But he was too able to be allowed to remain long unemployed.

When the British moved to New York he was given the command of several small independent expeditions, and was successful in each case; once, in particular, he surprised and routed Pulaski's legion, committing great havoc with the bayonet, which was always with him a favorite weapon.

His energy and valor attracted much attention; and when a British army was sent against Charleston and the South he went along, as a lieutenant-colonel of a recently raised regular regiment, known as the American Volunteers.
[Footnote: Though called volunteers they were simply a regular regiment raised in America instead of England; Ferguson's "Memoir" p.

30, etc., always speaks of them as regulars.

The British gave an absurd number of titles to their various officers; thus Ferguson was a brigadier-general of militia, lieutenant-colonel of volunteers, a major in the army, etc.] Cornwallis speedily found him to be peculiarly fitted for just such service as was needed; for he possessed rare personal qualities.