Bags, Cartridge-. See Cartridge.
Bags of Powder. Are used to blow down gates, stockades, and slight obstructions. In future wars the higher explosives will probably be used for such purposes.
Bahama Isles (North America). Were the first points of discovery by Columbus. New Providence was settled by the English in 1629. They were expelled by the Spaniards in 1641; returned in 1666; again expelled in 1703. These isles were formally ceded to the English in 1783. The Bahamas profited by blockade-running during the American civil war, 1861–65.
Bahar. A province in Northern India; conquered by Baber in 1530. Bahar, Bengal, and Orissa, a princely dominion, became subject to the English East India Company in 1765, by the treaty of Allahabad.
Baiclaklar. A color-bearer in the Turkish army.
Baiky. The ballium, or inclosed plat of ground in an ancient fort.
Bail. A stout iron yoke placed over heavy guns and fitting closely over the ends of the trunnions, to which it is attached by pins in the axis of the trunnions; used to raise or lower the gun by means of the gin.
Baille (Fr.). A term formerly used to designate a work or fortification which served as an outpost or exterior defense.
Baionnier (Fr.). A name formerly given to soldiers who were armed with a bayonet.
Baker, Post. The person who bakes bread for a garrison. In the U. S. service an enlisted man, who receives additional pay for his labor.
Bakery, or Bakehouse. See Ovens.
Balaklava. A small town in the Crimea, with a fine harbor, about 10 miles from Sebastopol. Near here about 12,000 Russians, commanded by Gen. Liprandi, were repulsed by a furious charge of heavy English cavalry, led by Brig.-Gen. Scarlett, under the orders of Lord Lucan, October 25, 1854. After this, from an unfortunate misconception of Lord Raglan’s order, Lord Lucan ordered Lord Cardigan, with the light cavalry, to charge the Russian army, which had reformed on its own ground, with its artillery in front. This order was most gallantly obeyed, and great havoc was made on the Russians; but of 670 British horsemen only 198 returned (termed by Tennyson “The Charge of the Six Hundred”). On March 22, 1855, a sortie from the garrison of Sebastopol led to a desperate engagement here, in which the Russians were vigorously repulsed, with the loss of 2000 men killed and wounded; the allies lost about 600.
Balance-step. An exercise in squad drill, a preliminary to marching.
Balbec. See Baalbec.
Baldrick, or Baudrick. A girdle, or richly ornamented belt, worn pendent from one shoulder across the breast, and under the opposite arm.
Bale, or Basel. One of the largest towns in Switzerland; captured and burned by the Hungarians in 917. In 1444 there was a bloody battle fought about a quarter of a mile beyond its gates, called the battle of St. Jacob, between the Swiss, 1600 strong, and a French army that was twenty times their number, commanded by the dauphin, afterwards Louis XII. For ten hours the brave Swiss band kept this large army in check; but nearly all the Swiss fell, not more than 10, according to some accounts, escaping alive. This exploit first spread the fame of Swiss valor, and led to the enrollment of the Swiss body-guard of France. The treaties of peace between France and Spain, and France and Prussia, were signed here, July 22, 1795.
Balearic Islands. A group of islands in the Mediterranean; conquered by the Romans 123 B.C.; by the Vandals about 426 B.C., and formed part of Charlemagne’s empire, 799. They were conquered by the Moors about 1005, and held by them till about 1280, when they were annexed by Aragon. See Majorca and Minorca.
Balista. A machine in ancient warfare used for throwing stones, burning objects, leaden balls, and even dead and putrefied bodies. The latter were thrown to cause sickness in besieged cities.
Balistarium. A store-room or arsenal in which the Romans stored their balistas.
Balister. A term applied in ancient times to a cross-bow.
Balistrier. A name applied to cross-bow men in ancient times.
Balkan. The ancient Hæmus, a range of mountains extending from the Adriatic to the Euxine. Their passage, up to that time deemed impracticable, was completed by the Russians under Diebitsch during the Russian and Turkish war, July 26, 1829. An armistice was the consequence, and a treaty of peace was signed at Adrianople, September 14, following. The Balkan was again crossed by the victorious Russians in the face of all opposition during the Russian and Turkish war, 1877.
Balks. Joist-shaped spars, which rest between the cleats upon the saddles of two pontons, to support the chess or flooring.
Ball. Is a general term applied to every kind of spherical shot fired from a musket, rifle, or cannon. Leaden balls are chiefly used for the small-arms and iron for the artillery. See Cartridge, Shot, Shells.
Ball and Chain. For serious offenses soldiers are sometimes sentenced to wear a 6- or 12-pounder ball attached by a chain to the leg.
Ball-cartridge. A cartridge containing a ball.
Ballinamuck. A town in the county of Longford, Ireland. Here, on September 8, 1798, the Irish rebels and their French auxiliaries were defeated and captured.
Ballistea. In antiquity, songs accompanied by dancing, used on occasions of victory.
Ballistic, or Electro-ballistic Machine. Is a machine designed to determine by electricity the initial velocity of a projectile. The West Point ballistic machine, devised for use at the Military Academy by Col. Benton, of the ordnance department, and since adopted by that department, consists of a bed-plate of metal supporting an arc placed in a perpendicular position, and graduated. Suspended perpendicular to the plane of this arc are two pendulums, having a common axis of motion passing through the centre. Two electro-magnets are attached to the horizontal limb of the arc to hold up the pendulums when they are deflected through angles of 90°. There is also an apparatus which records the point at which the pendulums pass each other, when they fall by the breaking of the currents which excite the magnets, two targets being placed so as to support the wires in a position to be cut by the projectile. The velocity of the electric currents being considered instantaneous, and the loss of the power of the magnets simultaneous with the rupture of the currents, it follows that each pendulum begins to move at the instant that the projectile cuts the wire, and that the interval of time corresponds to the difference of the arcs described by the pendulums up to the time of meeting.
Ballistic Pendulum. A machine consisting of a massive block of wood suspended by a bar. It was devised for experiments on the initial velocities of cannon-shot. The shot being fired into the block, the velocity is calculated from the vibrating effect on the pendulum.
Ballistics. Is that branch of gunnery which treats of the motion of projectiles.
Ballistraria. Cruciform apertures in the walls of a stronghold, through which the cross-bow men discharged their bolts. It also signified a projecting turret, otherwise called a bartizan, such as is commonly seen in old castles.
Ballium. A term used in ancient military art, and probably