You will find by my Separate letter of Yesterday, that it is not His Majesty's Intention to confine you to so strict an observance of the general Rule of no Officers being permitted to hold Commissions in a Regular and Provincial Corps at the same time, as to prevent you from deviating from it in extraordinary Cases, and that your having done so in favor of Majors SIMCOE & TARLETON was approved by His Majesty.

I also informed you that the General Rule was not meant to affect the Brevet Rank of Officers; it is therefore a great Concern to me to find Lord RAWDON had resigned his Rank of Lieut. Colonel in the Army, when he made his Option of Colonel of Provincials.

The King is fully sensible to His Lordship's Merit and of the great Advantage which the Corps under his Command has derived from his Lordship's Attention to it, and is well pleased his Lordship has chosen to continue at the Head of it.

But His Majesty commands me [to] signify to you His Royal Pleasure, that you do immediately acquaint his Lordship that he still retains his Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army.

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Cornwallis Papers, PRO 30/11/3, folios 47-48.

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