ESSES, in the train of artillery, are fixed to draught chains and made in the form of an S, one end of which is fastened to the chain, and the other hooks to the horses harness, or to a staple: they serve likewise to lengthen and piece chains together. ESSUYER _le feu_, _Fr._ to remain exposed to the fire of cannon or musquetry. ESTABLAGE, _Fr._ the harness which is between the two shafts of a cart, and serves to support them. _To_ ESTABLISH, To fix, to settle. It is likewise a technical phrase, to express the quartering of any considerable body of troops in a country. Thus it is common to say: The army took up a position in the neighborhood of ---- and established its head quarters at ----. ESTABLISHMENT, in a military sense, implies the quota of officers and men in an army, regiment, troop, or company. _Peace_-ESTABLISHMENT, is the reduction of corps to a certain number, by which the aggregate force of a country is diminished, and its expenditure lessened. _War_-ESTABLISHMENT, is the augmentation of regiments to a certain number, by which the whole army of a country is considerably increased. ESTAFFE, contribution money. ESTIMATE, army estimates are the computation of expences to be incurred in the support of an army for a given time. ESTOFETTE, a military courier, sent express from one part of an army to another. ESTOILE. See ETOILE. ESTRADE, _Fr._ a road or way. This word is derived from the Italian _strada_, which signifies road, street, or way. Some writers take its etymology from _Estradicts_, a class of men on horseback, who were employed in scouring the roads, and in procuring intelligence respecting the movements of an army. See BATTEUR D’ESTRADE. ETAIM or ETAIN, _Fr._ Tin, A white metal of a consistency less hard than silver, but firmer than lead. It is used in the casting of cannon. The best quality is found in Cornwall. ETANCONS, _Fr._ Stays, supporters. Large pieces of wood which are fixed vertically in the cavities of mines, for the purpose of sustaining the weight of earth that is laid upon the galleries. ETAPE, _Fr._ subsistence, or a soldier’s daily allowance. See SUBSISTENCE. ETAPIERS, _Fr._ were military purveyors, who accompanied the French armies or were stationed in particular places to supply the troops on their march. ETAT-_Major_, _Fr._ Staff. Etat major in the French service, is a more comprehensive term than staff appears to be in our acceptation of the word. As we have in some degree adopted the term, it cannot be superfluous to give a short account of its origin, &c. Among the French, according to the Author of the _Recueil Alphabetique de tous les termes propres à l’art de la guerre_, état-major signifies a specific number of officers who are distinguished from others belonging to the same corps. It did not follow that every regiment was to have its staff, as the king had the power of appointing or suppressing staff officers at pleasure.