The Royal Navy in River Plate 18061807

This collection of documents – official communications from high ranking officers together with extracts from diaries and memoirs of lesser figures – records one of the more bizarre episodes during, but only distantly related to, the Napoleonic wars. In September 1805 Sir Home Popham, he of Popham’s Talking Telegraph, left Cork in command of a squadron of six ships of the line and a number of smaller vessels to convey a 6,000 strong military expedition under Major General Sir David Baird to retake the Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope. Having bypassed the fleets assembling off Cape Trafalgar, their aim was achieved within two weeks of their arrival in January 1806 and Popham, who had since promoted himself Commodore and was at a loose end, decided to take his ships on an unauthorised adventure across the South Atlantic to the Plate estuary. With an infantry regiment loaned by Baird and under the command of Major General William Beresford, they proceeded to rout the Spanish defenders of Buenos Aires in short order. By the time news of this triumph reached London, however, not only were Popham’s friends in government out of office but the people of Buenos Aires, the porteños, far from rejoicing at the prospect of becoming British subjects, had risen up and recaptured the city and taken prisoner all of the British land forces. Meanwhile news of the earlier success had also reached Baird at the Cape who sent reinforcements which allowed Popham to capture the town of Maldonado at the mouth of the estuary and impose a blockade on the insurgents who had refused to release their prisoners. The reaction of the new government in London had been to recall Popham and replace him with Rear- Admiral Charles Stirling. Popham initially refused to accept the decision but eventually set off for home while his successor, with fresh troops under a new commander, General Sir Samuel Auchmuty, evacuated Maldonado before besieging and capturing Montevideo, albeit with heavy losses. Back in London the government had despatched Rear-Admiral George Murray with a squadron to accompany 3,000 soldiers under Brigadier General Robert Craufurd to mount an assault on Chile. However, when news arrived of the loss of Buenos Aires, this force was redirected to the River Plate, while Lieutenant-General John Whitelocke was sent out to take overall command of the land forces. Whitelocke’s eventual attempt to retake Buenos Aires was defeated and the subsequent agreement provided for the total evacuation of the estuary by British forces. The last British ship left in January 1808, two years almost to the day after Popham’s arrival at the Cape. Popham was fortunate that, by the time he returned to England, his friends had returned to office and, though he faced a court martial, he escaped with a severe reprimand which does not seem to have impeded his career. Less lucky was General Whitelocke who, at his own court martial, was dismissed the service.