  Wad. To insert or crowd a wad into; as, to wad a gun. Wad. See Grommet, and Junk-wads. Wad-hook. A screw or hook to draw wadding out from a gun. Wage Battle, To. To give gage or security for joining in the duellum, or combat. Wager of Battle. In ancient law, the giving of gage or pledge for trying a cause by single combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal, and civil causes. In writs of right, where the trial was by champions, the tenant produced his champion, who, by throwing down his glove as a gage or pledge, thus waged or stipulated battle with the champion of the demandant, who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge. The wager of battle, which has long been in disuse, was abolished in England in 1820. Wagon. A vehicle for the conveyance of goods or passengers, is mounted on four wheels, but varies considerably in the construction of its other parts, according to the species of traffic in which it is employed. They are used by armies for the transportation of subsistence, other military stores, baggage, ammunition, sick and wounded. The following wagon has been adopted for use in the service of the U.S. army: The body to be straight, 3 feet 6 inches wide, 1 foot 9 inches deep, 9 feet 6 inches long at the bottom, and 10 feet at the top, sloping equally at each end, all in the clear or inside; the floor 9 feet 101/2 inches long, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 71/8 inches thick. Top sides 6 inches wide, 71/8 inches thick, 10 feet 2 inches long on the bottom edge, sloping the same as the lower side boards. Six bows of good ash or oak, 2 inches wide, 1/2 inch thick, with three staples to confine the ridge-pole to its place; one ridge-pole 11 feet 3 inches long, 13/4 inches wide, 5/8 inch thick; seat-boards 3 feet 6 inches long, 1 foot wide, 7/8 inch thick to rest on top edge of sides on upright spiral springs, so arranged as to be used with or without the top sides; two plates 7 inches long, 11/2 inches wide, 3/4 inch thick, with two bolts in each, for the front wheels to strike against in turning the wagon. The tongue to be 10 feet 6 inches long, 4 inches wide, 21/4 inches deep at front end of hounds, 13/4 inches wide, and 21/4 inches deep at point or front end, and so arranged as to lift up the front end of it to hang within 2 feet 6 inches of the ground when the wagon is standing at rest on a level surface; front hounds 6 feet long, 21/4 inches deep, 31/2 inches wide over axle, and to retain that width to the back end of tongue; jaws of hounds 1 foot 6 inches long and 21/4 inches square at the front end. Axle-stock 4 feet 1/2 inch long, 31/2 inches wide, 31/4 inches deep. Hind hounds 4 feet 11 inches long, 21/4 inches deep, and 23/4 inches wide back, and 21/2 inches wide front; jaws 10 inches long and 4 inches wide at the end where they rest on coupling-pole. Coupling-pole 8 feet 9 inches long, 31/2 inches wide, 23/8 inches deep, with a rivet through front end. Wheels 3 feet 8 inches and 4 feet 8 inches high; sixteen spokes 2 inches wide Wagon-body, Ponton. See Pontons, Wagon-body Pontons. Wagoner. One who conducts a wagon; a wagon-driver. The number of master-wagoners and wagoners allowed in the quartermaster’s department U.S. army is limited only by the exigencies of the service. Wagon-master. A person in charge of one or more wagons, especially of those used for transporting freight, as the supplies of an army, and the like. The quartermaster-general is authorized to employ from time to time as many forage-masters and wagon-masters as he may deem necessary for the service, not exceeding 20 in the whole, who shall be entitled to receive $40 per month and three rations a day, and forage for one horse; and neither of whom shall be interested or concerned directly or indirectly in any wagon or other means of transport employed by the United States, nor in the purchase or sale of any property procured for or belonging to the United States, except as an agent of the United States. Wagon-train. An indispensable companion of an army under this or some other title. It serves to convey the ammunition, provisions, sick, wounded, camp equipage, etc. Wagons in convoy travel at a rate of from 1 to 2 miles an hour, according to the state of the roads, and other circumstances; and a mile may be said to contain 100 wagons. A great object in the march of a convoy, is to preserve the draught animals as much as possible from fatigue. For this purpose, if the convoy amount to many hundred wagons, they must be formed into divisions of not more than 500 each. Should it consist of thousands, it will be advisable to form them into grand divisions, and then again into subdivisions of 500 each. By this means, and by calculating the time of departure, each division may remain at rest until just before its time of movement, and the necessity will thus be prevented of the latter part of a large convoy being harassed for a considerable time before its turn to move. The different divisions of the convoy should be numbered, and obliged each day to change the order of their marching. Whenever the progress of a wagon-train is arrested by the breaking down of one of the wagons, or other delay, all the wagons in rear of the stoppage should immediately drive up into the first open space, to as great a number as it will hold. This will keep the convoy together, and better under the care of the escort. The escort should be divided into front, centre, and rear guards; besides the divisions in the flanks, which should never be more than 400 yards from each other. Wagram. A village of Lower Austria, on the left bank of the Rossbach, 11 miles northeast from Vienna. It is the site of a battle between the French under Napoleon, Davoust, MassÉna, and Macdonald, and the Austrians under the Archduke Charles, in which the former were victorious, July 5-6, 1809. The Austrians retreated in the most orderly manner, carrying with them about 5000 prisoners, and leaving about 25,000 dead or wounded on the field of battle,—the French loss being about equal; the latter claim to have taken 20,000 prisoners. Wahabees, Wahabis, or Wahabites. A warlike Mohammedan reforming sect, considering themselves the only true followers of the Prophet, arose in Arabia about 1750, under the rule of Abd-el-Nahab (Ibn-abdul-Wahab). His grandson Savoud (Saud, or Saood), in 1801, defeated an expedition headed by the caliph of Bagdad. The conquest of Hejaz was next undertaken by the Wahabees. In 1803, Saoud collected a large army, defeated Ghaleb, the ruler of Mecca, in several battles, laid siege to Mecca, which, after a resistance of two or three months, surrendered at discretion. Not the slightest excess was committed, but the people had to become Wahabees. Failing to take Jiddah, into which Ghaleb had thrown himself, the Wahabi forces went northwards, and, in 1804, took Medina, where they stripped the tomb of Mohammed of its accumulated treasures, and prohibited the approach to it of all but Wahabees. For several years after the conquest of Hejaz, Saoud continued to extend and consolidate his power. Plundering incursions were made to the very vicinity of Bagdad, Aleppo, and Damascus. On the east, Saoud took the island of Bahrein, and annexed a part of the Persian coast, on the east side of the Gulf, and exacted tribute from the sultan of Oman. This brought him into conflict with Great Britain, which sent (1808) a force and severely chastised the Wahabi pirates that infested the commerce of the Persian Gulf. Saoud’s son, Abdallah, long resisted Mehemet Ali, pasha of Egypt, but in 1818 he was defeated and taken prisoner by Ibrahim Pasha, who sent him to Constantinople, where he was put to death. Ibrahim continued some months in Arabia, consolidating his conquests throughout Wahlstatt. See Katsbach. Wait. Ambush. To lay wait, to lie in ambush; to prepare an ambuscade. To lie in wait, to lie in ambush; to be secreted in order to fall by surprise on an enemy. Waiting, In. This term is used in the British service, to mark out the person whose turn is next for duty; as, an officer in waiting. Field-officer in waiting, is the term applied to the monthly duty taken by the field-officers of the three regiments of Foot Guards, who attend the sovereign on court-days, to present the detail of his corps, and receive the parole or other orders from her personally, which are afterwards given to the guards in orders. The field-officer in waiting commands all the troops on duty, and has the immediate care of the sovereign’s person within-doors, as the gold stick has of it while in court. The latter also receives the parole from the sovereign. Waiving Amain. A salutation of defiance, as by brandishing weapons, etc. Waiwode, or Waywode. In the Turkish empire, the governor of a small province or town; a general. Wakefield. A town of England, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, 26 miles from York. Near it is the site of a battle between Margaret, the queen of Henry VI., and the Duke of York, in which the latter was slain, and 3000 Yorkists fell upon the field, December 31, 1460. The death of the duke, who aspired to the crown, seemed to fix the good fortune of Margaret; but the Earl of Warwick espoused the cause of the duke’s son, the Earl of March, afterwards Edward IV., and the civil war was continued. Walcheren. An island of Holland, in the province of Zealand, in the German Ocean, at the mouth of the Scheldt. The unfortunate expedition of the British to this isle in 1809 consisted of 35 ships of the line, and 200 smaller vessels, principally transports, and 40,000 land forces, the latter under the command of the Earl of Chatham, and the fleet under Sir Richard Strachan. For a long time the destination of the expedition remained secret; but before July 28, 1809, when it set sail, the French journals had announced that Walcheren was the point of attack. Perhaps a more powerful and better appointed armament had never previously left the British ports, or ever more completely disappointed public expectation. The plan was to send the fleet and army up the Scheldt, and attack Antwerp (the principal naval station and arsenal in the north of France), whose fortifications, though formidable, were much in need of repair, and whose garrison at the time only numbered about 2000 invalids and coast-guards; while there were not more than 10,000 French soldiers in Holland. The expedition, after numberless needless delays, at last sailed on July 28, and reached the Dutch coast on the following day. But, instead of obeying the orders of the minister of war, Lord Castlereagh, to advance at once in force against Antwerp, the commander-in-chief, Lord Chatham, frittered away his time in the reduction of Vlissingen (Flushing), which was not effected till August 16, by which time the garrison of Antwerp had been reinforced by King Louis Bonaparte with the troops at his command (about 6000), and by detachments sent from France, which swelled the garrison, by August 20, to 15,000 men. About the end of August, Chatham, who, as a general, was a methodical incapable, “found himself prepared” to march upon Antwerp, but by this time 30,000 men, under Bernadotte, were gathered to its defense, and the English army was decimated by marsh-fever, so that success was not to be hoped for. However, it was judged right to hold possession of Walcheren, in order to compel the French to keep a strong force on the watch in Belgium, and, accordingly, 15,000 men remained to garrison the island, the rest returned to England; but the malaria proved too fatal in its ravages, and as peace had been concluded between Austria and France, this force was also recalled. Thus an excellently devised scheme, through utter stupidity of the agent chosen by royalty to carry it out, failed in every point of consequence, and ended in the loss of 7000 men dead, and the permanent disablement of half the remainder. The House of Commons instituted an inquiry, and Lord Chatham resigned his post of master-general of the ordnance, to prevent greater disgrace; but the policy of the ministers in planning the expedition was, nevertheless, approved. Wales (anc. Britannia Secunda). A principality in the southwest part of Great Britain. After the Roman emperor Honorius quitted Britain, Vortigern was elected king of South Britain. He invited over the Saxons to defend his country against the Picts and Scots; but the Saxons perfidiously sent for reinforcements, consisting of Saxons, Danes, and Angles, by which they made themselves masters of South Britain. Many of the Britons retired to Wales, and defended themselves against the Saxons, in their inaccessible mountains, about 447. In this state Wales remained unconquered till Henry Walk About. A military expression used by British officers when they approach a sentinel, and think proper to waive the ceremony of being saluted. Wall. A series of brick, stone, or other materials, carried upward and cemented with mortar. When used in the plural number, wall signifies fortification; works built for defense. To be driven to the wall, a figurative term, signifying to be so pressed that you can neither advance nor retreat. Wallachia. One of the Danubian principalities, in the northeast of Turkey in Europe. This country formed part of the ancient Dacia of the Romans, and was subsequently brought under the dominion of the Goths and Huns. During the two centuries which preceded the fall of the empire of the East, it was sometimes subject to the Greek emperors, and sometimes to the monarchs of Hungary. It was conquered by the Turks in the 14th century, but the inhabitants struggled to assert their independence until 1536, when it became a province of the Ottoman empire. In 1829 it was placed under the protection of Russia, though it was still considered a dependency of Turkey. See Moldavia. Walloon Guard. The body-guard of the Spanish monarch;—so called because formerly consisting of Walloons. Wall-piece. A small cannon (or, in ancient times, an arquebuse) mounted on a swivel, on the wall of a fortress, for the purpose of being fired at short range on assailants in the ditch or on the covert way. There are distinct evidences that the great wall of China was originally constructed for the reception of wall-pieces. Wandewash. A town on the Coromandel coast, about 30 miles south of Madras. In 1739, when M. de Lally, the French governor in the East Indies, threatened with utter subjection the English settlements in the Carnatic, he was opposed most gallantly by Col. Coote, upon the Coromandel coast. Coote reduced the French settlements of Masulipatam and Conjeveram, and made a vigorous attack upon Wandewash, which he captured. Lally, in the autumn of 1739, made a bold attempt to regain possession of the disputed settlement, but his force was utterly broken; he lost 600 men, and was happy to save the wreck of his army by abandoning his camp to the victor. Wapinschaw. A periodical gathering of the people, instituted by various Scots statutes, for the purpose of exhibiting their arms, these statutes directing each individual to be armed on a scale proportionate to his property. There are numerous Scots acts of the 15th and 16th centuries regulating the subject of wapinschaws. In the time of war or rebellion, proclamations were issued charging all sheriffs and magistrates of burghs to direct the attendants of the respective wapinschawings to join the king’s host. During the reign of the later Stuarts, attendance on the wapinschaws was enforced with considerable strictness; and in addition to military exercises, sports and pastimes were carried on by authority at these gatherings. The Covenanters, in consequence of this sport being of a kind disapproved by them, did what they could to discourage attendance on the wapinschaws. War. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, either for defense or for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce or acquisition of territory, or for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other. It is the armed conflicts of sovereign powers, declared and open hostilities. Wars are various in their occasions and objects; but in all cases, the aim of each contending party is to weaken and overthrow the opposing party. At one time, the art of war was supposed to consist very much in wearing out the enemy by a slow process of exhaustion, and thus wars were much protracted. But more recently, the greatest generals have adopted the method of rather endeavoring to strike sudden and terrible blows, by which the war is sooner brought to a termination, and this method, although it may often have been adopted without regard to considerations of humanity, is, in all probability, less productive of suffering to mankind than the other. Among rude nations, wars are conducted by tumultuary hosts, suddenly congregated, and in general, either after defeat or victory, soon dispersed. But the wars of the more civilized and powerful nations have long been conducted by armies carefully trained and disciplined; and in the case of maritime powers, by means of fleets at sea as well as of armies on land. Preparation for war among such nations requires not only the forming and training of the army, but vast provision in many various ways of the means and matÉriel of war. Much science and skill are also applied to the conduct of military operations, and the principles upon which they ought to be conducted have been carefully investigated and theories tested by an examination of the history of the most important campaigns. See Strategy and Tactics. Wars are classified in various ways. They are classified from the nature of the military operations employed in their prosecution; into offensive or defensive wars: from the end to be attained; into wars of conquest, In the progress of society, certain usages of war have come to be generally recognized. These, of course, have varied at different times, and in different parts of the world, according to the state of civilization and the prevalent feelings of the time. They are also subject to modification from causes less general. But the changes which have taken place in them during the lapse of ages have been in general favorable to the interests of humanity. Prisoners of war are no longer put to death, nor are they reduced to slavery, as was once very frequently the case, but their treatment has become generally more and more mild and kind. It is a well-understood rule, however, that a prisoner of war obtaining his liberty by exchange or otherwise, with the condition of not serving again during a fixed period against the same power, forfeits his life, if he is found so serving, and is again taken prisoner. Among all civilized nations, quarter is granted in battle whenever it is sought; and there are certain usages universally prevalent with regard to the capitulation of fortified places, and of bodies of troops hopelessly hemmed in by superior forces, etc. War, Articles of. See Appendix, Articles of War. War, Auxiliary. Is that in which a nation succors its neighbors, either in consequence of alliances or engagements entered into with them; or sometimes to prevent their falling under the power of an ambitious prince. War, Civil. A war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation. War, Council of. See Council of War. War, Defensive. Is a war undertaken to repel invasion or the attacks of an enemy. Defensive war may be divided into three kinds. It is either a war sustained by a nation, which is suddenly attacked by another who is superior in troops and in means; or a nation makes this sort of war by choice on one side of its frontiers, while it carries on offensive war elsewhere; or it is a war become defensive by the loss of a battle. War Department. See Department of War. War Establishment. See Establishment. War, Game of. See Strategos. War, Holy. A crusade; a war undertaken to deliver the Holy Land, or Judea, from infidels. See Crusade. War Minister. See Minister, and Secretary of War. War, Offensive. See Offensive War. War Office. The immediate office of the British secretary of state for war, and the centre on which pivots the entire administration of the army. It is subdivided into a number of departments, each under a chief officer, who is at the head of that section of the labor, and is directly responsible to the secretary of state. The last named high officer is aided by two under-secretaries of state, an assistant under-secretary, and a military assistant. Under these and the heads of departments there are about 450 clerks, with 50 messengers, etc. War of Succession. See Succession Wars. War, Religious. Is a war maintained in a state on account of religion, one of the parties refusing to tolerate the other. Warasdins. A kind of Sclavonian soldiers, clothed like the Turks, with a sugar-loaf bonnet instead of a hat. War-beat, or War-beaten. Worn down in service. Warburg (Northern Germany). Here the French were defeated by the Duke of Brunswick and the allies, July 31, 1760. War-cry. A cry or signal used in war. For mutual recognition and encouragement in battle, war-cries have always been common, each rude nation or tribe having its own. The ancient war-cry of the English was Saint George! that of the Spaniards, San Jago! and that of the French, Montjoie Saint-Denis! that of the dukes of Burgundy, Montjoie Saint-AndrÉ! and that of the dukes of Bourbon, Montjoie Notre-Dame!. In the feuds of the Middle Ages, each party, or the retainers of each noble family, had a distinctive war-cry. Sometimes the war-cry was the name of the family. Thus, in Scotland, the retainers of the noble houses of Douglas and of Home rushed into battle with the cry of A Douglas! a Douglas! or A Home! a Home! The French armies under Napoleon were accustomed to charge with shouts of Vive l’Empereur! Ward. Watch, the act of guarding. A garrison or party stationed for defense of any place; a position of defense or guard made by a weapon in fencing. Also, to guard; to watch; to defend; to parry an attack. Ward-Burton Rifle. See Magazine Guns. War-dance. A dance among savages preliminary to going to war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike excursion. The war-dance is also indulged in upon the close of any successful expedition, as well as for pleasure. Warden. An officer appointed for the naval or military protection of some particular district of country. In order to keep the districts of England adjoining to Scotland and Wales in an attitude of defense, great officers, called lord wardens of the marches, were appointed, to whom the duty of protecting the frontier was committed. From this source originated the name ward, applied to the subdivisions of the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Durham,—a term afterwards extended to divisions of a city, town, or burgh adopted for municipal purposes. The custodier of Dover Castle was created by William the Conqueror warden of the Cinque Ports, and guardian of the adjacent coast, an office comprising extensive jurisdiction, civil, naval, and military, the greater part of which was taken away by 18 and 19 Vict., c. 48. Warder. A truncheon, or staff of command, carried by a king or any commander-in-chief, the throwing down of which seems to have been a solemn act of prohibition to stay proceedings. Warfare. Military service; military life; war; hostilities; contest carried on by enemies. Warfarer. One engaged in warfare; a military man; a soldier. War-field. A field of war or battle. War-horse. A horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse for military service; a charger. Warlike. Fit for war; disposed for war; as, a warlike state. Belonging or relating to war; military; martial. Warlike Virtues. Are love of our country, courage, valor, prudence, intrepidity, temperance, disinterestedness, obedience, wisdom, vigilance, and patience. In the celebration of the anniversary of the destruction of the Bastile, which took place at Paris July 14, 1789, the French characterized these eleven virtues by the following emblems: a pelican, a lion, a horse, a stag, a wolf, an elephant, a dog, a yoked ox, an owl, a cock, and a camel. Warned. Admonished of some duty to be performed at a given time or place. Thus, officers and soldiers are warned for guard, etc. War-paint. Paint put on the face and other parts of the body by savages, as a token of going to war. War-path. The route taken by a party going on a warlike expedition,—usually applied to hostile Indians. War-proof. Valor tried by war. Warrant. A certificate of rank issued by commissioned officers. See Officers, Warrant-. Warrant. In Great Britain, is a royal ordinance on any matter relating to the army. Warrington. A town of England, in Lancashire, on the river Mersey, 17 miles east by south from Liverpool. As the best passage of the river, it was the scene of frequent conflicts during the civil war in the reign of Charles I. In 1643 the town was twice taken by storm by the Parliamentary forces. In 1648 the Scottish army made a stand here, but were defeated by Gen. Lambert, who also here repulsed the troops under Charles II. on his way to Worcester in 1651; and in 1745 the centre arches of the bridge, over the Mersey, were broken down to impede the progress of the Highlanders under the Pretender. Warrior. A man engaged in war or military life; a soldier; a man noted for valor and prowess; a champion. Warsaw. Formerly the capital of Poland, now capital of the Russian, or rather Russianized, government of Warsaw, on the left bank of the Vistula, about 300 miles east of Berlin by railway. The Poles were War-scot. A contribution for the supply of arms and armor, in the time of the Saxons. War-song. A song exciting to war; especially, among the American Indians, a song at the war-dance, full of incitements to military ardor. War-traitor. A person who betrays to the enemy anything concerning the condition, safety, operation, or plans of the troops holding or occupying a place. The punishment is usually death. War-whoop. The cry or shout uttered by Indians in war. Warwickshire. A county occupying almost the very heart of England, and the centre and highest point of the great district of midland table-land. At the time of the Roman invasion the county was inhabited partly by the Cornavii, and partly by the Wigantes, or Wiccii. Under the Romans it formed part of the province of Flavia CÆsariensis. Under the Saxons, the county was included in the kingdom of Mercia, whose rulers occasionally resided at Warwick, Tamworth, and Kingsbury. After the Conquest, the powerful families, the Newburghs, Beauchamps, and Nevilles, who held the earldom of Warwick, involved the county in all the great civil wars recorded in English history. In the troubles in Henry III.’s reign, Kenilworth stood a long siege by the royal forces; in the wars of the Roses, the city of Coventry warmly embraced the Lancastrian, and the town of Warwick the Yorkist cause; and in the war between Charles I. and his Parliament, Warwickshire was torn by the contending factions, who made special head in the neighborhood of Birmingham. Charles slept at Aston Hall, near that town, on his march through Warwickshire in 1642, and two days afterwards the first great battle of the civil war was fought on the borders of the county at Edge Hill. Swords and other weapons, used in the battle, are still occasionally plowed up. Maxstoke Castle (inhabited) is externally a remarkably perfect specimen of the fortified residences of the period of the 14th century. Warwolf. In ancient military history, an engine for throwing stones and other great masses. War-worn. Worn with military service; as, a war-worn soldier. Washington City. The seat of the government of the United States of America, is in the District of Columbia, on the left bank of the Potomac River, between Anacostia River and Rock Creek, which separates it from Georgetown, 39 miles southwest from Baltimore, and 120 miles northeast from Richmond. This city was commenced in 1793, but operations were subsequently suspended in consequence of the war, and much that had been done was destroyed by the British in 1814, so that the whole edifice was recommenced in 1815, and was not entirely finished till 1828. During the civil war (1861-65), from its exposed position, it was threatened with capture, and was surrounded with fortifications, and converted into an intrenched camp. Washington Territory. A Territory of the United States; bounded north by British Columbia, east by the Territory of Idaho, south by the Columbia River, which separates it from Oregon, and west by the Pacific Ocean. This Territory was discovered by Juan de Fuca, a Greek, in 1592; visited by a Spanish navigator in 1775, and three years after by Capt. Cook. In 1787, Berkeley, an Englishman, re-discovered the Strait of Fuca, which had been missed by the others. Settlements were made in this Territory by the Hudson Bay Company in 1828; in 1845, American settlers entered the Territory, then a part of Oregon. Wars with the Indians, in 1855 and 1858, retarded immigration, but in the latter year, 15,000 persons were attracted by gold discoveries. This Territory was organized in 1853. Wat Tyler’s Insurrection. See Tyler’s Insurrection. Watch. The non-commissioned officers and men on board of transports are divided into three watches, one of which is constantly to be on deck, with at least one subaltern officer in charge of the watch. Watch and Ward. The charge or care of certain officers to keep a watch by night and a guard by day in towns, cities, and other districts, for the preservation of the public peace. Watch-tower. A tower on which a sentinel Watch-word. See Parole. Water. In calculating the quantity of water required per man for drinking and cooking, it may be put down at 6 pints in temperate, and 8 pints in tropical climates. A similar amount will just allow men to wash their bodies. In stationary camps, however, the minimum daily allowance per man should be 5 gallons for all purposes, washing clothes included. Horses not doing work will thrive well on 6 gallons a day, but require from 8 to 12 when at work, according to their condition and the nature of the work. A couple of gallons extra should, under all circumstances, be allowed for washing them. Oxen require about 6 or 7 gallons daily. In selecting positions, particularly those that are likely to be of a permanent character, a careful analysis of the water should be made by a medical man. A fair opinion can be formed as to whether it is wholesome or not, by the appearance of the inhabitants, and by tasting the water oneself. “It should be transparent, colorless, without odor, and tasteless; well aËrated, cool, and pleasant to drink; it must have no deposit; vegetables should be easily cooked in it.” Shallow water is always to be examined with suspicion. The water of some rivers at certain seasons is thick and muddy; in some, it is always so. To examine it without the aid of chemical tests, fill a long tumbler or other glass vessel with it. If the water has been drawn in a bucket or other vessel, shake it up and stir it well before pouring it into the tumbler or glass cylinder; let it stand for a day, or as many hours as possible; draw off the water without disturbing the sediment, which should then be carefully examined through a microscope. Vegetable decompositions and iron are the chief substances that give color to water. When water is very bad it should be boiled before drinking; after boiling it should be placed in shallow vessels, and poured from a height from one into another. Very muddy water when placed in barrels or other vessels, can be cleaned by immersing the hand containing a lump of alum in it, and moving it about for a few seconds. All the coloring matter will sink to the bottom. The longer the time that elapses between the operation and drinking, the better. Growing vegetable substances may not be always injurious, but dead vegetable matter is so without doubt. At the maximum density (39.8° Fahr.), the barometer being at 30 inches, a gallon of distilled water weighs 8.33888 avoirdupois pounds or 58,373 grains. Water-battery. One nearly on a level with the water. Water-bucket. See Implements. Water-budget. A heraldic bearing, in the form of a yoke with two pouches of leather appended to it, originally intended to represent the bags used by the Crusaders to convey water across the desert, which were slung on a pole, and carried across the shoulders. The Trusbuts, barons of Wartre in Holderness, bore Trois boutz d’eau, “three water-budgets,” symbolizing at once their family name and baronial estate; and by the marriage of the heiress, similar arms came to be assumed by the family of De Ros, who bear gules, three water-budgets argent. Water-deck. A covering of painted canvas for the saddle, bridle, and the like, of a dragoon’s horse. Waterford. A maritime county of the province of Munster, in Ireland. In the time of Ptolemy, it was inhabited by the tribe of the Brigantes. It was afterwards peopled by the Desii, who are supposed to have migrated from a tribe of the same name in Meath; and having spread themselves also over the plain country of Tipperary; those settled in Waterford were distinguished by the name of South Desii, and the others by that of North Desii. Here the Danes established a permanent settlement in the 9th century, making the city of Waterford their chief seat of government; and though frequently involved in wars with the surrounding natives, they retained possession of the city and district until their subjugation by the English, who, in 1170, under Strongbow, stormed Waterford, took their chieftain or prince prisoner, and brought the whole of the Desiis into the possession of the English. Shortly after, Henry II. granted the greater part of the county to Robert le Poer, and the remainder, with that of Cork, then a petty kingdom, to Milo de Cogan, two of his followers. King John landed at Waterford in 1211, and personally visited many parts of the country. The next king of England who visited Ireland, Richard II., landed at Waterford in 1394, with an army of 4000 men-at-arms, and 30,000 archers. The county suffered severely in the reign of Elizabeth, through the rebellion of the Earl of Desmond, and the Spanish invasion; and also in the wars of 1641, during the first years of which, its possession was the subject of continued sanguinary contention between the English and Irish forces, until it was ultimately reduced under the authority of the English Parliament by Cromwell. During the war of the Revolution, it took part with King James, and was reduced by King William’s forces, under Gen. Kirk, after the decisive battle of the Boyne. Watering-bucket. See Implements. Watering-call. A trumpet sounding, on which the cavalry assemble to water their horses. Waterloo. A village of Belgium, province of South Brabant, on the highway from Charleroi to Brussels; which was the scene of the greatest and most decisive battle of modern times. This battle was fought on June 18, 1815, between the French army of 71,947 men and 246 guns, under Napoleon, Wattignies. A village of France, department of Nord, where Jourdan and the French republicans defeated the Austrians under the Prince of Coburg, and raised the siege of Maubeuge, October 14-16, 1793. Waver. A body of troops is said to waver when it becomes unsteady if at the halt, or to hesitate and lose its order if on the march, under the fire of the enemy. Wavre. A town in the province of South Brabant, Belgium. It is known as the scene of a desperate and protracted conflict between the French and Prussians, on June 18-19, 1815. The former under Grouchy, GÉrard, and Vandamme, advanced against the Prussians at the same time as Napoleon directed the troops under his immediate orders against Wellington at Waterloo, and being much superior in number (32,000 to 15,200), drove the Prussians under Thielman into Wavre, where they defended themselves with desperate firmness, repulsing thirteen different assaults in the course of the 18th. On the following morning, Thielman, who had heard of the victory at Waterloo, attacked Grouchy, but was repulsed with vigor, though the urgent orders of Napoleon forced the latter to retreat to Laon, instead of following up his success. Wawz, or Wawer (Poland). The Poles under Skrzynecki attacked the Russians at Wawz, and after two days’ hard fighting, all the Russian positions were carried by storm, and they retreated with the loss of 12,000 men and 2000 prisoners, March 31, 1831. The loss of the Poles was small, but their triumph was soon followed by defeat and ruin. Way, Covert. See Covert Way. Way of the Rounds. In fortification, a space left for the passage of the rounds between the rampart and the wall of a fortified town. Waywode. A Slavic word meaning “leader in war,” was first applied simply to the military commanders, but afterward also to the governors of the provinces, and used in Poland, Hungary, Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia. It has been superseded by another title, also of Slavic origin,—hospodar. Weapon. An instrument of offensive or defensive combat; something to fight with; anything used, or designed to be used, in destroying or annoying an enemy. Weaponed. Furnished with weapons or arms; armed; equipped. Weaponless. Having no weapons; unarmed. Wear and Tear. Said of military stores which have been worn out in service; as, the equipments were rendered useless by the wear and tear of service. Wednesfield. A parish of England, in Staffordshire. Edward the Elder gained a victory over the Danes near this place in the beginning of the 10th century. Well. A depth which the miner sinks under ground, with branches or galleries running out from it, either to prepare a mine, or to discover the enemy’s mine. Well Found. Fully equipped. Werder Rifle. See Small-arms. Werndl Rifle. See Small-arms. Westmorland, or Westmoreland. One of the lake counties of England, bounded by Cumberland on the northwest and north, by Durham and Yorkshire on the east, and by Lancashire on the south and west. Its earliest inhabitants, as far as any traces remain, were principally, though not exclusively, Celts of the Cambrian division. Early in the 2d century this part of England was overrun by the Romans, who established their power by means of numerous forts and well-constructed roads. From the withdrawal of the Romans to the coming in of the Angles and the Danes the history of Westmorland is a complete blank. The invasion of the former people, who appear to have penetrated along the lines of the Roman roads, probably commenced about the close of the 7th century, and soon after the Northmen, when driven from the other parts of England, took refuge in this country. Westmorland, with other northern counties, was either held or claimed during some centuries by Scotland, and thus continued for a long time a cause of contention between the two countries; but in 1237 the king of Scotland was induced to give up his claim to it. From this time to the period of the civil war of the reign of Charles I. Westmorland enjoyed comparative tranquillity. Westphalia, or Munster, Peace of. Was signed at Munster and at Osnaburg, between France, the emperor, and Sweden; Spain continuing the war against France. By this peace the principle of a balance of power in Europe was first recognized; Alsace given to France, and part of Pomerania and some other districts to Sweden; the elector palatine restored to the Lower Palatinate; the religious and political rights of the German states established; and the independence of the Swiss Confederation recognized by Germany, October 24, 1648. West Point. Site of the United States Military Academy, and of a fortress erected during the war of Independence, on the right bank of the Hudson River, 52 miles north of the city of New York. The Military Academy is on a plain 160 to 180 feet above the river, surrounded by the bold scenery of one of the finest river-passes in the world. The forts and a river-chain were taken by the British in 1777, but abandoned after Burgoyne’s surrender, and stronger forts were built, which Gen. Arnold bargained to betray,—a plot foiled by the arrest of Maj. AndrÉ. For history of the Military Academy at West Point, see Military Academies. West Virginia. See Virginia, West. Wexford. A maritime county of the province of Leinster, Ireland. The maritime position of Wexford laid it open early to the incursions of the Danes, to whom the name Wexford, or Weisford, is traced by antiquaries. It was the first landing-place of the English in the invasion, and formed part of the tract granted by MacMurrough to the English adventurers whose assistance he had invoked. During the civil wars which followed 1641, Wexford was the scene of frequent contests; and in the more recent insurrection of 1798, it formed the theatre of the only formidable conflicts of the peasantry with the regular troops. Wheel. See Ordnance, Carriages For, The Caisson. Wheel, To. In tactics, to move forward or backward in a circular manner, round some given point. Wheeling is one of the most essential and important operations of the company, necessary in many changes of position, and in the formation of column and of the line. Wheelings. Different circular motions made by horse and foot, either to the right or left, forward and backward, etc. Wheel-lock. A sort of lock anciently used on arquebuses. It consisted of a roughened steel wheel, with chain and spring, which, when wound up like a watch, revolved rapidly, and struck fire against a flint held in the cock. Whinyard. A sword, or hanger, so called by Butler in his “Hudibras.” Whipping. See Flogging. White Eagle, Order of the. An order of knighthood in Poland, instituted by Vladislaus V. in 1325; revived by Frederick Augustus I. in 1705. White Feather. A mark of cowardice. To show the white feather, to give indications of cowardice. White Gunpowder. See Gunpowder. White Plains. A village of Westchester Co., N. Y., 25 miles north-northeast of New York. A noted battle of the Revolution was fought in the vicinity, October 28, 1776, between the Americans and the British, in which the former were worsted. Whiteboys. A body of ruffians in Ireland, so called on account of their wearing linen frocks over their coats. They committed dreadful outrages in 1761, but were suppressed by a military force, and their ringleaders executed in 1762. They rose into insurrection again and were suppressed 1786-87. Whiteboys have appeared at various times since, committing the most frightful crimes. The insurrection act was passed on their account in 1822. Whitworth Gun. See Ordnance, Construction of. Whiz. To make a humming or hissing sound, like an arrow or ball flying through the air. Who Comes There? The night challenge of a sentinel on post. Whoop. A shout; a loud noise which soldiers make in charging. It is a natural though a barbarous habit, and has been preserved in civilized armies from a prevailing custom among savages, particularly the wild Indians of America. Wicket. A small door in the gate of a fortified place, affording a free passage to the people without opening the great gate. Wicklow. A maritime county in the province of Leinster, in Ireland. According to Ptolemy the geographer, the northern part of the county was the residence of the tribe of the Cauci, and the southern that of the Menapii. It was afterwards occupied by the Irish septs of the Byrnes and O’Tooles, who, though the district was claimed by the English after their settlement, Widdin, or Widin. A fortified town of European Turkey. It is surrounded on the land side by morasses, and is defended by a strong citadel, by walls, and by a fortified island in the Danube. For centuries it has been a strong post in all the contests between the Turks and their northern neighbors, and it is called by the Turks the Virgin Fort, from its never having been taken. Wield. To use with full command or power, as a thing not heavy for the holder; to manage; to handle; as, to wield a sword. Wiesbaden. A town of Prussia, formerly capital of the independent duchy of Nassau. The Romans built a station here, and erected a fort on a hill on the northwest side of the town, still known as the RÖmerberg, and which was garrisoned by the 22d Roman legion. The Mattiaci, a subdivision of the German tribe called the Catti, allied themselves with the Romans; but in the 3d century, the barbarian Germans rose against the Romans, and destroyed their forts, including Wiesbaden. Wigan. A town of England, in Lancashire, situated near the small river Douglas. In the civil war the king’s troops, commanded by the Earl of Derby, were defeated and driven out of the town in 1643 by the Parliamentary forces under Sir John Smeaton. The earl was again defeated by Ashton, who razed the fortifications of Wigan to the ground in the same year; and once more by a greatly superior force commanded by Col. Lilburne, 1651. Wight, Isle of (anc. Vecta, or Vectis). An island in the English Channel, lying off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It was originally peopled by the Celts, who were afterwards expelled or subdued by the BelgÆ and these, in their turn, were compelled to submit, in 43, to the Roman legions under Vespasian. The Saxon kings of Wessex conquered it about 530, after a sanguinary action at Wiht-garasbyrig, supposed to be the modern Carisbrooke. In 661, it was subdued by Wulfhere, son of Penda, king of Mercia. The Danes invaded the Wight in 787, 897, 981, 998, and again in 1003, when they destroyed the town of Waltham, supposed to be identical with the modern Werror. The French landed on the island, but were repulsed in 1340. In 1377, the French burnt the towns of Yarmouth, Newtown, and Newport, but were defeated in an attack which they hazarded upon Carisbrooke Castle. In 1545, the French forces, which had assembled under Claude d’Annebault, and fought an indecisive action with Lord Lisle at Spithead, threw themselves upon the island in four detachments at Sea View, Bembridge, Shanklin, and Bonchurch, but were repulsed with signal loss. Wigwam (sometimes written weekwam). An Indian cabin or hut. The wigwam, or Indian house, of a circular or oval shape, was made of bark or mats laid over a framework of branches of trees stuck in the ground in such a manner as to converge at the top, where was a central aperture for the escape of smoke from the fire beneath. The better sort had also a lining of mats. For entrance and egress two low openings were left on opposite sides, one or the other of which was closed with bark or mats, according to the direction of the wind. Wilderness, Battles of the. Were fought between the Federal and Confederate armies in Virginia, in May, 1864. They consisted of a series of sanguinary battles, having for their object the capture of Richmond. The plan of Gen. Grant, commander-in-chief of the Union forces, was to follow a line nearly corresponding to the route of the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad, making his base at Acquia Creek. For this purpose he moved down the right of the position of Gen. Lee, who commanded the Confederate army, and was prepared either to accept a battle from him on the Rapidan, or to continue his march to Spottsylvania Court-house. Gen. Lee would not consent to be outflanked, and thereby endanger his railroad communication with Richmond. He therefore prepared to resist the progress of Grant, and commenced a rapid movement of his forces parallel with the course of the river. Gen. Hill’s and Ewell’s forces arrived in front of Gen. Grant’s forces on Thursday, May 5, 1864. Early on the morning of the 5th, Grant’s command began to move. The 5th Corps (Warren’s) advanced from its position near Wilderness Tavern, along the roads leading to Orange Court-house, 5 miles to Parker’s store. This point is in Spottsylvania County, about 8 miles above Chancellorsville. The whole face of the country in that neighborhood is thickly covered with an undergrowth of field-pines, cedars, and scrub-oaks, and therefore utterly unfit for the use of cavalry or artillery. The 6th Corps (Sedgwick’s) was to follow, and the 2d Corps (Hancock’s) was to stretch southwesterly from Chancellorsville toward Shady Grove Church. Sheridan covered the extreme left, with the object of finding the enemy’s cavalry under Stuart. This line extended nearly 5 miles, with the centre thrown forward, when the action commenced. The 5th Corps and the The battle of the Wilderness was renewed on May 6, and consisted of a succession of fierce attacks made by each side. Both had more or less intrenched their positions by felling timber and covering it with earth, or slight earthworks. The interval of ground between the opposing lines was fought over in some places as many as four or five times, the combatants driving each other in turn from the opposite lines of rifle-pits, and the battle continued with unabated fury until darkness set in, each army holding substantially the same position that they had on the evening of the 5th. After dark, the enemy made a feeble attempt to turn our right flank, but the promptness of Gen. Sedgwick, who was personally present and commanding that part of the line, frustrated their object. During these two days, the total loss was estimated at 15,000. On the morning of the 7th, reconnoissances showed that the enemy had fallen behind his intrenched lines, with pickets to the front, covering a part of the battle-field. Gen. Grant determined to move by his right flank, and put his whole force between Lee’s forces and Richmond. On the night of the 7th the march was commenced toward Spottsylvania Courthouse, the 5th Corps moving on the most direct road. But Lee having been apprised of the movement, and having the shorter line, was enabled to reach there first, and the battles of Spottsylvania followed, which are given below. On the 8th, Gen. Warren met a force of the enemy, which had been sent out to oppose and delay his advance, to gain time to fortify the line taken up at Spottsylvania. This force was steadily driven back on the main force, within the recently-constructed works, after considerable fighting, resulting in severe loss to both sides. On the morning of the 9th Gen. Sheridan started on a raid against the enemy’s lines of communication with Richmond. The 9th, 10th, and 11th were spent in manoeuvring and fighting without decisive results. Among the killed on the 9th was that able and distinguished soldier, Gen. Sedgwick, commander of the 6th Corps, of which Gen. H. G. Wright succeeded to the command. Early on the morning of the 12th a general attack was made on the enemy in position. The 2d Corps (Hancock’s) carried a salient of his line, capturing most of Johnston’s division of Ewell’s corps and 20 pieces of artillery. But the resistance was so obstinate that the advantage gained did not prove decisive. From the 13th to the 18th was consumed in manoeuvring and awaiting the arrival of recruits from Washington. Deeming it impracticable to make any further attack upon the enemy at Spottsylvania Courthouse, orders were issued on the 18th with a view to a movement to the North Anna, to commence on the 19th, but owing to an attack of the Confederates the movement was delayed until the night of the 21st. The enemy again having the short line, and being in possession of the main roads, was enabled to reach North Anna in advance of the Federals, and took position behind it, where the battles were again renewed. Battles of North Anna.—The 5th Corps reached the North Anna on the afternoon of the 23d, closely followed by the 6th Corps; the 2d and 9th got up about the same time. Gen. Warren effected a crossing the same afternoon and got into position. Soon after getting into position he was violently attacked, but repulsed the enemy with great slaughter. Hancock also effected a crossing after some fighting. The 6th Corps crossed on the 24th and took up a position. The attempt of the Federals on the Confederate centre was repulsed, and finding the enemy’s position on the North Anna stronger than either of his previous ones, Gen. Grant withdrew on the night of the 26th to the north bank, and moved to turn the enemy’s position by his right. The battle of Cold Harbor (which see) was the next serious engagement. The loss of the Federals, not including Burnside’s corps, from May 5 to 31 was about 41,400. The Confederate loss is not known. Williamsburg. A city, capital of James City Co., Va., 60 miles east of Richmond, and 68 miles northwest of Norfolk. It is situated on a level plain between James and York Rivers, 6 miles from each. It was first settled in 1632, is the oldest incorporated town in the State, and was the colonial and State capital till 1779. A battle was fought here between Gen. McClellan and the Confederates on May 5, 1862, which resulted in victory to the former. Wilmington. A city and port of North Carolina, in New Hanover County, and situated on the Cape Fear River. It was captured by the Union forces in February, 1865, Fort Fisher, its principal defense, having been taken by storm on the 15th of the month preceding. Wiltshire, or Wiltonshire. An inland county of England. When CÆsar invaded England, Wiltshire was occupied by the BelgÆ; and the Wansdyke is pointed to as a portion of the defenses which they constructed. It was afterwards included in the province of Britannia Prima, and important Roman stations were established, of which Winch. An axle turned by a crank-handle for raising weights, as from mines and the like; a windlass. Winchelsea. A town of England, in Sussex, 37 miles northeast from Brighton. It is a place of great antiquity, and was twice pillaged, first by the French and again by the Spaniards, who landed near Farley Head. Winchester (Rom. Venta Belgarum). A town of England, capital of Hampshire. It is a very ancient town, whose erection may reasonably be ascribed to the Celtic Britons. It was taken by the Saxons in 495, and by the Danes in 871-73; and was ravaged by Sweyn in 1013. Winchester was several times taken and retaken between 1641 and 1643; it was taken by Cromwell, and the castle dismantled in 1645. Winchester. A city and capital of Frederick Co., Va., in the valley of the Shenandoah, 150 miles north-northwest of Richmond, 71 miles west by north from Washington. On March 12, 1862, it was occupied by the Federal general Banks, and during the war was the scene of frequent conflicts, and occupied in turn by the Federal and Confederate armies. Winchester Rifle. See Small-arms, and Magazine Guns. Windage. Is the space left between the bore of a piece and its projectile, and is measured by the difference of their diameters. The objects of windage are to facilitate loading, and to diminish the danger of bursting the piece; it is rendered necessary by the mechanical impossibility of making every projectile of the proper size and shape, by the unyielding nature of the material of which large projectiles are made, by the foulness which collects in the bore after each discharge, and by the use of hot and strapped shot. The true windaqe, which is the difference between the true diameters of the bore and projectile, increases slightly with the size of the bore, and is greater for solid shot, which are sometimes fired hot, than for hollow projectiles, which are never heated. Loss of Force.—The ordinary windage of smooth-bore cannon, used in the U.S. service, is about 1/40 of the diameter of the bore, and the loss of force arising from the escape of gas through this windage amounts to a very considerable portion of the entire charge. The amount of loss in any case depends on: (1) The degree of windage; (2) The caliber of the gun; (3) The length of the bore; (4) The kind of powder; (5) The charge of powder; (6) The weight or density of the ball. It is probable that the influence which some of these causes exert on the force of the charge is very slight. It has been determined by experiment, that the loss of velocity by windage is proportional to the windage. It may be stated that the loss of velocity by a given windage is directly as the windage, and inversely as the diameter of the bore, very nearly. Wind-gauge. In a military sense, is an attachment to the sight (either front- or rear-sight) of a fire-arm by which an allowance for the effect of wind on the projectile can be made in aiming. Though usually called wind-gauge, it is also used to counteract drift or any other deviation which can be anticipated. In the old model target-rifles, the front-sight is capable of a slight movement. Some of the more recent military arms have a wind-gauge attached to the rear-sight. In the peep-sights, the sight-piece is moved by a screw. In the present U.S. service rifle the sight-piece is moved by hand. It has graduations to guide the marksman. The wind-gauge is frequently attached to breech-sights of cannon in Europe. In this country the Parrott gun is similarly equipped. Wind-gun. A gun discharged by the force of compressed air; an air-gun. Windlace. Formerly an apparatus for bending the bow of an arblast or cross-gun. Windlass. An axis, or roller of wood, square at each end, through which are either cross-holes for handspikes, or staves across, to turn it round, by which operation it draws a rope, one end of which is attached to a weight, which is thus raised from any depth. Windsor, Knights of. See Knights, Military. Wing. The right or left division of an army, regiment, and the like. The word is sometimes used to denote the large sides of horn-works, tenailles, and other outworks. Wing. An ornament worn on the shoulder;—a small imitation epaulette or shoulder-knot. Winged. In heraldry, represented with wings, or having wings, of a different color from the body. Winnebagoes. A tribe of Indians who lived around Lake Winnebago in 1639, and were engaged in the war of Pontiac against the English in 1762. In 1794 they were severely defeated by Gen. Wayne, and were engaged in the Black Hawk war of 1831. They were removed to Minnesota in 1848, from thence to Dakota in 1863, and in the following year to Nebraska. See Indians and their Agencies. Winter-quarters. The quarters of an army during the winter; a winter residence or station. Wire-cartridge. A cartridge strengthened by wire ligaments. Wires, Pointing-. See Pointing-wires. Wisby. A once famous seaport of the Swedish island of Gothland, capital of the island, and situated on its west coast, about 130 miles south of Stockholm. In 1361, Valdemar III. of Denmark took this town by storm, and, plundering it, obtained an immense booty. Wisconsin. One of the Northwestern States of the United States of America; it is 302 miles from north to south, and 258 from east to west. Wisconsin is bounded on the north by Lake Superior and the State of Michigan, east by Lake Michigan, south by Illinois, and west by Iowa and Minnesota, from which it is separated by the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. This State was explored by French missionaries in the latter part of the 17th century, and Indian trading-posts were also established. It was organized as a Territory in 1836, and admitted into the Union as a State in 1848. During the late civil war it filled its quotas cheerfully for the Union cause. Wissembourg, or Weissenbourg. A small fortified town of Alsace, in what was formerly the French department of Bas-Rhin, situated on the Lauter. It was formerly an imperial city, was seized by Louis XIV. in 1673, and annexed to France by the treaty of Ryswick, 1697. The “lines” of Wissembourg, erected by Villars, in 1705, were taken by the Austrians and retaken by the French, 1793, after Hoche’s victory at Geisberg. On August 4, 1870, the crown-prince of Prussia crossed the Lauter and gained a brilliant but bloody victory over the French (a part of MacMahon’s division), storming the lines and the Geisberg. Gen. Abel Douay was mortally wounded, and about 500 prisoners were made. The killed and wounded on both sides appear to have been nearly equal. The German army, composed of Prussians, Bavarians, and WÜrtembergers, were, it is said, about 40,000, against about 10,000 French, who fought with desperate bravery. Witepsk, or Vitepsk. A city of Russia in Europe, where a battle was fought between the French under Marshal Victor, duke of Belluno, and the Russians commanded by Gen. Wittgenstein. The French were defeated after a desperate engagement, with the loss of 3000 men, November 14, 1812. Withstand. To oppose; to resist; as, to withstand the attack of troops. Witness. One who testifies in a cause, or gives evidence before a judicial tribunal; one who gives testimony. Every judge-advocate of a court-martial or court of inquiry has power to issue the like process, to compel witnesses to appear and testify, which courts of criminal jurisdiction within the State, Territory, or District where such military courts are ordered to sit may lawfully issue. For oath administered to witnesses, depositions, etc., see Appendix, Articles of War, 91, 92, and 118. Wittenberg. A fortified town of Prussian Saxony, capital of a circle of the same name in the government of Merseburg, on the Elbe. It has suffered several times from sieges, particularly in 1756 and 1814, having on the latter occasion been taken by storm from the French after a siege of ten months. Wolf-hole. See Trou de Loup. Wolgast. A seaport of Prussia, in Pomerania, situated on the Peene, about 10 miles from its entrance into the Baltic. It is a very old town, and was strongly fortified as early as the 12th century. It was taken and retaken five times between 1628 and 1675; the Russians plundered and burned it in 1713, and the Swedes retook it in 1715. Women and Domestic Relations, Protection of. See Appendix, Articles of War, 58. Wood. The most useful timbers in the United States are: the hickory, which is very tough and inflexible; white oak, tough and pliable; white ash, tough and elastic; black walnut, hard and fine-grained; white poplar, soft, light, fine-grained wood; white pine and other pines, for building; cypress, soft, light, straight-grained, and grows to a large size; dogwood, hard and fine-grained. The timber growing in the centre of a forest is best. Wooden Fuze. See Laboratory Stores. Woolwich. A town of England, in Kent, and is the most ancient military and naval arsenal in England. It is celebrated for its royal dock-yard, where men of war have been built so early as the reign of Henry VIII., 1512. The royal arsenal was formed about 1720; it contains vast magazines of great guns, mortars, shells, powder, and other warlike stores; a foundry with several furnaces for casting ordnance; and a laboratory where fireworks, cartridges, grenades, etc., are made for public service. There is also a royal artillery barracks here which can accommodate nearly 4000 men. About 10,000 persons are employed in Woolwich Arsenal. Woolwich Gun. See Ordnance, Construction of. Woordie-Major. The native adjutant of an Indian irregular cavalry regiment. Worcester. The capital of Worcestershire, England, situated on the left bank of the Severn. It is one of the most ancient cities of the kingdom, and was formerly strongly fortified, as it had to resist frequent attacks from the Welsh, and in turbulent periods of English history was often the object of assault by contending parties. In the civil war the final great battle between the Puritans and the cavaliers took place here. This battle, which Cromwell called his “crowning mercy,” was fought on September 3, 1651, between the Parliamentary troops, commanded by Cromwell in person, and the Scotch army of Charles II. The battle lasted several hours, and at its close Worcestershire. An inland county of England, forming part of the west midland division. Its early history cannot be determined with accuracy. Under the Saxons the county was included in the kingdom of Mercia. It shared in all the great civil wars of England; it was frequently the scene of contests between the Saxons and the Danes; the great battle which decided the fate of Simon de Montfort was fought in the vale of Evesham; and during the civil war Worcestershire was disturbed by frequent skirmishes. The battle which settled Cromwell in possession of the government was fought under the walls of the chief city. See Worcester. Words of Command. Are certain terms which have been adopted for the exercise and movement of military bodies, according to the nature of each particular service. Words of command are classed under two principal heads, and consist of those which are given by the chief or commander of a brigade, or division, and of those which are uttered by the subordinate officers of troops or companies, etc. Cautionary words, are certain leading instructions which are given to designate any particular manoeuvre. The cautionary words precede the words of command. See Commands. Working Party. A body of soldiers told off, by command, to perform certain work or labor foreign to their ordinary duties. The men generally receive additional pay while performing this labor. Works. Are the fortifications about the body of a place. This word is also used to signify the approaches of the besiegers, and the several lines, trenches, etc., made round a place, an army, or the like, for its security. Works, Advanced. See Advanced Works. Works, Detached. See Detached Works. Works, Field-. See Field-works. Worm. See Implements. Worm a Gun, To. To take out the charge of a fire-arm by means of a worm. Worms. A city of Western Germany, grand duchy of Hesse, near the left bank of the Rhine, 26 miles southeast of Mayence. This is one of the oldest, and in the early history of Germany was one of the most important, towns in the country. After its destruction by Attila the Hun about the middle of the 5th century, it was rebuilt by Clovis in 496. It afterwards became the seat of many Frankish and Carlovingian kings. Worms was also the seat of many imperial diets, the best known of which is that of 1521, when Luther appeared before the emperor Charles V. In 1689 it was burned by order of Louis XIV.; and was taken by the French under Custine, October 4, 1792. Here, in 1743, an offensive and defensive alliance was entered into by Great Britain and Austria with Sardinia. Worst, To. To defeat; to overthrow; to put to the rout. WÖrth. A village of Alsace, at the junction of the Sulzbach und the Sauerbach, is noted as the point where the first decisive encounter took place between the French and German armies, August 6, 1870. After storming Wissenbourg on August 4, 1870, the crown-prince of Prussia with the 3d army (about 120,000) marched rapidly forward and surprised part of the French army under Marshal MacMahon, including the corps of Canrobert and Failly (about 47,000), and defeated it in a long, desperate, and sanguinary engagement near this place. The battle lasted from 7 A.M. till 4 P.M. The chief struggles occurred in the country around Reichshoffen and in the village of Froeschweiller; the French are said to have charged the German line eleven times, each time breaking it, but always finding a fresh mass behind. The ridge on which WÖrth stands was not captured until the French were taken in flank by the Bavarians and WÜrtembergers. Nearly all MacMahon’s staff were killed, and the marshal himself unhorsed, fell fainting into a ditch, from which he was rescued by a soldier. He then, on foot, directed the retreat towards Saverne, to cover the passes of the Vosges. The victory is attributed to the very great numerical superiority of the Germans (about 130,000) as well as to their excellent strategy. The French loss has been estimated at 20,000 killed and wounded, and about 6000 prisoners, 2 eagles, 6 mitrailleures, 30 cannon, and much baggage. The Germans are stated to have had above 8000 men put hors de combat. It was admitted that MacMahon had acted as an able and brave commander. Wounded, The. All the individuals belonging to an army who may have been maimed, or otherwise hurt in battle. Wreath, Wreathed. In heraldry, a wreath is a twisted garland of silk of different colors, otherwise called a torce, on which it has, since the 14th century, been usual to place the crest. The side-view of a wreath exhibits six divisions, which are generally tinctured with the living colors,—that is, the principal metal and color of the shield. Every crest is now understood to be placed upon a wreath, except when it is expressly stated to issue out of a chapeau or coronet. A wreath, when represented alone, shows its circular form. A Moor’s head is sometimes encircled with a heraldic wreath. A wreath is always understood to be the twisted garland of silk above explained, unless otherwise specified; but wreaths of laurel, oak, ivy, etc., sometimes occur, and savages used as supporters are often wreathed about the head and middle with laurel. Ordinaries are occasionally wreathed, otherwise called tortille, in which case they are represented as if composed of two colors, twisted as in the heraldic wreath; as in the coat of Carmichael, argent, a fess wreathed azure and gules. Wright-fuze. See Laboratory Stores. Wrong. To guard against injustice and oppression in the army, the Articles of War (see Appendix, Articles of War) clearly point out the mode of redress to every individual in the service, who considers himself wronged by his superiors. Wrought Iron. See Ordnance, Metals for. WÜrtemberg, or Wirtemberg, Kingdom of. A state in the southwest of Germany, which was erected into a kingdom in 1806. It was originally part of Suabia, and was made a county for Ulric I., about 1265, and a duchy in 1495. WÜrtemberg has been repeatedly traversed by hostile armies, particularly since the revolution of France. Moreau made his celebrated retreat October 23, 1796. This kingdom opposed Prussia in the war of 1866, but made peace on August 31, following. On November 5, 1870, it joined the other German states in the formation of the German empire. Wyandot Indians. See Huron Indians. Wyoming. A Territory of the United States, organized July 25, 1868, from a region attached to Dakota, but formerly included in Idaho, and still earlier known as part of Nebraska. Its average length from east to west is 355 miles, and its breadth 276 miles. This Territory has been overrun several times by hostile Indians, but under the strong hand of the military the country is becoming rapidly settled. Wyoming Valley. A beautiful fertile valley on the Susquehanna River, in Pennsylvania. It is 21 miles long by 3 wide, and surrounded by mountains 1000 feet high. It was purchased about 1765 by a Connecticut company from the Delaware Indians; but the settlers were soon dispersed by hostile savages. In 1769, forty families came from Connecticut, but found a party of Pennsylvanians in possession, and for several years there were continual contests of the settlers with the Indians, and with each other. In 1776, the settlers armed for their own defense against the English and their Indian allies; but in 1778 most of their troops were called to join the army under Washington. On June 30, a force of 400 British provincials, or “Tories,” and 700 Seneca Indians, led by Col. John Butler, entered the valley, and were opposed by 300 men, under Col. Zebulon Butler. On July 3, the settlers were driven to the shelter of Fort Forty (so called from the original number of families), with the loss of two-thirds of their number, many soldiers and inhabitants being murdered. On the 5th, the remnant of the troops surrendered, and they and the inhabitants were either massacred or driven from the valley, which was left a smoking solitude. Wyvern. A fictitious monster of the Middle Ages, of frequent occurrence in heraldry. It resembles a dragon, but has only two legs and feet, which are like those of the eagle. Ornamental line
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