Lieut.-Colonel Prevost and the brigade under his command, consisting of the second battalion of the SIXTY-SEVENTH, the battalion of Roll Dillon, and a detachment of royal artillery, landed, about eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the 3rd of June, about one mile to the eastward of the entrance to the pass from Tarragona, where he was joined by the Spanish regiments of Barcelona and Palma, under the command of Don Jose Charles. On the 3rd of June the fort was invested, and on the day following a summons was sent to the commanding officer to surrender, offering favourable terms, which were, however, rejected.
On the 5th of June the batteries continued a heavy fire upon the fort, which was returned by the enemy, who kept up a heavy and galling fire of shells, round and grapeshot, during the whole of the night, which occasioned some loss.
About ten o'clock a most violent storm of thunder and lightning commenced, which impeded the works greatly, and as the seamen and troops were quite exhausted, it became expedient to delay bringing the guns upon the platforms, and to keep the embrasures masked. In the evening of the 6th of June a battery of two eight-inch mortars was placed upon the road, within a few hundred yards of the Castle, under the breaching battery; one four-pounder was likewise placed upon the heights to the right, where the riflemen were stationed.
At daybreak on the 7th, three batteries opened to protect the working party at the breaching battery, and kept up a tremendous fire until six o'clock, when that of the Castle having ceased, their magazines upon the batteries having been blown up by the shells from the mortars, the white flag was hoisted upon the Castle, and the garrison offered to surrender upon conditions of marching out and grounding their arms upon the glacis, with permission to carry off the personal baggage, which terms were granted, as Marshal Suchet's approach was hourly expected, and Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost would be enabled to put the fort in a good state of defence. Possession was taken of the Castle on the 7th of June.
Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray, in his despatch to the Marquis of Wellington, stated—
"This capture, in the present situation of our affairs, is of great importance, as it blocks up the nearest and most accessible road from Tortosa to Tarragona....
"The troops of both nations bore their fatigue, and performed their duty with the greatest alacrity and spirit, and deserve every commendation. Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost has in a former despatch particularly noticed the gallantry and good conduct of Ensign Nelson, of the SIXTY-SEVENTH, and Ensign John Dermot, of Roll Dillon's battalion."
The SIXTY-SEVENTH had two rank and file killed, and eight rank and file wounded.
Marshal Suchet advancing with an army of superior numbers, the siege of Tarragona, which had been invested by Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray on the 3rd of June, was raised, and on the 12th of that month the troops embarked for the Col de Balaguer.
Lieutenant-General Lord William Bentinck assumed the command of the troops in the East of Spain, in succession to Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray. His Lordship joined the army at the Col de Balaguer on the 17th of June, and re-embarked with it for Alicant, at which place the SIXTY-SEVENTH and the rest of the troops arrived about the 24th of June.