A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer. Thomas Wilhelm
Apollo.
Ægolethron (Gr.). A plant. This word means goat and death. It was believed by the ancients that this plant would kill goats only, if eaten by them. Xenophon reports that the soldiers of the army of the “Ten Thousand” tasted of some honey prepared from this plant which caused them to be affected with hallucinations.
Ægospotamos (“Stream of the Goat”). A small river flowing into the Hellespont, in the Thracian Chersonese; is famous for the defeat of the Athenian fleet by the Lacedæmonians under Lysander, which put an end to the Peloponnesian war, and to the predominance of Athens in Greece, 405 B.C.
Æneatores. In military antiquity, the musicians in an army, including those who sounded the trumpets, horns, etc.
Ærarium Militare. In Roman antiquity, the war treasury of Rome, founded by Augustus; in addition to other revenues, the one-hundredth part of all merchandise sold in Rome was paid into it.
Æro. A basket used by the Roman soldiers to carry earth in to construct fortifications.
Ærumnula. A wooden pole or fork, introduced among the Romans by Consul Marius. Each soldier was provided with one of these poles, which had attached thereto a saw, hatchet, a sack of wheat, and baggage; and he was compelled to carry it on a march.
Affair. An action or engagement, not of sufficient magnitude to be termed a battle.
Affamer (Fr.). To besiege a place so closely as to starve the garrison and inhabitants.
Affidavit. In military law is an oath duly subscribed before any person authorized to administer it. In the U. S. service, in the absence of a civil officer any commissioned officer is empowered to administer an oath.
Afforciament. An old term for a fortress or stronghold.
Afghanistan. A large country in Central Asia, at war with England 1838, and 1878–79.
Afrancesados (Sp.). Name given to the Spaniards who upheld the oath of allegiance to king Joseph Bonaparte; also called Josephins (in the Peninsular war).
Aga. Rank of an officer in the Turkish army; the same as a general with us.
Age. In a military sense, a young man must be 14 years old before he can become an officer in the English army, or be entered as a cadet at Woolwich, in the English military academy. For admission to the military academy at West Point, U. S., the age is from 17 to 22 years. Men are enlisted for soldiers at from 17 to 45 in the English army, and in the U. S. army at from 18 to 35. Officers in the U. S. army may be retired, at the discretion of the President, at 62 years of age.
Agema (Gr.). In the ancient military art, a kind of soldiery, chiefly in the Macedonian army. The word is Greek, and denotes vehemence, to express the strength and eagerness of this corps.
Agen. Principal place of the department Lot-et-Garonne, France, on the right bank of the river Garonne, which has a city of the same name, and was the scene of many battles.
Agency. A certain proportion of money which is ordered to be subtracted from the pay and allowances of the British army, for transacting the business of the several regiments comprising it.
Agent, Army. A person in the civil department of the British army, between the paymaster-general and the paymaster of the regiment, through whom every regimental concern of a pecuniary nature is transacted.
Agger. In ancient military writings, denotes the middle part of a military road raised into a ridge, with a gentle slope on each side to make a drain for the water, and keep the way dry; it is also used for a military road. Agger also denotes a work or fortification, used both for the defense and attack of towns, camps, etc., termed among the moderns, lines. Agger is also used for a bank or wall erected against the sea or some great river to confine or keep it within bounds, and called by modern writers, dam, sea-wall.
Agiades. In the Turkish armies are a kind of pioneers, or rather field engineers, employed in fortifying the camp, etc.
Agiem-clich. A very crooked sabre, rounded near the point; an arm much in use in Persia and Turkey.
Agincourt, or Azincourt. A village of France, celebrated for a great battle fought near it in 1415, wherein Henry V. of England defeated the French.
Agmen. Roman name for an army on the march.
Agminalis. Name given by the ancients to a horse which carried baggage, equipments, etc., on its back; now termed pack-horse.
Agnadello. Village in the duchy of Milan, on a canal between the rivers Adda and Serio, celebrated by the victory of Louis XII., king of France, over the Venetian and Papal troops in 1509, and by a battle between Prince Eugene and the Duke of Vendôme in 1705.
Agrigente (now Girgenti). City in Sicily, situated on the Mediterranean; sacked by the Carthaginians under Amilcar in 400 B.C., and taken twice by the Romans in 262 and 210 B.C.
Aguebelle. City in the province of Maurienne, in Savoy. The French and Spaniards defeated the troops of the Duke of Savoy in 1742.
Aguerri (Fr.). A term applied to an officer or soldier experienced in war.
Agustina. See Saragossa, Maid of.
Ahmednuggur. A strong fortress in the Deccan, 30 miles from Poonah, which was formerly in the possession of Scindia, but fell to the British arms during the campaign conducted by Gen. Wellesley.
Aidan (Prince). See Scotland.
Aid-de-camp. An officer selected by a general to carry orders; also to represent him in correspondence and in directing movements.
Aid-major (Fr.). The adjutant of a regiment.
Aigremore. A term used by the artificer in the laboratory, to express the charcoal in a state fitted for the making of powder.
Aiguille (Fr.). An instrument used by engineers to pierce a rock for the lodgment of powder, as in a mine, or to mine a rock, so as to excavate and make roads.
Aiguillettes. A decoration, consisting of bullion cords and loops, which was formerly worn on the right shoulder of general officers, and is now confined to the officers of household cavalry; also worn in the U. S. army by officers of the adjutant-general’s department, aids-de-camp, and adjutants of regiments.
Aiguillon. A city in France; while in the possession of the English in 1345, it was besieged by the Duke of Normandy, son of Philip de Valois. According to some authors, cannons were used on this occasion for the first time in France.
Aile (Fr.). A wing or flank of an army or fortification.
Ailettes (Fr.). Literally “little wings,” were appendages to the armor worn behind or at the side of the shoulders by knights in the 13th century. They were made of leather covered with cloth, and fastened by silk laces. They are supposed to have been worn as a defense to the shoulders in war.
Aim. The act of bringing a musket, piece of ordnance, or any other missive weapon, to its proper line of direction with the object intended to be struck.
Aim-frontlet. A piece of wood hollowed out to fit the middle of a gun, to make it of an equal height with the breech; formerly made use of by the gunners, to level and direct their pieces.
Aiming Drill. A military exercise to teach men to aim fire-arms. Great importance is justly attached to this preliminary step in target practice.
Aiming-stand.