SEMI EANT, or SERGEANT, is a non-commissioned officer in a troop of cavalry or in a company of infantry. The duties of serjeants are to drill or instruct in discipline the recruits of a regiment ; to look after the interior economy and discipline of the troop or company under the captain and subalterns ; whilst on parade they act an markers or guides in time performance of the evolutions. The scrjeanta of infantry are now armed with muskets like the rest of the troop& In each company, when a battalion is in line, a covering serjeant is always stationed behind the officer commanding the company ; when the ranks take open order, and that officer advances before the front rank, the serjcant steps into his place; but upon the ranks being closed, ho falls again to the rear. Four or six serjeants arc charged with the duty of guarding the colours of the regiment : they constantly attend the officers who carry them, and are called coiour-serjeants. One serjeant in each troop or company is appointed to pay the men ; also to keep the accounts relating to their allowances, the state of their necessaries, &c. There are five serjeants, including the colour.serjeant, to each company.
The name of sergens or servientes was, in the armies of Franco during the reign of Philip Augustus, applied to gentlemen who served on horseback, but were below the rank of knights, ; and also, as a general term, to the infantry soldiers who were furnished by the towns. There was, besides, a body of troops consisting of 150 or 200
men of rank, who were called scrgens &armee, and were instituted by the prince just mentioned for his protection, when In the East, against the subject. of time chief of the Assassins. (P. Daniel, ' Kist. de In 3lilice Fr.; liv. iii. ch. 7, mind liv. ix. eh. 12.) Corresponding to this corps was time body of serjeants-at-arms, which was instituted in England by Richard I., and appointed to guard the royal tent in complete armour. At first it consisted of twenty-four men, but the number was afterwards increased. Being accused of extortion and oppression, the parliament made several applications to the king that their number might be diminished, and in the reign of Edward IV. the desired reduction took place. (arose, 3Ii1. vol. i. p. 199.) In the reign of Philip and Mary the serjeant-major of the army wan an officer whose post corresponded to that of the modern major general ; and the serjeant-major of a regiment was a field-officer, who would now be designated the major. At present the serjeant-major is an assistant to the adjutant, and keeps the roster for time duties of the scrjeanta, corporals, and privates. The quartermaster-scrjeant is one who acts immediately under the quartermaster of a regiment in all the details relating to the quarters of the officers and men, the supplies of ' food, clothing, &e.