Hamilton arrived in British-controlled New York and served as a courier in the British Army for Generals William Howe and Henry Clinton before being authorized a commission as an officer to recruit Loyalist soldiers in the southern theater. Hamilton's rank would be dependent upon the number of men he would be able to recruit. The recruitment process began after the British Capture of Savannah, when Hamilton recruited approximately 30 Loyalist survivors of the battle of Kettle Creek, Georgia to serve as the basis for his regiment of "North Carolina Volunteers".