The regiment was not long at Gibraltar before it had opportunities of distinguishing itself, and a detachment formed part of the body of troops which issued from the fortress during the night of the 22nd of December, forced the Spanish posts, routed a body of cavalry, levelled part of the works, burnt many fascines and gabions, and retired with little loss.
1705
Still anticipating success, the French and Spaniards prosecuted the siege; and, in the beginning of February, 1705, a chosen band of French grenadiers attacked the round tower: they climbed the rock by the aid of hooks, but were repulsed with loss.
About four days afterwards, six hundred select French and Walloon grenadiers, supported by a large body of Spaniards, ascended the hill with great silence in the night, and concealed themselves until daybreak on the morning of the 7th of February; and when the night-guard had been withdrawn from the breach near the round tower, they made a sudden rush, and drove the ordinary guard from its post with a shower of hand-grenades: at the same time, two hundred grenadiers attacked the round tower. The troops in garrison were soon alarmed, and Captain Fisher, of the Queen’s marines (now fourth foot), charged the enemy at the head of seventeen men; but his party was soon over-powered and himself taken prisoner. Major Moncall of the Thirteenth foot, a most gallant officer, collected between four and five hundred men, principally of his own regiment, and charged the enemy, sword in hand, so vigorously, that he soon drove them back, recaptured the round tower, after it had been in the possession of the enemy about an hour, and liberated Captain Fisher and several other prisoners. The soldiers of the Thirteenth regiment were aided, in this gallant effort, by Colonel Rivett of the foot guards, who climbed the rock on the right of the covered way with twenty grenadiers, and favoured Major Moncall’s success. Additional men were brought forward, and the French and Walloon grenadiers were driven from the works with severe loss. On the following day, the brave Major Moncall of the Thirteenth lost his leg by a cannon-shot.
The French and Spaniards continued their unavailing attempts on Gibraltar, and the siege became a subject of great interest throughout Europe; but towards the end of March, they withdrew the shattered remains of their formidable army from before the place, and left the English in quiet possession of the fortress they had so gallantly defended, and which they have preserved to the present period.
In a few weeks after the siege of Gibraltar was raised, an expedition sailed from England, under Charles Earl of Peterborough, either to aid the Duke of Savoy in driving the French out of Italy, to make an attempt on Sicily and Naples, or to further the progress of Archduke Charles in Spain, as should appear most advantageous for Her Majesty’s service; and the latter course was adopted. The expedition arrived at Gibraltar in the beginning of August; and the Thirteenth foot were relieved from duty in that garrison by a newly-raised regiment from England, and embarked on board the fleet, which put to sea in a few days afterwards.
The expedition appeared off the coast of Valencia: a thousand Catalonians and Valencians threw off their allegiance to King Philip, acknowledged Archduke Charles as sovereign of Spain, and seized on Denia, while others made demonstrations of giving effectual aid to the expedition. Thus encouraged, the Earl of Peterborough undertook the daring enterprise of besieging Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, which assumed a romantic character, in consequence of his being unable to bring more than seven thousand men into the lines, the garrison consisting of nearly six thousand men, and of this fortress having resisted a French army of thirty thousand men, eight weeks, in 1697, and cost the French monarch twelve thousand men to take it. The troops landed on the 23rd and 24th of August, and the Thirteenth regiment took part in the siege. On the 13th of September, the grenadier company of the regiment left the camp, and after a night march among the mountains, appeared before the detached fortress of Montjuich, at daylight on the following morning, and took part in storming the outworks of that place, in which it had several men killed and wounded. Three days afterwards, the strong castle and citadel of Montjuich surrendered, which greatly facilitated the progress of the siege of Barcelona.
The besieging army was so very weak in numbers that extraordinary efforts were necessary: the soldiers and seamen were incessant in their exertions; cannon and mortars were dragged up steep precipices by men, and a practicable breach having been made, a detachment of the Thirteenth foot was in readiness to take part in storming the works, when the governor surrendered.
The capture of so important a fortress, by so small a body of men, produced a great sensation throughout Europe, and this splendid achievement was followed by the submission of nearly all Catalonia, the largest and richest province of Spain.
Elated by this success, the Earl of Peterborough resolved to undertake another enterprise of a more romantic character than the former, namely the invasion of Valencia, with a body of troops not sufficiently numerous to form the advance guard of the opposing army. The Thirteenth regiment being conspicuous for its efficiency, and for the gallant bearing of the officers and soldiers, was selected to form part of his Lordship’s force.