Patrick Ferguson

Major Patrick Ferguson (1744 – October 7, 1780) was a Scottish officer in the British Army, early advocate of light infantry and designer of the Ferguson rifle. He is best known for his service in the 1780 military campaign of Charles Cornwallis, in which he aggressively recruited Loyalists and harshly treated Patriot sympathisers. Some dispute this characterization of Ferguson as pro-Patriot bias, however, and other accounts praise him for his humanity and unwillingness to follow orders he considered barbaric. Ultimately, his activities led to a militia uprising against him, and he was killed in the Battle of Kings Mountain, where he was the only regular army officer present from either side of the conflict. His body was mistreated in the aftermath of the battle by the victorious Patriot forces before burial. Patrick Ferguson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 25 (Old Style)/June 4 (New Style) 1744, the second son and fourth child of advocate James Ferguson of Pitfour (who was...