1715
On the 8th July, 1715, the Earl of Barrymore was succeeded in the command of the regiment by Colonel Stanhope Cotton, who had served in Brigadier-General Bowles’s regiment, which was disbanded in 1713.
Colonel Cotton was honoured with the appointment of Lieut.-Governor of Gibraltar, and the Thirteenth regiment, under his command, was as much distinguished for its excellent conduct in garrison in time of peace, as it had been for its gallantry in action during the war.
1725
After commanding the regiment upwards of twelve years, Colonel Cotton died on the 7th of December, 1725, when King George I. conferred the colonelcy of the Thirteenth foot on Brigadier-General Lord Mark Kerr, from the twenty-ninth regiment.
1726
The importance of Gibraltar had rendered the loss of that fortress a subject of deep regret to the crown of Spain, and on the prospect of England being involved in a continental war, in 1726, the Spanish monarch resolved to commence hostilities with Great Britain, by a determined effort to recover possession of this desirable entrepôt to the Mediterranean, which gave the Thirteenth regiment another opportunity of adding to its honours, that of a second successful defence of Gibraltar.
1727
The Spaniards made preparations for the siege upon an extensive scale: their troops encamped before the fortress in January, 1727, under General Count de las Torres, and the bringing up of cannon and mortars occupied several weeks. In February they commenced constructing batteries, before any declaration of war had been made, and persisted in the work, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the Lieut.-Governor, Colonel Jasper Clayton.