ng whom the admirals were chosen. The captain of the fleet is an
officer who acts as chief of the staff to an admiral commanding a large
force. The position is equivalent to flag rank, but is held by a
captain. Staff captain is the highest grade of the officers entrusted
with the nayigation of a ship or fleet.

The military rank of captain (Fr. _capitaine_, Ger. _Hauptmann_, or in
the cavalry, _Rittmeister_), which was formerly the title of an officer
of high rank corresponding to the modern general officer or colonel, has
with the gradual subdivision and articulation of armies, come to be
applied to the commanders of companies or squadrons, and in general to
officers of the grade equivalent to this command (see OFFICERS).

The title of "captain-general" was formerly used in the general sense of
a military commander-in-chief, and is still similarly used in Spain. In
the Spanish army there are eight captains-general, each of whom has
command of a "region" corresponding to an army corps district. The same
title was formerly given to the Spanish governors of the colonial
provinces in the New World. The official title of the governor of
Jamaica is "captain-general and governor-in-chief."

CAPTAL (Lat. _capitalis_, "first," "chief"), a medieval feudal title in
Gascony. According to Du Cange the designation captal (_capital, captau,
capitau_) was applied loosely to the more illustrious nobles of
Aquitaine, counts, viscounts, &c., probably as _capitales domini_,
"principal lords," though he quotes more fanciful explanations. As an
actual title the word was used only by the lords of Trene, Puychagut,
Epernon and Buch. It is best known in connexion with the famous soldier,
Jean de Grailly, captal of Bush (d. 1376), the "captal de Buch" _par
excellence_, immortalized by Froissart as the confidant of the Black
Prince and the champion of the English cause against France. His active
part in the war began in 1364, when he ravaged the country between Paris
and Rouen, but was beaten by Bertrand du Guesclin at Cocherel and taken
prisoner. Released next year, he received the seigniory of Nemours and
took the oath of fealty to the French king, Charles V., but soon
resigned his new fief and returned to his allegiance to the English
king. In 1367 he took part in the battle of Navarette, in which Du
Guesclin was taken prisoner, the captal being entrusted with his
safe-keeping. In 1371 Jean de Grailly was appointed constable of
Aquita