This corps was embodied in October 1899, the strength being 373. Throughout the war they did much good work. During 1900 they were chiefly employed on the western railway and west of the line. A section was for some months operating under Sir C Warren and other leaders against the Griqualand rebels. The corps assisted in garrisoning various important posts. Some were in Jacobsdal when that town was attacked on 25th October 1900 (see Cape Town Highlanders), and some were in the relieving force. In his telegram of 31st August 1900 Lord Roberts deals with an attack on Kraarpan station, in which he remarks: "Sergeant Southrood, Cape Garrison Artillery, behaved with great gallantry".
In 1901 detachments of this corps garrisoned, along with the Cape Town Highlanders and various locally raised troops, the towns in the extreme west of Cape Colony and sundry posts right up to the border of German South-West Africa, which were successfully held against repeated attacks.
A detachment was part of the little garrison of O'okiep.
Lieutenant J C Campbell of the CGA was, when serving with an armoured train, unfortunately killed in an accident north of Pretoria on 8th May 1902.
The Mentions gained by the corps were:
LORD ROBERTS' DESPATCH: 2nd April 1901.—Driver Rodger.
LORD KITCHENER'S DESPATCH: 23rd June 1902. — Lieutenant Colonel T E Lawton; Captain J Sampson; Company Sergeant Major W G Duncan; Sergeants W Lewis, RGA, F C Honey, A V Carruthers, W Vye.