A matross was a soldier of artillery, who ranked next below a gunner.
The duty of a matross was to assist the gunners in loading, firing and sponging the guns. They were provided with firelocks, and marched with the store-wagons, acting as guards. In the United States Army, a matross ranked as a private of artillery.
The word is probably derived from French matelot, a sailor.1 The OED states that the word is borrowed from the Dutch matroos ('a sailor of the lowest rank'), and is cognate with similar terms in German, Danish and Swedish.2
References
References
- Britannica 1911
- Matross at Oxford English Dictionary
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Matross". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 890.