 After the opening skirmishes of the war took place near Boston , Cornwallis put his politics aside and sought active service . Despite his opposition to the king 's colonial policy , Cornwallis had retained King George III 's favour , and was rapidly promoted . On September 29 , 1775 he was promoted to major general . In November he offered to serve in North America on a proposed expedition to the southern colonies , even though the number of officers that were senior to him in rank meant he was unlikely to get an independent command . This generosity was appreciated by the king and by Lord George Germain , the secretary of state for the colonies . On January 1 , 1776 he was given the rank of lieutenant general in North America . His orders from Lord Germain were to accompany a convoy of troops from Cork , Ireland to North America , where he was to join at Cape Fear , North Carolina with General Henry Clinton , who was bringing troops from Boston for operations in the southern colonies . Clinton arrived at Cape Fear well before the earl , since logistics delayed the convoy 's departure , and then bad weather slowed its progress across the Atlantic . Cornwallis expected to have good relations with Clinton ; a mutual friend , William Phillips , reported Cornwallis to be " very happy to think he shall serve under an old friend and a man he has so good an opinion of . " 
