In the late 18th century, before the Napoleonic Wars, the British army was in a wretched condition. Commissions in those easy-going days were granted as a favour, sometimes to mere infants, or to lads who drew pay as officers while they were being caned as schoolboys. A Scotch story runs that when a loud noise was heard in the nursery of a Scottish family of rank, the nurse explained, "It's only the major roaring for his porridge."
The British general of the period was said to be merely "an old woman in a red ribbon". British prime minister Frederick North, on looking over a list of officers submitted to him for commands in America, said, "I don't know what effect these names may have on the enemy, but I know they make me tremble."
十八世紀晚期，拿破崙戰爭之前，英軍腐朽不堪，什麼都隨隨便便，以軍銜為恩賜，獲任命者有些還是幼兒，有些年紀大一點，一面在學校挨老師籐條，一面領取軍官俸祿。蘇格蘭有個傳說：某顯貴蘇格蘭家庭的育兒室裏，傳來叫嚷聲。保母解釋說：「少校在叫喊而已。他要吃麥片粥。」
當時的英軍將領，有人說無非是「繫紅絲帶的老婦」。英國首相弗雷德利克．諾思收到一份擬派往美洲指揮軍隊的將領名單，看後說：「這些名字，對敵人不知會有什麼影響，卻着實教我不寒而慄。」