Bregenz, or Bregentz. A town of Tyrol, Austria; it was occupied by the French in 1799.
Breisach, Old. A very old town of the grand duchy of Baden; taken by Ariovistus when he invaded Gaul. Being regarded as the key to the west of Germany, it was a prominent scene of action during the Thirty Years’ War, at the conclusion of which it was ceded to the French. During the next century it frequently changed masters, now belonging to France and now to Austria; its fortifications were destroyed by the French in 1744, and during the war of the Revolution, in 1793, part of the town was burned by them. In 1806 the French handed it over to the house of Baden.
Breitenfeld. A village and manor of Saxony, about 5 miles north of Leipsic. It is historically remarkable for three battles, fought on a plain in its neighborhood. The first of these, between the Swedes and the Imperialists, which was fought September 7, 1631, was of the highest importance to Europe, as it secured the permanency of Protestantism and the freedom of Germany. Tilly’s pride had reached its highest point after the fall of Magdeburg, which took place on May 20, 1631; and in the early part of September of the same year he advanced against the Saxons with an army of about 40,000 men for the purpose of forcing the elector, John George I., into an alliance with the emperor. Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, joined by the Saxons, advanced towards Leipsic, where Tilly lay, the latter advancing into the plain of Breitenfeld. The Imperial forces were completely defeated, and their three most distinguished generals, Tilly, Pappenheim, and Fürstenberg, wounded. The second battle which Breitenfeld witnessed again, resulted in the triumph of Swedish valor: it took place on October 23, 1642, between the Swedes, headed by Torstenson, one of the pupils of Gustavus, who had invested Leipsic, and the Archduke Leopold, with Gen. Piccolomini, who were advancing from Dresden to its relief. The Swedes gained a complete victory over the Imperialists, who fled into Bohemia, leaving behind them 46 cannon, 121 flags, 69 standards, and the whole of their baggage. The third battle of which Breitenfeld was the scene was fought on October 16–18, 1813. See Leipsic.
Bremen (Northern Germany). Said to have been founded in 788; in 1648 it was erected into a duchy and held by Sweden till 1712; it was taken possession of by Denmark in 1731, by whom it was ceded to Hanover; it was taken by the French in 1757, who were expelled by the Hanoverians in 1758; annexed by Napoleon to the French empire in 1810; its independence restored in 1813; its old franchises in 1815 It became a member of the North German Confederation in 1866.
Brenneville (Northwest France). Here Henry I. of England defeated Louis VI. of France, who had embraced the cause of William Clinton, son of Robert, duke of Normandy, August 20, 1119.
Brenta. A river which rises in Tyrol and flows, after a course of 90 miles, into the Adriatic Sea, at Porto di Brondolo. On the banks of this river the French twice defeated the Austrians in 1796.
Brentford. A county town of Middlesex, England. Here Edmund Ironside defeated the Danes, May, 1016. It was taken by Charles I., after a sharp fight, November 12, 1642.
Brescelia, or Bregelia (anc. Brixellum). A town on the right bank of the Po, in North Italy. Here the emperor Otho put himself to death in 69. On May 20, 1427, an army under Duke Philip Maria Visconti, of Milan, was here defeated by an army sent against him by the republic of Venice, under Francis Carmagnola.
Brescia. A town in Northern Italy (the ancient Brixia), became important under the Lombards, and suffered by the wars of the Italian republics, being attached to Venice. It was taken by the French under Gaston de Foix in 1512, when it is said 40,000 of the inhabitants were massacred. It surrendered to the Austrian general Haynau, March 30, 1849, on severe terms; annexed to Sardinia in 1859.
Breslau. Capital of the province of Silesia, Prussia; it was burnt by the Mongols in 1241, and conquered by Frederick II. of Prussia in January, 1741. A fierce battle took place here between the Austrians and Prussians, the latter under Prince Bevern, who was defeated November 22,1757. Breslau was taken, but was regained, December 21, the same year; besieged by the French, and surrendered to them January, 1807, and again in 1813.
Bressuire. A small town of France, department of Deux-Sèvres; it was fortified during the Middle Ages, and was captured from the English by the celebrated Du Guesclin in 1373; it was nearly destroyed during the wars of La Vendée.
Brest. A seaport in Northwestern France; besieged by Julius Cæsar, 54 B.C.; possessed by the English in 1378; given up to the Duke of Brittany in 1390. Lord Berkeley and a British fleet and army were repulsed here with dreadful loss in 1694. The magazine burnt to the value of some millions of pounds sterling, 1744; marine hospital, with 50 galley-slaves, burnt, in 1766; the magazine again destroyed by fire, July 10, 1784. England maintained a large blockading squadron off the harbor from 1793 to 1815, but with little injury to France. It is now a chief naval station of France, and from the fortifications and other vast works of late construction it is considered impregnable.
Bretigny, Peace of. Concluded with France, May 8, 1360, by which England retained Gascony and Guienne, and acquired other provinces; renounced her pretensions to Maine, Anjou, Touraine, and Normandy; was to receive 3,000,000 crowns, and to release King John, long a prisoner. The treaty not being carried out, the king remained and died in London.
Breuci. A powerful people of Pannonia, near the confluence of the Savus and the Danube, took an active part in the insurrection of the Pannonians and Dalmatians against the Romans, 6 A.D.
Brevet. An honorary rank conferred upon an officer, for meritorious services, above the rank he holds in his own corps. In the U. S. army rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for “gallant actions or meritorious services.” A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the President. Officers while so serving under assignment are said to have local rank (which see).
Brevet. To confer rank or title upon by brevet.
Brevetcy. The rank or condition of a brevet.
Bricole. An improved kind of traces used by the French in drawing and manœuvring artillery; analogous to the old drag-rope, but having the addition of a leather strap or girdle with a buckle, to which the drag is affixed, and an iron ring and hook at the end to drag by.
Bridge. A structure usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron, erected over a river or other water-course, or over a ravine, railroad, etc., to make a continuous roadway from one bank to the other.
Bridge. In gunnery, two pieces of timber which go between the two transoms of a gun-carriage. Not used in the U. S. service.
Bridge, Flying. See Pontons.
Bridge, Trail. See Pontons.
Bridge, Train. See Equipage.
Bridge,