to provide for the security of the towns which had come into their
possession, and collecting the means for future conquests, spent
their time and money in balls and public diversions. The breaches
in Barcelona and the detached fortress of Montjuich were left
unrepaired, and the garrison unprovided for a siege. Meanwhile King
Philip was obtaining reinforcements from the frontiers of Portugal,
from Italy, Provence, Flanders, and the Rhine, and he soon
appeared at the head of above twenty thousand men to re-capture
the provinces he had lost. A powerful French and Spanish force
approached _Barcelona_ by land; a French fleet appeared before
the town; and, the garrison being weak in numbers, regiments were
hurried from other places, one English regiment travelling one
hundred and twenty miles on mules, in two days, to take part in
the defence of Barcelona. The siege was commenced in the beginning
of April, 1706, when the soldiers repaired the breaches, and a
desperate and resolute defence was made.
The Earl of Peterborough hastened from Valencia with a body of
select troops, but found the town so closely beset that he was
unable to force his way into it, when he took to the mountains,
and harassed the enemy with skirmishes and night-alarms. The
SIXTH was one of the corps which had the honour of sharing in
the defence of this important city, and British valour was
conspicuously displayed. When the garrison was nearly exhausted,
its numbers decreased from deaths, wounds, sickness, and other
causes, to about a thousand effective men, and a practical breach
was ready for the enemy to attack the place by storm, the English
and Dutch fleet arrived with five regiments of foot, the French
fleet hurried from before the town, and the reinforcements were
landed. Barcelona being thus relieved, the enemy, having lost five
thousand men before the town, made a precipitate retreat on the
12th of May, leaving two hundred brass cannon, thirty mortars, and
vast quantities of ammunition and provision behind them, together
with the sick and wounded of their army, whom Marshal de Tessé
recommended to the humanity of the British commander. During the
siege, the roads by which the enemy could return into the heart
of Spain had been broken up, and other obstructions raised among
the mountains and defiles, and the line of retreat so crowded
with armed peasantry, that the French army was forced to return
to France, and re-enter Spain by the passes of the Pyrenean
mountains. Thus Barcelona was preserved by British skill, valour
and perseverance; that part of Spain was delivered from the
presence of the enemy; and the forces were at liberty to engage in
new enterprises.
An immediate advance upon Madrid was resolved upon, and the Marquis
das Minas and Earl of Galway, who commanded a British, Portuguese,
and Dutch force on the frontiers of Portugal, were requested
to penetrate boldly to the capital of Spain. To engage in this
enterprise the SIXTH embarked from Barcelona, and proceeded by
sea to Valencia, where King Charles was expected to arrive with
the cavalry by land. While in Valencia the regiment furnished a
detachment of non-commissioned officers and soldiers, which, with
similar detachments from other regiments of foot, were formed into
a regiment of dragoons, called the Earl of Peterborough's regiment.
From Valencia the regiment was detached, under the orders of
Major-General Wyndham, to besiege _Requena_ and _Cuenza_, which
places lay on the line of march from Valencia to Madrid, and were
both captured after a short resistance. Meanwhile the army from
Portugal had penetrated to Madrid, and was anxiously awaiting the
arrival of King Charles, who, following the pernicious advice
of his Italian counsellors, delayed his journey, and eventually
proceeded by way of Arragon. This gave time for the French and
Spanish troops under King Philip to re-enter Spain; and, uniting
with the forces under the Duke of Berwick, the enemy had a great
superiority of numbers. The allies were forced to retire from their
forward position; and on the 13th of September, the SIXTH and other
corps under Major-General Wyndham joined the army at Veles. The
troops continued their route towards the frontiers of Valencia and
Murcia, where they remained during the winter.
[Sidenote: 1707]
The SIXTH now formed part of the allied army, which was composed of
English, Spaniards, Portuguese, and Dutch, commanded by the Marquis
das Minas and the Earl of Galway, and took the field for offensive
operations in the early part of April, 1707. After destroying
several of the enemy's magazines, the siege of the castle of
_Villena_ was undertaken; and while this was in progress, a French
and Spanish force, of very superior numbers, commanded by the Duke
of Berwick, advanced to the plains of _Almanza_. As the enemy
expected the arrival of reinforcements under the Duke of Orleans,
the allied generals, though much inferior in numbers to their
opponent, resolved to attack him without delay[27].
Advancing in four columns, on the 25th of April, over many miles
of rugged ground, and exposed to a burning sun, the army entered
a large plain, and about half-past two in the afternoon the
advanced-guard arrived in front of the enemy's camp: at three, the
soldiers, though faint, and their bodily strength exhausted with
the march, advanced boldly to the attack.
The SIXTH were formed in brigade with the seventeenth,
thirty-third, and Lord Montjoy's regiments, under Major-General
Wade, and were posted between two brigades of cavalry, in the left
wing of the front line. The Earl of Galway commenced the action
by leading the left brigade through a hollow way to attack the
enemy's right: the British dragoons, after gaining some advantage,
and ascending a height on which a battery was placed, were
overpowered by superior numbers and forced to retire. The SIXTH and
thirty-third advanced to support the dragoons, and opening a sharp
fire on the flank of the French horse and Spanish life-guards, put
them in disorder; at the same time the English dragoons rallied
and returned to the charge, and the enemy was driven back with
great slaughter. The French and Spanish horsemen returned to the
charge; but were again driven back by the fire of the SIXTH and
thirty-third regiments. Meanwhile the battle was extending along
the line; the ground was contested with varied success; but the
British and Dutch battalions, in the centre, obliged the enemy to
give way. A few French squadrons advanced to charge the cavalry on
the right; the Portuguese squadrons faced about and fled from the
field without waiting to be attacked; and several battalions of
Portuguese infantry followed the example.
Nine battalions of French and Spanish infantry advanced to that
part of the field where the SIXTH and thirty-third were engaged;
the two regiments confronted the overwhelming numbers of the
enemy nobly, and being joined by the ninth, seventeenth, and Lord
Montjoy's regiments, disputed the ground with sanguinary obstinacy;
but while the contest was still raging, a body of fresh French and
Spanish cavalry overpowered and drove back the allied squadrons
on the left. The five regiments (SIXTH, ninth, seventeenth,
thirty-third, and Lord Montjoy's) were thus left unsupported:
they were attacked by nine battalions of the enemy, and, while
bravely contending with the seven battalions which assailed them
in front, they were charged in flank by the other two, broken, and
driven from the field with great loss: a few only of the officers
and men of the SIXTH escaped being killed or taken prisoners. The
two French battalions which attacked them in flank, pursuing with
eagerness, were cut to pieces by Harvey's horse, now second dragoon
guards, who were in turn overpowered by the superior numbers of the
enemy.
The fight still raged in the centre; but the flanks being defeated,
the enemy surrounded the centre and made a great slaughter.
Major-General Shrimpton, Brigadier-General Macartney, Colonels
Britton and Hill, and several other officers, collected the broken
remains of the English regiments, which fought in the centre, into
a body, and united them with some of the Dutch and Portuguese,
who had been rallied by Count de Dhona and Don Juan Emanuel, and
formed a body of nearly four thousand men, who retreated two
leagues; but were pursued by the enemy, whom they repeatedly
repulsed. Arriving at the woody hills of Caudete, the men were
so exhausted with fatigue that they were unable to proceed; they
passed the night in the wood, where they were surrounded by the
enemy; and on the following morning, being without ammunition,
ignorant of the country, destitute of provisions, and without the
hope of a supply, they surrendered prisoners of war. Such was the
result of this unfortunate battle, where the faint and wearied
soldiers were hurried forward to fight superior numbers of fresh
troops, commanded by a renowned general: but, notwithstanding
these disadvantages, the author of the Annals of Queen Anne
observes:--"Had the Portuguese bravely seconded the English and
Dutch, who, with unparalleled resolution and undauntedness broke
the enemy's centre, it is the opinion of many that victory would
have inclined to the confederate side; or, at least, that the
latter might have made an honourable retreat, and, considering the
vast disproportion of the forces, have gained the glory of the day."
The loss of the SIXTH was very great: Lieutenant-Colonel M'Neal,
Captains Columbine, Drake, Campbell, and Justiene, Lieutenants
Harvey and Emmery, and Ensigns Sarracen and Watts were killed;
Captains Bennett and Hussey were taken prisoners; and Lieutenants
Beauford, Columbine, Babington, Magee, M'Neal, and Campbell,
Ensigns Beckwith, Morgan, and Reynolds, Quarter-Master Begham,
Surgeon Dilpach, and Surgeon's-Mate Macdonald, were wounded and
taken prisoners.
The few officers and men of the regiment who escaped from the field
of battle proceeded to Alcira, a strong town on the river Xucar,
where they joined the cavalry with which the Earl of Galway had
made good his retreat; and the approach to the town being by almost
inaccessible mountains, they halted a few days to re-organise the
army. On the advance of the French and Spanish forces commanded
by the Duke of Orleans, the Earl of Galway placed a garrison in
Alcira, and removed to _Tortosa_, and the SIXTH were among the
troops which encamped on the banks of the river Ebro, about two
miles above the city. Meanwhile many of the men who had been taken
prisoners, escaped and returned to their regiments; detachments
were called in, and the troops took up a position beyond the Ebro.
On the 22nd of May the French light cavalry appeared on the hills;
on the following day their army encamped against the town, and the
SIXTH were engaged in the defence of a small village and _tête de
pont_ to the bridge of boats, which last post was held for several
days. The enemy having passed the Ebro, the regiment was removed to
Tarragona, and subsequently to Las Borgues.
The Duke of Orleans having besieged _Lerida_, some arrangements
were made to attempt to relieve the garrison, and the army encamped
within a few miles of the town; but a sufficient number of troops
could not be assembled to enable the Earl of Galway to attack the
besieging army with any hope of success. After the surrender of the
castle, the regiment marched back to Tarragona for winter quarters,
and its ranks were completed by drafts from the second foot and
other regiments which were ordered to return to England to recruit.
[Sidenote: 1708]
During the winter the Earl of Galway proceeded to Portugal,
where he remained in a diplomatic capacity. The British troops
in Spain were commanded by Major-General Carpenter, and in the
spring of 1708 by Major-General Stanhope--afterwards Earl Stanhope:
the united English, Germans, Spaniards, Portuguese, and Dutch,
comprising the army of King Charles in Spain, were commanded by
Marshal Count Guido de Staremberg, an officer who had commanded the
imperial troops in Hungary.
After quitting their quarters the SIXTH were encamped on the river
Francoli, between Monblanco and Tarragona, to defend a defile
leading to the plain near the town: they brought about eight
hundred officers and men into the field, and their weather-beaten,
hardy, and warlike appearance excited admiration. In a letter from
the army, dated 23rd of April, 1708, and published at the time, it
was stated:--"We cannot yet give any certain account of the number
of our forces, but those we have are the finest in the world: such
are the regiments of SOUTHWELL (SIXTH) commanded by Lieut.-Colonel
Hunt; that of Blood (seventeenth), commanded by Lieut.-Colonel
Bourguet; and that of Mordaunt (twenty-eighth), commanded by
Colonel Dalziel[28]."
The regiment was subsequently stationed with the army at
Constantino, from whence it proceeded to Cervera; and while in the
field, its colonel, WILLIAM SOUTHWELL, was succeeded by Colonel
THOMAS HARRISON, who was performing the duty of adjutant-general to
the British troops in Catalonia.
Tortosa and Denia were besieged and taken by the enemy; the allies
captured the fertile island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean; and
the SIXTH were withdrawn from the army in Catalonia to engage in an
expedition, under Major-General Stanhope, against _Minorca_, the
second of the Balearic islands, situate in the Mediterranean, near
the coast of Spain. This island had fallen successively under the
Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Moors, Arragonese, and Castilians;
and the object of the expedition was to rescue it from King Philip,
and place it under the dominion of King Charles.
The regiment marched from the camp to Barcelona, where it embarked
on board the fleet. The land forces consisted of the SIXTH, and
a few dismounted English dragoons, making 750 private men; 760
English marines, 750 Portuguese, 700 Neapolitans, 300 Spaniards,
and a train of English artillery, commanded by Major-General
Stanhope and Brigadier-General Wade.
A landing was effected on the island in the middle of September:
Cuidadella, the capital, and fort Fornellia, were captured with
little opposition, and the inhabitants declared in favour of King
Charles; but a thousand French and Spaniards garrisoned _Port
Mahon_, situated on a rocky promontory, very difficult of access on
the land side, and defended by _Fort St. Philip_, erected at the
entrance of the harbour, which has been stated to be one of the
finest in the world. After dragging the artillery along rocky and
difficult roads, the siege of _Fort St. Philip_ was commenced; the
artillery destroyed two small towers, and made a practicable breach
in the outer wall, which was built a quarter of a mile from Fort
St. Philip, and, extending from sea to sea, covered the approach to
the citadel. Major-General Stanhope intended that the breach should
be stormed on the following day; but the grenadiers of the SIXTH,
and another corps, being on duty near the spot, rushed forward
with such ardour and intrepidity, that the garrison was terrified
and dismayed. Ascending the breach sword in hand, they overpowered
all opposition, captured a redoubt, and, being supported by a
detachment under Brigadier-General Wade, effected a lodgment at the
foot of the glacis. A battery was constructed immediately, and the
garrison was so confused and alarmed at the fury and resolution
of their assailants, that they capitulated on the following day
(29th of September); but when, on marching out, they saw the small
body of men to whom they had surrendered, they were ashamed of
having given up so strong a fortress. Thus this valuable island was
captured with the loss of about forty men; and the SIXTH foot and
other troops were honoured with the thanks and approbation of King
Charles, and of her Majesty Queen Anne.
Minorca was garrisoned by English troops, and the SIXTH was one of
the corps selected to take charge of this important conquest.
[Sidenote: 1709]
In the following year Lieut.-General Stanhope having formed a
design against Cadiz, embarked two regiments of foot from Minorca,
and sailed for Gibraltar, where he expected to be joined by eight
battalions of foot and a regiment of dragoons from England; but
these troops were so long delayed by contrary winds, that the
enterprise was abandoned. The SIXTH proceeded to Barcelona, where
they landed, and reposed in quarters in Catalonia until the
following spring.
[Sidenote: 1710]
When the army took the field in the summer of 1710, the SIXTH
proceeded to the camp at Balaguer, where they were reviewed by
King Charles on the 10th of June. The two claimants to the throne
of Spain headed their respective armies, and King Philip had
the advantage in point of numbers; but after reconnoitring his
adversaries' fortified camp at Balaguer he retired. King Charles
moved forward, and on the 27th of July a cavalry action was fought
on the grounds near _Almanara_, when upwards of forty squadrons
of the enemy's best cavalry, and a brigade of infantry, were
overthrown with great slaughter. Harvey's horse (now second dragoon
guards), the royal dragoons, and several other corps, gained great
honour. The SIXTH foot hastened to the scene of conflict; but the
enemy was routed before the infantry had an opportunity to deploy
their ranks. Several corps, however, joined in the pursuit, and
made great slaughter.
This victory gave the allies an ascendancy over their opponents.
King Philip called in his detachments and retired, and was followed
by the forces under King Charles. In this advance the troops
underwent great fatigue and privation with patient resolution
and perseverance which redounded to their honour. At the town
of Candasmas the soldiers suffered from the scarcity of water
and wine. "We were glad to march out of this place" (observes an
officer who was present) "on the next morning; but found ourselves
in as great distress from the want of water as the day before, till
we came to Bacarolos, where we encamped, the enemy still retiring
before us. At break of day our army marched on in four columns, in
expectation of overtaking the enemy, but we were disappointed, and
had to encounter, on our march to Usera on the Ebro, violent thirst
and heat, without a drop of water; and to incommode us more, the
enemy had set fire to a very long heath we had to pass over. It
cannot be conceived what we suffered upon such a march, smothered
all the day with clouds of ashes, especially the foot[29]." At
night the men reached the banks of the Ebro, and quenched their
thirst at the stream. Continuing the march, on the 19th of August
they discovered the united French and Spanish forces in order of
battle in front of the city of _Saragossa_, and preparations were
made to attack the enemy on the following day. Several men, who
were so pressed with hunger and thirst as to venture to gather
grapes in a vineyard situated between the two armies, were shot by
the enemy's out-posts.
The enemy's lines extended from the banks of the Ebro to the brow
of a steep hill on their right; and the SIXTH, being formed in
Major-General Wade's brigade, were destined to attack the enemy's
right.
The sun had scarcely risen on the morning of the memorable 20th
of August, 1710, when the guns of both armies opened a tremendous
fire, and the deep tones of the artillery reverberated in the
mountains and valleys. The allied army stood prepared for action,
and King Charles rode along the ranks to stimulate the officers
and men to deeds of heroism. The SIXTH and other war-worn veterans
in Wade's brigade excited his Majesty's attention: fatigue and
privation had not quenched the native valour which glowed in
their breasts and beamed in their sun-burnt countenances, and
the King complimented the brigade as he passed. About mid-day,
Lieut.-General Stanhope, whose conduct on this occasion excited
applause[30], led forward a brigade of cavalry, and commenced the
action by a gallant charge on the squadrons on the enemy's right;
but the opposing horsemen having a great superiority of numbers,
gained some advantage. Six squadrons of Portuguese dragoons in
English pay, and clothed in scarlet uniforms, fled from the
field; the French and Spanish troopers pursued with eagerness,
and imagining they had routed the British cavalry, they concluded
that victory was certain; but the British, Dutch, and Palatine
foot, opposed to the enemy's right wing, were brought forward,
and they soon gave a decisive turn to the fortune of the day.
Advancing steadily up the rising ground, the SIXTH, and three
other battalions under Major-General Wade, gained the crest of the
enemy's position, and while the dragoons fought with deadly fury
in the vale below, the four regiments raised a British shout, and
rushing upon a brigade of the enemy's foot, broke its ranks with
a fearful crash. A few battalions made a resolute resistance,
but were overpowered and nearly annihilated. While the SIXTH
were fighting on the high grounds on the left, the battle became
general along the line; and eventually, King Charles gained a most
decisive victory. The wreck of the opposing army fled from the
field, leaving twenty-two pieces of cannon, a number of standards
and colours, all their baggage, and King Philip's equipage and
plate in possession of the victorious allied army. The behaviour of
the British troops was applauded: they exhibited thirty standards
and colours which they had captured from the enemy, as trophies
of their valour; and were thanked by King Charles for the eminent
service they had rendered to his cause. Colonel THOMAS HARRISON
of the SIXTH was sent to England with the news of this victory to
Queen Anne[31].