William George Keith Elphinstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William George Keith Elphinstone
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Major-General William Elphinstone (1836-1839)
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| Born | 26 January 1782 Scotland |
| Died | 23 April 1842 (aged 60) Afghanistan |
| Service/ |
British Army |
| Years of service | 1804–1842 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | 33rd Regiment of Foot Kabul garrison |
| Battles/wars | Napoleonic Wars First Anglo-Afghan War |
Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone (born 26 January 1782 – died 23 April 1842) was an officer in the British Army during the 1800s. He is mostly known for leading British troops during a difficult time in Afghanistan.
Contents
About William Elphinstone
Early Life and Army Career
William Elphinstone was born in Scotland in 1782. His father, William Fullerton-Elphinstone, worked for the East India Company. This was a powerful British trading company. William's uncle, George Keith Elphinstone, was also a famous Admiral in the navy.
William joined the British Army in 1804 as a lieutenant. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars, which were major wars in Europe. By 1813, he had become a lieutenant-colonel. He then led the 33rd Regiment of Foot. He commanded this group at the famous Battle of Waterloo in 1815. For his bravery at Waterloo, Elphinstone received several honors. These included being made a Companion of the Bath in Britain. He also received awards from the Netherlands and Russia. He left his regiment in 1822. Later, in 1825, he became a colonel. He even served for a while as an aide-de-camp (a personal assistant) to King George IV.
By 1837, Elphinstone was not actively serving in the army. He had not been in battle since Waterloo. However, he needed to work again because he had money problems.
The First Anglo-Afghan War
In 1837, Elphinstone was promoted to major-general. In 1840, he was chosen to lead the British Army in Kabul, Afghanistan. This was during the First Anglo-Afghan War. The leader of British India, Earl of Auckland, approved Elphinstone's appointment. However, he soon realized that Elphinstone's health was not good. Elphinstone also did not understand the local people or the Indian soldiers, called sepoys, he was supposed to command.
In December 1840, Elphinstone officially took command of the British troops in Kabul. There were about 4,500 soldiers. Most of them were Indian, with about 690 European soldiers. There were also about 12,000 civilians, including soldiers' families and people who followed the army to help, called camp followers. Elphinstone was older, often couldn't make decisions, and was not healthy enough for the job. His poor leadership made his soldiers lose hope and fight less effectively. He also stopped his other officers from taking charge. Because of his weak leadership, almost his entire command was killed during the British retreat from Kabul in January 1842.
Death and Burial
Elphinstone died a few months later while being held captive in Afghanistan. George Lawrence, a military secretary, was with him when he died. Even though Lawrence knew Elphinstone was not fit for command, he said, "His kind, mild disposition and courteous detachment had made him esteemed by us all."
Elphinstone's body was sent with a small group of Afghan soldiers to the British base at Jalalabad. His loyal assistant, Moore, who had stayed with the General, went with the body. On the way, some local tribesmen attacked them. They disrespected the body until horsemen sent by the Afghan leader Akbar Khan rescued it.
Eventually, the body and Moore reached the base. Elphinstone was buried with military honors, but in an unmarked grave. The British then left the fortress for good.
Images for kids
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The valley of Jugdulluk where Elphinstone's army made its last stand during the retreat in January 1842.
See also
- Flashman
