MAJOR, a 661d-officer next In rank below a lieutenant-colonel, and Immediately superior to the captains of troops In a regiment of calvary, or to the captains of compauies in a battalion of infautry. Ilia duty is to superintend the exercises of time regiment or battalion, and, on parade or in action, to carry into effect the orders of the colonel. The major has also to regulate the distribution of the officers and men for the performance of any particular service; and he has a temporary charge of the effects appertaining to any individual of the corps, in the event of the absence or death of such individual.
This class of field-officers does not appear to have existed before the beginning of the 17th century; and, at first, such officers had the title of aerjeanta-major, a designation borne at an earlier time by a class corresponding to that of the present majors-general of an army. (Grose, vol. i. p. 243.) No mention is made of either lieutenants-colonel or majors as field officers in the account of Queen Elisabeth's army in Ireland (1600).
But Ward, in his 'Animadversions of Warre' (1639), has given a description of the duties of the latter class, under the name of serjeants-major, from which it appears that those, duties were then nearly the same as are exercised by the present majors of regiments. They are stated to consist in receiving the orders from the general commanding the army; in conveying them to the colonel of the regiment, and subsequently in transmitting them to the officers of the companies; also, in superintending the distribution of ammunition to the troops, and in visiting the guard by day or night.
A brigade-major is a staff-officer who performs for a brigade, or in a garrison, duties corresponding to those of a major in a regiment or battalion.
A serjeant-major of a regiment is a non-commissioned officer, who in general superintends the military exercises of the soldiers : on parade, he has the care of dressing the line.