A military dictionary: or, Explanation of the several systems of discipline of different kinds of troops, infantry, artillery, and cavalry: The Principles of Fortification, and All the Modern Improvements in the Science of Tactics: comprising the pocket gunner, or little bombardier, the military regulations of the United States: The Weights, Measures, and Monies of All Nations: the technical terms and phrases of the art of war in the French language: particularly adapted to the use of the military institutions of the United States

About this book

The work is a sprawling reference manual that bills itself as a “Military Dictionary” covering everything from the organization of infantry, artillery and cavalry to the principles of fortification, the latest tactical reforms, and even the minutiae of weights, measures and foreign currencies. Its opening pages begin with a formal declaration dated August 10, 1810, in which William Duane, identified as a former lieutenant‑colonel and author of the American Military Library, stakes his claim to the title and outlines his purpose: to replace the fragmented, outdated handbooks of the Revolutionary era with a comprehensive, up‑to‑date compendium for the United States’ armed forces. The preface expands on this mission, criticizing the “decay of military information” and arguing that a disciplined, well‑informed army is essential for national security, while also promising a blend of original material and revised content from earlier French and English military dictionaries.

Written in the formal, didactic prose of early‑19th‑century military literature, the text reflects the era’s reverence for classical authority and the emerging American desire for self‑reliance. Its tone is earnest and occasionally polemical, invoking the lessons of Frederick the Great, the French Revolution, and the American War of Independence to justify its exhaustive scope. Readers who relish detailed historical treatises, scholars of early American military thought, or anyone interested in the evolution of tactical terminology will find the book’s dense, encyclopedic style both challenging and rewarding.

Opening lines

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of August, in the Thirty Fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1810, William Duane of the said district, hath deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit: “A Military Dictionary; or, Explanation of the several systems of discipline of different kinds of Troops, Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry; the Principles of Fortification, and all the Modern Improvements in the Science of Tactics: comprising the Pocket Gunner, or Little Bombardier; the Military Regulations of the United States; the Weights, Measures, and Monies of all Nations; the Technical Terms and Phrases of the Art of War in the French language. …

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