A state of alertness or preparation; thus, to hold a corps in readiness, is to have it prepared in consequence of some previous order to march at a moment’s notice. Reading. A town of England, in Berkshire, on the Kennet, 36 miles west by south from London. In 871 it was in possession of the Danes, who, after resisting an assault of the West Saxons, were in the following year obliged to evacuate it. In 1006 they again made their appearance, and burned the town. In the civil war of the 17th century Reading was at different times in the possession of both parties, and suffered much during the contest. Ready. In tactics, a word of command in firing, being a contraction of make ready. Reamer. See Ordnance, Construction of, Boring. Rear. In general acceptation, anything situated or placed behind another. Rear. The direction opposite the enemy. The opposite of front. Rear Assembling-bar. See Ordnance, Carriages for, The Caisson. Rear Foot-board. See Ordnance, Carriages for, The Caisson. Rear Open Order. An open order taken by moving the rear rank backwards. Rear-chest. See Ordnance, Carriages for, The Caisson. Rear-front. The rear rank of a body of troops when faced about and standing in that position. Rear-guard. A detachment of troops whose duty it is to protect the rear of an army. Rear-line. The line in the rear of an army. Rearward. The last troop; the rear-guard. Rebel. One who rebels; one who revolts from the government to which he owes allegiance, either by openly renouncing the authority of that government, or by taking arms and openly opposing it; one who defies and seeks to overthrow the authority to which he is rightfully subject; a revolter; an insurgent. Rebel. Acting in revolt; rebellious; as, rebel troops. Rebel. To revolt; to take up arms traitorously against the state or government; to renounce the authority of the laws and government to which one owes allegiance. Rebellion. The act of rebelling; open and avowed renunciation of the authority of the government to which one owes allegiance; the taking of arms traitorously to resist the authority of lawful government; revolt; insurrection. Rebellious. Engaged in or marked by rebellion; traitorously renouncing the authority and dominion of the government to which allegiance is due; violently resisting government or lawful authority; as, rebellious troops. Rebounding-lock. A gun-lock in which the hammer rebounds to half-cock after striking the cap; specially used in sporting arms. Rebuffo (Fr.). A bastard cannon, or three-fourth carthoum (or karthaune), a 36-pounder of 15 calibers long; according to Ufano a 45-pounder. Recall. A call on the trumpet, bugle, or drum, by which the soldiers are recalled from duty, labor, etc. Recaptor. One who retakes; one who takes a prize which had been previously taken. Recapture. The act of retaking; especially the retaking of a prize or goods from a captor. That which is captured back; a prize retaken. Recast. To mold anew; to cast anew; to throw into a new form or shape; to reconstruct; as, to recast cannon. Receipt. A voucher or acknowledgment, which should always be given when official papers are received. When flags of truce are the bearers of a parcel or a letter, the officer commanding an outpost should give a receipt for it, and require the party to depart forthwith. Receive. In a military sense, to await the approach of a friend or foe. To receive an enemy, is to make the best disposition possible of your troops, for the purpose of meeting the attack of an advancing enemy. Recharge. A renewal of the charge or attack. Rechaud (Fr.). A chafing-dish, or pan used for various purposes, particularly during a siege. Rechauds are filled with burning materials and hung in different parts of the walls, so as to throw light into the ditches, and to prevent surprises. Rechute (Fr.). Literally means a second fall; but in fortification it signifies a greater elevation of the rampart in those parts where it is likely to be commanded. Recoil. In gunnery, is the retrograde motion impressed upon cannon by the discharge. The gas produced by the ignition of the charge in the bore, expanding with equal force in every direction, finds only two ways of escape (the muzzle and the vent); the pressure upon these points will therefore cease while it will be proportionally increased upon the parts directly opposite, that is, the bottom of the bore and that portion directly opposite the vent, producing in the first case the recoil, and in the other, indirectly, the dipping of the muzzle. The distance of the recoil depends entirely upon the nature and inclination of the ground upon which the carriage stands, the situation of the trunnions, angle of elevation, comparative weight of the gun and carriage, and upon the strength of the charge. The recoil has no appreciable effect upon the flight of a projectile, the latter being expelled from the gun before it has recoiled a fraction of an inch. The recoil of heavy guns fired with large charges is a serious consideration in gunnery. The recoil must be checked in a comparatively short space, and yet checked too suddenly the shock destroys the carriage as well as platform. Various methods have been tried. The truck-wheels upon which the top carriage runs in and out of battery are provided with eccentrics, which are thrown out of gear to produce sliding friction,—but this alone is not sufficient in most cases. Counter-mortars are sometimes clamped on the chassis-rail against the carriage, but this is objectionable, as it tends to destroy the chassis. Friction-plates, with clamping attachments to the carriage between them, and extending full length of the chassis, have also been tried, but the buckling of the plates soon ruined them. This plan has been recently revived, and the buckling prevented by interposing india-rubber between the rear ends of the plates and the transom of the chassis. For the most approved methods, see Air-cylinders and Hydraulic Loading Apparatus. Recommend. To commend to the favorable notice of another. Non-commissioned officers of companies are appointed by the colonel upon the recommendation of company commanders. Recommendation of members of a court-martial in favor of the person being tried, is introduced after the finding and sentence are closed and authenticated. The recommendation should distinctly set forth the reasons which prompt it.—Hough. Reconnoissance. The reconnoitring or examination of any tract of country preparatory to the march of an army, in order either to take up quarters for the season, or commence operations against an opposing enemy. The military reconnoissance of a country Reconnoitre. To make oneself acquainted by personal inspection, as far as may be practicable, with the enemy’s position and movements; also, to survey, and draw in a rapid manner, ground of importance to operations of war, not represented in existing maps, with sufficient accuracy or minuteness; and likewise to particularize the banks of rivers, canals, streams, mountains, passes, positions, villages, forts, and redoubts. Record. To preserve by committing to writing; to make official note of; as, to record the proceedings of a court. Record. An authentic copy; a statement of the proceedings of a court or board; a written history; an official account or register. Recorder. One who keeps a record; specifically, the officer who registers the proceedings of a board or minor court. Recover. In tactics, a word of command in firing whereby the piece is brought from the position of aim to that of ready. Recreant. Crying for mercy, as a combatant in the trial of battle; yielding; cowardly. Also, one who yields in combat, and cries craven; one who begs for mercy; a mean-spirited, cowardly wretch. Recruit. To supply with new men, as an army; to fill up or make up by enlistment. Also, a person enlisted to make up deficiency in an army; a newly-enlisted soldier. Recruiting. The act of obtaining men for service. The people of the United States and Great Britain resemble each other in their jealousy of large standing armies and their abhorrence of a system of universal service, as well as in their warlike spirit and self-sacrificing patriotism. The organization of the English army, based upon voluntary enlistment, has been pronounced by foreign officers of thorough education and acute observation as unworthy of scientific study,—that is, for home application, although the United States have borrowed a great deal from it,—in the writer’s opinion, to their detriment. In Great Britain the whole recruiting has been placed under the immediate direction of the adjutant-general since 1802. For this purpose, the country has been divided into recruiting districts, at the head of which is placed an inspecting field-officer with the duty of superintending all recruiting parties in his district, and of approving the recruits brought. Staff-officers and sergeants of the Pensioner Force are also occasionally intrusted with the obtaining of recruits. The United States recruiting service is conducted by the adjutant-general, under the direction of the Secretary of War. Recruiting officers consist generally of captains and lieutenants of the line, who must not permit any man to be deceived or inveigled into the service by false representations. If the recruit is a minor, his parents or guardians must, if possible, be informed of the minor’s wish to enlist, and their written consent obtained therefor. Any male person above the age of eighteen, and under thirty-five years, being effective, able-bodied, sober, free from disease, of good character and habits, with a competent knowledge of the English language, may be enlisted. No man having a wife or child can be enlisted in time of peace without special authority from the adjutant-general’s office. The Prussian system is based upon the theory that military service is not a trade or craft, to be followed by a portion of the population, but a duty owed by every male citizen to his country. For further particulars of this system, see Landwehr. The Prussian system has been adopted by all other states of the German empire, and also by most of the other European nations. Recruiting Flag. See Flag, Storm. Recruitment. The act or business of recruiting or raising new supplies of men for an army. Recursant. In heraldry, moving or coursing backward;—said of an eagle displayed with the back towards the spectator’s face. Red Hand. In heraldry, a sinister hand erect, open, and couped, or the wrist gules, being the arms of the province of Ulster, was granted to the baronets of England and of Ireland as their distinguishing badge, on the institution of that order in 1611, and is borne by the baronets of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom. It is assumed into the armorial coat, and may be borne upon a canton, or on an escutcheon, which may be placed either in the middle chief or in the Red River Settlement. Is in British North America, between Lakes Superior and Winnepeg. While the proposed transfer to the crown (1869-70) of the rights of the Hudson’s Bay Company was pending, it was the scene of much contention and violence. The hasty action of the Canadian authorities incensed the French-speaking population, who, led by Louis Riel, organized a force, imprisoned their opponents (English and Scotch), seized on Fort Garry, established a provisional government, robbed the strong-box, and dictated terms to the governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, who was obliged to submit to them. In July, 1870, a military force suddenly appeared in the province, and Riel fearing capture, escaped, and thus closed the insurrection. Red Tape. The tape used in public offices for tying up documents, etc.; hence, official formality. Redan. Is the simplest work in field fortification. It consists of two parapets whose faces join in forming a salient angle toward the enemy, like a letter V, in which the apex is to the front. Regarded by itself, the redan is a work of very little strength, since there is no flanking fire to protect its faces, and nothing to prevent an enemy from forcing an entrance at the gorge; but redans are useful in many positions, and the rapidity with which they may be constructed renders them favorites with engineers and generals. A row of redans along an exposed front of an army adds much to its strength, the troops behind protecting the gorge, and the redans flanking each other. It forms an excellent defense for a bridgehead, the gorge being covered by the river. Redans figured largely in Wellington’s works for defending Lisbon in 1810. The redan of Sebastopol in 1855 was the principal point of the English attack, and the scene of two bloody repulses by the Russians in June and September. Redcoat. A soldier who wears a red coat; an English soldier. Red-hot Shot. Are cannon-balls heated to redness, and fired from cannon at shipping, magazines, wooden buildings, etc., to combine destruction by fire with battering by concussion. In modern warfare, shells containing molten iron are intended to be used in lieu of red-hot shot; but they have not yet been tested in actual practice, although a similar device was attempted unsuccessfully in 1863 by the U.S. forces when besieging Charleston. Redinha. A village of Portugal, province of Estremadura, the scene of an affair between the British under Lord Wellington, and the French retreating army under Marshal MassÉna, in 1811. Redoubt. Is a small fort of varying shape, constructed for a temporary purpose, and usually without flanking defenses. The term is vague in its acceptation, being applied equally to detached posts and to a strong position within another fortress. Redoubts are made square, pentagonal, and even circular. Each redoubt has parapet, ditch, scarps, banquette, etc., as in regular fortification; but it is commonly rather roughly constructed, haste and unprofessional labor precluding mathematical accuracy. The entrance may be by a cutting through the parapet, the cutting being covered within by a traverse, or, preferably, by an excavated gallery leading into the ditch, and thence by a ramp through the counterscarp. For the sake of flanking the ditch, and preventing an assaulting party from forming in it, caponniÈres of timber, loop-holed, are sometimes formed; or, if the soil be stiff or chalky, a gallery may be cut behind the counterscarp, and loop-holed towards the ditch. In some modern redoubts, the line of each side is broken to afford flanking defense. Redoubts have the weak feature of not defending their own ditches, and of being approached at their salient angles with comparative impunity. They are therefore not adapted to a protracted defense, but as temporary field-works, or in war of posts, they are often of incalculable importance. Troops whose stability in open field is doubtful are especially strengthened by redoubts in their line. Redoubts are particularly useful in fortifying the tops of hills, or commanding passes, or where the object is to occupy a hostile territory, or to feel the way gradually through a wooded country. Redoubtable. Formidable; to be dreaded; terrible to foes; as, a redoubtable hero; hence, valiant; often in contempt or burlesque. Redout KalÉ, or Redoot KalÉ. A flourishing, fortified seaport of Russia, in Trans-Caucasia, stands on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, about 15 miles north of Poti. During the Crimean war, the Russian garrison at Redout KalÉ, finding the fort invested by Sir Edmund Lyons, with several men-of-war, set fire to the town, May 19, 1854. Redressing Wrongs. See Appendix, Articles of War, 29, 30. Reduce a Place. Is to oblige the commander to surrender it to the besiegers, by capitulation. To reduce the square, is to restore or bring back a battalion or battalions, which have been formed in a hollow or oblong square, to their natural situation in line or column. To reduce to the ranks, is to degrade, as to reduce a non-commissioned officer, for misconduct, to the station of a private soldier. Reduce, To. To degrade to a lower rank. Reduced. In a military sense, is to be taken off the establishment, and to cease to receive pay as soldiers. When a regiment is reduced, the officers are generally put upon half-pay. Sometimes the corps are reduced, and the officers remain upon full pay. This happens at the close of a war, when the standing army of the country is confined Reduit. In fortification, is a central or retired work within any other work, intended to afford the garrison a last retreat, whence they may capitulate. It is commonly of masonry, loop-holed, and often circular. Many engineers doubt the use of reduits altogether, as blocking up the working space, being themselves inconvenient for the men, and incapable of protracted defense, while they frequently mask the fire of other works more to the rear. Re-embark. To embark or go aboard of a ship again. Re-embattle. To array again for battle; to arrange again in the order of battle. Re-engage. To engage again; to enlist a second time. Re-enlist. To enlist again. In the U.S. army any non-commissioned officer, musician, or private soldier, who re-enlists within one month after the date of discharge from first enlistment, receives $2 per month in addition to the monthly pay he was receiving prior to discharge; and also $1 per month additional after each subsequent re-enlistment so long as he shall remain continuously in the army. Re-enlistment. A renewed enlistment. Re-entering Angle. See Angle. Re-entering Place of Arms. In fortification, is an enlargement of the covered way of the fortress, between a bastion and a ravelin; its rear coinciding with the counterscarp of the ditch, and its front consisting usually of two faces of the glacis, which are disposed at angles of about 100° with the glacis before the neighboring bastion and ravelin. It serves as a place for assembling troops previously to making sorties; and the fire from its faces serves to defend the approaches to the salient parts in front of the collateral works. Rees. A town of Rhenish Prussia, 12 miles southeast from Cleves. This town was taken by the Dutch in 1614, and by the French in 1678. Reflection, Angle of. Whether the instance be a ray of light or a cannon-ball, the angle of reflection will always be found equal to the angle of incidence. Re-form, To. In a military sense is, after some manoeuvre or evolution, to bring a line to its natural order by aligning it on some given point. Also, to restore order among broken troops. Reformado. An officer was formerly so called, who for some disgrace was deprived of his command, but retained his rank, and perhaps his pay. Reformed Officer. In the British army, one whose troop or company being broken up, is continued on full or half-pay. He preserves the right of seniority, and continues in the way of preferment by brevet. Re-fortification. A fortifying anew, or a second time. Re-fortify. To fortify anew. Refusal to Receive Prisoners. See Appendix, Articles of War, 67. Refuse, To. In a military sense, is to refuse a wing, to throw it back, or to keep it out of that regular alignment which is formed when troops are upon the point of engaging an enemy. To refuse any part of the line in battle, as the centre or a wing, to keep that part retired, while the remainder is advanced to fight. Regardant. A term used in heraldry, with reference to an animal whose head is turned backwards. See Passant and Rampant. Regensburg. See Ratisbon. Reggio (anc. Rhegium, which see). A city in Southern Italy which was taken by Garibaldi, August, 1860. Regillus Lacus. A lake in Latium, memorable for the victory gained on its banks by the Romans over the Latins, 498 B.C. Regiment. In all modern armies, is a colonel’s command, and the largest permanent association of soldiers. Regiments may be combined into brigades, brigades into divisions, and divisions into corps and armies; but these combinations are but temporary, while in the regiment the same officers serve continually, and in command of the same body of men. The strength of a regiment may vary greatly even in the same army, as each may comprise any number of battalions. French and Austrian regiments have ordinarily four to six battalions. Among British infantry the smallest regiments are those numbered from the 26th upwards (except the 60th), which, unless serving in India, have 1000 men each, composing one battalion. Regiments in India have 1200 to a battalion. The largest regiment is the Royal Artillery, comprising 34,713 officers and men. The strength of a regiment, however, is changed from time to time; usually by the addition or withdrawal of private soldiers. In the U.S. service the strength of cavalry regiments is about 1200 men each, artillery about 600, and infantry about 500 each. The regimental system could only exist where standing armies were maintained. Accordingly the Macedonian syntagmata and the Roman cohorts were evidently regiments in a strict sense. During the Middle Ages, feudal organization precluded the system, and its first appearance was in France. Francis I. formed legions of 6000 men each, which were divided into independent companies, the latter being, in fact, battalions, and each legion a regiment. The word regiment began to be applied to bodies of British troops in Elizabeth’s reign; regiments are spoken of at the time of the Armada, 1588, and as composing the force in Ireland, 1598. From that time forward the army and militia of Britain have been organized in regiments. Regimental. Anything belonging to a regiment. Regimental Colors. See Colors. Regimental Court-martial. Is a legal tribunal convened for the punishment of offenders in the army. It is composed of three members and a judge-advocate. See Court-martial, Judge-Advocate, and Trial. Regimental Courts-martial. See Court-martial. Regimental Inspection. See Inspection. Regimental Necessaries. See Necessaries. Regimental Orders. See Orders, Regimental. Regimental Schools. In Great Britain, are educational establishments maintained by the state in every regiment, for the instruction of soldiers and soldiers’ children. There is a schoolmaster for the soldiers and elder boys, and a trained schoolmistress—usually the schoolmaster’s wife—to teach the girls and infants of both sexes. Attendance at the schools is compulsory for the soldiers and optional for the children. Religious instruction takes place on Monday mornings, when children can be kept from school if their parents object to the instruction imparted. The girls’ school comprises an “industrial” section for needle-work, etc. In France, Écoles primaires or regimentaires, “primary or regimental schools,” were founded in 1818, in which the soldiers were taught writing, reading, and arithmetic. In Prussia, there are established garrison schools (Garnisons Schulen) for the instruction of soldiers’ children; and battalion schools (Bataillons Schulen), in which non-commissioned officers and privates are instructed in writing, reading, orthography, and arithmetic; also in making out reports and other official papers. Regimentals. The uniform worn by the troops of a regiment. Register. A list or roll; as, the army register; which is a list of the officers, with rank and date of commission, etc. Regulars. Are those troops whose conditions of enrollment are not limited to time or place, in contradistinction to militia or volunteer corps; troops permanently in service. Regulation Sword. A sword of the kind or quality prescribed by the official regulations. Also regulation cap, uniform, etc. Regulations. Under the Constitution of the United States, rules for the government and regulation of the army must be made by Congress. Regulation implies regularity; it signifies fixed forms; a certain order; method; precise determination of functions, rights, and duties. (See Military Regulations.) A “regulation” of an executive department is a rule by the head of such department for its action, under a statute conferring such power, and has the force of law; a mere order of the President, or of the Secretary of the department, is not a regulation. The power of the Executive to establish rules and regulations for the government of the army is undoubted. The power to establish implies necessarily the power to modify or repeal, or to create anew. The Secretary of War is the regular constitutional organ of the President for the administration of the military establishment of the nation; and rules and orders publicly promulgated through him must be received as the act of the Executive, and as such be binding upon all within the sphere of his legal and constitutional authority. Such regulations cannot be questioned or defied, because they may be thought unwise or mistaken. But as it sometimes occurs that rights of rank, command, and pay, concerning which Congress has legislated, are subjects of dispute, and variable expositions of laws regulating those essentials of good government have been by different Executives, with an increasing tendency to invalidate rank created by Congress; there should be a law passed by Congress to enable cases to be brought before the Federal civil courts, in order that the true exposition of military statutes and authorities in dispute may be determined. With such a remedy, laws, however defective they may be, would at least be known, and rights, powers, and duties, established by law would be well determined. Regulators. The popular name of a party in North Carolina, which arose in 1768, and had for its object the forcible redress of public grievances. Reigate. A town of England, in the county of Surrey. Its castle was destroyed in 1648. Its church contains the tomb of Lord Howard, who commanded the English fleet against the Armada. Reign of Terror. A term applied to a period of anarchy, bloodshed, and confiscation, in the history of the French revolution, during which the country was under the sway of the actual terror inspired by the ferocious measures of its governors, who had established it avowedly as the principle of their authority. It commenced after the fall of the Girondists, May 31, 1793, and extended to the overthrow of Robespierre and his accomplices, July 27, 1794. Thousands of persons were put to death during this short time. Reims. See Rheims. Rein. A crack or vein in a musket-barrel. Reinforce. In gunnery, is the thickest part of the body of the gun, in front of the base-ring or base-line; if there be more than one reinforce, that which is next the base-ring or base-line is called the first reinforce; the other the second reinforce. See Ordnance, Construction of, Molding. Reinforce. To strengthen with new force, assistance, or support; especially, to strengthen, as an army or a fort, with additional troops, or a navy with additional ships. Reinforce Band. Is at the junction of the first and second reinforces. Reinforcement. The act of reinforcing. That which reinforces; additional force; especially additional troops or force to augment the strength of an army, or ships to strengthen a navy. Reitres (Fr.). A body of armed horsemen, who came out of Germany and entered the French service during the reign of Henry III. They were incorporated with the carabineers. Rejoin. To join again; to return; as, the officer rejoined his regiment. Rejoinder. In military law, the defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s replication. The weight of authority is against permitting a rejoinder on the part of the prisoner, unless evidence has been adduced in the reply of the prosecutor. But such evidence should not be permitted in reply, and there should be no rejoinder.—Hough’s “Military Law Authorities.” Relais (Fr.). A term used in fortification to signify a space, containing some feet in breadth, which is between the foot of the rampart and the scarp of the fosse. It serves as a convenient receptacle for the earth that occasionally crumbles off. Relative Rank. Signifies the comparative rank, as regards precedence, etc. The following is the relative rank of officers in the army and navy of the United States:
The officers of the marine corps are of rank corresponding to that of those of the same titles in the army. Release of Prisoners. See Appendix, Articles of War, 69. Relief. A fresh detachment of troops, ordered to replace those already upon duty. Also, the body of men proceeding to take the places of, or relieve, the existing sentinels. Guards are usually divided into three reliefs. See Guard, Running. Relief. In fortification, is the height to which works are raised above the bottom of the ditch. If the works are high and commanding, they are said to have a bold relief; but if the reverse, they are said to have a low relief. The relief should provide the requisite elevations for the musketry and artillery, to insure a good defense. Relieve, To. Is to take a man or a body of men off any kind of duty; as, to relieve a sentinel; to relieve the guard, etc.; also to succor, to deliver; as, to relieve a besieged town. Reliever. An iron ring fixed to a handle, by means of a socket, so as to be at right angles to it. It serves to disengage the searcher of a gun, when one of its points is retained in a hole, and cannot be extracted otherwise. Relieving the Enemy. See Appendix, Articles of War, 45. Reload. To load anew, as a gun, etc. Reloading Implements. Are implements used in reloading cartridge-shells,—to perform the various operations of measuring the powder, setting home the bullet or charge, removing exploded primer, recapping, etc. Remaining Velocity. In gunnery, is the velocity of the projectile at any point of the flight. Remand. To send back; as when a soldier who has been discharged from prison or the guard-house, for the purpose of being examined or tried, is sent back to await the final decision of his case. Remarks. Army returns, regimental returns, guard reports, etc., have a column allotted for observations relative to extraordinary occurrences, and these are headed “remarks.” The word is also applied with reference to a reviewing officer’s observations on the verdict of a court-martial. Remblai. Is the quantity of earth in the mass of rampart, parapet, and banquette. Remedy. The rules and articles for the government of the army are defective in not providing sufficient remedies for wrongs. The army of the United States is governed by law. The law should therefore provide a sufficient remedy for cases in which the rights of officers are wrested from them by illegal regulations, purporting to interpret the true meaning of acts of Congress. In cases arising in the land and naval forces of the United States, where the true construction of any act of Congress is in dispute, legislation is wanted to enable an officer who thinks himself wronged by an illegal executive decision, to bring the matter before the Federal civil courts to determine the true exposition of the statute or authority in dispute. Remi, or Rhemi. One of the most powerful people in Gallia Belgica. They formed an alliance with CÆsar when the rest of the BelgÆ made war against him, 57 B.C. Remington Rifle. See Small-arms. Remit. To lessen; as, to remit a part of a soldier’s sentence. Remonstrate. To make a representation of a case or cases wherein one or more may consider themselves to be aggrieved. Military men may remonstrate through their superior officers; but where the duty of the service is concerned, that duty must be first performed with cheerfulness and fidelity. Remount. A supply of good and serviceable horses for the cavalry. To remount the cavalry, is to furnish them with horses in the room of those which have been either killed, disabled, or cast. Renchen. A town of Baden, on the Rench, 8 miles northeast from Offenburg. The French defeated the Austrians here in 1796, and entered Suabia. Rendezvous. A place appointed for a meeting; especially, the appointed place for troops, or for the ships of a fleet, to assemble; sometimes a place for enlistment. Also, to assemble or meet at a particular place, as troops, ships, etc. Rendsburg. A fortified town of Holstein, on an island in the Eyder, at the commencement of the Kiel Canal. It was taken by the Imperialists in 1627; by the Swedes in 1643; and by the Prussians and confederate troops in 1848. It was reoccupied by the Danes in 1852, and taken by the Prussians after a serious conflict, July 21, 1864. Renegade. One who deserts from a military or naval post; a deserter. Rennes (anc. Condate). A town of France, capital of the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, 60 miles north of Nantes. After the fall of the Roman empire it fell into the hands of the Franks. In 1357, Rennes was unsuccessfully besieged by the Duke of Lancaster; and at the time of the revolution was the scene of some conflicts, being always firmly attached to the popular cause. Reorganize. To organize anew; to reduce again to an organized condition; to cause to assume wonted or regular functions; as, to reorganize an army. Repair of Arms. The keeping in constant good order the different fire-arms belonging to a troop or company, such as rifles, etc. In the British army, a half-yearly allowance is made to captains of troops and companies for this purpose. In the U.S. service the cost of repairs of damage done to arms, equipments, etc., through negligence of an officer or soldier, is deducted from the pay of said officer or soldier. Repeater. A fire-arm that may be discharged many times in quick succession; especially, a form of fire-arm so constructed that the charges are successively introduced, by an action of the lock, from a chamber containing them, into the breech, and fired or are discharged from a revolving chamber at the breech. See Revolver and Magazine Gun. Repel. To drive back; to force to return; to check the advance of; to repulse; as, to repel an enemy or an assailant. Reply. It is the duty of a court to prevent new matter from being introduced into the prosecution or defense, but a prisoner may urge in his defense mitigating circumstances, or examine witnesses as to character or services, and produce testimonials of such facts, without its being considered new matter. If any point of law be raised, or any matter requiring explanation, the judge-advocate may explain. No other reply to be admitted.—Hough. Report. Sound; loud noise, as that made by the discharge of a rifle or a cannon. Report. A specific statement of any particular occurrences. Officers making written reports are required to sign them, specifying the regiment to which they belong, and their rank. Reporting Prisoners. See Appendix, Articles of War, 68. Repose, In (Fr. en repos). This term, which is manifestly taken from the French, applies to troops that are allowed to be stationary for any given period during an active campaign, either through sickness or from some other cause. Thus, the 5th regiment being in repose, the 24th was ordered to the front. Repository. A place, or repertory, in which anything is preserved. Thus, the British repository at Woolwich contains models of every sort of warlike stores, weapons, and fortifications; whether invented by officers of the army or civilians, as well of other nations as of Britain, receipts being given to preserve the title to the inventor. Repress. To press back or down effectually; to crush down or out; to quell; to subdue; as, to repress rebellion. Reprimand. A reproof for some error or misconduct. A reprimand is sometimes publicly conveyed to officers, either in orders or at the head of a regiment, by direction of the President or a general officer in command. Non-commissioned officers and privates are sometimes reprimanded. See Appendix, Articles of War, 52. Reprisal. Is the retaking, from an enemy, goods which he has seized, or the capture from him of other goods, as an equivalent for the damage he has wrought. Reproachful or Provoking Speeches. See Appendix, Articles of War, 25. Repulse. To repel; to beat or drive back. The condition of being repelled or driven back. Also, the act of repelling or driving back. Requisitions. Are forms prescribed for the demand of certain allowances, as forage, rations, etc. It also signifies the act of exacting either men or things for the public service. Requisitions are, however, an uncertain and unequal means of supply and only enable an army to live from hand to mouth, and although practicable in offensive wars, are only justifiable in rapid movements, where time does not admit the employment of more certain means of supply. The system is less odious than pillage. Bonaparte skillfully adopted another method, in harmony with the spirit of wars of invasion, and also more reliable as a means of support. He substituted himself in place of the supreme authorities of the invaded country, and exacted pecuniary contributions, paying, or promising to pay, for all provisions and other supplies needed for his army. This system was well executed by Marshal Suchet in Spain, and a similar system was also matured and published in orders by Gen. Scott while in Mexico. A treaty of peace, however, soon after was made, which put an end to military operations, and the system was Rereward. The part of an army that marches in the rear, as the guard; the rear-guard. Resaca de la Palma. A ravine which crosses the Matamoras road about 3 miles north of that place; the position taken by the Mexican general Arista to resist the further advance of Gen. Taylor’s army. Although the latter was outnumbered three to one, the Mexicans were routed after a short conflict (May 9, 1846) and driven across the Rio Grande. Rescue. The retaking by a party captured of a prize made by the enemy. Reservation, Military. Land set aside from the public domain by the President of the United States for military purposes. Reserve. In army affairs, is a body of troops held somewhere in the rear, generally out of fire, and kept fresh, in order that they may interfere with decisive force at any point where yielding troops require support, or an advantage gained needs powerful following up. The reserve of ammunition is a magazine of warlike stores, situated between an army and its base of operations, sufficiently retired from the front to be safe from sudden raids of the enemy, and at the same time advanced enough to allow of the supply actually in the field being speedily replenished. Reserve, Army. In Great Britain, is divided into first and second class reserves. The first class consists of men who are serving or have served in the regular army, and whose past service has not exceeded their first term of enlistment. These men are liable to be called out for training for a period not longer than twelve days in a year, and to be permanently embodied for general service in case of imminent national danger or great emergency. The second class consists of out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital, and persons enrolled in the force under the provisions of the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Victoria. The members of this force may be called out for training as if they were in the first class, but can only be permanently embodied in case of national danger or great emergency, for service in the United Kingdom. For army reserve in Prussia, see Landwehr. Reserve Equipage. See Pontons, Bridge Equipage. Ressaldar. In the East Indies, is a native officer in a native cavalry regiment. He commands the right troop of a squadron, and on parade leads the squadron. Ressaldar Major. In the East Indies, is the native commandant of a native cavalry regiment. Rest. In tactics, a word of command whereby the men are brought to a position of rest; as, parade rest, in place rest. Rest on Arms. A word of command which is used at military funerals. Retained Pay. In the U.S. army, is pay that is retained from the soldier until the expiration of his term of service. Retainers. See Appendix, Articles of War, 63. Retaliation. This should never be resorted to as a measure of mere revenge, but only as a means of protective retribution, and, moreover, cautiously and unavoidably; that is to say, retaliation is only to be resorted to after careful inquiry into the real occurrence and the character of the misdeeds that may demand retribution. Retiarius. A kind of gladiator who fought in the amphitheatre during the time of the Romans. He was dressed in a short coat, having a fuscina, or trident, in his left hand, and a net, from which he derived his name, in his right. With this he endeavored to entangle his adversary, that he might then with his trident easily dispatch him. On his head he wore only a hat tied under his chin with a broad ribbon. Retinue. Applied strictly to the admiral’s suite or followers, though it means an accompanying train in general; whether military, naval, or civil. Retirade. In fortification, a retrenchment, which is generally made with two faces, forming a re-entrant angle, and is thrown up in the body of a work, for the purpose of receiving troops, who may dispute the ground inch by inch. Retire. Signifies to fall back a short distance. Also, a bugle-sound intimating to skirmishers that they are to fall back. This bugle-sound in the U.S. service is termed “to the rear.” Retired Flank. In fortification, a flank having an arc of a circle with its convexity turned toward the place. Retired Full Pay. See Full Pay, Retired. Retired List. Is a list of officers retired from the army or navy. In every service, to maintain a reasonably low age among the persons actively employed, it is essential that some scale should be fixed for retirement of old and worn-out officers. In the British army, medical officers are allowed to retire after twenty-five years full-pay service; other officers after thirty years on full pay, or twenty-five years on half-pay. In the navy, officers are placed on the retired list at sixty years of age, with the rank they then hold. In most cases, in both services, the retiring officer is allowed a step of honorary rank; but this higher rank carries neither present nor prospective advantage. Officers of the U.S. army may be retired on their own application after thirty years’ service. If an officer has been borne on the army register for forty-five years, or if he has attained the age of sixty-two years, he may be Retreat. The retrograde movement of any army or body of men who retire from the enemy. It signifies a more prolonged and systematic movement to the rear than retire. Full retreat is when an army retires with all expedition before a conquering enemy. The retreat is also a beat of the infantry drums, or sounding of the bugles or trumpets, which takes place every day at sunset, and at which troops fall in and the roll is called; the details for duty the following day, and orders, are published. To retreat is to make a retrograde movement. An army or body of men are said to retreat when they turn their backs upon the enemy, or are retiring from the ground they occupied; hence, every march in withdrawing from an enemy is called a retreat. Retreat of the Ten Thousand Greeks. The 10,000 Greeks who had joined the army of the Younger Cyrus in his revolt against his brother, Artaxerxes Mnemon, were victors, but Cyrus was defeated and slain at Cunaxa, 401 B.C. Artaxerxes having enticed the Greek leaders into his power and killed them, Xenophon was called to the command of his countrymen. Under continual alarms from sudden attacks, he led them across rapid rivers, through vast deserts, over the tops of mountains, till he reached the sea. The Greeks returned home after a march of 1155 parasangs, or leagues (3465 miles), which was performed in 215 days, after an absence of fifteen months. Retrench. To furnish with a retrenchment; as, to retrench bastions. Retrenchment. In fortification, is a defensive work, comprising at least ditch and parapet, within some other work of a fortress, and intended as a place of retreat for the defenders, whence they may prolong the defense, or capitulate after the faces of the work itself have fallen into the enemy’s hands. The retrenchment bears a considerable resemblance to the reduit, except that it is almost always of earth. Retrenchments are made in ravelins, and the re-entering place d’armes at the time of constructing the works. A retrenchment is thrown across the gorge of a redan or bastion, or from shoulder to shoulder, when it is apprehended that the salient angle will fall into the possession of the besiegers; these retrenchments are usually made when wanted. Such a retrenchment across the interior of the Redan at Sebastopol caused the sanguinary repulse of the British on September 8, 1855. Return. An official account, report, or statement, rendered to the commander or other superior; as, the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of the sick; the return of provisions, etc. For punishment of officers making false returns, see Appendix, Articles of War, 8. Returns of a Mine. Are the turnings and windings of the gallery leading to the mine. Returns of a Trench. Are the various turnings and windings which form the lines of the trench, and are, as near as they can be, made parallel to the place attacked, to avoid being enfiladed. Reveille. The beat of the drum about break of day, to give notice that it is time for the soldiers to rise, and for the sentinels to forbear challenging. Reveil-matin (Fr.). A double cannon; an ancient 96-pounder. Revel, or Reval. A strongly fortified seaport town of Russia, government of Esthonia, on a small bay on the south side of the Gulf of Finland, 200 miles west-southwest from St. Petersburg. It was long held by the Teutonic Knights; was made over to Sweden in 1562; bombarded by the Danish and LÜbeck fleets in 1569; besieged by Peter the Great, and annexed to the Russian empire in 1710. In 1713 a naval harbor, in addition to the commercial harbor, was founded. Reverse. A change for the worse, or partial defeat. Reverse Fire. See Fire, Reverse. Reverse Flank. See Flank, Outward. Reversed. Upside down; as, arms reversed. Arms are said to be reversed when the butts of the pieces are slung, or held upwards. Reversed. In heraldry, a term applied to a charge turned upside down. Revet. In fortification, to face with masonry, wood, or material, as an embankment. Revetment. In permanent fortification, is a retaining wall of masonry built for the purpose of holding back the earth of which works are composed. The most ordinary position of revetments is for the escarp and counterscarp of the ditch. The most important of these two is the escarp, which has to hold back the great mass of earth represented by the rampart, parapet, banquette, etc. It is usually of solid brick-work or stone, 5 feet thick at the top, and sloping outwards as it descends (on the ditch side only) to the extent of 1 in 6. Prior to Vauban’s time, the escarp revetment was commonly Review. An examination or inspection of troops under arms, by a general or commander, for the purpose of ascertaining the state of their discipline, equipments, etc. Revision. A re-examination for correction. Where an officer, who orders a court-martial, does not approve their proceedings, he may, by the custom of war, return them to the court for revision, and no additional evidence can be taken on such revision.—Hough. Revocable. That may be recalled. Nominations for appointments in the army are made by the President of the United States, subject to the concurrence of the Senate, who, if they disagree, revoke the appointment. Revolt. To renounce allegiance or subjection; to rise against the government in declared rebellion. Revolution. In politics, any extensive change in the constitution of a country suddenly brought about. The most important events in history known under this name are: The destruction of the Assyrian empire, and the foundation of that of the Medes and Persians by Cyrus the Great, 536 B.C.; the foundation of the Macedonian empire on the destruction of the Persian, by the defeat of Darius Codomanus, by Alexander the Great, 331 B.C.; the establishment of the Roman empire on the ruins of the republic by Julius CÆsar, 47 B.C.; the establishment of the empire of the Western Franks under Charlemagne, 800; the revolution in Portugal, by which the Portuguese threw off the Spanish yoke and placed John, duke of Braganza, on the throne, 1640; the English revolution of the 17th century, which began in the early part of the reign of Charles I., with the struggle between that king and his Parliament. In 1642, the struggle became a civil war, in which the Parliament obtained the ascendency, and brought Charles to the block in 1649. A republic followed, under the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, which was succeeded in 1660 by the restoration of monarchy in the person of Charles II.; but the arbitrary rule of James II. brought the king and people again into antagonism, and James having fled the country, William III. was called to the throne under such conditions and safeguards as secured the balance of the constitution. The revolutions in Russia, 1730 and 1762. The French revolution was a violent reaction against that absolutism which had come in the course of time to supplant the old feudal institutions of the country. It began with an outbreak of insurrectionary movements at Paris in July, 1789, including the destruction of the Bastile. On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI. was beheaded. A disastrous reign of terror followed (see Reign of Terror), which was brought to an end in 1794. The revolution in Sweden, 1772 and 1809; in Holland, 1795, and counter-revolution in 1813; in Poland, 1704, 1795, and 1830. The American Revolution of 1775, by which the United States threw off their dependence on Great Britain. The French revolution of 1830, which drove Charles X. into exile, and raised Louis Philippe, duke of Orleans, to the throne by the will of the people; as also the revolution of 1848, when France rose against Louis Philippe and adopted for a time a republican form of government; which was followed by the revolution of 1851. The revolutions in the Netherlands, and in Brunswick, 1830; in Brazil, 1831; in Hungary, 1848; in Rome, 1798 and 1848; in Italy, 1859-60, when the various minor sovereigns were driven into exile, and the whole of the peninsula, with the exception of the Roman and Venetian territory, became subject to the constitutional sway of Victor Emmanuel; in the United States, 1860-65; in the Danubian principalities, 1869; and the Papal States, suppressed, October, 1867. Revolutionary. Tending or pertaining to a revolution in government; as, a revolutionary war. Revolutionary Tribunal. The name specially given to the infamous court of judgment—the most extreme republican will scarcely affirm that it was a court of justice—instituted by the French Convention in March, 1793, on a motion made by Danton, who considered that such a court had become necessary, inasmuch as the recent disasters that had befallen the national armies on the frontiers had led to dangerous conspiracies against the revolutionary government. Its members were chosen from the various departments, and their appointment was ratified by the Convention. Their function was to sit in judgment on all persons accused of crimes against the state, and from their sentence, delivered with appalling promptitude, there was no appeal. During the “Reign of Terror” (which see), when Fouquier-Tinville was “public accuser,” it acquired a horrible notoriety, abolishing soon almost all forms of justice, neither hearing witnesses on behalf of the accused, nor allowing him an opportunity of defense, Revolvers. See Small-arms, Revolver. Revolving Light. A light or lamp in a light-house so arranged as to appear and disappear at fixed intervals, either by being turned about an axis so as to show light only at intervals, or by having its light occasionally intercepted by a revolving screen. Reward. A recompense given for the performance of a meritorious or gallant act; as, the soldiers were rewarded with medals for their gallantry. In the U.S. service a reward of $30 is paid for the apprehension of a deserter. Rezonville. See Gravelotte. RhagÆ (ruins at Rai, southeast of Tehran). The greatest city of Media, lay in the extreme north of Great Media, at the southern foot of the mountains (Caspius Mons) which border the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. It was destroyed in the Parthian wars, but rebuilt by Arsaces; it was finally destroyed by the Tartars in the 12th century. Rhegium (now Reggio). A celebrated Greek town on the coast of Bruttium, on the south of Italy, was situated on the straits which separate Italy and Sicily. Rhegium was founded about the beginning of the first Messenian war, 743 B.C., by Æolian Chalcidians from Euboea, and by Doric Messenians, who had quitted their native country on the commencement of hostilities between Sparta and Messenia. Even before the Persian war Rhegium was sufficiently powerful to send 3000 of its citizens to the assistance of the Tarentines. Dionysius carried on war against the city for a long time, and after two or three unsuccessful attempts he at length took the place, which he treated with the greatest severity. The Rhegians having applied to Rome for assistance when Pyrrhus was in the south of Italy, the Romans placed in the town a garrison of 4000 soldiers, who had been levied among the Latin colonies in Campania. These troops seized the town in 279, killed or expelled the male inhabitants, and took possession of their wives and children. When Pyrrhus was driven out of Italy, the Romans took signal vengeance upon these Campanians, and restored the surviving Rhegians to their city. Rheims, or Reims. A town of France, in the department of Marne, 82 miles east-northeast from Paris. The town was taken by the Russians in 1814, but before they had been in possession many hours Napoleon came down upon them, and gained here one of his last successes before victory deserted his standards. Gen. MacMahon was at Rheims with his army, including the remains of the corps of Failly and Canrobert, and marched from here in hopes of joining Bazaine; the crown-prince of Prussia started in pursuit, August 23, 1870. It was occupied by the Germans and the king, September 5, 1870. Rhin, Bas and Haut (Lower and Upper Rhine). Recently departments of France, which formed the former French province of Alsace. See Elsass. Rhine (anc. Rhenus, Ger. Rhein). An important river in Germany, and one of the most noted in Europe, takes its rise in the Swiss canton of Grisons, and after a north-northwest course of about 800 miles, falls in the German Ocean. CÆsar was the first Roman general who crossed the Rhine; he threw a bridge of boats across it. It was fortified as the frontier of the Roman empire 298 and 369, and became the boundary of the French republic in 1776. Rhode Island. One of the original thirteen United States of America, and the smallest, on the southern coast of New England, is about 47 miles from north to south, and 37 miles from east to west. It is bounded north and east by Massachusetts, south by the Atlantic, and west by Connecticut. Rhode Island is believed to have been the Vineland of the Norsemen, who are supposed by some antiquarians to have explored this coast in the 10th century. It was settled in 1636 by Roger Williams and his companions, Baptists, who were expelled for their religious opinions from the Puritan colony of Plymouth. The colony suffered from the Indian wars until the defeat and death of Philip, king of the Wampanoags. Rhode Island took a prominent part in the Revolutionary war, and in the late civil war (1861-65) she filled her quotas cheerfully for the cause of the Union, her soldiers winning distinction and honor in the field. Rhodes (Lat. Rhodus, Gr. Rhodos.). An island of Asiatic Turkey, in the Mediterranean, off the southwest coast of Asia Minor, long an important, wealthy, and independent state of ancient Greece. At the beginning of the Peloponnesian war, Rhodes was one of those maritime states which were subject to Athens; but in the twentieth year of the war (412), it joined the Spartan alliance, and the oligarchal party, which had been depressed, and their leaders, the EratidÆ, expelled, recovered their former power under Dories. In 408 the capital, called Rhodus, was built. The history of the island now presents a series of conflicts between the democratical and oligarchal parties, and of subjection to Athens and Sparta in turn, till the end of the Social war, 355, when its independence was acknowledged. Then followed a conflict with the princes of Caria, during which the island was for a time subject to Artemisia. At the Macedonian conquest, they submitted to Rhoxolani, or Roxolani. A warlike people in European Sarmatia, on the coast of the Palus MÆotis, and between the Borysthenes and the Tanais, usually supposed to be the ancestors of the modern Russians. They frequently attacked and plundered the Roman provinces south of the Danube; and Hadrian was even obliged to pay them tribute. They are mentioned as late as the 11th century. They fought with lances, and with long swords wielded with both hands; and their armies were composed chiefly of cavalry. Ribadoquin. An ancient 1- or 13/4-pounder gun. Also, a powerful cross-bow for throwing long darts. Ribaud (Fr.). A soldier of the foot-guards of Philip Augustus of France; but afterwards this term was applied only to the most infamous characters. Ribaudaille (Fr.). A term of reproach formerly applied to cowardly soldiers. Philip of Valois thus called his Genoese mercenaries, who he thought had betrayed him. Ribaudequin (Fr.). A warlike machine or instrument which the French formerly used. It was made in the form of a bow, containing 12 or 15 feet in its curve, and was fixed upon the wall of a fortified town, for the purpose of casting out a prodigious javelin, which sometimes killed several men at once. According to Monstrelet, a French writer, ribaudequin, or ribauderin, signified a sort of garment which was worn by the soldiers when they took the field. Ribbon. In heraldry, a diminutive of the ordinary called the bend, of which it is one-eighth in width. Ribbon Cockades. In the British service, the cockades which are given to recruits, and are commonly called the colors. Richmond. The capital of Virginia, on the left bank of the James River, at the head of the tide-water, 150 miles from its mouth, and 100 miles south of Washington. In June, 1861, it was selected as the Confederate capital, and from that period was the objective-point of a series of formidable military expeditions for its capture, under Gens. McDowell, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, Meade, and Grant, and defended by Gen. Lee with a large army and formidable lines of fortifications, until the seizure of the lines of supply by Gens. Grant and Sheridan compelled its evacuation after a series of sanguinary battles, April 3, 1865. A considerable portion of the city was destroyed by the retreating Confederates. Rickarees, Arickarees, or Rees. A tribe of Indians of the Pawnee stock living at Fort Berthold agency, on the Upper Missouri River; they warred with the Dakota tribes for a number of years, and were hostile to the whites; but were defeated and dispersed by U.S. troops in 1823; made a treaty in 1825; were driven up the Platte Valley, 1831; returned to the Missouri some years later. They numbered in 1876 about 700 souls. Ricochet. In gunnery, the repeated rebounding of round-shot. By firing at a slight elevation, with small charges, in a direction enfilading the face of a work, shot are pitched over the parapet, and bound along the rampart from end to end, with most destructive effect on the guns and gunners occupying it. Ricochet Battery. See Battery. Ricochet Firing. See Fire, Ricochet. Rideau. Is a rising ground, or eminence, commanding a plain, sometimes almost parallel to the works of a place. It is a great disadvantage to have rideaus near a fortification, which terminate on the counterscarp, especially when the enemy fire from afar; they not only command the place, but facilitate the enemy’s approaches. Rider. In artillery carriages, a piece of wood, which has more height than breadth; the length being equal to that of the body of the axle-tree, upon which the side-pieces rest in a four-wheel carriage, such as the ammunition-wagon, block-carriage, and sling-wagon. Ridge. In fortification, is the highest part of the glacis proceeding from the salient angle of the covered way. Riding-Master. In the British service, in cavalry, artillery, and the army service corps, is an officer whose duty it is to instruct the officers and men in the management Riff, The. A portion of the coast of Morocco which extends from Tangier on the west, to near the western frontier of Algeria. The name in the Berber language, which is that of the inhabitants, signifies a mountainous and rugged coast. The inhabitants of the Riff were formerly engaged in piracy. On account of the injuries inflicted by them on merchant vessels, most of the maritime states of Europe agreed to pay an annual sum of quit-money. However, in 1828, Austria declined further payment of the tax. A Venetian vessel was seized by the pirates in the harbor of Rabat, but the arrival of an Austrian fleet off the port produced restitution of the ship and its cargo, as well as the formal renunciation of all further claims. France followed the same course by declaring war against the sultan of Morocco, and obtained compensation in 1844, since which period piracy has much diminished. Its example was followed by the Spaniards in 1859. Rifle. A fire-arm having a number of spiral grooves cut into the surface of its bore, for the purpose of giving the projectile a motion about a line coinciding with the direction of its flight. See Ordnance, Small-arms, Magazine Guns, and Lyman’s Multi-charge Gun. Rifle Projectile. See Projectile. Rifled Cannon, or Rifle-cannon. A cannon of which the bore is rifled. Rifled Musket. A musket of which the bore is rifled. Riflemen. A peculiar kind of light infantry, consisting of experienced marksmen, armed with the most improved rifles. In the British army there are two battalions of the rifle brigade and of the 60th Rifles, the Ceylon Rifles, and the Cape Mounted Riflemen. Rifle-pit. A pit dug for the shelter of sharpshooters. Rifling. The yielding nature of lead renders the application of the rifle principle of easy accomplishment in the case of rifle-muskets, but such is not the case with rifle-cannon where the projectiles are made of iron. The object of the most recent experiments is to determine the safest and surest means of causing the projectile to follow the spiral grooves as it passes along the bore of a rifled piece. For description of the manner of doing this, see Projectile. Form of Groove.—The form of a rifle groove is determined by the angle which the tangent at any point makes with the corresponding element of the bore. If the angles be equal at all points the groove is uniform. If they increase from the breech to the muzzle, the grooves are called increasing; if the reverse, decreasing. The inclination of a rifle groove at any point is measured, accurately, by the tangent of the angle which it makes with the axis of the bore, which is always equal to the circumference of the bore divided by the length of a single revolution of the spiral, measured in the direction of the axis. Grooves are of two kinds,—uniform and variable. Uniform Groove.—The comparative advantages of uniform and variable grooves depend on the means used to connect them with the projectiles. If the bearing of the projectile in the grooves be long, and the metal of which it is made be unyielding, it will be unsafe, if not impracticable, to employ variable grooves, and if the metal be partially yielding, a portion of the force of the charge will be expended in changing the form of that part of the projectile which projects into the grooves, as it moves along the bore. Variable Groove.—The variable groove may be used to advantage when the portion of the projectile in the grooves is so short that its form will undergo but slight alteration; the variable groove diminishes the friction of the projectile when it is first set in motion, and thereby relieves the breech of the piece of a portion of the enormous strain which is thrown upon it. If the twist be too rapid towards the muzzle there will be danger of bursting the piece in the chase. Width of Groove.—The width of a groove depends on the diameter of the bore and the peculiar manner in which the groove receives and holds the projectile. Wide and shallow grooves are more easily filled by the expanding portion of the projectile than those which are narrow and deep; and the same holds true of circular-shaped grooves when compared to those of angular form. Number of Grooves.—An increase in the number of grooves increases the firmness with which a projectile is held, by adding to the number of points which bear upon it. A large number of grooves, however, increase the difficulties of loading. For expanding projectiles an odd number of grooves is generally employed, for as this places a groove opposite to a land, less expansion will be required to fill them. Inclination of Grooves.—Experience has shown that, as the velocity of rotation depends upon the form and initial velocity of the projectile, the causes which retard it, and the time of flight, there is a particular inclination of grooves which is best suited to each caliber, form of projectile, charge of powder, and angle of fire. The farther the centre of gravity of a projectile is in rear of the centre of figure, or resistance of the air, the greater must be the inclination of the grooves to resist deviation. It therefore follows that a conical projectile of the same length and diameter, requires a greater inclination of grooves than a cylindrical projectile, Centring.—In consequence of the windage necessary in all muzzle-loading guns, the axis of the projectile does not always coincide with that of the bore in firing. This leads to inaccuracy of fire. A projectile is said to be centred when the grooves of the rifling are so constructed as to bring the axis of the projectile on a line with that of the bore when the piece is fired. There are several ways of accomplishing this, among them Armstrong’s method called “Shunt rifling.” See Armstrong Gun under Ordnance, Construction of, the Krupp, and others. Riga. An important seaport of Russia, capital of Livonia, on the DÜna, 312 miles southwest from St. Petersburg. Riga was founded in the beginning of the 13th century. The Teutonic Knights possessed it in the 16th century. In 1621 it was taken by Gustavus Adolphus, and in 1710, after a vigorous resistance, by Peter the Great. On the latter occasion more than half of the town was destroyed. In 1812 a French force was repulsed from the town. Rigodon (Fr.). Formerly a beat of drum while men who were shelled (a French punishment, the severest next to death) were paraded up and down the ranks previous to their being sent to their destination. Rimbases. In gunnery, are short cylinders uniting the trunnions with the body of the gun. The ends of the rimbases, or the shoulders of the trunnions, are planes perpendicular to the axis of the trunnions. Rimbases are for the purpose of strengthening the trunnions at their junction with the piece, and by forming shoulders, to prevent the piece from moving sideways in the trunnion-beds. Rimer. A palisade in fortification. Rimini (anc. Ariminum). A city of Central Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, about 28 miles east-southeast from Forli. It was founded by the Umbri; was conquered by the Romans; sacked by Sulla; plundered and destroyed several times by the barbarians; then given by Charlemagne to the church. Rimnik. A town of Wallachia, on the Rimnik, 66 miles northeast from Bucharest. Here the Austrians and Russians, under Prince Coburg and Gen. Suwarrow, gained a great victory over the Turks, September 22, 1789. Ring-armor. Armor composed of rings of metal. Ringleader. The leader of a ring; especially, the leader of an association of men engaged in violation of law or an illegal enterprise, as rioters, mutineers, and the like. Ring-mail. A kind of mail composed of small rings of steel sewed edgewise upon a strong garment of leather or of quilted cloth. Ring-wads. See Grommet. Rio Janeiro, or Rio de Janeiro, often called simply Rio. The capital of Brazil, and the largest and most important city of South America. The harbor, which is strongly fortified, is one of the best in the world, and large enough for all its navies. The city of Rio was founded by the Portuguese in 1567. In 1831, it was the theatre of a revolution, in which 6000 armed citizens were joined by the troops of the line in their opposition to the government, and in consequence of which Dom Pedro abdicated the throne in favor of his son Pedro II. Riot and Tumult. Sedition, civil insurrection, disturbance, etc. A breach of the peace committed by an assembled multitude. Some degree of violence is incidental to a riot, and a degree of intimidation to the neighborhood. According to law a riot cannot take place unless three persons act in concert. When a riot becomes formidable, it is usual for the authorities to take active measures to disperse it. Rioters. Disturbers of the public peace; persons acting in open violation of good order; raising or creating sedition, etc. Ripon. An ancient town of England, in Yorkshire, 23 miles northwest of York. It suffered much by the ravages of the Danes and the Normans (1069), and the Scots (1319 and 1323). Risban (Fr.). In fortification, a flat piece of ground upon which a fort is constructed for the defense and security of a port or harbor. It likewise means the fort itself. Risberme (Fr.). A work composed of fascines, such as is sometimes constructed at the bottom of a town-wall. A sort of glacis of fascine-work used in jetties, the sides of which, towards the sea, are so formed as to withstand its violence. Rise. In a military sense, is to make hostile attack; as, the soldiers rose against their officers. It also means to obtain promotion. To rise from the ranks, is to obtain a commission by degrees, after having been in the ranks as a private soldier. Rising. In heraldry, a term applied to a bird when represented opening his wings as if about to take flight. Riveting-plates. In gun-carriages, are small, square, thin pieces of iron, through which the ends of the bolts pass, and are riveted upon them. Rivoli. A town of Italy on the right of the river Dora, and 8 miles west of Turin. It possesses a royal castle, which was sacked by the French in 1690. In 1797 a battle was fought here between the French and Austrians, in which the former were victorious. Rizamedar. In the East Indies, is an officer commanding a small body of horse. Roanoke. A river of Virginia and North Carolina; empties into Albemarle Sound. In 1861, Albemarle Island, at its Robinet. An ancient military machine for throwing darts and stones. Rochelle, La. A fortified seaport of France, capital of the department of Charente-InfÉrieure, on an inlet of the Bay of Biscay, 300 miles southwest of Paris by railway. It was taken from the English by the troops of the French king Louis XIII. in 1224; was ceded to England at the treaty of Bretigny in 1360; in the subsequent wars it was retaken by France, under whose sway it has remained since 1372. As a stronghold of the Huguenot party, it underwent various attacks and sieges during the religious wars of the Henries, in the latter half of the 16th century; and on its final and unconditional surrender to the royal troops in the time of Louis XIII., its old fortifications were destroyed, and new lines of defenses subsequently erected by the great Vauban. Rock Island. An island in the Mississippi River, the southern extremity of which is nearly opposite the town of Rock Island, Ill. This island is about 3 miles in length, and presents a perpendicular front of limestone 20 or 30 feet high. During the Blackhawk war a garrison was kept on Rock Island, and a part of it was used during the late civil war (1861-65) as a military prison. The U.S. government has a splendid arsenal and armory here. Rocket. A rocket is a projectile which is set in motion by a force residing within itself; it therefore performs the twofold function of piece and projectile. See Pyrotechny. History.—Rockets were used in India and China for war purposes before the discovery of gunpowder; some writers fix the date of their invention about the close of the 9th century. Their inferior force and accuracy limited the sphere of their operations to incendiary purposes, until the year 1804, when Sir William Congreve turned his attention to their improvement. This officer substituted sheet-iron cases for those made of paper, which enabled him to use a more powerful composition; he made the guide-stick shorter and lighter, and removed a source of inaccuracy of flight by attaching the stick to the centre of the base instead of the side of the case. The advantages claimed for rockets over cannon are, unlimited size of projectile, portability, freedom from recoil, rapidity of discharge, and the terror which their noise and fiery trail produce on mounted troops. Structure.—A rocket is essentially composed of a strong case of paper or wrought iron, inclosing a composition of nitre, charcoal, and sulphur,—the same as gunpowder, except that the ingredients are proportioned for a slower rate of combustion. If penetration and range be required, its head is surmounted by a solid shot; if explosion and incendiary effect, by a shell or spherical case-shot, to which is attached a fuze, which is set on fire when it is reached by the flame of the burning composition. The base is perforated by one or more vents for the escape of the gas generated within, and sometimes with a screw-hole to which a guide-stick is fastened. Motion.—A rocket is set in motion by the reaction of a rapid stream of gas escaping through its vents. If it be surrounded by a resisting medium, the atmosphere, for instance, the particles of gas as they issue from the vent will impinge against and set in motion certain particles of air, and the force expended on the inertia of these particles will react and increase the propelling force of the rocket. It follows, therefore, that, though a rocket will move in vacuo, its propelling force will be increased by the presence of a resisting medium. Whether the effect will be to accelerate the rocket depends upon the relation between the resistance which the medium offers to the motion of the gas and that which it offers to the motion of the rocket. Vent.—As the rate of combustion of the composition is independent of the pressure of the gas in the bore, it follows, that if the size of the vent be contracted, the flow of gas through it will be accelerated. The strength of the case, and the friction of the gas, which increases as the vent diminishes, alone limit the reduction of the size of the vent. For vents of the same size, but of different shapes, that one which allows the gas to escape most freely will be most favorable to the flight of the rocket. A conical form of vent, with the larger orifice next to the bore, will allow the gas to escape more rapidly than one of cylindrical form. Bore.—As the composition of a rocket burns in parallel layers of uniform thickness, the amount of gas generated in a given time, or the velocity of its exit from the case, depends on the extent of the inflamed surface. Experience shows that to obtain the required surface of inflammation, it is necessary to form a long cavity in the mass of the composition. This cavity is called the bore. In all rockets the bore should be concentric with the case; its shape should be made conical to diminish the strain on the case near its head, by reducing the amount of surface where the pressure on the unit of surface is greatest. Nature of Movement.—Suppose the rocket in a state of rest, and the composition ignited; the flame immediately spreads over the surface of the bore, forming gas which issues from the vent. The escape is slow in the first moments, as the density of the gas is slight; but as the surface of inflammation is large compared to the size of the vent, the gas accumulates rapidly, and its density is increased until the velocity of the escape is sufficient to overcome the resistance which the rocket offers to motion. These resistances are, inertia, friction, the component of weight in the direction of motion, and, after motion takes place, the resistance Guiding Principle.—The propelling force of a rocket changes its direction with the axis along which it acts; it follows, therefore, that without some means of giving stability to this axis, the path described will be very irregular, so much so, at times, as to fold upon itself; and instances have been known where these projectiles have returned to the point whence they started. The two means now used to give steadiness to the flight of a rocket are, rotation, as in the case of a rifle-ball, and the resistance of the air, as in an arrow. Hale’s System.—The first is exemplified in Hale’s rocket, where rotation is produced around the long axis by the escape of the gas through five small vents situated obliquely to it. In his first arrangement, the inventor placed the small vents in the base, surrounding the central vent, so that the resultant of the tangential forces acted around the posterior extremity of the axis of rotation. In 1855, this arrangement was changed by reducing the number of the small vents to three, and placing them at the base of the head of the rocket. The rocket thus modified is the one now used by the U.S. government for war purposes. A still later improvement in Hale’s rocket consists in screwing a cast-iron piece into the bottom of the case, which is perforated with three vents. A corresponding side of each vent is surrounded with a fence, the opposite sides being open. The gas in its efforts to expand after issuing from the vents, presses against the fences and rotates the rocket around its long axis. Congreve’s System.—A Congreve rocket is guided by a long wooden stick attached to its base. If any cause act to turn it from its proper direction, it will be opposed by resistances equal to its moment of inertia and the lateral action of the air against the stick. The effect of these resistances will be increased by placing the centre of gravity near the head of the rocket, and by increasing the surface of the stick. In signal-rockets, where the case is made of paper, the stick is attached to the side, and there is but one large vent, which is in the centre of the case. In war-rockets the stick is attached to the centre of the base, and the large central vent is replaced by several small ones near its circumference. The former arrangement is not so favorable to accuracy as the latter, inasmuch as rotation will be produced if the force of propulsion and the resistance of the air do not act in the same line. How Fired.—Rockets are generally fired from tubes or gutters; but should occasion require it, they may be fired directly from the ground, care being taken to raise the forward end by propping it up with a stick or stone. As the motion is slow in the first moments of its flight, it is more liable to be deviated from its proper direction at this time than any other; for this reason the conducting-tube should be as long as practicable. Form of Trajectory.—Take that portion of the trajectory where the velocity is uniform. The weight of the rocket applied at its centre of gravity, and acting in a vertical direction, and the propelling force acting in the direction of its length, are two forces the oblique resultant of which moves the rocket parallel to itself; but the resistance of the air is oblique to this direction, and acting at the centre of figure, a point situated between the centre of gravity and extremity of the guide-stick, produces a rotation which raises the stick, and thereby changes the direction in which the gas acts. As these forces are constantly acting, it follows that each element of the trajectory has less inclination to the horizon than the element of an ordinary trajectory in which the velocity is equal. When the velocity is not uniform, the position of the centre of gravity has a certain influence on the form of the trajectory. To understand this, it is necessary to consider that the component of the resistance of the air which acts on the head of the rocket is greater than that which acts on the side of the stick. It is also necessary to consider that the pressure of the inflamed gas acts in a direction opposite to the resistance of the air, that is to say, from the rear to the front, and that the centre of gravity is near the rear extremity of the case. At the beginning of the trajectory, when the motion of the rocket is accelerated, its inertia is opposed to motion, and being applied at the centre of gravity, which is in rear of the vent, the point of application of the moving force, it acts to prevent the rocket from turning over in its flight. But when the composition is consumed, the centre of gravity is thrown farther to the rear, and the velocity of the rocket is retarded, the inertia acts in the opposite direction, and the effect will be, if the centre of gravity or inertia is sufficiently far to the rear, to cause it to turn over in the direction of its length. If the rocket be directed toward the earth, this turning over will be counteracted by the acceleration of velocity Effect of Wind.—When the wind acts obliquely to the plane of fire, its component perpendicular to this flame acting at the centre of figure will cause the rocket to rotate around its centre of gravity. As the centre of figure is situated in rear of the centre of gravity, the point will be thrown toward the wind, and the propelling force acting always in the direction of the axis, the rocket will be urged toward the direction of the wind. To make an allowance for the wind in firing rockets, they should be pointed toward the opposite side from which the wind comes, or with the wind instead of against it. If the wind act in the plane of fire from front to rear, it will have the effect to depress the point, and with it the elements of the trajectory in the ascending branch, and elevate them in the descending branch; as the latter is shorter than the former, the effect of a front wind will be to diminish the range. The converse will be true for a rear wind. Kind Used.—The two sizes of Hale’s rockets in use in the American service are, the 2-inch (interior diameter of case), weighing 6 pounds, and 3-inch (interior diameter of case), weighing 16 pounds. Under an angle of from 4° to 5° the range of these rockets is from 500 to 600 yards. Under an angle of 47° the range of the former is 1760 yards, and the latter 2200. Rocroy, or Rocroi. A small town of France, in the department of Ardennes, 15 miles northwest from MÉziÈres. It is memorable for the victory gained by the great CondÉ (then duke of Enghien) over the Spaniards, May 19, 1643. The Spanish army was composed of veteran bands of Walloons, Spaniards, and Italians, and their general, Don Francisco de Mellos, was a commander worthy of his army. The French (22,000) were also good troops, but their general, CondÉ, was a young and inexperienced officer. At first the battle was unfavorable to the French, but at last the Spaniards were thrown into irretrievable rout. The Count of Fuentes, the commander of the redoubtable infantry, and 10,000 of his men were among the slain; and 5000 men, with all the cannon, many standards, and the baton of the Count de Mellos, were captured. But, far beyond all material losses, the renown of invincibility, first acquired by the Spanish infantry on the field of Pavia (1525), and confirmed at St. Quentin, Gravelines, and Prague, was destroyed. Rodman Gun. See Ordnance, Construction of. Roermond. An old town in the Netherlands, province of Limburg, at the junction of the Roer and Maas. It has often endured the horrors of being besieged and taken. Rogue River Indians. See Indians and their Agencies (Oregon). Rogue’s March. Derisive music performed in driving away a person under popular indignation, or when a soldier is drummed out of a regiment. Rohilcund. A region of Northeast India; was conquered by the Rohillas, an Afghan tribe, who settled here about 1747. After aiding the sovereign of Oude to overcome the Mahrattas, they were treated with much treachery by him, and nearly exterminated. Rohilcund was ceded to the British in 1801. After the great mutiny Rohilcund was tranquillized in July, 1858. Rohillas. An East Indian tribe of Afghans inhabiting the country north of the Ganges, as far to the north as Oude. Roi d’Armes (Fr.). King-at-arms, an officer formerly of great authority in armies; he directed the heralds, presided at their chapters, and had the jurisdiction of armories. Roleia, or Rolica. A village in Portugal, where on August 17, 1808, a British force under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated a French army under Gen. Laborde. Roll. A term of varied signification in reference to military matters. Thus, to roll is to continue one uniform beat of the drum, without variations for a certain length of time. Roll, Long. A prolonged roll of the drums, as a signal of an attack by the enemy, and for the troops to arrange themselves in line. Roll, Muster-. See Muster-roll. Roll of Arms. A heraldic record of arms, either verbally blazoned or illuminated, or both, on a long strip of vellum, rolled up, instead of being folded into leaves. Rolls of Arms are the most important and most authentic materials for the history of early heraldry. In England they go back to the reign of Henry III., the oldest being a copy of a roll of that reign, containing a list of the arms borne by the sovereign, the princes of the blood, and the principal barons and knights between 1216 and 1272, verbally blazoned without drawings. Roll, Squad. Is a list containing the names of each particular squad in a company, etc. Roll, Size. In the British service, is a list containing the names of all the men belonging to a troop or company, with the height or stature of each specifically marked. Roll-call. The act or time of calling over a list of names; as, tattoo roll-call. To call the roll, to call off or recite a list or roll of names of soldiers belonging to a company or troop, in order to ascertain, from the responses, who are present and who are absent. Rollers, Friction. See Ordnance, Carriages for, Sea-coast Carriages. Rolling Barrels. See Caking. Rolling Fire. A discharge of musketry by soldiers in line, in quick succession, and in the order in which they stand. See Fire. Rolling-hitch. Pass the end of a rope round a piece of timber; take it round a second time, riding the standing part; then carry it across and up through the bight. Romagna. A province of the Papal States, comprised in the legations of Forli and Ravenna. It was conquered by the Lombards; but taken from them by Pepin, and given to the pope, 753. CÆsar Borgia held it as a duchy in 1501, but lost it in 1503. In 1859 the Romagna threw off the temporal authority of the pope, and declared itself subject to the king of Sardinia, who accepted it in March, 1860. It now forms part of the kingdom of Italy. Romainville and Belleville. Heights near Paris, where Joseph Bonaparte, Mortier, and Marmont were defeated by the allies after a vigorous resistance, March 30, 1814. The next day Paris capitulated. Roman Candles. See Pyrotechny. Roman Walls. One was erected by Agricola (79 to 85) to defend Britain from the incursions of the Picts and Scots; the first wall extended from the Tyne to the Solway Frith (80 miles); the second from the Frith of Forth, near Edinburgh, to the Frith of Clyde, near Dumbarton (36 miles). The former was renewed and strengthened by the emperor Adrian (121) and by Septimus Severus (208). It commenced at Bowness, near Carlisle, and ended at Wallsend, near Newcastle. It had battlements and towers to contain soldiers. The more northern wall was renewed by Lollius Urbicus in the reign of Antoninus Pius, about 140. Many remains of these walls still exist, particularly of the southern one. Romans. See Rome. Rome (anc. Roma). The most celebrated city of the world, either in ancient or modern times, the capital of the Pontifical States, and the ecclesiastical metropolis of Catholic Christendom, is situated on the Tiber, 17 miles northeast of its mouth in the Mediterranean. Rome is said to have been a colony from Alba Longa and to have been founded by Romulus about 753 B.C.; it grew rapidly in size and power. Regal Rome ruled the whole Latin coast, and the treaties made with powerful Carthage, with Massilia, and with the Greeks of Southern Italy bear witness to the respect it enjoyed abroad. Royalty was abolished, and an aristocratical commonwealth established by the patricians, 509 B.C.; the Latins and the Tarquins declared war against the republic, 501; were defeated at the Lake Regillus, 496 B.C. Military tribunes were first created in 444 B.C. Rome was engaged in war with the Tuscans, 434 B.C.; the Æqui and Volsci were defeated by Tubertus, 431 B.C.; Veii was taken by Camillus after ten years’ siege, 396 B.C. In 390 B.C. Rome was captured and burned by the Gauls; the vigilance of Marcus Manlius saved the Capitol. Again and again in the course of the 4th century B.C. the Gallic hordes repeated their incursions, but never again returned victorious. In 367 B.C. Camillus defeated them at Alba; in 360 B.C. they were routed at the Colline Gate; in 358 B.C. by the dictator G. Sulpicius Peticus; and in 350 B.C. by Lucius Furius Camillus. By the middle of the 4th century B.C. the whole of Southern Etruria had submitted to the supremacy of Rome, and was kept in check by a Roman garrison; as was also the land of the Volsci. Becoming alarmed at the increasing power of Rome, the Latins and Hernicans withdrew from their league with Rome, and a severe and protracted struggle took place between them and their former ally. Nearly thirty years elapsed before the Romans succeeded in crushing the malcontents, and restoring the league of Spurius Cassius. In the course of this war the old Latin confederacy of the “Thirty Cities” was broken up, 384 B.C. Rome made a treaty with Carthage to repress Greek piracy, 348 B.C. Now commenced a tremendous struggle between the Samnites and the Romans; the former fighting heroically for the preservation of their national freedom,—the latter warring with superb valor for dominion. The Samnite wars, of which three are reckoned, extended over 53 years (343-290). The victory of the Romans at Sentinum (295 B.C.) virtually ended the struggle. At the close of the first Samnite war, an insurrection burst out among the Latins and Volscians, but the defeat inflicted on the insurgents at Trifanum (340 B.C.), by the Roman consul Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatos, almost instantly crushed it, and in two years almost the last spark of rebellion was extinguished. The famous Latin League was now dissolved. A mighty coalition was formed against Rome, consisting of Etruscans, Umbrians, and Gauls, in the north, and of Lucanians, Bruttians, and Samnites, in the south, with a sort of tacit understanding on the part of the Tarentines that they would render assistance by and by. In the course of a single year the whole north was in arms, and once more the power and even the existence of Rome were in deadly peril. An entire Roman army of 13,000 men was annihilated at Arretium (284 B.C.); but Publius Cornelius Dolabella marched into the country of the Senones at the head of a large force, and literally extirpated the whole nation, which henceforth disappears from history. Shortly afterwards, the bloody overthrow of the Etrusco-Boian horde at Lake Vadimo (283 B.C.) shattered to pieces the northern confederacy. The Lucanians were quickly overpowered (282 B.C.); Samnium, by its long and luckless struggle, and overawed by the proximity of a Roman army, could do nothing. The Tarentines invited Pyrrhus over from Epirus, and appointed him commander of their mercenaries; he arrived in Italy with a small army of his own, 280 B.C. The war between Pyrrhus and the Romans, which lasted only six years, ended in his being obliged to return to Epirus without accomplishing anything; this war led to the complete subjugation of Peninsular Italy by Rome. In 264 B.C. war was formally declared between Rome and Carthage, and it was incomparably the most terrible contest in which Rome was ever Rompu. In heraldry, a term applied to Roncesvalles (Fr. Roncevaux). A small Spanish village, province of Navarre, in a narrow valley inclosed by lofty mountains, through which one of the principal roads leads from France across the Pyrenees into Spain. Here Charlemagne was attacked in 778 by the Basques, and his whole rear-guard destroyed. In honor of those who had fallen he built a chapel on the spot where the battle took place, and among the names enumerated in the inscription was that of Roland. In the modern French-Spanish wars, several bloody encounters (in 1793, 1794, and 1813) occurred in the same valley, and in 1833, Don Carlos was first proclaimed king here. Rondache (Fr.). In ancient armory, a circular shield carried by foot-soldiers to protect the upper part of the person, having a slit in the upper part for seeing through, and another at the side for the point of the sword to pass through. Rondel. In fortification, a round tower, sometimes erected at the foot of a bastion. Rondelle (Fr.). A small round shield which was formerly used by light-armed infantry. Rondellier (Fr.). Archer or pikeman who carried the rondelle. Rondells. See Ordnance, Carriages for, Nomenclature of Artillery Carriage. Ronfleurs (Fr.). Frederick the Great applied this name to some 12-pounders of 22 calibers, weighing 3200 pounds, which, before the battle of Leuthen, he had drawn from the neighboring fortress of Glogau. The charge for this gun was 5 pounds. Rope. A large, stout, twisted cord, of not less, usually, than an inch in circumference. It differs from cord, line, and string only in its size. Ropes are ranked under two descriptions, cable-laid and hawser-laid; the former composed of nine strands, or three great strands, each consisting of three small ones; the latter made with three strands, each composed of a certain number of rope-yarns. Rope, Drag-. See Drag-rope. Rope-ferries. See Pontons. Rose. In heraldry, is drawn in a conventional form, and never with a stalk, except when expressly directed by the words of blazon. Being sometimes argent and sometimes gules, it cannot be designated proper; but when blazoned “barbed and seeded proper,” it is meant that the barbs are to be green, and the seeds gold and yellow. The rose gules was the badge of the Plantagenets of the house of Lancaster, and the rose argent of that of York. The York rose was sometimes surrounded with rays as of the sun, and termed rose en soleil. As a mark of cadency, the rose has been used as the difference of the seventh son. Roses, Wars of the. A disastrous civil contest which desolated England during thirty years, from 1455 to 1485, sacrificing 80 princes of the blood, and the larger proportion of the ancient nobility of the country. It was so called because the two factions into which the country was divided upheld the two several claims to the houses of York and Lancaster, whose badges were the white and red roses, respectively. After the house of Lancaster had possessed the throne for three generations (see Plantagenet), Richard, duke of York, whose title was superior to that of Henry VI., began to advance, at first somewhat covertly, his claim to the throne. In 1454, he was appointed protector of the realm during Henry’s illness, and on the king’s recovery he declined to give up his power, and levied an army to maintain it. The accession of Henry VII. may be said to have terminated the “wars of the roses,” although the reign of Henry was from time to time disturbed by the pretensions of Yorkist impostors. Rosetta. A seaport city of Egypt, near the mouth of a branch of the Nile. It was built by one of the Saracen caliphs in the 9th century. In 1798 this place was taken by the French, and in 1807 it was besieged by the British, who were repulsed by the Turks. The battle of the Nile was fought near Rosetta, August 1, 1798. Rosettes. Two small bunches of ribbons, that were attached to the loops by which the gorget of an officer was suspended on his chest. Roslin. A village of Scotland, 7 miles south of Edinburgh, on the Esk. In this neighborhood the Scots gained three victories over the English on the same day in 1302. Ross, New. A town of Ireland, situated partly in the county of Wexford, and partly in the county of Kilkenny, 27 miles northwest from Wexford. New Ross was taken by Cromwell in 1649, and in 1798 a severe battle was fought here between the king’s troops and the Irish insurgents. Rossbach. A village of Prussian Saxony, in the government of Merseburg, celebrated for the victory here gained by the Prussians under Frederick the Great over the allied French and Austrian armies, November 5, 1757. The Prussians lost (according to a French account) only 300 men, while the loss of the allies was more than 1200 slain, 6000 prisoners, among whom were 11 generals and 300 officers, and 72 cannon, with many other trophies. Roster, or Rollster. List of officers for duty. The principle which governs details for duty is from the eldest down; longest off duty first on duty. If an officer’s tour of duty for armed service, court-martial, or fatigue, happen when he is upon either duty, he is credited therewith. An officer returning from duty after sickness, takes the same place he had on the post roster before reporting sick; that being sick on the day of detail he gets the credit of the tour and awaits the return of his day, when, if well, he is again detailed. An officer returning from leave Rotterdam. An important commercial city in Holland, in the province of Southern Holland. Its importance dates from the 13th century; taken by the Spaniards by stratagem in 1572, and cruelly treated. It suffered much from the French revolutionary wars. Rouen. A city in the north of France, the chief town of the department of the Lower Seine, and formerly the capital of Normandy, 68 miles northwest from Paris. It was held by the English till 1204; and was retaken by Henry V., January 19, 1419. Joan of Arc was burnt here, May 30, 1431. It was taken by Charles VII. of France in 1449; and by the Duke of Guise from the Huguenots, October, 1552, and in 1591. Rough Rider. A non-commissioned officer in the British cavalry regiments, whose business it is to break in refractory horses, and assist the riding-master when required. Rouleaux. Are round bundles of fascines, which are tied together. They serve to cover men when the works are pushed close to a besieged town, or to mask the head of a work. Round. A general discharge of fire-arms by a body of troops, in which each soldier fires once. Round of cartridges, one cartridge to each man; as, to supply a regiment with a single round, or with twelve rounds. Round, Gentleman of the. A gentleman soldier, but of low rank, only above the lance-pesade, whose office it was to visit and inspect the sentinels and advanced guards; also, one of a number of disbanded soldiers who had betaken themselves to the trade of begging. Round Robin. This term is a corruption of ruban rond, which signifies a round ribbon. It was usual among French officers, when they signed a remonstrance, to write their names in a circular form, so that it was impossible to ascertain who signed first. Hence to sign a round robin against any person, was for any specific number of men to sign, one and all, a remonstrance against him. Round Table, Knights of. Known in early English history as knights belonging to a celebrated order instituted by King Arthur, and whose exploits and adventures form the subjects of many ballads, and much of the early romantic poetry of England. The members of the order are said to have been 40 in number, and to have derived their name from their custom of sitting about a large, round, marble table, in order to avoid all distinction of rank. Roundel, or Roundelle. Was a shield used by the Norman soldiers. The word is also applied to the semicircular bastions in early fortification, as introduced by Albert DÜrer. This bastion consisted of a semicircle of masonry about 300 feet in diameter, containing roomy casemates for the troops, and for artillery and musketry, with which the ditch and curtains were flanked. Roundheads, The. In English history, a nickname given, in the reign of Charles I., to the Puritans, or Parliamentary party, who were accustomed to wear their hair cut close to the head. They were so called in opposition to the Cavaliers, or Royalists, who wore their hair in long ringlets. Roundle, or Roundlet. In heraldry, a general name given to charges of a circular form, which in English heraldry have more special names indicative of their tinctures. A roundle or is called a Bezant; a roundle argent, a Plate; a roundle gules, a Torteaux; a roundle azure, a Hurt; a roundle sable, an Ogress, or Pellet; a roundle purpure, a Golpe; a roundle sanguine, a Guze; a roundle tenney, an Orange. In the heraldry of Scotland and of the continent, it is, on the other hand, usual to design all roundles of metal bezants, and those of color, torteaux, adding the tincture. Thus the coat blazoned in England azure three plates, would be in the Scottish mode of blazon, azure three bezants argent. Rounds. An officer or non-commissioned officer who, attended by one or more men, visits the sentinels in barracks, in order to ascertain whether they are vigilant. There are two sorts of rounds, grand and visiting. Grand rounds are the rounds which are gone by general officers, commandants, or field-officers. When there are no officers of the day, the officer of the main guard may go the grand rounds. The grand rounds generally go at midnight; the visiting rounds at intermediate periods, between sunset and reveille. The grand rounds receive the parole, and all other rounds give it to the guards. In officers’ rounds the officer guarding is preceded by a drummer carrying a lantern, and followed by a sergeant and a file of men. Ordinary rounds consist of a sergeant and a file of men. Both ordinary and officers’ rounds are termed visiting rounds. The design of rounds is not only to visit the guards, and keep the sentinels alert, but likewise to discover what passes in the outworks, and beyond them. Rout. The confusion created in an army or body of troops when defeated or dispersed. To put to the rout, is to defeat and throw into confusion. The term expresses more than a defeat, because it implies a dispersion of the enemy’s forces; for a defeated enemy may retreat in good order; but when routed, order and discipline are at an end. Route. An open road; the course of march of troops. Instructions for the march Route Step. In tactics, is a style of march whereby the men carry their arms at will, keeping the muzzles elevated; they are not required to preserve silence, or to keep the step, but each man covers the file in his front. The ranks preserve the distance of 32 inches from each other. The route step is at the rate of from 21/2 to 3 miles per hour. Routine. This word has been adopted by us in the same sense that it is familiarly used by the French. It signifies capacity, or the faculty of arranging; a certain method in business, civil or military, which is as much acquired by habit and practice as by regular study and rule. We say familiarly the routine of business. Rowel. The pointed part of a riding spur, which is made in a circular form, with rays or points like a star. Royal. A small mortar which carries a shell whose diameter is 5.5 inches. It is mounted on a bed the same as other mortars. Royal. In England, one of the soldiers of the first regiment of foot, called the Royals, and supposed to be the oldest regular corps in Europe. Rubicon. A small stream of Central Italy, falling into the Adriatic, has obtained a proverbial celebrity from the well-known story of its passage by CÆsar, who by crossing this river—which, at the outbreak of the civil war between him and Pompey, formed the southern boundary of his province—virtually declared war against the republic. Hence the phrase to “cross the Rubicon” has come to mean, to take an irrevocable step. Rudiments. The first principles, the elements of any particular science; as, the rudiments of war, which are the first principles or elements of war; as, marching, facing, wheeling; the drill, manual, and platoon exercises, manoeuvres, etc. Ruffle. Is a low vibrating sound, less loud than a roll, produced by drummers. It is used as a compliment to general officers and at military funerals. Rugen. The largest of the islands of Germany, belongs to Prussia, and lies in the Baltic, off the coast of Pomerania. In 1169 it was conquered by the Danish king Waldemar I. By the peace of Westphalia it was ceded to Sweden, but in 1815 it was transferred to Prussia. Rules and Articles of War. See Appendix, Articles of War. Run. The greatest degree of swiftness in marching. It is executed upon the same principles as the double-quick, but with greater speed. Run the Gantlope. See Gantlope. Running Fight. A battle in which one party flees and the other pursues, but the party fleeing keeps up the contest. Running Fire. A constant fire of musketry or cannon. Rupture. This word signifies the commencement of hostilities between any two or more powers. RusellÆ (Rusellanus; ruins near Grosseto). One of the most ancient cities of Etruria. It was taken by the Romans in 294 B.C., when 2000 of its inhabitants were slain, and as many more were made prisoners. Rush. To move or drive forward with impetuosity, violence, and tumultuous rapidity; as, armies rush to battle. Also, a driving forward with eagerness and haste; as, a rush of troops. Russia. The largest empire of the world, occupying about one-sixth of the firm land of our globe, bounded north by the Arctic Ocean, east by the Pacific, south by China, Independent Toorkistan, Persia, Asiatic Turkey, the Black Sea, and Roumania, and west by Austria, Prussia, the Baltic, and the Scandinavian peninsula. When the Greeks founded their commercial stations along the northern coast of the Black Sea, in the Crimea, and on the shores of the Sea of Azof, they found the interior occupied by roving tribes of a fierce and savage character. They called them Scythians and Sarmatians, and for about eight centuries these two nations continued to be mentioned in the history of Greece and Rome as inhabiting the same country, pursuing the same occupations, etc. Then came, during the migration of nations beginning in the 4th century, the Goths, Avars, Huns, Alans, etc., rolling over them wave after wave. In the 6th century the name of the Slaves first appears. They founded Kiev and Novgorod. The name of Russians is first met with in the 9th century. Rurik, a Varangian chief, came to Novgorod in 862, not as a conqueror, but invited, and henceforth his family reigned in the country till it became extinct, and the people received the name of Russians. His successor, Oleg (879-912), conquered Kief, defeated the Khazars, and even attacked the emperor of Constantinople. In the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongols under Genghis Khan broke in from Asia; the Russians were unable to withstand them. Most of the princes were wholly subdued. The brilliant victories of Demetrius Donski, prince of Moscow, in 1378 and 1380, only caused the Mongols to return in larger hordes; in 1382, Moscow was burned to the ground and 24,000 of its inhabitants were slain. Ivan III. the Great (1462-1505), who united Novgorod, Perm, and Pskov to Moscow, refused to pay the tribute to the Mongols, defeated them when they attempted to enforce their claim by arms, and commenced extending the Russian power to the east, conquering Kazan in 1469, and parts of Siberia in 1499. Ivan IV., the Terrible (1533-84), conquered Astrakhan in 1554, the land of the Don Cossacks in 1570, Siberia in 1581, opened a road to Archangel in 1553, and organized in 1545 a body-guard, the famous Streltzi. With his son Feodor I. (1584-98) the house of Rurik ceased to exist, Russo-German War. The name given by German historians to the last stage of the great European war against Napoleon, beginning with the Russian campaign of 1812, and terminating on the field of Waterloo. For important battles, etc., see appropriate headings. Russo-Turkish War. The name applied to the war which took place between Russia on one side, and Turkey, France, and Great Britain on the other; it commenced in 1853 and terminated in 1856. For important events of this war, see appropriate headings. Rustre. In heraldry, one of the subordinaries, consisting of a lozenge with a circular opening pierced in its centre. Ancient armor was sometimes composed of rustres sewed on cloth. Rustschuk. A fortified town of Turkey in Europe, in Bulgaria, situated at the influx of the Kara Lom into the Danube, 67 miles southwest from Silitria. Giurgevo (which see) is almost immediately opposite. The Russians took these towns in 1711 and 1810, but were defeated by the Turks, before Giurgevo, in 1854. Rutuli. An ancient people in Italy, inhabiting a narrow slip of country on the east coast of Latium, a little to the south of the Tiber. They were subdued at an early period by the Romans, and disappeared from history. Ryswick. A village in the province of South Holland, where the celebrated treaty of peace was concluded between England, France, Spain, and Holland, and was signed by their representatives, September 20, and by the emperor of Germany, October 30, 1697. Ornamental line
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