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Soon after graduating from college in 1775, Richard Mansergh St. George followed his family’s tradition and joined the British Army. The growing “rebellion” in America provided him with a stage to show his courage and zeal. Men from the nobility or landed gentry, such as St. George, made up about a quarter of the British Army’s regimental officers. They could afford to purchase officer commissions and move up in rank. Unlike St. George, most British officers were the sons of tradesmen, clergymen, and professionals who had little wealth and few prospects of inheritance. They often looked to military service to maintain their fragile social status. In 1776, St. George purchased an ensign’s commission in the 4th Regiment of Foot and sailed for America to defend the British Empire.