<P> Although a large portion of the rank and file were lower class and the officers upper class, the army recruited from a variety of social backgrounds, both among the regular and officer ranks . According to Reid, the Georgian army through necessity drew its officers from a far wider base than its later Victorian counterpart and was much more open to promotion from the ranks . Officers were required to be literate, but there was no formal requirement on the level of education or their social standing, and most regimental officers did not come from the landed gentry, but from middle class private individuals in search of a career . Although the system of sale of commissions officially governed the selection and promotion of officers, in practice the system was considerably relaxed during wartime, with far more stringent requirements placed on promotion . Many British officers were professional soldiers rather than wealthy dilettantes and showed themselves ready to discard their drill manuals and use innovative methods and tactics . </P> <P> The Commander - in - Chief, India formally held command over crown forces in the East Indies and the Commander - in - Chief, North America commanded crown forces in the Americas . However, the British Army had no formal command structure, so British commanders often worked on their own initiative during the war . The position of Commander - in - Chief of the Forces remained vacant until 1778 when it was given to Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst who held it until the end of the war . However his role in advising the government on strategy was limited and Amherst found himself primarily occupied with the organisation of home forces to oppose the threatened invasion in 1779, and suppress the outbreak of severe anti-Catholic rioting in 1780 . </P> <P> The direction of the British war effort ultimately fell to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville . Despite holding no formal position in the army, he appointed or relieved generals, took care of provisions and supplies, and directed much of the strategic planning . While some historians argue Sackville carried out his role effectively, even brilliantly, others have argued he made several miscalculations and struggled to hold genuine authority over his subordinates in the army . </P> <P> In 1776, there were 119 generals of various grades in the British Army . However, since generals never retired, perhaps a third of this number were too old or infirm to command in the field . Others were opposed to war against the colonists, or unwilling to serve for years in America . Sir William Howe, who was chosen to succeed Sir Thomas Gage as Commander in Chief in North America, was only 111th in seniority . </P>

The colonists used traditional army tactics against the british as they marched back to boston