=Alcantara.= A creek near Lisbon, on the banks of which a battle was fought between the Spaniards under Alva and the Portuguese under Antonio de Crato (prior of the Maltese order). =Alcantara, Order of.= Knights of a Spanish military order, who gained a great name during the wars with the Moors. =Alcassar=, or =Alcacar=. A fortified city in Morocco, situated between Ceuta and Tangier; the narrowest point of the Strait of Gibraltar. The Portuguese seized this city in 1468. =Alcazar-Quiver.= A city near Fez, Northwest Africa, where the Moors totally defeated the Portuguese, whose gallant king, Sebastian, was slain August 4, 1578. =Alcmaer.= A city in Holland; besieged by the Spaniards in 1573 without success; here the British and Russians were defeated by the French in 1799. =Aldenhofen.= A village of the Prussian Rhenish province, where the French, under Gen. Miranda, were defeated by Archduke Charles, March 1, 1793; the Austrians were defeated March 18, 1793. =Aldershott, Camp.= A moor near Farnham, about 35 miles from London. In April, 1854, the War Office, having obtained a grant of £100,000, purchased 4000 acres of land for a permanent camp for 20,000 men; additional land was purchased in 1856. The camp is used as an army school of instructions. =Aldionaire= (_Aldionarius_). A sort of equerry, who in the army was kept at the expense of his master. Under Charlemagne, the _aldionaires_ were of an inferior rank. =Alem.= Imperial standard of the Turkish empire. =Alemanni= (or all men, _i.e._, men of all nations, hence _Allemannen_, German). A body of Suevi, who took this name; were defeated by Caracalla, 214. After several repulses they invaded the empire under Aurelian; they were subdued in three battles, 270. They were again vanquished by Julian, 356-57. They were defeated by Clovis at Tolbiac (or Zulpich), 496. The Suabians are their descendants. =Alemdar.= An official who carries the green banner of Mahomet (Mohammed), when the sultan assists in ceremonies of solemnity. =Alençon= (Northern France). Gave title to a count and duke. Martel, count of Anjou, seized this city, which was retaken by William the Conqueror in 1048. It was the scene of many battles. =Aleppo= (Northern Syria). A large town named Berœa Seleucus Nicator about 299 B.C. It was taken by the Turks in 638; by Saladin, 1193, and sacked by Timur, 1400. Its depopulation by the plague has been frequent; 60,000 persons were computed to have perished by it in 1797; and many in the year 1827. On October 16, 1850, the Mohammedans attacked the Christians, burning nearly everything. Three churches were destroyed; five others plundered, and thousands of persons slain. The total loss of property amounted to about a million pounds sterling; no interference was attempted by the pasha. =Aleria.= An important city in Corsica, at the mouth of the river Tavignano; was taken in 259 B.C. by the Romans under Consul Cornelius.