Cartridge, Buckshot. Containing a charge of buckshot. Formerly used in muskets, but now obsolete for military purposes.
Cartridge, Centre Primed. A metallic cartridge in which the fulminate is placed in the centre of the cartridge head or base.
Cartridge, Multi-ball. A metallic cartridge recently proposed by Capt. E. M. Wright, U. S. Ordnance Corps, in which two or more bullets or pieces of lead are substituted for the ordinary bullet, with the idea of doing more execution at short ranges.
Cartridge-paper. A stout paper formerly used in making military cartridges.
Cartridge, Reloading. See Cartridge.
Cartridge, Rim-fire. A metallic cartridge in which the fulminate is placed in the rim surrounding the head. This rim being struck at any point, explodes the powder. Formerly much used in pistols and magazine guns. These cartridges are not reloading.
Cartridge, Single-fire. See Cartridge.
Casale, or Casal. A town of Piedmont, the capital of a province of the same name, on the river Po. Here the French defeated the Spaniards in 1640. In May, 1859, an Austrian reconnoitring party, who had advanced from Vercelli, were here repulsed by the Sardinian Bersaglieri (riflemen).
Casal Nova. A village in Spain, where a corps of Lord Wellington’s army had an affair with the French troops under Marshal Masséna, during their retreat from Portugal on March 14, 1811.
Cascabel. In gunnery, is the projection in rear of the breech, and is composed of the knob, the neck, and the fillet. It is used to facilitate the handling of the piece in mounting and dismounting it, and moving it when off its carriage.
Cascans. In fortification, are holes in the form of wells, serving as entrances to galleries, or giving vent to the enemy’s mines.
Case-hardening. The process of converting the surface of iron into steel. Formerly much used in making small-arms. The parts to be hardened, such as the hammer, tumbler, etc., were inclosed in an airtight iron box, filled with charcoal, bones, particles of horn, or other carbonizing substance. The box and its contents were then submitted to prolonged heat. The process is that of incomplete cementation (which see).
Casemate. Was originally a loop-holed gallery excavated in a bastion, from which the garrison could fire on an enemy who had obtained possession of the ditch without risk of loss to themselves. The term was afterwards applied to a bomb-proof vault in a fortress, which is designed for the protection of the garrison, without direct reference to the annoyance of the enemy. A casemated battery consists of such a vault or vaults, with openings for the guns.
Casemate Carriage. A gun-carriage used in casemates. See Ordnance, Carriages for.
Casemate Gun. A gun mounted in a casemate.
Casemates Nouvelles (Fr.). Arched batteries which are constructed under all the openings of revetments or ramparts. The different forts of Cherbourg are defended by these casemates; the works erected around Dover Castle come likewise under this description; the works at Fort Columbus, N. Y., are erected on the same principle.
Casemate Truck. Consists of a stout frame of wood mounted upon three barbette traverse wheels. The front wheel is pivoted so as to change direction. It is used to move cannon and heavy weights through posterns and along casemate galleries.
Casernes. In fortification, are buildings for the soldiers of the garrison to live in; generally erected between the houses of fortified towns and the rampart. In a general acceptation, casernes signify barracks.
Case-shot. In the U. S. service, a case-shot is a hollow cast-iron projectile filled with musket-balls. The projectile has thinner walls than the ordinary shell. To fill it a tube is inserted in the fuze-hole, the balls are introduced, and melted sulphur or rosin is poured in to fill up the interstices and keep the balls in position. When this has solidified the tube is withdrawn, leaving a vacant space for a small bursting charge. This description answers for the two kinds used—the spherical case for the 12-pounder smooth-bore and the oblong case for rifle guns. Case-shot should be burst in the air a short distance in front of the troops fired upon. Time-fuzes are, therefore, used with both; the Bormann-fuze for the former, and the paper fuze for the latter. In Europe this ammunition is called shrapnel, from the inventor. There the term case-shot is applied to what is called in the United States canister—that is, a thin case filled with bullets, used for short range without fuzes, the case being disrupted in the gun.
Cashier. To dismiss from the service with ignominy. An officer thus dismissed is understood to be excluded from the service thereafter. A dismissed officer may be restored; a cashiered officer is deemed unworthy of the indulgence.
Cashmere. A province of Northern India; was subdued by the Mohammedans in the 16th century; by the Afghans in 1752; by the Sikhs in 1819; and ceded to the British in 1846, who gave it to the Maharajah Gholab-Singh, with a nominal sovereignty.
Casing. The cast-iron case of converted guns (which see).
Casks, Raft of. See Raft of Casks.
Casque, or Cask. A piece of defensive armor, to cover and protect the head and neck in battle; a helmet.
Cassano. A town of Lombardy, 16 miles from Milan, on the river Adda. In 1259, Eccelino Romana, chief of the Ghibelines, was here defeated and killed. In 1705 the French under the Duke of Vendôme gained a victory over the Imperialists, commanded by Prince Eugène; and in 1799, Suwarrow inflicted a defeat on the French under Moreau.
Cassel. A city of Germany, 90 miles northeast from Frankfort-on-the-Main. It was the capital of Westphalia under Napoleon I.; besieged by the allies in 1761; taken by the allies November 1, 1762; captured by the Russians in September, 1813.
Cassel. A town of France, department of the North. On April 11, 1677, the Marshal de Luxemburg near here defeated the Prince of Orange, who lost 4000 dead and 3000 prisoners. The French occupied Cassel, June 19, 1707.
Casse-tête (Fr.). A mace or war-club, made of very hard wood, used formerly in savage warfare.
Cassine. A small house, especially in the open country; applied also to a house standing alone, where soldiers may lie hid, or may take a position.
Cas, St. A village on the coast of France, in the department Côte du Nord. Here, in 1758, a landing of the British under Lord Cavendish was repulsed, and 100 years afterwards a column was inaugurated to commemorate the event.
Castalla. A town of Spain, 24 miles northwest of Alicante. The Spaniards under O’Donnell were here defeated by the French under Delort, August 21, 1812.
Casteggio. A town of Northern Italy, in the division of Alessandria. On June 9, 1800, the battle of Montebello was gained by the French under Lannes over the Austrians in the neighborhood of this place. On May 20, 1859, another engagement was fought here between the Austrians under Count Stadion and the French and Sardinian troops, in which the latter were victorious.
Castel-a-Mare. A seaport town of Sicily. Richelieu defeated the Spanish fleet here in 1648; and in 1799 a battle was fought between the French under Marshal Macdonald and the allied English and Neapolitans.