GUARDS. A guard, in the primary sense, is one who watches or protects a person or per sons, a place, property, etc., against loss, danger, or harm; as a body-guard, a prison-guard, etc. Body-guards have been an inseparable accom paniment of monarchy from the earliest ages; the Assyrian and Persian kings employed them, and the corps of "Argyraspides,n er silver shields were selected by Alexander out of the bravest men of his army. The Roman em perors had their Praetorian guard. Napoleon I, first created a small troop of body-guards, with the title of Guides, while he was yet only gen eral, in his first Italian campaign. From this arose by degrees, the great institution of the Imperial Guard, consolidated in 1804, which 10 years later comprised 102,708 men, and after be mg disbanded by Louis XVIII, in 1815, was restored by Napoleon III, in 1854. It consists of infantry, cavalry and artillery. In England, the guards, otherwise called household troops, consist of two regiments of Life Guards, the royal regiment of Horse Guards, and five regi ments of Foot Guards: the Coldstream, Scots, Grenadier, Welsh and Irish. Many of the European sovereigns before the French Revolu tion had small corps of foreign troops which served in this capacity. Thus the French had,
in former times, the Guard of Scottish Archers, and at a later period, a body of Swiss guards, called the Cent Suisses. The Cent-Gardes formed by Napoleon III, are founded upon the latter. The Pope no longer retains his Swiss guards. In Prussia there is both infantry and cavalry of the guard, and the Russian Imperial Guard forms an entire corps d'armee 50,000 strong.
In general military use the term guard is of various distinct applications and denotes func tions of great importance. It means a sentry on duty, and also a body of soldiers assigned, under the proper officer or officers, to the duty of guarding or protecting a camp, post or any place where military control is established. Company and regimental details for guard duty are made according to circumstances — the number of men required or available, etc.,— rank of officers being also regarded as far as convenient. Guard-mounting or inspection and review before the old guard is relieved, is a ceremony of much detail and is usually carried out with strict military observance.