Martius, the third month of the year, according to the common way of computing. See Month, and Year.

Among the Romans, March was the first month; and in some ecclesiastical computations, that order is still preserved; as particularly reckoning the number of years from the incarnation of our Saviour; that is, from the 25th of March.

It was Romulus who divided the year into months; to the first of which he gave the name of his supposed father Mars. Ovid, however, observes, that the people of Italy had the month of March before Romulus's time; but that they placed it very differently, some making it the third, some the fourth, some the fifth, and others the tenth month of the year.

In this month it was that the Romans sacrificed to Anna Perenna; that they began their comitia; that they adjudged their public farms and leases; that the mistresses served the slaves and servants at table, as the masters did in the Saturnalia; and that the vestals renewed the sacred fire.

The month of March was always under the protection of Minerva, and always consisted of 31 days.—The ancients held it an unhappy month for marriage, as well as the month of May.

the military art, is the moving of a body of men from once place to another. Nothing is laid down particularly concerning the marches of the Jewish armies; only thus much we may collect, that they made use of trumpets, to the different sounds of which they prepared themselves by packing up their baggage, putting themselves in readiness, and attending at the standards, to wait the signal for marching. We are told that the army of the Israelites marched in general no more than one league in a day and a half; but this appears to hold good only of their progress through difficult road: For Follard says they might, in an open country, march four leagues in a day or more. The Rabbins suppose that the Israelites marched in the same order they were placed in their camp. The Greeks, let the posture of their affairs be what it would, never marched against their enemies till favourable omens encouraged the enterprise. An eclipse of the moon, or any untoward accident, or the intervening of what they esteemed an unlucky day, entirely prevented their march. But of all the Greeks the Lacedemonians were the most nice and scrupulous. The heavenly bodies directed all their motions; and it was an invariable maxim with them never to march before the full moon. The Greeks are particularly remarked by Homer for marching in good order and profound silence; whereas the Barbarian forces were all noise, clamour, and confusion. It is needless to say anything concerning the marches of the Roman armies, more than that they were performed with the greatest order and dispatch, inasmuch that their unexpected presence frequently damped the spirits of their enemies. The Roman soldiers were enured to the military pace, that is, to walk 20 miles in five hours, though at the same time they carried burdens of sixty pounds weight.

Of all the mechanical parts of war, in modern times, none is more essential than that of marching. It may be justly called the key which leads to all sublime motions and manoeuvres of an army; for they depend entirely on this point. A man can be attacked in four different ways; in the front, on both flanks, and in the rear: but he can defend himself, and annoy the enemy, only when placed with his face towards him. Hence it follows, that the general object of marching is reduced to three points only; to march forwards, and on both sides, because it is impossible to do it for any time backwards, and by that means face the enemy wherever he present himself.—The different steps to be made use of are three; slow, fast, and oblique. The first is proper in advancing, when at a considerable distance from the enemy, and when the ground is unequal, that the line may not be broke, and a regular fire kept up without intermission. The second is chiefly necessary when you want to anticipate the enemy in occupying some post, in passing a defile, and, above all, in attacking an entrenchment, to avoid being a long while exposed to the fire of the artillery and small arms, &c. The third step is of infinite consequence, both in the infantry and cavalry; columns may be opened and formed into lines, and, vice versa, lines into columns, by this kind of step, in a lesser space, and consequently in less time, than by any other method whatsoever. In coming out of a defile, you may instantly form the line without presenting the flank to the enemy. The line may be formed, though ever so near to the enemy, with safety, because you face him, and can with ease and safety protect and cover the motion of the troops, while they are coming out of the defiles, and forming. The same thing may be equally executed, when a column is to be formed in order to advance or retreat; which is a point of infinite consequence, and should be established as an axiom.

The order of march of the troops must be so disposed, that each should arrive at their rendezvous, if possible, on the same day. The quarter-master-general, or his deputy, with an able engineer, should sufficiently reconnoitre the country, to obtain a perfect knowledge of it and the enemy, before he forms his routes.

Before a march, the army generally receives several days' bread. The quarter-masters, camp colour-men, and pioneers, parade according to orders, and march immediately after, commanded by the quarter-master-general or his deputy. They are to clear the roads, level the ways, make preparations for the march of the army, &c. The general, for instance, beats at 2, the assembly at 3, and the army to march in 20 minutes after. Upon beating the general, the village, and general officer's guards, quarter and rear-guards, join their respective corps; and the army pack up their baggage. Upon beating the assembly, the tents are to be struck, and sent with the baggage to the place appointed, &c. The companies draw up in their several streets, and the rolls are called. At the time appointed, the drummers are to beat a march, and fifers play at the head of the line, upon which the companies march out from their several streets, form battalions as they advance to the head of the line, and then halt.

The several battalions will be formed into columns by the adjutant-general, and the order of march, &c. be given to the general officers who lead the columns.

The cavalry generally march by regiments or squadrons. The heavy artillery always keeps the great roads, in the centre of the columns, escorted by a strong party of infantry and cavalry. The field-pieces march with the columns.

Each soldier generally marches with 36 rounds of powder and ball, and 2 good flints; one of which is to be fixed in the cock of his firelock. The routes must be formed so that no columns cross one another on the march.