Handle

arms, a word of command (when the men are at ordered arms) by which the soldier is directed to bring his right hand briskly up to the muzzle of his musquet, with his fingers bent inwards. This word of command is frequently used at the private inspection of companies, and always precedes— Ease arms. This term was formerly used in the manual from the support to the carry . It is now however used only in the instance just mentioned. To HANG-FIRE . Fire-arms are said to hang-fire when the flame is not speedy in communicating from the pan to the charge. This defect may arise from the powder being damp or the touch-hole foul. To Hang upon . To hover, to impede. To Hang upon the rear of a retreating enemy . To follow the movements of any body of men so closely as to be a constant annoyance to them. It requires both judgment and activity in the commanding officer of a pursuing army to execute this busine without endangering his troops. For it might happen that the retreating enemy, seeing an opportunity to make a retrograde flank movement from its front, would practice a feint in its rear, and suddenly appear upon the right or left of his pursuers. To prevent a surprize of this sort, constant vedettes and side-patroles must be detached, and the pursuer must never attempt to follow through any considerable length of defile, or cro rivers, without having secured the neighboring eminences, and been well informed as to the nature of the stream, for some extent on his right and left. Without these precautions he might himself be taken in flank and rear. To Hang upon the flanks of an enemy , is to hara and perplex him in a more desultory manner than what is generally practised when you pre upon his rear. Hu ars, light dragoons, mounted riflemen, and light infantry detachments are well calculated for this service. Light pieces of artillery are likewise extremely useful, but they should be cautiously resorted to, as ambuscades might be laid, and their removal would require too much time. A perfect knowlege of the country in which you fight, aided by intelligent guides and faithful scouts, will be one of the best safeguards in all operations of this kind.