AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
363 
EXPLANATION OF WAR TERMS AND PHRASES 
A Division consists of a force amounting 
to several thousand men, and is composed of 
two or more brigades, as a “ Brigade,” is 
formed by several regiments, which “ Regi¬ 
ments” consist of a certain number of com¬ 
panies. A proportion of artillery is usually 
attached to each division, with one or more 
batteries, so that a division can act as a 
small army, complete in itself. It is a Lieu¬ 
tenant-General’s command, and each brigade 
is under a Major-General. 
The Staff consists of the Generals and 
their Aides-de-camp, Brigade-Majors, As¬ 
sistant Adjutant, and Quartermaster-Gener¬ 
als. 
When civilians read that a division, bri¬ 
gade, or regiment moved in “ close column,” 
“ open column,” or “ column at quarter dis¬ 
tance,” the term, perhaps, conveys no defin¬ 
ite idea to the uninitiated. But if they un¬ 
derstand that a “Close Column” of a regi¬ 
ment is formed by the companies of which it 
is composed being drawn up in rear or close 
behind each other, so that a solid square can 
be formed in a few seconds, or aline formed 
on any named company by the remaining 
companies deploying on the company indi¬ 
cated, which company stands fast during the 
movements of the others, the meaning is at 
once obvious. 
A Column at Quarter Distance has an open 
space between the divisions and companies 
of which it is composed of one-fourth of the 
ground occupied by each, so that by closing 
the first and second to the front, and moving 
up the two rear companies, while the re¬ 
mainder wheel outward by sections, a square, 
four deep, is formed. 
An Open Column is when the companies of 
a regiment are placed behind each other with 
intervening spaces, sufficient to allow each 
company to wheel on its flank or pivot, and 
thus form into line, &c. 
An Echelon Movement is a term applied to 
an oblique line of march, which movement 
is accomplished by wheeling the companies 
a given number of paces, before marching, 
according to the degree of obliquity re¬ 
quired. 
Guns —a term generally applied to field 
artillery, which mostly consists of six, nine, 
and twelve pounders, with a few howitzers, 
which latter are something between a mor¬ 
tar and a gun—half brother to the former 
and cousin german to the latter. The how¬ 
itzer can throw spherical case shot, small 
shells, &c. 
Shells are hollow cast-iron globes, filled 
with gunpowder, &c., in which a fuse is in¬ 
serted, so that when it burns down to the 
powder an explosion takes place, and the 
shell bursts, scattering the shattered frag¬ 
ments in every direction. 
Guns of Position are largerthan field guns, 
and are mostly used in places where an ene¬ 
my occupies a defensive position. Being 
more cumbersome than field guns, they can 
not be moved with the same celerity as the 
smaller cannon, and are therefore notsogen- 
erally used. 
Siege Guns are of heavier metal and lar¬ 
ger calibre than either field guns or guns of 
position, and consequently throw larger pro¬ 
jectiles. A “ Field-Battery” generally con¬ 
sists of six guns with ammunition wagons, 
and the requisite number of horses to draw 
them, and the proper number of officers and 
men to work them. 
A Wing of a regiment implies one half: 
thus every regiment has a right and left wing. 
The same term may be applied also to an 
army. 
Outlying Picquet, or Picket, is a small 
body of men, commanded by an officer. Its 
place is in front of an army, to prevent sur¬ 
prise. Picquets are constantly on the alert, 
and sleep not. This duty generally com¬ 
mences at sunset, and terminates after full 
daylight. 
Inlying Picquet is a similar force, which 
remains in the camp, readily accoutred to 
turn out on the slightest alarm. 
A Covering Party generally consists of 
an officer and forty or fifty men, who take up 
a position in front of the principal trenches, 
and protect the workmen employed therein 
from molestation. 
Trenches are long narrow excavations, 
some feet in depth, the earth from which is 
thrown up towards the enemy, so as to af¬ 
ford shelter to the troops who guard them 
during the night against surprise, &c. Duty 
in the trenches is always unpleasant, and in 
cold weather particularly so, as the,men 
have to remain quiet, or they would bring a 
heavy fire on them, and thus increase the 
danger to which, in trench duty, they are 
more or less exposed. 
Although trench and picquet duties are the 
most arduous that fall to the lot of a soldier, 
yet, in the British army, the officers and 
men so employed, even for months, seldom 
obtain credit or promotion for their service. 
But the French act very differently to their 
troops when engaged in such dangerous and 
fatiguing duties, for we generally hear that 
General Canrobert has promoted and re¬ 
warded with the Legion of Honor, many 
brave men for their gallant conduct in the 
trenches. 
Gabions are baskets of a cylindrical form 
filled with earth, and which are placed op¬ 
posite the enemy’s batteries, as a protection 
to the men when they first break ground, and 
commence to entrench themselves. 
The term Fortiess is applied to a fortified 
place on an extensive scale, that of Fort to 
a smaller fortification. 
A Bastion has two or more faces of such 
a form that, when several of them are joined 
together, a complete pentagon is the result. 
It is called the system of “ reciprocal de¬ 
fense,” as one projecting bastion in the pen¬ 
tagon defends another. A ditch, either wet 
or dry, adds to the difficulty of approach. 
Lunettes are small works usually raised in 
front of sally-ports, &c., and when filled with 
men, are capable of offering considerable re¬ 
sistance. 
A Redan is a triangular work, generally 
constructed in front of a more extensive for¬ 
tification, which it partially protects, and 
renders an attack on it more difficult. 
Embrasures are openings in a work through 
which the guns are pointed. 
Loopholes are small apertures in a work 
through which muskets may be fired. 
Redoubt is a general name for nearly every 
kind of work in field fortification ; redoubts 
are sometimes triangular, with flanks ; some¬ 
times in the form of a star, called a Star 
Fort. Redoubts for the defense of positions 
are in general intended to contain only about 
50 men with three guns ; but works in the 
form of irregular polygons are sometimes 
constructed to contain from 1,000 to 1,500 
men, and from twenty to twenty-five pieces 
of artillery, if intended for the protection of 
any place.— Boston Journal. 
Paste. —Dissolve an ounce of alum in a 
quart of warm water; when cold, add as 
much flour as will make it the consistence of 
cream ; then strew into it as much powdered 
rosin as will stand on a shilling, and two 
or three cloves ; boil it to a consistence, stir¬ 
ring all the time. It will keep for twelve 
months, and when dry, may be softened with 
water. 
The trophies taken during the American 
war are not now exhibited with the other 
curiosities in the London Tower. 
TO ESCAPE FROM PREMISES ON FIRE, 
The Superintendant of the London Fire 
Brigade gives the following judicious direc¬ 
tions for aiding persons to escape from prem¬ 
ises on fire : 
1. Be careful to acquaint yourself with the 
best means of exit from the house, both at 
the top and bottom. 
2. On the first alarm reflect before you act 
If in bed at the time, wrap yourself in a 
blanket or bed-side carpet; open no more 
doors or windows than are absolutely neces¬ 
sary, and shut every door after you. 
3. There is always from eight to twelve 
inches of pure air close to the ground ; and if 
you can not walk upright through the smoke, 
drop on your hands and knees, and thus 
make progress. A wetted silk hankerchief, 
a piece of flannel, or a worsted stocking 
drawn over the face, permits breathing, and 
to a great extent excludes the smoke. 
4. If you can neither make your way up¬ 
wards or downwards, get into a front room ; 
if there is a family, see that they are all col¬ 
lected here, and keep the door closed as 
much as possible, for remember that smoke 
always follows a draught, and fire always 
rushes after smoke. 
5. On no account throw yourself, or allow 
others to throw themselves, from the win¬ 
dow. If no assistance is at hand, and you 
are in extremity, tie, the sheets together, and 
having fastened one end to some heavy piece 
of furniture, let down the women and chil¬ 
dren one .by one, by tying the end of the 
line of sheets around the waist, andlowering 
them through the window that is over the 
door, rather than through the one that is over 
the area. You can easily let yourself down 
after the helpless are saved. 
If a woman’s clothes should catch fire, let 
her instantly roll herself over and over on 
the ground, if a man be present, let him 
throw her down and do the like, and then 
wrap her in a rug, coat or the. first woolen 
thing that is at hand. 
Two Thousand Ladies Bathing at One 
Time. —The Cape May correspondent of the 
Baltimore American says : “ The beach 
presented a scene to-day (Monday) of the 
most spirited and interesting character. The 
number of bathers exceeded that of any pre¬ 
ceding day. Between II and I o’clock there 
could not have been less than 4,000 in the 
surf, fully one-half, as usual, being ladies 
(all in neat dresses) ; many of whom can 
swim, and one lady I saw floating on the 
surface of the water, and riding over the 
swelling surf with the greatest ease imagin¬ 
able. A great number of ladies were unat¬ 
tended, but were fully as able to take care of 
themselves as the sterner sex. The deco¬ 
rum of the surf is never violated, and any 
one who would dare to insult or annoy a 
lady while bathing, would find himself sur¬ 
rounded in a moment by a host of avengers. 
The American character in this respect, is 
displayed at Cape May to its fullest extent, 
and both on shore and among the breakers, 
the ladies feel a greater freedom from for¬ 
malities of all kinds than they would at 
home.” __ 
To Preserve Corn. —First shave the corn 
from the cob with a sharp Knife, and then 
pack in a close vessel corn and salt in alter¬ 
nate layers, until the vessel is full; soak 
well in warm water before cooking, and it 
is just as good as it is in summer. Try it 
all of you who are fond of good eating.— A. 
C. Stephenson, in Tip. Farmer. 
A celebrated poet at one time advertised 
that he would supply “ lines for any occa¬ 
sion.” A fisherman sought him shortly after, 
and “ wanted a line strong enough to catch 
a porpoise.” 
