Bergfried, Combat of. A combat which took place between the French and Russians, February 3, 1807, in which the latter were repulsed.
Bergues. A fortified town in the department of the North, France; it was captured and recaptured by the Spaniards and French; the last time by Turenne in 1658.
Berlin. Capital of Prussia, in the province of Brandenburg; alleged to have been founded by the margrave Albert the Bear, about 1163. It was taken by an army of Russians and Austrians in 1760, but they were obliged to retire in a few days. On October 26, 1806, after the battle of Jena (October 14), the French entered Berlin; and from this place Napoleon issued the famous “Berlin decree” or interdict against the commerce of England, November 20. On November 5, 1808, Napoleon entered into a convention with Prussia by which he remitted to Prussia the sum due on the war-debt and withdrew many of his troops to reinforce his army in Spain. An insurrection commenced here in March, 1848; a treaty of peace between Prussia and Saxony was signed on October 21, 1866.
Berme. A narrow path round fortifications between the parapet and the ditch, to prevent the earth from falling in.
Bermuda Hundred. In Chesterfield Co., Va., on the right bank of the James River, just above the mouth of the Appomattox. Here on May 16, 1864, the Federal forces under Gen. Butler were attacked by the Confederates under Beauregard, and after several hours’ severe fighting Butler was compelled to fall back to his first line of intrenchments, with a loss of about 2500.
Bermuda Islands, or Bermudas. A group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, discovered by Juan Bermudez, a Spaniard, in 1527, but not inhabited until 1600, when Sir George Somers was cast away upon them. The Bermudas are garrisoned by British troops.
Bernard, The Great St. A famous mountain-pass of the Pennine Alps, so called from a monastery founded on it by Bernardine de Meuthon in 972. Velan, its highest peak, is about 8000 feet high, covered with perpetual snow. Hannibal, it is said, conducted the Carthaginians by this pass into Italy, 218 B.C.; and by the same route, in May, 1800, Bonaparte led his troops to Italy before the battle of Marengo, June 14, 1800.
Berne. The sovereign canton of Switzerland; joined the Swiss League in 1352; the town of Berne was made a free city by the emperor Frederick, May, 1218; it successfully resisted Rudolph of Hapsburg, 1288. It surrendered to the French under Gen. Brune, April 12, 1798; the town was made capital of Switzerland in 1848.
Berry (anc. Biturigum regis), Central France; held by the Romans since the conquest by Cæsar, 58–50 B.C., till it was subdued by the Visigoths; from whom it was taken by Clovis in 507.
Bersaglieri. The sharpshooters of the Sardinian army; first employed about 1848.
Berserker. A legendary Scandinavian hero of the 8th century, celebrated for his strength and valor. He fought without a coat of mail or helmet, whence his name. The name Berserkers was also applied to a class of warriors who, under the influence of a sort of demoniac possession, fought naked, performing marvelous feats of valor, unmindful or insusceptible of wounds.
Berwick-on-Tweed. A fortified town on the northeast extremity of England; the theatre of many bloody contests while England and Scotland were two kingdoms; it was claimed by the Scots because it stood on their side of the river; annexed to England in 1333; and after having been taken and retaken many times, was finally ceded to England in 1482; in 1651 it was made independent of both kingdoms; the town surrendered to Cromwell in 1648, and afterwards to Gen. Monk in 1659.
Besançon. A fortified city of France, capital of the department of Doubs; sacked by Attila; captured and ruined by the ancient Germans; rebuilt by the Burgundians; it was ceded to Spain by the peace of Westphalia; taken by Louis XIV. on May 15, 1670; united to France in 1678; in 1814 the Austrians besieged it without success.
Besiege. To lay siege to or invest any fortified place with armed forces.
Besieged. The garrison that defends the place against the army that lays siege to it.
Besiegers. The army that lays siege to a fortified place.
Bessarabia. A frontier province of European Russia, part of the ancient Dacia. After being possessed by the Goths, Huns, etc., it was conquered by the Turks in 1474, and ceded to Russia in 1812.
Bessemer Steel. See Ordnance, Metals for.
Bessi. A fierce and powerful Thracian people, who dwelt along the whole of Mount Hæmus as far as the Euxine. After the conquest of Macedonia by the Romans, 168 B.C., the Bessi were attacked by the latter, and subdued after a severe struggle.
Bethoron. A village of Palestine. Near here Judas Maccabæus gained advantages on two different occasions over the generals of Antiochus.
Bethsur. An ancient city of Palestine, now extinct. The Syrian general Lysias captured it, 163 B.C., after a severe combat in which Eleazar, a brother of Judas, perished.
Béton. French term for concrete. Much used in permanent fortifications. See Concrete.
Béton Aggloméré. A species of concrete invented by M. Coignet. Used in building arches, aqueducts, cellar walls, etc. It differs from ordinary béton, having much greater strength and hardness—qualities derived from the ramming to which it is subjected.
Betray. To deliver perfidiously any place or body of troops into the hands of the enemy. To discover that which has been intrusted to secrecy.
Betty. A machine used for forcing open gates or doors. See Petard.
Bey. See Beg.
Beyroot, or Beyrout (anc. Berytus). A seaport of Syria, colonized from Sidon; alternately possessed by the Christians and Saracens; and after many changes, fell into the power of Amurath IV., since when it remained with the Ottoman empire up to the revolt of Ibrahim Pasha in 1832. The total defeat of the Egyptian army by the allied British, Turkish, and Austrian forces, and evacuation of Beyroot (the Egyptians losing 7000 in killed, wounded, and prisoners, and 20 pieces of cannon), took place October 10, 1840. Sir C. Napier was the English admiral engaged. Beyroot suffered greatly in consequence of the massacres in Syria in May, 1860.
Béziers. A city of France, department of Hérault; sacked by the Vandals in the 5th century; by the Visigoths in the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries; by the Saracens in 720; by Charles Martel in 737; in 1209, this city was taken by the Catholics under Simon de Montfort and Arnaud, abbé of Citeaux, and was the scene of a barbarous massacre of the Albigenses; 60,000 inhabitants were slain without consideration of sex or age (7000 were found dead in the church de la Magdeleine, where they sought refuge from their relentless slayers).
Bhootan. A country north of Lower Bengal. Invaded by the British in December, 1864, in consequence of injurious treatment of an envoy.
Bhurtpoor (India). Capital of Bhurtpoor, was besieged by the British, January 3, 1805, and attacked five times up to March 21, without success. The fortress was taken by Gen. Lake, after a desperate engagement with Holkar, the Mahratta chief, April 2, 1805; this led to a treaty on April 17. On the rajah’s death, during a revolt against his son, Bhurtpoor was taken by storm, by Lord Combermere, January 18, 1826.
Biacolytes. A military organization in the Grecian empire, whose duty was to prevent the committal of any excesses against life or property. Their service was analogous to that of the French gendarmes.
Biagrasso, or Abbiategrasso.