of the war in command of Chichester, going out to the Mediterranean in the later stages with Sir Charles Saunders's fleet, but they did not see any action. American War of Independence Left without a ship after the peace in 1763, Elliot did not return to active service until 1767, when he was given command of the 60-gun , one of the Plymouth guardships. He also briefly became Member of Parliament for Cockermouth that year. He was moved to the newly built on 26 September 1770, but left her the following year and received no further commissions until 1777, when he took command of the 64-gun during the American War of Independence. He had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in January 1776, during his time ashore. He was promoted to commodore on 11 April 1778, and shortly afterwards took the Earl of Carlisle, George Johnstone and William Eden to North America to negotiate with the colonists as the Carlisle Peace Commission. After arriving at Delaware Elliot joined Richard Howe's command and took part in the relief of Rhode Island. He left the Trident towards the end of 1778 and returned to England and a brief spell of unemployment until his appointment to command the 74-gun in May 1779. It was about this time that he was made a Colonel of Marines, a post he held until 1787. Elliot went out with Admiral Sir George Rodney's fleet to relieve Gibraltar in 1780 and took part in the defeat of the Spanish fleet under Juan de Lángara at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 16 January 1780. Edgar played a large part in the fighting, suffering casualties of six killed and 20 wounded, the third highest casualty figures of the British ships. Having temporarily relieved Gibraltar, Rodney took his fleet to the West Indies, but left Elliot and Edgar at Gibraltar to support the garrison there. Captain Erasmus Gower was appointed as his flag captain. Elliot soon found that there was little assistance that he could render, and having a ship as large as Edgar on station there made her a target for Spanish gunboats. Rodney was rebuked for leaving him there, as it was against his orders, and necessitated sending a frigate to order his return. Elliot consequently returned to England. Elliot spent most of the remaining years of the war commanding Edgar in the English Channel.