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Patrick Ferguson | |
|---|---|
 Anonymous miniature of Patrick Ferguson in uniform, as Captain of the light company of the 70th Foot, c. 1774–77 (private collection) | |
| Born | 4 June 1744 Pitfour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Died | 7 October 1780 (aged 36) South Carolina, United States |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1759–1780 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Royal Scots Greys (1759–1768) 70th Regiment of Foot (1768–1772) |
| Commands | Ferguson's Rifle Corps (1776–1777) Fraser's Highlanders (1777–1780) |
| Battles / wars | Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War † |
Patrick Ferguson (1744 – 7 October 1780) was a Scottish officer in the British Army, an early advocate of light infantry and the designer of the Ferguson rifle. He is best known for his service in the 1780 military campaign of Charles Cornwallis during the American Revolutionary War in the Carolinas, in which he played a great effort in recruiting American Loyalists to serve in his militia against the Patriots.
Ultimately, his activities and military actions led to a Patriot militia force mustered to put an end to his force of Loyalists, and he was killed in the Battle of Kings Mountain, at the border between the colonies of North Carolina and South Carolina. Leading a group of Loyalists whom he had recruited, he was the only regular army officer participating on either side of the conflict. The victorious Patriot forces desecrated his body in the aftermath of the battle.