Brigade-MAJOR, is a particular officer appointed for that purpose only in camp: he goes every day to head-quarters to receive orders from the adjutant-general: there they write exactly whatever is dictated to them: from thence they go and give the orders, at the place appointed for that purpose, to the different majors or adjutants of the regiments which compose that brigade, and regulate with them the number of officers and men which each are to furnish for the duty of the army; taking care to keep an exact roster, that one may not give more than another, and that each march in their tour: in short, the major of brigade is charged with the particular detail in his own brigade, in much the same way as the adjutant-general is charged with the general detail of the duty of the army. He sends every morning to the adjutant-general an exact return, by battalion and company, of the men of his brigade missing at the retreat, or a report expressing that none are absent: he also mentions the officers absent with or without leave.
As all orders pass through the hands of the majors of brigade, they have infinite occasions of making known their talents and exactness.
MAJOR of Artillery, is also the next officer to the lieutenant-colonel. His post is very laborious, as the whole detail of the corps particularly rests with him; and for this reason all the non-commissioned officers are subordinate him, as his title of serjeant-major im-
ports: in this quality they must render him an exact account of every thing which comes to their knowledge, either regarding the duty or wants of the artillery and soldiers. He should possess a perfect knowledge of the power of artillery, together with all its evolutions. In the field he goes daily to receive orders from the brigade-major, and communicates them with the parole to his superiors, and then dictates them to the adjutant. He should be a very good mathematician, and be well acquainted with every thing belonging to the train of artillery, &c.
MAJOR of Engineers, commonly with us called sub-director, should be very well skilled in military architecture, fortification, gunnery, and mining. He should know how to fortify in the field, to attack and defend all sorts of posts, and to conduct the works in a siege, &c. See ENGINEER.