BIVOUAC (a

See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French word generally said to have been introduced during the

See also:

• THIRTY

Thirty Years'

See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

War, perhaps derived from Beiwacht, extra guard)  , originally, a night-watch by a whole army under arms to prevent surprise . In modern military par-lance the word is used to mean a temporary encampment in the open field without tents, as opposed to " billets " or " cantonment " on the one hand and " camp " on the other . The use of bivouacs permits an army to remain closely concentrated for all emergencies, and avoids the necessity for numerous wagons. carrying tents . Constant bivouacs, however, are trying to the health of men and horses, and this method of quartering is never employed except when the military situation demands concentration and . readiness . Thus the outposts would often have to bivouac while the main body of the army lay in billets .