Decimation. A military punishment inflicted among the Romans on cowardly or mutinous troops. It consisted in selecting by lot one-tenth of the whole body of troops who misbehaved, and putting them to death. There have been a few instances of this species of punishment in modern times. In 1642 the Archduke Leopold employed it against a regiment of cavalry; Marshal Créqui also had recourse to it against the mutinous garrison of Trèves, and before the battle of Waterloo Blücher is said to have punished in this manner a body of mutinous troops.
Decisions. In courts-martial, the majority of votes decides all questions as to the admission or rejection of evidence, and on other points involving law or custom. If equally divided, the doubt is in favor of the prisoner.
Declaration of Independence. This celebrated document by which the thirteen United Colonies of America announced their intention of taking their affairs into their own hands, renouncing their allegiance to Great Britain, and asserting their freedom, was drawn up by Thomas Jefferson, and received the unanimous approval of the delegates in the Congress of the Colonies, July 4, 1776.
Declaration of War. The formal announcement by a government of its intention to wage war against another, is a proceeding which is observed among all civilized nations. In the United States the declaration of war is a power exercised by Congress alone. During the age of chivalry, a herald made declaration of war at the enemy’s court, his tabard on his arm.
Decompte (Fr.). Signifies a liquidation or balance, which from time to time was made in the old French service, between the captain of a company and each private soldier for money advanced or in hand.
Decoration Day. The anniversary, in the United States, on which flowers are placed on soldiers’ graves, and which is observed on May 30. This day was set apart for the purpose mentioned soon after the war of the Rebellion, 1861–65.
Decoration, Military. A medal, cross of honor, etc., bestowed for distinguished services.
Decorations. In pyrotechny, are the compositions which are placed in the heads of rockets, in paper shells, etc., to make a brilliant display when the receptacle is burst.
Decouplé. In heraldry, signifies severed or disjoined, so that the ends stand at a distance from one another, as a chevron decouplé.
Decoy. To lead or to entice into a snare; to lead into danger by artifice; to entrap. An enemy is said to be decoyed when a small body of troops draws them in to action, whilst the main body lies in ambush ready to act with the greatest effect.
Decrement. Is a heraldic term by which the wane of the moon is indicated. Decrescent and decours are also used in the same sense. A moon decrescent is a half-moon with her horns turned to the sinister.
Decurion. An officer in the Roman cavalry, who commanded a decuria, which was a body consisting of 10 men.
Deeg. A strong fortress of Hindostan, in the province of Agra, which was captured by the British arms under Gen. Lake in 1804.
Deep. A term used in the disposition or arrangements of soldiers placed in ranks before each other; hence, two deep, three deep, etc. Deep line of operations, a long line.
Default. A military offense, in the British service, is so called.
Defaulter. A soldier who has been guilty of a military offense. It is generally applied to men sentenced to confinement to barracks, and attaches to them until the completion of their punishment.
Defaulter Book. The book in which the defaulter sheets are contained. The regimental defaulter book containing regimental, and the company defaulter book company, defaults.
Defaulters’ Sheet. For every soldier there are two sheets of foolscap paper, in one of which, called his company defaulter sheet, are entered all offenses and the punishments awarded. The other, called the regimental defaulter sheet, contains only offenses for which a man has been punished by more than seven days confined to barracks, or other awards considered of equal gravity.
Defeat. This word expresses the complete want of success of an army; a repulse signifying less, and a rout more, than defeat.
Defeat. To resist with success; as, to defeat an assault.
Defection. The act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself.
Defend. To secure against attack; to maintain; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause.
Defender. One who defends; one who maintains, supports, protects, etc.
Defense. In military law, is the defendant’s answer to the plea; an opposing or denial of the truth or validity of the plaintiff’s case; the method of proceeding adopted by the defendant to protect himself against the plaintiff’s action.
Defense. In fortification, consists of all sorts of works that cover and defend the opposite posts; as flanks, parapets, casements, etc.
Defense, Active. Comprehends every species of offensive operation which is resorted to by the besieged to annoy the besiegers.
Defense, Distant. Consists in being able to interrupt the enemy’s movements by circuitous inundations; to inundate, for instance, a bridge, when a convoy is passing, or to insulate batteries, the heads of saps or lodgments which have been made in the covert way. By this species of defense an enemy’s communications may be perpetually intercepted, and his approaches so obstructed as to force him to leave dangerous intervals.
Defense, Line of. Represents the flight of a rifle-ball from the place where the soldiers stand, to scour the face of the bastion. The line of defense should never exceed the range of a rifle. It is either fichant or rayant. The first is when it is drawn from the angle; the last, when it is drawn from a point in the curtain, ranging the face of the bastion in fortification.
Defense, Lines of. Are the distances between the salient angle of the bastion and the opposite flank; that is, the faces produced to the flanks.
Defense, Passing. Is chiefly confined to inundations, and is effected by letting out water in such a manner that the level ground which lies round a fortified town or place may be entirely overflowed, and become an inert stagnant pool.
Defensive. A force is said to be on the defensive, or to assume a defensive attitude, when it takes up a position to receive an attack.
Defensive War. See War, Defensive.
Defilading, or Defilement. The art of arranging the plan and profile of works, so that their lines shall not be liable to enfilade, nor their interior to plunging or reverse fire.
Defile. A narrow passage, or road, through which troops cannot march otherwise than by making a small front and filing off.
Defile, To. To reduce a body of troops into a small front, in order to march through a defile; also, to defilade.
Deformer (Fr.). In a military sense, signifies to break; as, deformer une colonne, to break a column.
Dégat (Fr.). The laying waste an enemy’s country, particularly in the neighborhood of a town which an army attempts to reduce by famine, or which refuses to pay military exactions.
Degorgeoir (Fr.). A sort of steel pricker used in examining the vent of a cannon; a priming wire.
Degradation. In military life, the act of depriving an officer forever of his commission,