INFANTRY

The general name for soldiers who serve on foot. The term is in all probability derived from the Italian word fante, signifying a child or young person; and was originally conferred on the young Italian peasantry, who served in the wars on foot, the nobles being usually mounted. There are, however, various other accounts of the origin of the term. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the infantry constituted the chief strength of an army; and, with the exception of that period in European history during which the institutions of chivalry prevailed, when the tournament with its gay appendages engaged the attention of all the powerful nobles and otherwise distinguished persons, who thus imparted to the cavalry a factitious importance, it has generally been regarded as the principal military arm. Since the institution of standing armies this has been peculiarly the case. From the period of the Conquest down to the reign of Henry VII., the infantry of this country consisted of the inferior va als of the feudal tenants, and from the cause above referred to was neglected both in discipline and accoutrements; but the connection of that monarch with Charles V. of Germany and Francis I. of France, whose rivalry in arms had introduced great improvements into this arm, was the means of directing attention to the defects of the English infantry, and paved the way for the introduction of that system of discipline which after the lapse of three centuries has now brought it to perfection. The British army comprises, exclusively of the militia, artillery, engineers, and marines, 99 regiments of regular infantry, three regiments of foot guards; besides a rifle brigade, two West India regiments, and the Ceylon rifle regiment. See Army, and the authorities there referred to. [s. 616]