George Germain's earlier command failure

George Sackville had risen through the army before taking command at Minden, where British and Hanoverian infantry unexpectedly drove back French cavalry. Repeated orders called for Sackville to release Lord Granby's cavalry and complete the victory. Personal rivalry with Granby appears to have led Sackville to withhold permission even though success would have served the national interest. Sackville demanded a court martial to clear his name, but the court upheld his discharge and declared him unfit to serve in any military capacity. The verdict was entered in every regiment's orderly book. His later authority over strategy in America is a stark irony.