The four companies left at Guernsey, embarked for England in August, 1810, where they continued to be stationed during the remainder of that year.
The six companies of the second battalion remained at Gibraltar until the 22nd of November, 1810, when they embarked for Cadiz, to join the army under the command of Lieutenant-General Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch.
The six companies arrived at Cadiz on the 9th of December, 1810, which was at that period besieged by a powerful French army, under Marshal Soult, who subsequently proceeded on an expedition into Estremadura, leaving Marshal Victor to blockade Cadiz.
1811
The SIXTY-SEVENTH remained at Cadiz until the 18th of February, 1811, when they proceeded with the army under the command of Lieutenant-General Thomas Graham, which consisted of a British force of about three thousand, and a body of seven thousand troops commanded by General La Pena. The design of the expedition was to make a combined attack on the rear of the French army blockading Cadiz. The forces disembarked at Algesiras on the 23rd of February, and being all united at Tarifa, marched from thence on the 28th of February.
General Zayas pushed a strong body of Spanish troops across the river Santi Petri, near the coast, on the 1st of March, threw a bridge over, and formed a tête-de-pont. This post was attacked by the enemy on the nights of the 3rd and 4th of March, who was repulsed, though the Spaniards sustained considerable loss.
On the 5th of March, 1811, Lieutenant-General Graham and the army under his command arrived on the low ridge of Barrosa, where a brilliant victory was gained over the French army under Marshal Victor, composed of the two divisions of Generals Rufin and Laval.
Lieutenant-General Graham in his despatch to the Earl of Liverpool, dated Isla de Leon, March 6th, 1811, stated:—
"The circumstances were such as compelled me to attack this very superior force. In order as well to explain to your Lordship the circumstances of peculiar disadvantage under which the action was begun, as to justify myself from the imputation of rashness in the attempt, I must state to your Lordship, that the allied army, after a night march of sixteen hours from the camp near Veger, arrived, on the morning of the 5th, at the low ridge of Barrosa, about four miles to the southward of the mouth of the Santi Petri river. This height extends inland about a mile and a half, continuing on the north the extensive heathy plain of Chiclana. A great pine forest skirts the plain, and circles round the height at some distance, terminating down to Santi Petri; the intermediate space between the north side of the height and the forest being uneven and broken.
"A well-conducted and successful attack on the rear of the enemy's lines near Santi Petri, by the vanguard of the Spanish army, under Brigadier-General Ladrizabel, having opened the communication with the Isla de Leon, I received General La Pena's directions to move down from the position of Barrosa to that of the Torre de Bermesa, about half-way to the Santi Petri river, in order to secure the communication across the river, over which a bridge had been lately established. This latter position occupies a narrow woody ridge, the right on the sea cliff, the left falling down to the Almanza creek on the edge of the marsh. A hard sandy beach gives an easy communication between the western points of these two positions.