A Military Dictionary

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. Born from frustration with outdated instruction, this practical military treatise sets out to bring order, clarity, and modern knowledge to the study of war. It combines a comprehensive dictionary of military terms with guidance on infantry, artillery, cavalry, fortification, tactics, regulations, and the practical details of weights, measures, and foreign currencies, all adapted from French and English sources for American use. The author argues that an effective army depends not on courage alone, but on education, discipline, and competent leadership. The book makes a forceful case for a simpler, more flexible system of drill, beginning with basic movement, timing, facings, and command language before soldiers are armed. It extends that standard to artillery, riflemen, and cavalry, while insisting that regulars and militia alike need a unified national system directed by officers. Alongside these reforms, it offers precise reference entries on ranks and duties, especially the many kinds of majors and the staff structure of military service. Drawing on examples from America and Europe, the work warns that nations which neglect military science court defeat, while those that study it gain real battlefield power.