Towards the end of May, 1705, the British fleet having about five thousand troops on board, with General the Earl of Peterborough, proceeded to Lisbon; King Charles embarked on board of the Ranelagh on the 23rd of July, and the Dutch fleet having joined in the Tagus, proceeded from thence, and anchored before Barcelona on the 22nd of August.
The Earl of Peterborough commenced operations against Barcelona by an attack on the strong fortress of Montjuich, which was taken by storm on the 17th of September. In this attack the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt was wounded by a musket-ball which occasioned his death. The city of Barcelona was invested, and after considerable efforts on the part of the besiegers and the besieged, the garrison surrendered on the 6th of October, 1705.
The capture of Barcelona obtained for the allied forces the applause of the nations of Europe, and in a great degree promoted the cause of King Charles in his efforts to succeed to the Crown of Spain.
1706
The decease of Colonel Lutterell having taken place, he was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel Josiah Churchill, on the 1st of February, 1706.
The neglect of King Charles III. and his counsellors to secure the advantages obtained by the conquests before stated, and the persevering efforts made in favour of King Philip V. by the French, and by those persons in other countries who supported his cause, occasioned great difficulties, as well as serious losses to the allied forces.
A powerful French and Spanish force by land, aided by a fleet, attempted the recapture of Barcelona, which was besieged in the beginning of April, 1706; but when the enemy had made preparations to attack the place by storm, the English and Dutch fleet arrived with reinforcements for the garrison;—the French relaxed in their efforts, and the siege was raised on the 11th of May.
The city of Barcelona was thus relieved, and the allied fleet, with the troops on board, proceeded to the coast of Valencia; after capturing Carthagena, and placing six hundred Marines for its defence, the expedition proceeded to an attack upon Alicant, which, after a gallant resistance and severe loss, surrendered on the 25th of August, 1706.
The fleet then proceeded to Iviça and Majorca, which surrendered to King Charles III., and detachments of Marines were placed as garrisons in those islands.
1707