Sergent

de bataille, Fr. Field Serjeant. This was an appointment of considerable trust in the old French armies. The sergens de bataille held commands, and did the duty of modern inspectors. They ranked next to a field marshal, or marechal de bataille. The sergens de bataille, or field serjeants, existed under Francis the First. But these field serjeants were only at that time sergens de bandes, or train serjeants. There were likewise, under the same king, sergens generaux de bataille, general field serjeants. These were officers of rank, and did the duty of a modern major general. There were also officers of the same description in the reign of Henry IV. This appointment appears to have been dropped after the peace of the Pyrenees . The author of the His to ire de la Milice Francaise , observes, that the appointment and duty of the different officers, called marshals, or field serjeants, varied according to the will and pleasure of the French kings, and their war-ministers. He agrees with us, that the situation of field serjeant was originally of great consequence, but that it gradually declined, and was eventually made subservient to a superior officer, who was called Marechal de bataille , or field-marshal, whose duties corresponded with those of the French adjutant-general in the present times. There have been officers of the same denomination both in Spain and Germany, who did the duty of Maréchaux de Camp; another term, we presume, for field marshal. But the general field serjeants in those countries were divided into two cla es; one cla was confined, in its functions, to the infantry, and the other to the cavalry; and both acted independently of one another; whereas in France they acted together. According to the present establishment of the French army, there is a serjeant major belonging to each company. The sergens majors d’un régiment , or d’une place of the old French service, were what are now simply called majors , majors of regiments, or town majors. The senior serjeant of every company is called serjeant major in the French army at this time. In the British army the serjeant major is the head of the non-commi ioned officers, and though sometimes attached to a company, is generally a detached staff officer. See Serjeant Major .