Post by bmoses on Jan 3, 2008 22:11:29 GMT -5
L
Labor: (Sp.) a Mexican unit of land area equal to one million square varas, or 177.1 acres. This amount was believed to be enough land for a family to farm.
Lancero: (Sp.) lancer; light cavalryman armed with a lance.
Lanza: (Sp.) lance.
Lanzafuego: (Sp.) linstock; also called botafuego.
Lanzas en Estadas: (Sp.) lances with spearheads (term seen in weapons returns).
Lanzas sin astas: (Sp.) lances without spearheads (term seen in weapons returns).
League: (Sp.) a Spanish measurement of distance equal to 5,000 varas or 2 5/8 miles. Americans came to use the term as synonymous with a sitio, a measurement of area equivalent to 25 million square varas or 4,428.4 acres.
Levita: (Sp.) frock coat.
Levita Cruzada: (Sp.) double-breasted coat.
Levita de Una Sola Botonadura: (Sp.) single-breasted coat.
Lienzo: (Sp.) linen.
Liso: (Sp.) flat, plain, smooth; sometimes in reference to buttons.
Llaves (llabes): (Sp.) lockplate for a musket. Filisola noted that they threw many fusiles sin llaves in a creek.
Loma: (Sp.) hill.
Loophole: small hole punched in a wall to allow infantry to fire through.
Lunette: a half-circle-shaped structure that is typically built on the outside of a military garrison. The lunette at the Alamo was constructed just outside the south gate and is believed to have consisted of two rows of upright cedar logs with packed fill between them with an earthen berm and ditch on its outer side. This feature is also referred to as a tambour.
M
Machete: (Sp.) long knife or short sword.
Machete de Cinta: (Sp.) machete carried on a belt as a weapon.
Machete para Artilleros: (Sp.) artillery sword.
Machete para Zapadores: (Sp.) pioneer swords.
Madera: (Sp.) wood, timber, lumber.
Magazine: the part of a fort where powder and other explosives are stored.
Mameluco: (Sp.) overalls; coveralls.
Manga de lluvia: (Sp.) Rainproof poncho.
Manoplas: (Sp.) gauntlets.
Manta de la Silla: (Sp.) saddle blanket.
Mantilla: (Sp.) shabraque; saddle blanket; blanket.
Manzana: (Sp.) sword pommel (see also pomo).
Marrueca: (Sp.) Moroccan leather.
Mástil de Tienda de Campaña: (Sp.) tent pole.
Mayor de Órdenes: (Sp.) chief logistical officer: Francisco de Garay was second in command and mayor de ordenes for Urrea's division
Medias: (Sp.) stockings, hose (medias lisos: plain stockings).
Mestizo: (Sp.) a person of mixed Spanish and Indian ethnicity.
Minador: (Sp.) miner.
Mochila: (Sp.) tanned leather covering of saddle tree; saddle cover; knapsack, haversack.
Mochila de Artilleros: (Sp.) gunner's haversack.
Moharra: (Sp.) spear-shaped decoration at top of flagstaff; or, lance head.
Moharra de Lanza: (Sp.) lance head.
Molde: bullet molde (also Turquesas).
Morrion: (Sp.) morion, helmet, headgear with protective properties; in 19-th century usage, also can mean shako.
Mortero: (Sp.) mortar.
Mountain Rifle: The Mountain rifle was made in the southern regions of the Unisted States and was well suited for the North American forests. In general, it was a plainer sturdier version of the Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifle. Instead of brass, it was fitted with iron and a grease hole replaced the patchbox.
Musket: a smoothbore gun with no rifling.
Musket Ball: a musket ball was an early form of ammunition used for loading muskets. Musket balls were generally made from lead and were muzzle loaded into the barrel of the musket, wrapped in a loosely-fitting paper patch and backed with gunpowder. Musket balls were of a diameter considerably larger than today's modern rifles - the Brown Bess fielded a caliber of more than .5", and hence the ball could cause large wounds. The smooth bore muskets of the Brown Bess period had considerable hitting power and were able to penetrate the armour of the day, but had limited accuracy due to the lack of rifling in the barrel.
N
Navaja[/u]: (Sp.) Clasp knife; jackknife; straight razor. A Mexican enlisted man's description of the Texans' arms at San Jacinto referred to long knives about 1/2 vara in length as "navajas," so it evidently also could refer to a Bowie-type knife.
O
Obus[/u]: (Sp.) howitzer; caliber usually expressed in inches: e.g., "obus de á 8 pulgadas" (or, "obus de á 8).
Ojal[/u]: (Sp.) button hole; loop: “ojales” is possibly equivalent to Brandenburgs.
Outwork: A minor fortification constructed beyond a main defensive position or fortification.
P
Pabellon: (Sp.) varied meanings, including flag, ensign, national flag, tent.
Palisade: barrier of sharpened logs closely planted in the ground. Can be vertical or can project horizontally from earthen works (Fraise).
Pantalón: (Sp.) pantaloons, trousers.
Pantalones de Brin: (Sp.) sail cloth (or canvas) trousers.
Paño: (Sp.) cloth.
Pantalones de Paño: (Sp.) cloth trousers.
Parada de Cartuchos: (Sp.) an issue of cartridges: possibly, enough to fill a cartridge box. On the other hand, Gregg Dimmick estimates this was a packet of 8-10 paper cartridges tied together in a bundle. De la Pena wrote that each soldado at the Alamo was over supplied with ammunition. He wrote that each soldado had six paradas of cartridges. Perry mistranslated this as seven rounds each.
Parapet: a low mound or wall to shield and protect personnel from the enemy.
Penacho: (Sp.) plume; crest.
Pennsylvania Rifle: misnamed the Kentucky Rifle, was developed in Lancaster by Swiss gunsmith, Martin Meylin. Meylin put spiraling grooves in the barrel, known as "rifling". The rifling made it extremely accurate up to 300 yards. The typical caliber of a woodsman's Pennsylvania rifle was in the .40-48 range. Smaller caliber bullets resulted in much lighter barrels, making not only the ammunition, but the rifle itself, lighter.
Perilla: (Sp.) saddle pommel.
Pica: (Sp.) pike.
Picket: detatched body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise. Also, a sentinel.
Pié de Gato: (Sp.) flintlock hammer.
Piedras de Chispa:(Sp.) flints, literally rocks of spark.
Piezas Clavados: (Sp.) spiked artillery pieces.
Pistola: (Sp.) pistol.
Pistola á la cinta: (Sp.) sash- or belt-pistol.
Pistoleras: (Sp.) saddle holsters.
Pito: (Sp.) whistle (term found in equipment returns).
Pluma: (Sp.) plume, feather.
Polvora: (Sp.) gunpowder.
Pomo: (Sp.) sword pommel.
Porta-bayoneta: (Sp.) bayonet frog.
Porta-caja: (Sp.) drum sling.
Porta-carabina: (Sp.) leather cup attached to saddle by a strap, in which a cavalryman's carbine muzzle rests.
Porta-cartuchera: (Sp.) cartridge box sling.
Porta-fusil: (Sp.) musket sling.
Porta-mantas (Portamantas): (Sp.) blanket straps.
Porta-sable: (Sp.) sword belt; cross-belt.
Portezuela: (Sp.) pocket flap.
Postern: a small rear gate in a fort.
Potrero: (Sp.) fenced-in pasture land, cattle ranch.
Presidial: (Sp.) member of a presidial company.
Presilla: (Sp.) shoulder knot or strap.
Puñal: (Sp) a thin-bladded dagger, or stiletto.
Put-holes: Holes in masonry walls into which horizontal scaffolding joists were inserted during construction. They were usually filled during completion of the structure. Unfilled put-holes are visible on the facade and south side of the Alamo church and on the south face of the wall connecting the church and the Long Barracks in pre-1850 images.
Q
Quartel: (Sp.) quarters, barrack; quarter.
Quoin: wooden block used for elevating a cannon-barrel.
R
Rampart: an earthen platform constructed to raise the height of a gun platform or a surmounting parapet.
Rancho: (Sp.) mess for the army - “eating rancho.”
Rastrillo: (Sp.) frizzen.
Real: (Sp.) Silver coin equal to 1/8 of a peso.
Recámara: (Sp.) gun breech
Reconnoitering: making a preliminary examination or survey.
Redoubt: a temporary or supplementary fortification; typically square or polygonal without flanking defenses.
Regatón: (Sp.) ferrule; metal tip at base of a flagstaff or lance shaft.
Regatón de Lanza (or, Regatón): (Sp.) metal butt cap or base of a lance.
Remate: (Sp.) edging, border.
Rencontre: a hostile meeting between opposing groups.
Retrenchment: interior defense of a fortress.
Revetment: a facing of wood, stone, or any other material, to sustain an embankment when it receives a slope steeper than the natural slope.
Rifle ball: a bullet designed to be fired from a rifle; no longer made spherical in shape.
Route: Rout; an army retreating in disorder and confusion.
S
Sable: (Sp.) saber.
Sable de Caballería: (Sp.) dragoon sabre.
Sacos á Tierra: (Sp.) sandbags.
Sacristy: A room in the church where the vestments, church furnishings and the like, sacred vessels, and other treasures are kept, and where the clergy meet and vest for the various ecclesiastical functions.
Sardinetas[/u]: (Sp.) lace adornment on uniforms, usually between the cuff and elbow.
Sally Port: opening left in a parapet left as an entrance into an enclosed earthwork.
Sap: narrow siege-trench.
Sapper: originally one who dug saps; later generic term for engineer.
Scarp: outer slope of a rampart.
Schaco[/u]: (Sp.) shako.
Schacos Adornados[/u]: (Sp.) shako with trimmings.
Shako: a stiff, cylindrical military dress hat with a metal cap badge in front, a short visor, and a plume.
Silla: (Sp.) saddle.
Sitio: (Sp.) a Spanish unit of measurement equal to 25 million square varas (4,428.4 acres). See league. Also: siege, or site.
Smoothbore: a general term that applies to all weapons not having rifling.
Solapa[/u]: (Sp.) coat lapel; can also mean a flap.
Soldado: (Sp.) soldier, but more specifically, a private. Mexican army returns for the 1836 Texas campaign listing numbers of troops by rank referred to privates as "soldados."
Sombrero[/u]: (Sp.) a large straw or felt hat with a broad brim and tall crown.
Sortie: an armed attack, especially one made from a place surrounded by enemy forces.
Stimbot de Vapor[/u]: (Sp.) steamboat
Stockade: a work in which a palisade of strong and closely-planted timbers constituted the principal defense.
Stores: consumable supplies like food and ammunition.
Suela: (Sp.) sole leather, specifically as used on light-cavalry and dragoon helmets.
Suertes: (Sp.) lands below the acequias allotted to settlers by lottery or luck.
T
Tahalí: (Sp.) shoulder belt.
Tambour: a work usually in the form of a redan, to inclose a space before a door or staircase. At the Alamo's south gate, this feature is also referred to as a lunette.
Tercerlos: (Sp.) light infantry muskets.
Tienda de Campaña: (Sp.) tent.
Tirador: (Sp.) marksman, sharpshooter.
Tirantes: (Sp.) scabbard slings.
"Took to Their Scrapers": common slang for fled, ran away; mentioned in Travis letter to Jesse Grimes, March 3, 1836.
Torzal: (Sp.) silk twist or cord: e.g., “torzal de los ojales.”
Trabuco: (Sp.) short carbine with a bell muzzle; blunderbuss.
Tripe: (Sp.) type of woolen cloth, or shag.
Trompetilla: (Sp.) opening in a gun stock in which part of the ramrod is housed.
Turquesas: (Sp.) mold for casting single or multiple bullets (also Molde).
U
Útiles de Gastadores: (Sp.) pioneer or sapper tools.
V
Vaina de Cuchillo: (Sp.) knife sheath.
Vaina de Espada: (Sp.) sword scabbard.
Vaina de la Bayoneta: (Sp.) bayonet scabbard.
Vaquero: (Sp.) cowboy; cattle herder.
Vaqueta: (Sp.) tanned cowhide; sole leather.
Vara: a Spanish unit of measurement. Aproximately 2.8 ft.
Vestuario: (Sp.) clothing.
Vivo, Vivos: (Sp.) edging, piping.
Vueltas: (Sp.) lapels, cuffs.
Z
Zapador: (Sp.) sapper.
Zapato(s): (Sp.) shoe(s).
Contributors:
Gregg Dimmick
Phil Graf
Tom Kailbourn
Bruce Moses
Labor: (Sp.) a Mexican unit of land area equal to one million square varas, or 177.1 acres. This amount was believed to be enough land for a family to farm.
Lancero: (Sp.) lancer; light cavalryman armed with a lance.
Lanza: (Sp.) lance.
Lanzafuego: (Sp.) linstock; also called botafuego.
Lanzas en Estadas: (Sp.) lances with spearheads (term seen in weapons returns).
Lanzas sin astas: (Sp.) lances without spearheads (term seen in weapons returns).
League: (Sp.) a Spanish measurement of distance equal to 5,000 varas or 2 5/8 miles. Americans came to use the term as synonymous with a sitio, a measurement of area equivalent to 25 million square varas or 4,428.4 acres.
Levita: (Sp.) frock coat.
Levita Cruzada: (Sp.) double-breasted coat.
Levita de Una Sola Botonadura: (Sp.) single-breasted coat.
Lienzo: (Sp.) linen.
Liso: (Sp.) flat, plain, smooth; sometimes in reference to buttons.
Llaves (llabes): (Sp.) lockplate for a musket. Filisola noted that they threw many fusiles sin llaves in a creek.
Loma: (Sp.) hill.
Loophole: small hole punched in a wall to allow infantry to fire through.
Lunette: a half-circle-shaped structure that is typically built on the outside of a military garrison. The lunette at the Alamo was constructed just outside the south gate and is believed to have consisted of two rows of upright cedar logs with packed fill between them with an earthen berm and ditch on its outer side. This feature is also referred to as a tambour.
M
Machete: (Sp.) long knife or short sword.
Machete de Cinta: (Sp.) machete carried on a belt as a weapon.
Machete para Artilleros: (Sp.) artillery sword.
Machete para Zapadores: (Sp.) pioneer swords.
Madera: (Sp.) wood, timber, lumber.
Magazine: the part of a fort where powder and other explosives are stored.
Mameluco: (Sp.) overalls; coveralls.
Manga de lluvia: (Sp.) Rainproof poncho.
Manoplas: (Sp.) gauntlets.
Manta de la Silla: (Sp.) saddle blanket.
Mantilla: (Sp.) shabraque; saddle blanket; blanket.
Manzana: (Sp.) sword pommel (see also pomo).
Marrueca: (Sp.) Moroccan leather.
Mástil de Tienda de Campaña: (Sp.) tent pole.
Mayor de Órdenes: (Sp.) chief logistical officer: Francisco de Garay was second in command and mayor de ordenes for Urrea's division
Medias: (Sp.) stockings, hose (medias lisos: plain stockings).
Mestizo: (Sp.) a person of mixed Spanish and Indian ethnicity.
Minador: (Sp.) miner.
Mochila: (Sp.) tanned leather covering of saddle tree; saddle cover; knapsack, haversack.
Mochila de Artilleros: (Sp.) gunner's haversack.
Moharra: (Sp.) spear-shaped decoration at top of flagstaff; or, lance head.
Moharra de Lanza: (Sp.) lance head.
Molde: bullet molde (also Turquesas).
Morrion: (Sp.) morion, helmet, headgear with protective properties; in 19-th century usage, also can mean shako.
Mortero: (Sp.) mortar.
Mountain Rifle: The Mountain rifle was made in the southern regions of the Unisted States and was well suited for the North American forests. In general, it was a plainer sturdier version of the Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifle. Instead of brass, it was fitted with iron and a grease hole replaced the patchbox.
Musket: a smoothbore gun with no rifling.
Musket Ball: a musket ball was an early form of ammunition used for loading muskets. Musket balls were generally made from lead and were muzzle loaded into the barrel of the musket, wrapped in a loosely-fitting paper patch and backed with gunpowder. Musket balls were of a diameter considerably larger than today's modern rifles - the Brown Bess fielded a caliber of more than .5", and hence the ball could cause large wounds. The smooth bore muskets of the Brown Bess period had considerable hitting power and were able to penetrate the armour of the day, but had limited accuracy due to the lack of rifling in the barrel.
N
Navaja[/u]: (Sp.) Clasp knife; jackknife; straight razor. A Mexican enlisted man's description of the Texans' arms at San Jacinto referred to long knives about 1/2 vara in length as "navajas," so it evidently also could refer to a Bowie-type knife.
O
Obus[/u]: (Sp.) howitzer; caliber usually expressed in inches: e.g., "obus de á 8 pulgadas" (or, "obus de á 8).
Ojal[/u]: (Sp.) button hole; loop: “ojales” is possibly equivalent to Brandenburgs.
Outwork: A minor fortification constructed beyond a main defensive position or fortification.
P
Pabellon: (Sp.) varied meanings, including flag, ensign, national flag, tent.
Palisade: barrier of sharpened logs closely planted in the ground. Can be vertical or can project horizontally from earthen works (Fraise).
Pantalón: (Sp.) pantaloons, trousers.
Pantalones de Brin: (Sp.) sail cloth (or canvas) trousers.
Paño: (Sp.) cloth.
Pantalones de Paño: (Sp.) cloth trousers.
Parada de Cartuchos: (Sp.) an issue of cartridges: possibly, enough to fill a cartridge box. On the other hand, Gregg Dimmick estimates this was a packet of 8-10 paper cartridges tied together in a bundle. De la Pena wrote that each soldado at the Alamo was over supplied with ammunition. He wrote that each soldado had six paradas of cartridges. Perry mistranslated this as seven rounds each.
Parapet: a low mound or wall to shield and protect personnel from the enemy.
Penacho: (Sp.) plume; crest.
Pennsylvania Rifle: misnamed the Kentucky Rifle, was developed in Lancaster by Swiss gunsmith, Martin Meylin. Meylin put spiraling grooves in the barrel, known as "rifling". The rifling made it extremely accurate up to 300 yards. The typical caliber of a woodsman's Pennsylvania rifle was in the .40-48 range. Smaller caliber bullets resulted in much lighter barrels, making not only the ammunition, but the rifle itself, lighter.
Perilla: (Sp.) saddle pommel.
Pica: (Sp.) pike.
Picket: detatched body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise. Also, a sentinel.
Pié de Gato: (Sp.) flintlock hammer.
Piedras de Chispa:(Sp.) flints, literally rocks of spark.
Piezas Clavados: (Sp.) spiked artillery pieces.
Pistola: (Sp.) pistol.
Pistola á la cinta: (Sp.) sash- or belt-pistol.
Pistoleras: (Sp.) saddle holsters.
Pito: (Sp.) whistle (term found in equipment returns).
Pluma: (Sp.) plume, feather.
Polvora: (Sp.) gunpowder.
Pomo: (Sp.) sword pommel.
Porta-bayoneta: (Sp.) bayonet frog.
Porta-caja: (Sp.) drum sling.
Porta-carabina: (Sp.) leather cup attached to saddle by a strap, in which a cavalryman's carbine muzzle rests.
Porta-cartuchera: (Sp.) cartridge box sling.
Porta-fusil: (Sp.) musket sling.
Porta-mantas (Portamantas): (Sp.) blanket straps.
Porta-sable: (Sp.) sword belt; cross-belt.
Portezuela: (Sp.) pocket flap.
Postern: a small rear gate in a fort.
Potrero: (Sp.) fenced-in pasture land, cattle ranch.
Presidial: (Sp.) member of a presidial company.
Presilla: (Sp.) shoulder knot or strap.
Puñal: (Sp) a thin-bladded dagger, or stiletto.
Put-holes: Holes in masonry walls into which horizontal scaffolding joists were inserted during construction. They were usually filled during completion of the structure. Unfilled put-holes are visible on the facade and south side of the Alamo church and on the south face of the wall connecting the church and the Long Barracks in pre-1850 images.
Q
Quartel: (Sp.) quarters, barrack; quarter.
Quoin: wooden block used for elevating a cannon-barrel.
R
Rampart: an earthen platform constructed to raise the height of a gun platform or a surmounting parapet.
Rancho: (Sp.) mess for the army - “eating rancho.”
Rastrillo: (Sp.) frizzen.
Real: (Sp.) Silver coin equal to 1/8 of a peso.
Recámara: (Sp.) gun breech
Reconnoitering: making a preliminary examination or survey.
Redoubt: a temporary or supplementary fortification; typically square or polygonal without flanking defenses.
Regatón: (Sp.) ferrule; metal tip at base of a flagstaff or lance shaft.
Regatón de Lanza (or, Regatón): (Sp.) metal butt cap or base of a lance.
Remate: (Sp.) edging, border.
Rencontre: a hostile meeting between opposing groups.
Retrenchment: interior defense of a fortress.
Revetment: a facing of wood, stone, or any other material, to sustain an embankment when it receives a slope steeper than the natural slope.
Rifle ball: a bullet designed to be fired from a rifle; no longer made spherical in shape.
Route: Rout; an army retreating in disorder and confusion.
S
Sable: (Sp.) saber.
Sable de Caballería: (Sp.) dragoon sabre.
Sacos á Tierra: (Sp.) sandbags.
Sacristy: A room in the church where the vestments, church furnishings and the like, sacred vessels, and other treasures are kept, and where the clergy meet and vest for the various ecclesiastical functions.
Sardinetas[/u]: (Sp.) lace adornment on uniforms, usually between the cuff and elbow.
Sally Port: opening left in a parapet left as an entrance into an enclosed earthwork.
Sap: narrow siege-trench.
Sapper: originally one who dug saps; later generic term for engineer.
Scarp: outer slope of a rampart.
Schaco[/u]: (Sp.) shako.
Schacos Adornados[/u]: (Sp.) shako with trimmings.
Shako: a stiff, cylindrical military dress hat with a metal cap badge in front, a short visor, and a plume.
Silla: (Sp.) saddle.
Sitio: (Sp.) a Spanish unit of measurement equal to 25 million square varas (4,428.4 acres). See league. Also: siege, or site.
Smoothbore: a general term that applies to all weapons not having rifling.
Solapa[/u]: (Sp.) coat lapel; can also mean a flap.
Soldado: (Sp.) soldier, but more specifically, a private. Mexican army returns for the 1836 Texas campaign listing numbers of troops by rank referred to privates as "soldados."
Sombrero[/u]: (Sp.) a large straw or felt hat with a broad brim and tall crown.
Sortie: an armed attack, especially one made from a place surrounded by enemy forces.
Stimbot de Vapor[/u]: (Sp.) steamboat
Stockade: a work in which a palisade of strong and closely-planted timbers constituted the principal defense.
Stores: consumable supplies like food and ammunition.
Suela: (Sp.) sole leather, specifically as used on light-cavalry and dragoon helmets.
Suertes: (Sp.) lands below the acequias allotted to settlers by lottery or luck.
T
Tahalí: (Sp.) shoulder belt.
Tambour: a work usually in the form of a redan, to inclose a space before a door or staircase. At the Alamo's south gate, this feature is also referred to as a lunette.
Tercerlos: (Sp.) light infantry muskets.
Tienda de Campaña: (Sp.) tent.
Tirador: (Sp.) marksman, sharpshooter.
Tirantes: (Sp.) scabbard slings.
"Took to Their Scrapers": common slang for fled, ran away; mentioned in Travis letter to Jesse Grimes, March 3, 1836.
Torzal: (Sp.) silk twist or cord: e.g., “torzal de los ojales.”
Trabuco: (Sp.) short carbine with a bell muzzle; blunderbuss.
Tripe: (Sp.) type of woolen cloth, or shag.
Trompetilla: (Sp.) opening in a gun stock in which part of the ramrod is housed.
Turquesas: (Sp.) mold for casting single or multiple bullets (also Molde).
U
Útiles de Gastadores: (Sp.) pioneer or sapper tools.
V
Vaina de Cuchillo: (Sp.) knife sheath.
Vaina de Espada: (Sp.) sword scabbard.
Vaina de la Bayoneta: (Sp.) bayonet scabbard.
Vaquero: (Sp.) cowboy; cattle herder.
Vaqueta: (Sp.) tanned cowhide; sole leather.
Vara: a Spanish unit of measurement. Aproximately 2.8 ft.
Vestuario: (Sp.) clothing.
Vivo, Vivos: (Sp.) edging, piping.
Vueltas: (Sp.) lapels, cuffs.
Z
Zapador: (Sp.) sapper.
Zapato(s): (Sp.) shoe(s).
Contributors:
Gregg Dimmick
Phil Graf
Tom Kailbourn
Bruce Moses