Bandoliers were likewise little wooden cases covered with leather, of which every musqueteer used to wear 12 hanging on a shoulder-belt; each of them contained the charge of powder for a musquet.
BANDROLS. -
BANNEROLS.
See Camp Colors.
BANDS, properly bodies of foot, though almost out of date.
Train-Bands. In England the militia of the City of London were generally so called. The third regiment of Foot or the Old Bulls were originally recruited from the Train bands, which circumstance gave that corps the exclusive privilege of marching through London with drums beating and colors flying. They lost their colors in America, which are now in the war-office at Washington.
Band of Music. The term band is applied to the body of musicians attached to any regiment or battalion, with wind instruments.
Band is also the denomination of a military order in Spain, instituted by Alphonsus XI. king of Castile, for the younger sons of the nobility, who, before their admission, must serve 10 years, at least, either in the army or during a war; and are bound to take up arms in defence of the Catholic faith, against the infidels.
BANERET, Fr. a term derived from Baniere. This appellation was attached to any lord of a fief who had vassals sufficient to unite them under one banier or banner, and to become chief of the troops or company.
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Un Chevalier Baneret, or a Knight Baneret gave precedence to the troop or company which he commanded over that of a baneret who was not a knight or chevalier; the latter obeyed the former, and the banner of the first was cut into fewer vanes than that of the second.
BANNERET, Knights-bannerets, according to the English acceptation of the term, are persons who for any particular act of valor were formerly knighted on the field of battle.
BANQUET. See Bridges.
BANQUETTE. See Fortification.
BAR, a long piece of wood or iron. Bars have various denominations in the construction of artillery carriages, as sweep and cross bars for tumbrils: fore, hind and under cross bars, for powder carts; shaft bars for waggons, and dowel bars used in mortar beds.
BAR Shot, two half bullets joined together by an union bar, forming a kind of double headed shot.
BARB, the reflected points of the head of an arrow. The armor for horses was so called. See Caparison.
BARBACAN, or Barbican, a watch-tower, for the purpose of descrying an enemy at a great distance: it also implies an outer defence, or sort of ancient fortification to a city or castle, used especially as a fence to the city or walls; also an aperture made in the walls of a fortress to fire through upon the enemy. It is sometimes used to denote a fort at the entrance of a bridge, or the outlet of a city, having a double wall with towers.
BARBETS were peasants of Piedmont, who abandoned their dwellings when an enemy has taken possession of them. They formed into bodies and defended the Alps.
Barbet-Battery, in gunnery, is when the breast-work of a battery is only so high, that the guns may fire over it without being obliged to make embrasures: in such cases, it is said the guns fire en barbette. See Battery.
BARDEES d’eau, Fr. a measure used in the making of saltpetre, containing three half-hogsheads of water, which are poured into tubs for the purpose of refining it. Four half-hogsheads are sometimes thrown in.
