ADMIRAL ELPHINSTONE AND THE CONQUEST AND DEFENCE OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, 1795-96

Abstract

Vice Admiral of the Blue the Honourable Sir George Keith Elphinstone
(1746-1823) was appointed as commander of the British force dispatched to capture
the Cape of Good Hope in 1795. As an experienced naval officer and a capable
commander acquainted with the Cape and the Far East, he was the correct choice to
command the expedition. Due to the strategic location of the Cape of Good Hope –
literally halfway on the sea route to the East – it was vital for maritime
communications, and Britain had to ensure that the Cape did not fall into French
hands. To secure a safe base on the sea route to the East, a British expeditionary force
was sent to the Cape. The British task force arrived in False Bay on 11 June 1795 and
when negotiations with the Dutch authorities at the Cape failed, a military campaign
commenced that resulted in the capitulation of the Cape on 16 September 1795. In
August 1796, when a Dutch squadron under the command of Rear Admiral E. Lucas
anchored in Saldanha Bay, Elphinstone speedily neutralised the threat, forcing Lucas
to surrender. After a very successful service period at the Cape, Elphinstone returned
to Britain on 7 October 1796. He conducted the defence of the Cape with vigour and
actively sought out his enemy, confirming British control of the Cape and the virtual
impossibility of taking back the Cape with force of arms.