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a helmet.
Bavin. The old word for fascine.
Bayberry Tallow. A product of the wax myrtle, used as lubricant for bullets.
Bayeux. A city in the department of Calvados, France, 17 miles west-northwest of Caen; captured and sacked by Henry I. of England in 1106; by Philip of Navarre in 1356; the English took possession of it, 1450; the Protestants in 1561; Lamoricière for the League in 1589, and the Duke of Montpensier in 1590.
Baylen. A town in Southern Spain, where on July 20, 1808, the French, commanded by Gens. Dupont and Wedel, were defeated by the Spaniards under Reding, Coupigny, and other generals, whose force amounted to 25,000.
Bayonet. A triangular dagger, made with a hollow handle and a shoulder, to fix on the muzzle of a rifle, so that its presence does not impede either the charging or firing of the piece. It is said to have been invented at Bayonne, in France, about 1647, 1670, or 1690. It was used at Killiecrankie in 1689, and at Marsaglia by the French in 1693, “with great success against the enemy, unprepared for the encounter with so formidable a novelty.” Bayonets are sometimes made in other shapes. See Sword-bayonet and Trowel-bayonet.
Bayonet Exercise. A drill in fencing with the bayonet fixed on the gun.
Bayonet Scabbard. A leather or metallic case for carrying the bayonet suspended from the belt.
Bayonne. An ancient city in Southern France, at the confluence of the Adour and Nive; held by the British from 1295 till it was taken by Charles VII. The queens of Spain and France met here in 1565 the cruel Duke of Alva, it is supposed to arrange the massacre of St. Bartholomew. Charles IV. of Spain abdicated here in favor of his “friend and ally,” the emperor Napoleon, May 4, 1808. In the neighborhood of Bayonne was much desperate fighting between the French and English armies, December 10, 11, and 13, 1813; invested by the British January 14, 1814; on April 14, the French made a sally and attacked the English with success, but were at length driven back. The loss of the British was considerable, and Lieut.-Gen. Sir John Hope was wounded and taken prisoner.
Bayou. A long and narrow place; a branch of a trench in fortification; a hose or leathern pipe; the outlet of a lake; a channel for water.
Baza. A city in Andalusia, Spain; it was taken by the Spaniards under Ferdinand V. from the Moors in December, 1489, after a siege of nearly seven months; in 1810 the Spaniards under Gens. Blake and Freire were defeated by the French under Marshal Soult.
Bazar. The sutler establishment which accompanies a native regiment in the India service wherever it goes.
Bazeilles. A village in the Ardennes, Northeast France. During the dreadful battle of Sedan, September 1, 1870, Bazeilles was burnt by the Bavarians, and outrages committed. Of nearly 2000 inhabitants scarcely 50 remained alive, and these indignantly denied having given provocation. The cause of provocation appears to have been that an old woman whose husband and sons had been killed had fired upon and killed two Bavarians.
Bazoche-des-Hautes. Near Orleans, Central France. Here a part of the army of the Loire, under Gen. d’Aurelle de Paladines, was defeated after a severe action by the Germans under the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, December 2, 1870.
Beach-master. Formerly a superior officer, appointed to superintend the disembarkation of an attacking force, who holds plenary powers, and generally leads the storming-party. His acts when in the heat of action are unquestioned.
Beachy Head. A promontory, Southeast Sussex, England, near which the British and Dutch fleets, commanded by the earl of Torrington, were defeated by a superior French force under Admiral Tourville, June 30, 1690; the allies suffered very severely. The Dutch lost 2 admirals, 500 men, and several ships—sunk to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy; the English lost 2 ships and 400 men. The admirals on both sides were blamed—the English for not fighting, the French for not pursuing the victory.
Beacon. A signal-fire to notify the approach of an enemy.
Bear. In a military sense, a piece of ordnance is said to bear, or come to bear, or is brought to bear, when pointed directly against the object; that is, pointed to hit the object.
Bear, Order of. Was a military order in Switzerland, instituted by the emperor Frederick II. in 1213, by way of acknowledgment for the service the Swiss had done him, and in favor of the abbey of St. Gall. To the collar of the order hung a medal, on which was represented a bear raised on an eminence of earth.
Beard. The reflected points of the head of an ancient arrow, particularly of such as were jagged.
Beat. In a military sense, to gain the day, to win the battle, etc.
Beating the Wind. Was a practice in use in the ancient method of trial by combat. If one of the combatants did not appear in the field at the time appointed, the other was to make so many flourishes with his weapon, by which he was entitled to all the advantages of a conqueror.
Beaucéant, or Beaucent (Fr.). Standard of the Knights Templar; it was white on one side and black on the other.
Beaugency. An ancient town of France, in the department of Loiret, and situated on the right bank of the Loire. It was at one time surrounded by walls, flanked with towers and bastions, and defended by a strong castle, now ruined. In the history of the wars of France Beaugency occupies a conspicuous place; it was successively in the hands of the Huns, Saxons, Normans, and English, but the town sustained most damage during the religious wars of the 16th century.
Beaumont. A town in the department of the Somme, France; here the French routed the allies, June 16, 1815.
Beaumont. A village near Sedan, department of Ardennes, Northeast France. Near here a part of the army of Marshal MacMahon, under De Failly, which, after vainly endeavoring to reach Metz, was retreating before the Germans under the crown prince of Prussia, was surprised, defeated, and driven across the Meuse at Mouzon, August 30, 1870. The French loss included about 7000 prisoners, many guns, and much camp equipage. The victory was chiefly gained by the Bavarians.
Beaune-la-Rolande. A village in the Loiret, France. Here the French army of the Loire under Gen. d’Aurelle de Paladines was defeated by the Germans under Prince Frederick Charles, in an attempt to march in the direction of Fontainebleau, to relieve Paris, November 28, 1870. The French loss was reported by the Germans to be 1000 dead and 4000 wounded, with more than 1700 prisoners. Their own loss was also heavy.
Beauvais (Northern France). The ancient Bellovaci, formerly capital of Picardy. When besieged by Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, with 80,000 men, the women under Jeanne Fourquet or Lainé, also called de la Hachette, from her using that weapon, particularly distinguished themselves, and the duke raised the siege, July 10, 1472. In memory of this, the women of Beauvais walk first in the procession on the anniversary of their deliverance.
Bebra. A sort of javelin, used by the ancient Germans; it was an imitation of the pilum of the Romans.
Bec de Corbin (Fr.). A kind of halbert formerly used by the body-guards of the kings of France.
Bechlis. Light cavalry of the Turks, composed of picked men and horses.
Bedaines (Fr.). Stone bullets which were thrown from catapults during the Middle Ages.
Bednore, or Nuggur. A large city of Mysore, India. In 1763 it was taken and pillaged by Hyder Ali, who subsequently made it the seat of his own government. It was taken by the British under Gen. Matthews in 1783, but was soon retaken by Tippoo, at the head of a vastly superior force, when Gen. Matthews and all the principal British officers were put to death.
Bedouins.