S W I

SWING-Zr^, of a waggon, the* bar fastenedacross the sore-guide, to which tlie traces ofthe horses are fastened.

SWORD, an offensive weapon worn on theleft side, and serving either to cut or stab: itsparts are the handle, guard, and blade ; to whichmav be added the bow, scabbard, chape, andpummel.

T A L

BroadSwoRD, an original weapon of Scot-land ; it is sometimes called a back-fword, ashaving but one edge : it is balket-handled, and3 leet 2 inches long.

Sword-M/, generally made of leather, some-times of silk, and sometimes of steel chains :it is worn about the waist, to carry the swordin.

T

T ABL.ES, in military affairs, a' kind ofregister to set clown the dimensions ofcarriages for guns, mortars, '&c. also for thepractice of artillery, charges of mines, &c. SeeSupplement.

TACKLES, are more particularly used forsmall ropes running in pullies, the better tomanage all kinds of ordnance. See Gin.

TACTICS, in the art of war, the art of dis-ciplining armies, and ranging them into formsproper for fighting and manœuvring, &c.

In the time of the Romans, the Gauls andother nations on the continent fought in thephalanx order. It is this order which still pre-vails through all Europe, except that it is de-ficient in the advantages and utility which Po-lybius ascribes to it, and is injured and disgracedby defects unknown in the ancient phalanx.

In Turcnne’s days troops were ranged 8 deepboth in France and Germany. Thirty yearsafter, in the time of Puyfegur, the ranks were re-duced to 5, in the last Flanders war to 4, andimmediately after to 3.

This part of the progression from 8 to 3,being known, we easily conceive how the filesof the phalanx had been diminished from 16 toin the ages preceding Turenne. It is to bePresumed that this depth was considered as su-perfluous, and it was judged necessary to cur-ta il it, in order to extend the front. Plowever,die motion is of very little consequence; west re now reduced to 3 ranks: let us endeavourso find out what qualities of the phalanx haveb een preserved, and what might have beenadded thereto.

To sliew that we have preserved the defects

of the phalanx in Europe, I suppose 2 bodiesof troops, one of 8,000 men, ranged as a pha-lanx, 15 deep ; the other, a regiment of 3 bat-talions, consisting only of 1500 men, drawnup in 3 lines after the fame manner. Thosetwo bodies shall be perfectly equal in extent offront, and shall differ in nothing but in thedepth of their files: the inconveniences anddefects, therefore, occasioned by the length ofthe fronts, are equal in both troops, thoughtheir numbers are very different: hence it fol-lows, that in Europe the essential defects ofthe phalanx are preserved, and its advantageslost.

Let the files of this body, of 8,000, be after-wards divided, and let it be reduced to 3 indepth ; its front will then be found 5 timesmore extensive, and its depth 5 times less: wemay therefore conclude, that the defects ofthe phalanx are evidently multiplied in thetactics of Europe, at the expence of its ad-vantages, which consisted in the depth of its files.

The progress of the artillery has contributedgreatly to this revolution. As cannon multi-plied, it was necessary to avoid its effects ; andthe only method of doing it, was doubtless todiminish the depth of the files.

TAIL of the trenches, is the post wherethe besiegers begin to break ground, andcover themselves from the fire of the place,in advancing the lines of approach. SeeTrenches.

TALUS, in fortification, a slope made tothe works of a fortification, both on the out-side and inside, to prevent the earth from rollingdown.

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