GLOSSARY OF MILITARY TERMS
adjutant-general: a staff officer who
helps commanders of a unit having a general staff
aide de camp: a confidential assistant to
a military officer
assembly: the bugler’s call for troops to
gather together for a common purpose
battalion: a military unit usually
consisting of a headquarters company and four infantry
companies
battery: the basic artillery unit; a
six-gun battery was commanded by a captain and had as many as 170
men
bivouac: a temporary encampment
brigade: a military unit composed of
combat battalions and support services
caisson: a horse-drawn vehicle designed
to carry ammunition
canister: a container that when fired
explodes and scatters the shot
cannonade: an extended and heavy
discharge of artillery
cannoneer: artilleryman
cartridge: a metal casing containing
powder and primer
casemate: an armored compartment for
artillery
cavalcade: a ceremonial procession
columns: a formation of troops in which
the constituent groups follow in lines behind one another
company: a subdivision of a regiment or
battalion, usually under the command of a captain
covert: a covered and hence hidden
shelter
division: three brigades
dressed: to put ranks of soldiers in
proper adjustment and relation to one another
embrasure: an opening in a wall or
embankment for a gun
fatigue-party: a group of soldiers
deployed for designated clean-up duty
field officer: an officer above a captain
and below a brigadier general
field-piece: a field gun
flank: the right or left side of a
military formation
fusilade: a rapid, often simultaneous
discharge of firearms
grape: a cluster of small iron balls used
in cannon; they resemble a cluster of grapes, hence the name
haversack: a canvas bag with a single
strap for carrying supplies on the shoulder
infantry: foot soldiers
lanyard: a cord with a hook attached used
to fire a cannon
lever: a metal rod used to adjust the
elevation of a cannon
limber: a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle
for carrying ammunition; a field gun might be towed behind it
line officer: a commander of infantry,
typically a lieutenant or captain
parapet: a protective, earthen
embankment
phalanx: a formation of infantry
picket: n. a detachment of one or
more soldiers to warn of enemy approach; v. to post with a
picket guard
provost-marshal: an officer in the
military police who would take a soldier prisoner for subsequent
court-martial
quartermaster: a military officer
responsible for food, equipment, and clothing for troops
rammer: a rod or staff used to force the
charge into a cannon; often the rammer head was at one end of the
staff and the sponge was at the other
redoubt: a temporary fortification
regiment: a military unit consisting of
at least two battalions
siege guns: heavy cannon and mortars that
accompanied a field army
skirmisher: a participant in a relatively
minor military encounter
spiked: to render a gun useless by
driving a spike into the vent where the fuse was inserted
sponged: to clean and cool a cannon
barrel by inserting a large staff with a wool covered sponge at the
end into the bore of the cannon
vidette: variant of vedette; a mounted
sentinel in advance of the army