A Military Dictionary and Gazetteer. Thomas Wilhelm
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war.
Enceinte. In fortification, denotes generally the whole area of a fortified place. Properly, however, it means a cincture or girdle, and in this sense the enceinte signifies the principal wall or rampart encircling the place, comprising the curtain and bastions, and having the main ditch immediately outside it.
Encircle. To pass around, as in a circle; to go or come round; as, the army encircled the city.
Encombrer (Fr.). In fortification, to fill up any hollow place, such as a stagnant lake, etc., with rubbish.
Encompass. To describe a circle about; to go around; to encircle; to inclose; to environ; as, an army encompasses a city; a ship’s voyage encompasses the world.
Encounter. A meeting with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle.
Encounter. To come against face to face; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; as, two armies encounter each other.
Encounters. In military affairs, are combats or fights between two persons only. Figuratively, battles or attacks by small or large armies.
Encroachments. The advancement of the troops of one nation on the rights or limits of another.
Enemy. In military language, the opposing force; as, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.”
Enfans Perdus. Forlorn hope, in military history, are soldiers detached from several regiments, or otherwise appointed to give the first onset in battle, or in an attack upon the counterscarp, or the breach of a place besieged; so called (by the French) because of the imminent danger to which they are exposed.
Enfield Rifle-musket. The service arm of Great Britain prior to the adoption of breech-loaders; manufactured at Enfield, England, at the royal small-arms factories. It was first extensively introduced in 1853, and was used during the Crimean war. It had three grooves, with a twist of about one turn in 6 feet. Before the adoption of the Martini-Henry, large numbers of those guns were utilized by converting them into breech-loaders on the Snider principle. The Enfield rifles, though very serviceable weapons, much better than the Belgian and Austrian arms imported to the United States during the civil war, were in almost every respect inferior to the old Springfield (U. S.) rifle-musket, nearly of the same caliber (.58), the Enfield being .577. All those weapons have now given place to various breech-loading arms.
Enfilade. Is to fire in the direction of the length of a line of parapet or troops; to “rake it,” as the sailors say. In the siege of a fortress, the trenches of approach are cut in a zigzag, to prevent the defenders enfilading them from the walls.
Enfilading Batteries. In siege operations are one of the classes of batteries employed, the other classes being counter and breaching batteries. Enfilading batteries are located on the prolongation of the faces and flanks of the works besieged, to secure a raking fire along the terre-pleins.
Engage. To gain for service; to enlist.
Engage. To enter into conflict; to join battle; as, the armies engaged in a general battle.
Engagement. A general action or battle, whether by land or sea.
Engarrison. To protect any place by a garrison.
Engen. In Baden; here Moreau defeated the Austrians, May 3, 1800.
Enghien, or Steenkirk. In Southwestern Belgium. Here the British under William III. were defeated by the French under Marshal Luxemburg, July 24, 1692.
Engineer, Military. An officer in the service of a government, whose duties are principally to construct fortifications, to make surveys for warlike purposes, to facilitate the passage of an army by the construction of roads and bridges; in short, to execute all engineering works of a military nature. He is also called upon to undertake many works which more properly belong to the business of a civil engineer, such as the survey of the country, the inspection of public works, and, in short, all the duties of a government engineer.
Engineering. The business of the engineer; the art of designing and superintending the execution of railways, bridges, canals, harbors, docks, the defense of fortresses, etc.
Engineer Corps. In modern nations, the necessity for a corps of staff-officers, trained to arrange for and overcome the embarrassments of the movements of an army in the field, has been thoroughly demonstrated, and hence, in European armies, a trained staff of officers is organized for this purpose. In the United States a force of about 300 officers and enlisted men are engaged in these duties. See Sappers and Miners.
Engineers, Topographical. See Topographical Engineers.
England. The southern and larger division of the island of Great Britain, and the principal member of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was so named, it is said, by Egbert, first king of the English, in a general council held at Winchester, 829. It was united with Wales, 1283; with Scotland in 1603; and Ireland was incorporated with them, January 1, 1801. For previous history, see Britain; and for further details of battles, etc., see separate articles.
Enlargement. The act of going or being allowed to go beyond the prescribed limits; as the extending the boundaries of an arrest, when the officer is said to be enlarged, or under arrest at large.
Enlargement. Enlargements of the bore and vent are injuries suffered by all cannon that are much used. The term is technically applied to certain injuries to brass cannon. See Injuries to Cannon.
Enlistment. The voluntary enrollment of men in the military or naval service.
Enniscorthy. A town of Ireland, in the county of Wexford, on the river Slaney. It arose in the Norman castle, still entire, founded by Raymond le Gros, one of the early Anglo-Norman invaders. Cromwell took this place in 1649; and the Irish rebels stormed and burned it in 1798.
Enniskillen. A town of Ireland, in the county of Fermanagh. This place is famous for the victory, in 1689, won by the troops of William III., under Lord Hamilton, over a superior force of James II., under Lord Gilmoy. The banners taken in the battle of the Boyne hang in the town-hall of Enniskillen.
Enniskillen Dragoons. A British regiment of horse; it was first instituted from the brave defenders of Enniskillen, in 1689.
Enrank. To place in ranks or in order.
Enroll. To place a man’s name on the roll or nominal list of a body of soldiers.
Ensconce. To cover as with a fort.
Enseigne (Fr.). The colors. The French designate all warlike symbols under the term enseigne; but they again distinguish that word by the appellations of drapeaux, colors, and etendards, standards. Drapeaux or colors are particularly characteristic of the infantry; etendards or standards belong to the cavalry.
Ensemble. Together; the exact execution of the same movements, performed in the same manner, and by the same motions. It is the union of all the men who compose a battalion, or several battalions or companies of infantry and cavalry, who are to act as if put in motion by the same spring.
Enshield. To cover from the enemy.
Ensiform. Having the shape of a sword.
Ensign-bearer. One who carries a flag; an ensign.
Ensigncy. The rank or office of an ensign.
Ensisheim. In Eastern France; here Turenne