Angora. See Ancyra.
Angouleme. A city in the department of Charente, France. It was ruined by the Normans during the 9th century, and devastated several times during the 16th century.
Anguis. A flag adopted by the Romans, which was carried at the head of a cohort (the tenth part of a Roman legion, consisting of 600 men); this flag resembled a serpent in shape, and was more commonly called draco.
Angusticlave. A robe or tunic embroidered with purple studs or knobs, and with narrow purple stripes, worn by Roman knights, to distinguish them from members of the senatorian order, who wore a garment with broad stripes, called latus clavus.
Anholt, Island of (Denmark). Was taken possession of by England, May 18, 1809, in the French war, on account of Danish cruisers injuring British commerce. The Danes made an attempt to regain it with a force which exceeded 1000 men, but were gallantly repulsed by the British force, not amounting to more than 150, March 27, 1811.
Animate, To. In a military sense, is to encourage, to incite, to add fresh impulse to any body of men who are advancing against an enemy, or to prevent them from shamefully abandoning their colors in critical situations.
Anime (Fr.). A sort of ancient cuirass, also called brigandine; was used in Italy until the 17th century, under the name of anima, or animetta.
Anio (now Teverone). A river of ancient Italy, an affluent of the Tiber. On its banks the Romans gained two great battles over the Gauls, one by Camillus about 367 B.C., and the other about sixty years afterwards.
Aniocrater. The highest military rank of the Lacedæmonians; one who commanded the whole army during the absence of the king.
Anippus. Name of the light cavalry of the Grecians.
Anisocycle. An ancient machine of a spiral form, like the spring of a watch, used for throwing arrows to a great distance.
Anitorgis. A city in Spain, near which Asdrubal, general of the Carthaginians, gained a memorable battle over the Romans under Scipio and his brother Publius, in 212 B.C.
Anjou, or Beauge, Battle of. Between the English and French; the latter commanded by the Dauphin of France, March 22, 1421. The English were defeated; the Duke of Clarence was slain by Sir Allan Swinton, a Scotch knight, and 1500 men perished on the field; the Earls of Somerset, Dorset, and Huntingdon were taken prisoners. Beauge was the first battle that turned the tide of success against the English.
Annals. A species of military history, wherein events are related in the chronological order they happened. They differ from a perfect history, in being only a mere relation of what passes every year, as a journal is of what passes every day.
Annatinæ. Were transport-ships (so called by Julius Cæsar) in which were transported provisions, etc., to armies and fleets. Also called Corbitæ.
Anneau d’Or (Fr.). A gold ring. In accordance with the example of the ancients, Francis I. of France instituted a military recompense in the shape of an anneau, for all who distinguished themselves in any military enterprise.
Annee de Corbie (Fr.). Name given to the year 1636, when the capture of Corbie (by the Austrians), a small city of the department of the Somme, France (during the war which Richelieu had decided to undertake against the Austrian house), nearly caused the overthrow of France.
Anne, St., Order of. An order of knighthood, originally established in Holstein, and carried with the princes of that country into Russia. It was made a Russian order in 1796, and is now widely diffused.
Annihilate. To reduce to nothing; to destroy the existence of; to cause or cease to be; as, the army was annihilated.
Annoy. To injure or disturb by continued or repeated acts; to incommode or molest; as, to annoy an army by impeding their march, or by a continued cannonade.
Annuity. A sum of money payable yearly, to continue for a given number of years, for life or forever; an annual allowance. The U. S. government furnishes annuities and annuity goods to certain tribes of Indians.
Annul. To make void, or of no effect; to abrogate; to rescind;—used of laws, decisions of courts, or other established rules, permanent usages, and the like, which are made void by competent authority.
Annunciada. An order of military knighthood in Savoy, first instituted by Amadeus I. in the year 1409; their collar was of fifteen links, interwoven one with another, and the motto “F. E. R. T.,” signifying fortitudo ejus Rhodum tenuit. Amadeus VIII. changed the image of St. Maurice, patron of Savoy, which hung at the collar, for that of the Virgin Mary, and instead of the motto above mentioned, substituted the words of the angel’s salutation. Now extinct.
Anse des Pieces (Fr.). A term for the handles of cannon. Those of brass have two, those of iron seldom any. These handles serve to pass cords, handspikes, or levers through, the more easily to move so heavy a body, and are made to represent dolphins, serpents, etc.
Antandros (now St. Dimitri). A city of Troas, inhabited by the Leleges, near which Æneas built his fleet after the destruction of Troy.
Antecessores, or Antecursores. Light cavalry of the Romans, which formed the advance-guard of an army while on the march.
Antemuraille. In ancient military art, denoted what now the moderns generally call the outworks.
Antepilani. Soldiers of a Roman legion who composed the first and second ranks in line of battle, and who were accordingly placed in front of the third rank. The first rank was called hastati, the second principes, and the third pilani, or triarii.
Antequera. A city in Spain, formerly fortified; besieged and captured from the Moors by Ferdinand of Castile, September 16, 1410; he also defeated under the walls of this city the Moorish king of Toledo, who had an army of 100,000 men.
Antesignani. A name given to the soldiers of the Roman army who protected the colors, etc.; according to some authorities they were the hastati or principes, and according to others they were a select detachment consisting of picked soldiers.
Antestature (Fr.). A small intrenchment or work formed of palisades or sacks of earth.
Anthony, St., Knights of. A military order instituted by Albert, Duke of Bavaria, Holland, and Zealand, when he designed to make war against the Turks in 1382. The knights wore a collar of gold made in the form of a hermit’s girdle, from which hung a stick like a crutch, with a little bell, as they are represented in St. Anthony’s pictures.
Antibes. A city in the department of Alpes Maritimes, France. It was ruined some time after the capture of Marseilles by Cæsar. This city was fortified by Francis I. and Henry IV.; besieged without success by the Imperials in 1746.
Anti-corrosion. A lacker applied to iron traversing platforms, gun-carriages, and the outside of guns. See Lacker.
Antietam. A small, deep river in Maryland, which empties into the Potomac about 6 miles above Harper’s Ferry. Here was fought a terrible battle on September 17, 1862, between the Federals, under Gen. McClellan, and the Confederates, under Gen. Lee. After his victory at Bull Run, August 30, Lee invaded Maryland, and was immediately followed by McClellan. On September