Caldiero. A village of Northern Italy. Here, just before the battle of Arcola, the French under Napoleon I. were repulsed by the Austrians under Alvinzi in 1796, and in 1805 were beaten under Masséna by the Archduke Charles.
Caledonia. The name given by the Romans to that part of Britain north of the Wall of Antoninus, and afterwards applied to the whole of the country now known as Scotland. The inhabitants were called Caledonii until about the beginning of the 4th century, when they began to be spoken of as Picts and Scots. In 84 they were defeated under their chief Galgacus by the Roman general Agricola, and a great part of the country was overrun by the Romans, who formed many encampments there; but the country was never reduced to a Roman province.
Caliano. A town of the Tyrol, Austria, on the left bank of the Adige. Here the Venetians were defeated by the Austrians in 1487.
Caliber, or Calibre. From the Latin qua librâ, “what pound,” applied first to the weight of a bullet, then to the diameter, which determined the diameter of the gun, now signifies the diameter of the bore of a cannon or any fire-arm, and is expressed in inches or fractional parts of an inch, as a 15-inch gun; a Springfield rifle, caliber .45. Cannon are sometimes also designated by the weight of metal which they throw, as a 24-pounder.
Caliber-rule. A gunner’s calipers; having two scales, to determine the weight of a ball from its diameter, and conversely.
Calicut (now Kolikod). A town in Southwestern India; the first Indian port visited by Vasco de Gama, May 20, 1498. It was seized by Hyder Ali, 1766, and taken by the English, 1790.
California (from the Spanish Caliente Fornalla, “hot furnace,” in allusion to the climate). Was discovered by Cortez in 1537; others say Cabrillo in 1542; and visited by Sir Francis Drake, who named it New Albion in 1579. The Spaniards established missionary and military stations in California, 1698; it became subject to Mexico in 1823; became independent in 1836; occupied by the army of the United States in 1846; ceded to the United States, 1848; admitted into the Union as a sovereign State, 1850.
Caligæ. A kind of half-boots worn by the Roman soldiers. These soldiers were sometimes called Caligati.
Caliper-compass. An instrument by which the bore of cannon, small-arms, etc., is measured; said to have been invented by an artificer of Nuremberg, 1540.
Caliver. A hand-gun or arquebuse; probably the old name for the match-lock or carabine.
Call. A military musical term, signifies a signal given by a trumpet, bugle, or drum.
Callao. A fortified seaport of Peru. Lord Cochrane gallantly cut out the “Esmeralda,” a Spanish ship-of-war, from under the guns of the fort in 1821. Its roadstead (the best on the Peruvian coast) was the scene of a combat between the Spaniards and the Independents; the Colombians took it in 1826. The attempt of the Spanish admiral Nuñez to bombard Callao on May 2, 1866, was defeated by the Peruvians.
Calle, La. A seaport on the coast of Algeria. The French, who possessed it before the revolution of 1789, lost it during that epoch; again occupied it in 1815, but lost it in 1827. It has been in the possession of the French since the conquest of Algeria.
Callinger. One of the hill-forts of Bundelcund. From its position and size, Callinger must at one time have been a place of great strength. It was stormed by the British in 1812.
Calmar. See Kalmar.
Calones. A term applied to menials of the Roman armies; also slaves belonging to the Roman soldiers, who followed their masters to the wars.
Calore. A river in Italy; on its banks the Romans (composed of slaves), commanded by Tiberius (Gracchus), defeated the Carthaginian general Hanno in 215. After the battle each Roman (slave) who could present the head of an enemy slain by him was granted his freedom.
Calpee, or Kalpee. A city of India, in Bundelcund, on the right bank of the river Jumna. It was conquered by the British in 1803, and in May, 1858, was captured by Gen. Rose from the mutinous Sepoys, it being the headquarters of the Gwalior contingent.
Caltrop, or Crow’s-foot. An instrument with 4 iron points, so disposed that, three of them being on the ground, the other projects upward. They are scattered on the ground where an enemy’s cavalry are to pass, to impede their progress by endangering the horses’ feet.
Calumet. A kind of pipe used by the North American Indians for smoking tobacco, having the bowl usually of soft red stone, and the tube a long reed ornamented with feathers. The calumet is used as a symbol or instrument of peace. To accept the calumet is to agree to the terms of peace, and to refuse it is to reject them. The calumet is used to seal or ratify contracts and alliances, and to receive strangers kindly.
Calvi. A seaport on the island of Corsica, situated on a peninsula in the Gulf of Calvi. It is strongly fortified and has a good port. It was captured by the English in 1794, after a siege of 51 days.
Calvi. A decayed town of Naples. Here the French gained a victory over the Neapolitans, December 9, 1798.
Cam. A river in England. On its banks was fought a battle between the Saxons and Danes during the reign of Edward I.
Camail. Ancient armor, consisting of a guard for the throat made of chain-mail coming down from the helmet.
Cambrai, or Cambray. A fortified city of France, department of the North. It was fortified by the Romans; besieged and captured by Childebert in 535; taken by Edward III., king of England, in 1337; in 1544 by Charles V.; by the Spaniards in 1595; captured by the French and annexed, 1667; taken by Clairfait, the Austrian general, on September 10, 1798. The French were defeated at Cæsar’s camp, in the neighborhood, by the allied army under the Duke of York, April 24, 1794. Cambray was seized by the British under Sir Charles Colville, June 24, 1815. Several important treaties were entered into at this place.
Cambria. See Wales.
Cambridge. The Roman Camboricum and the Saxon Granta; a town of England, in Cambridgeshire. It was burned by the Danes in 870 and 1010. Roger de Montgomery destroyed it with fire and sword, to be revenged of King William Rufus. During Wat Tyler’s and Jack Straw’s rebellion, the rebels entered the town, seized the University records and burned them in the market-place, 1381.
Cambuskenneth (Central Scotland). Here Wallace defeated the English under Warrenne and Cressingham, September 10, 1297.
Camden. A village in Kershaw Co., S. C. Gen. Gates was defeated here August 16, 1780, by Lord Cornwallis, and April 25, 1781, Gen. Greene was here defeated by Lord Rawdon. During the civil war this place was captured, February 24, 1865, by the Federal forces under Gen. Sherman, and the bridge over the Wateree, the railroad depot, and a considerable quantity of stores, etc., burned by the 15th Corps.
Camel. See Pack and Draught Animals.
Camelford. A town of England, in Cornwall. It was the scene of a famous battle between King Arthur and his nephew Modred in 543, in which the former was victorious. The West Saxons, under Egbert, had a battle with the Britons here in 823.
Cameron Highlanders. The designation given to the 79th Regiment of Infantry in the British service, in consequence of the corps having been raised by Allan Cameron of Erroch in 1793. This gallant regiment, which wears the Highland garb, performed distinguished services in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, and has been engaged in the principal warlike struggles of more recent times.
Camisado. A shirt formerly worn by soldiers over their uniform, in order to be able to recognize one