The regiment was detained on home service in 1711.

Colonel Livesay was succeeded in the colonelcy of the regiment by Lieut.-Col. Richard Phillips, whose commission was dated the 16th of March, 1712.

Being in an efficient state, the regiment was embarked for Spain, to reinforce the allied army in that country. In the summer of 1712, preliminary articles for a treaty of peace were agreed upon, which was followed by a cessation of hostilities, and the Twelfth regiment proceeded to the island of Minorca, which had been captured by a body of troops under Major-General Stanhope in 1708.

Minorca was ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and the Twelfth regiment was one of the corps selected to form part of the garrison of that island.

Colonel Phillips was appointed to the command of the fortieth foot, on the formation of that regiment from non-regimented companies in America, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the Twelfth by Colonel Thomas Stanwix, from the thirtieth foot, whose commission was dated the 25th of August, 1717.

Having been relieved from duty at Minorca, in 1719, the regiment returned to England, where it arrived in October of that year.

In the summer of 1722, the regiment was encamped on Salisbury Plain, and it was reviewed on the 30th of August by King George I., and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, afterwards King George II.

On the 14th of March, 1725, Brigadier-General Thomas Stanwix died, and King George I. conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General Thomas Whetham, from the twenty-seventh foot.

The regiment was employed on home service for several years; and on the breaking out of the war with Spain, in 1739, its establishment was augmented to nine hundred officers and soldiers.

In the summer of 1740, the regiment pitched its tents near Newbury, where an encampment was formed of two regiments of horse, three of dragoons, and four of infantry, under Lieut.-General Wade. It afterwards served on board the fleet as marines.

In the autumn of this year, Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, died, and the succession of his daughter Maria Theresa, as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, was disputed by the Elector of Bavaria, who was aided by a French army.

King George II. resolved to support the house of Austria, and the Twelfth was one of the regiments selected to proceed on foreign service. It was encamped, in the summer of 1741, on Lexden Heath, and was held in readiness to embark; in the autumn it went into cantonments.

General Whetham died on the 28th of April; and the colonelcy remained vacant until August, when His Majesty conferred that appointment on the lieut.-colonel of the regiment, Scipio Duroure, who had performed the duties of commanding officer with reputation during the preceding seven years.

During the summer of 1742, King George II. sent an army to Flanders under Field-Marshal the Earl of Stair, to support the house of Austria, and the Twelfth foot embarked on this service under Colonel Duroure.

The regiment passed several months in Flanders, and in February 1743 it commenced its march for Germany. It was encamped a short period near the forest d'Armstadt, and afterwards at Aschaffenburg, where the King and His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland joined the army.

On the 27th of June, as the forces commanded by His Majesty were marching along the bank of the river Maine, the French under Marshal Noailles crossed the stream and took post near Dettingen, to intercept the march. The allied army formed for battle and a severe engagement took place, in which the Twelfth had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves under the eye of their Sovereign. On one occasion they repulsed a charge of the French cavalry, and afterwards engaged the enemy's infantry with signal intrepidity and determination. The opposing army was forced to give way before the steady valour of the infantry of the allied army, and the charges of the British cavalry completed the overthrow of the French host, which was driven across the river Maine with severe loss.

The Twelfth regiment had Captain Phillips, Lieutenant Monro, and twenty-seven rank and file killed; Captain Campbell, Lieutenant Williams, Ensign Townshend, three serjeants, two drummers, and sixty rank and file wounded, on this occasion.

After passing the night on the field of battle, the regiment marched to Hanau; it was encamped several weeks on the banks of the Kinzig, and in August marched towards the Rhine. It crossed that river above Mentz, and was employed in various services until October, when the army marched in divisions back to Flanders. The Twelfth formed part of the fifth division, under Major-General the Earl of Rothes, and arrived on the 22nd of November, at Brussels, from whence they proceeded to Ostend for winter quarters.

The Twelfth regiment served the campaign of 1744 under Field-Marshal Wade: it was encamped some time on the banks of the Scheldt, and took part in several operations, but no general engagement occurred: in the autumn it was again stationed in Flanders.

In the spring of 1745, a very powerful French army appeared in the Austrian provinces of the Netherlands, and commenced the siege of Tournay. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland assumed the command of the allied army, and advanced to the relief of the besieged fortress; and the Twelfth regiment of foot was withdrawn from garrison to take part in the enterprise. The French army took up a position at the village of Fontenoy; and the allies, though much inferior to the enemy in numbers, resolved to hazard a general engagement.

At two o'clock on the morning of the 11th of May, the allied army advanced to attack the formidable position occupied by the enemy, and the Twelfth regiment, commanded by Colonel Duroure, was detached with several other corps, under Brigadier-General Ingoldsby, to attack a large fort, mounted with cannon, in the wood of Barri. Against this post the regiment advanced, but the fort was found too formidable to be attacked without artillery, and some delay occurred. Brigadier-General Ingoldsby did not clearly understand his orders, and the regiment was detained a long time in a state of inactivity exposed to a heavy cannonade; during which time the British infantry had forced the enemy's centre, but were obliged to retire in consequence of the Dutch having failed on Fontenoy, and Brigadier-General Ingoldsby having lost the opportunity of attacking the batteries in the wood of Barri. A second attack was, however, determined on, in the hope that the Dutch would make a more determined effort, and the Twelfth were brought into action; Brigadier-General Ingoldsby was wounded at the head of the regiment, and removed to the rear. Impatient of the state of inactivity in which they had been detained, the soldiers of the Twelfth rushed into action with distinguished ardour, and were conspicuous for their gallant bearing throughout the remainder of the contest. They were exposed to a heavy fire, and had to contend against very superior numbers. Their commanding officer, Colonel Duroure, fell mortally wounded; Lieut.-Colonel Whitmore was killed; Major Cosseley was wounded, and the command devolved on Captain Rainsford, who was also wounded: but the regiment preserved its firm array, and when more than half the non-commissioned officers and soldiers had fallen, the survivors continued the fight, advancing over the killed and wounded of both armies. The Dutch, however, failed a second time; the British who had penetrated the enemy's line became insulated, and constantly exposed to the attack of fresh troops, and a retreat was ordered; the army withdrawing from the field of battle to Aeth.

The conduct of the Twelfth regiment was commended in the Duke of Cumberland's public despatch; its loss was greater than any other corps in the army, and amounted to three hundred and twenty-one officers and soldiers: viz., Lieut.-Colonel Whitmore, Captain Campbell, Lieutenants Bockland and Lane, Ensigns Cannon and Clifton, five serjeants, and one hundred and forty-eight rank and file killed; Colonel Duroure, Major Cosseley, Captains Rainsford and Robinson, Lieutenants Murray, Townshend, Millington, and Delgaire, Ensigns Dagers and Pearce, seven serjeants, and one hundred and forty-two private soldiers wounded; Captain de Cosne, Captain-Lieut. Goulston, and Lieut. Salt, missing.

Colonel Duroure died of his wounds, and was succeeded by Brigadier-General Henry Skelton, from the thirty-second regiment of foot. Major Cosseley recovered of his wounds, and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy, and Captain Rainsford was appointed Major.

The regiment was encamped with the army on the plain of Lessines, and afterwards near Brussels; and the French, by their superior numbers, were enabled to capture several fortified towns.

In the meantime a rebellion had broken out in Scotland, headed by Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender. This adventurer, being guided by desperate and designing men,—urged on by the wily politics of France,—personally sanguine in his disposition, and disposed to listen to every representation that flattered his views, embarked on his expedition in a style little adequate to the extent of his designs, which were to dethrone the reigning monarch, and to overturn the constitution of a brave and free people. Arriving in Scotland, he was joined by several of the Highland clans, and the King's troops being in Flanders, success attended his efforts for a short period.

The Twelfth regiment was one of the corps ordered to return to England on this occasion: it arrived at Gravesend on the 4th of November, afterwards formed part of the army assembled under the Duke of Cumberland, when the clans penetrated England as far as Derby.

Being little accustomed to hear the sound of war at their own gates, the British were at first alarmed at the novelty; but soon recovering, they evinced loyalty and union in sustaining the fixed rights of their sovereign, and in defending their own liberties. Addresses, backed by associations, were daily made to the King; the army arrived from Flanders, and the Pretender made a precipitate retreat back to Scotland.

The Twelfth regiment pursued the Highlanders as far as Carlisle, and was before that town when the rebel garrison surrendered.

In the early part of 1746 the regiment was withdrawn from the north of England; but after the loss of the battle of Falkirk by the troops under Lieut.-General Hawley, it was ordered to proceed to Scotland. Various circumstances occurred to prevent its proceeding thither immediately; but it embarked from Plymouth towards the end of March, and sailed for Scotland in the early part of April.

Before the regiment joined the army under the Duke of Cumberland, the battle of Culloden had decided the fate of the young Pretender, who was transformed, by the events of that day, from an imaginary monarch to an humble fugitive, and after concealing himself some time in the Highlands and Hebrides, he escaped to the continent. The regiment was stationed several months at Perth.

During the summer of 1747 the Twelfth were encamped in a rugged valley, surrounded by gloomy precipices, near Fort Augustus, in the Highlands of Scotland; in the autumn the regiment was withdrawn from North Britain and stationed in England.

In the meantime, the war on the Continent had been continued, and in the beginning of the year 1748, the regiment embarked at Shields for Holland, to join the allied army in that country.

In the spring, the regiment took the field, and was engaged in several services: hostilities were afterwards terminated by a treaty of peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, and during the winter the Twelfth foot returned to England.

Immediately after its arrival from Holland, the regiment embarked for the island of Minorca, where it was stationed three years.

On the 1st of July, 1751, a royal warrant was issued regulating the standards, colours, and clothing of the several regiments. At this period the costume of the Twelfth foot was—cocked hats, bound with white lace, scarlet coats faced and lined with yellow, and ornamented with white lace; scarlet waistcoats and breeches, and white gaiters. The first, or Kings colour, was the great union; the second, or regimental colour, was of yellow silk, in the centre XII. in gold characters, within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk, and the union in the upper canton.

In 1758 the second battalion of the Twelfth foot was constituted the sixty-fifth regiment, under the command of Colonel Armiger, from captain and lieut.-colonel of the first foot guards.[9]

Meanwhile the war, which commenced in America, had extended to Hanover, and the electorate was overrun by the armies of France. A body of Hanoverian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops, commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, opposed the forces of the enemy, and in the summer of 1758, the Twelfth regiment, after encamping a short time in the Isle of Wight, was ordered to proceed to Germany to join the allied army. The regiment arrived at Embden on the 1st of August, landed a few miles above the town on the 3rd, and on the 5th commenced its march to join the army, which it accomplished in twelve days, and was reviewed on the 20th of that month by Prince Ferdinand.

During the remainder of the campaign, the regiment was actively employed, and performed many fatiguing services. Towards the end of November it marched into quarters in Munster, a city situate in a fruitful and agreeable country on the river Aa.

Operations were commenced early in the spring of 1759, and the allies gained some advantage; but when the French forces were assembled, they possessed so great a superiority in numbers, that Prince Ferdinand was obliged to fall back as the enemy advanced. A series of retrograde movements brought the allied army to the vicinity of Minden, situate on the bank of the river Weser, in Westphalia.

The French army, commanded by Marshal de Contades, took possession of Minden, and occupied a strong position near that city.

Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick manœuvred: he detached one body of troops under his nephew, the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, and appeared to leave another exposed to the attack of the whole of the opposing army. The destruction of this corps was resolved upon by the French commander, and he put his army in motion for that purpose, during the night between the 31st of July and the 1st of August. While the French were on the march, Prince Ferdinand advanced with the allied army, and early on the morning of the 1st of August, as the leading column of the enemy attained the summit of an eminence, it was surprised at discovering, instead of a few weak corps, the allied army formed in order of battle. Thus the French marshal suddenly found himself committed, and under the necessity of fighting upon unfavourable ground. After some delay he formed line, and the battle commenced.

The Twelfth, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel William Robinson, with the twenty-third and thirty-seventh British regiments, followed by the twentieth, twenty-fifth, and fifty-first, under Major-General Waldegrave and Major-General Kingsley, flanked by two battalions of Hanoverian foot guards, and the Hanoverian regiment of Hardenberg, and supported by three regiments of Hanoverians and a battalion of Hessian foot guards, advanced to attack the left wing of the French army, where Marshal de Contades had posted the élite of his cavalry, the carabineers and gendarmes. The Twelfth, twenty-third, and thirty-seventh, led the attack with signal intrepidity: as they moved forward in firm array, the enemy's artillery opened a tremendous fire, which rent chasms in the ranks, and the French carabineers advanced to charge them; but a rolling volley from the three British regiments smote the hostile squadrons, when many men fell, and the survivors reined up their horses, wheeled about, and galloped to the rear; their artillery recommencing its fire as the repulsed squadrons withdrew. The Hanoverian brigade came up on the left of the Twelfth, twenty-third, and thirty-seventh, and the other three British regiments on the right. Soon, another line of French cavaliers, gay in splendid uniforms, and formidable in numbers, came forward, the soldiers shouting and waving their swords; but they were struck in mid-onset by a tempest of bullets from the British regiments, broken, and driven back with severe loss. Still pressing forward with a conquering violence, the three brigades became exposed to the fire of the enemy's infantry on their flanks; but nothing could stop them: encouraged by success, and confident in their own prowess, they followed up their advantage, routed the whole of the French cavalry, and drove it from the field.[10] Two brigades of French infantry endeavoured to stem the torrent of battle; but they were quickly broken and dispersed.[11] A body of Saxon troops made a show of coming down upon the conquering British regiments, but they were soon put to flight, and the triumphant English continued their splendid career, overpowering all opposition.

The action commenced between six and seven o'clock in the morning; about nine the enemy began to give way; a general confusion followed; and at ten o'clock the whole French army fled in disorder, with the loss of forty-three pieces of cannon, ten stand of colours, and seven standards.

The Twelfth regiment had Lieutenants William Falkingham, Henry Probyn, and George Townsend, four serjeants, one drummer, and seventy-seven rank and file killed; Lieut.-Colonel William Robinson, Captains Mathias Murray, William Cloudesley, and Peter Campbell, Captain-Lieutenant Peter Dunbar; Lieutenants Thomas Fletcher, William Barlow, Thomas Lawless, Edward Freeman, John Campbell, and George Rose; Ensigns John Forbes, David Parkill, and John Kay, eleven serjeants, four drummers, and one hundred and seventy-five rank and file wounded; Captains Peter Chalbert, and Robert Ackland, and eleven rank and file missing.

The Twelfth regiment was thanked in orders, in common with the other British regiments, on the following day; and its distinguished conduct on this occasion was afterwards honoured with the King's authority to bear the word "Minden" on its colours and appointments in commemoration of its gallantry.[12]

Minden was taken possession of on the following day, and the French army was forced to make a precipitate retreat to a distance of about two hundred miles. The allies followed the retiring enemy with great energy, ascending precipices, passing morasses, overcoming numerous difficulties, and pressing upon and attacking the retreating army, with so much resolution, that several French corps were nearly annihilated, and many prisoners, with a great quantity of baggage, were captured. The Twelfth foot shared in the hazards, toils and conflicts of this brilliant success, and when the weather became too severe for the troops to remain in the field, the regiment went into cantonments in the bishopric of Osnaburg in Westphalia.

The regiment left its quarters on the 5th of May, 1760, to take the field, and on the 12th of that month it arrived in the vicinity of Paderborn; it was joined by a numerous body of recruits from England, to replace the losses of the preceding campaign.

A hundred thousand French troops took the field under the Duke of Broglio, with a separate corps under the Count de St. Germain, and so far outnumbered the allied army, that the latter was obliged to act on the defensive. The Twelfth took part in numerous operations. Towards the end of May they were encamped on the heights near Fritzlar; in July they proceeded to the vicinity of Saxenhausen, from whence they retreated towards Cassel, and encamped near Kalle.

Upwards of thirty thousand French troops crossed the river Dymel, and took post near Warbourg, to cut off the communication of the allies with Westphalia, when Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick quitted the camp at Kalle, and crossed the river to attack this portion of the French army. The battle commenced on the morning of the 31st of July, at which time the Twelfth, and other British infantry corps, were several miles from the scene of conflict. The soldiers hurried forward to share in the action with extraordinary zeal: it was a hot summer's day; they had a rugged country to traverse, morasses to pass, and numerous difficulties to overcome, and they exerted themselves with so much energy, that several men dropped on the road;[13] but before they arrived at Warbourg, the French troops had retreated across the river.

During the remainder of the campaign, the regiment was employed upon the Dymel; and the allied army, by secret and expeditious movements, by daring and rapid advances, and by sudden and unexpected attacks, kept the enemy in constant alarm. In the winter, the regiment went into quarters in the bishopric of Paderborn.

The enemy having amassed immense magazines in the country of Hesse, and on the Lower Rhine, the allied army made a sudden advance into the enemy's cantonments, in February, 1761, captured several strong towns, and seized on numerous stores of provision. The Twelfth shared in this enterprise, advancing through a deep snow, and taking part in several important captures: when this service was performed, they retired to their former quarters.

In June, 1761, the regiment again took the field, and was employed in several operations; it was formed in brigade with the fifth, twenty-fourth, and thirty-seventh regiments, under the command of Brigadier-General Sandford, and was posted in the Marquis of Granby's division. After several harassing marches, the regiment was stationed in front of the village of Kirch Denkern, and near to Vellinghausen, in the bishopric of Paderborn. The French, commanded by Marshals Soubise and the Duke of Broglio, attacked this post on the 15th of July; but the ground was maintained with firmness and resolution by the British infantry, and the enemy was repulsed with loss. The fire of the skirmishers was continued during the night, and on the following day the attack was repeated with fresh troops, when the Twelfth evinced great gallantry in the defence of the position. After five hours' sharp fighting, some disorder appeared in the enemy's ranks, when the brigade charged and routed the opposing battalions with great slaughter. The loss of the regiment, on this occasion, was limited to three private soldiers killed, and nine wounded.

The Twelfth were stationed near Kirch Denkern until the 27th of July: they were subsequently employed in manœuvring and skirmishing in various parts of the bishopric of Paderborn and on the river Weser, and in September they were employed in the country of Hesse. They were engaged in several skirmishes in the electorate of Hanover in the early part of November; and were subsequently quartered for several months in the bishopric of Osnaburg.

The regiment left its cantonments in Osnaburg in the spring of 1762, and was formed in brigade with the same regiments as in the preceding year. It was engaged, on the 24th of June, in the surprise of the French army encamped at Groebenstein: on the morning of that day it was in motion at an early hour, crossed the river Dymel at Liebenau at four o'clock, and advancing several miles through a woody country, arrived in front of the enemy's camp. The French were surprised and confounded; they abandoned their camp, leaving their tents standing, and retreated towards Cassel; one division, under General Stainville, throwing itself into the woods of Wilhelmsthal, to cover the movement. This division was attacked, and nearly annihilated; and after the loss of many men killed and wounded, the remainder surrendered to the fifth foot, which was the leading regiment of the brigade to which the Twelfth belonged.

After the action, the regiment encamped on the heights of Wilhelmsthal; it was subsequently employed in various operations; and on the 23rd of July its grenadier company took part in driving the Saxons, under Prince Xavier, from their post at Lutterberg, and in the capture of thirteen pieces of cannon.

On the 24th of July a hundred men of the Twelfth foot were engaged in dislodging a detachment of the enemy from the heights of Homburg. The regiment was afterwards employed in operations on the rivers Ohm and Lahn, and in covering the siege of Cassel, which fortress surrendered in the beginning of November.

A suspension of hostilities took place soon after the surrender of Cassel, which was followed by a treaty of peace, concluded at Fontainbleau: the regiment was quartered in the bishopric of Munster about ten weeks.

In the beginning of 1763, the thanks of Parliament were communicated to the army for its conduct during the war. In February, the regiment marched through Holland to Williamstadt, where it embarked for England: its effective strength, according to the embarkation return, was twenty-seven officers, six hundred and eighty-nine non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

On arriving in England, from Germany, the Twelfth were ordered to proceed to Scotland, where they were stationed during the following three years.

Lieut.-General Napier died in November, 1766, when King George III. conferred the command of the regiment on Colonel Henry Clinton, from captain and lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards.

In 1767, the Twelfth were stationed in England; and in 1769, they proceeded to Gibraltar, to relieve the twentieth regiment on garrison duty at that fortress.

The American war commenced in 1775, and the colonel of the regiment, Lieut.-General Sir Henry Clinton, distinguished himself in that country: in December, 1778, he was appointed colonel of the eighty-fourth regiment, or Royal Highland emigrants, then first embodied for service in North America, and afterwards disbanded. The Colonelcy of the Twelfth foot remained vacant until the 21st of April, 1779, when it was conferred on Colonel William Picton, from the seventy-fifth regiment; a newly-raised corps, which was disbanded at the peace in 1782-3.

The Twelfth regiment remained at Gibraltar. The possession of this fortress by the English, with a British garrison on the top of the rocky promontory overlooking the provinces of Spain, had been regarded by the Spaniards with great jealousy: every attempt to retake it had failed. Great Britain attached much importance to the possession of it; but the contest between the revolted provinces in North America and England appeared to present to the Spanish monarch a favourable opportunity for regaining possession of this valuable fortress. When the French monarch acknowledged the independence of the United States, and commenced hostilities against Britain, the time appeared particularly favourable for another effort to recapture Gibraltar, and in the summer of 1779, that fortress was beset, by sea and land, by the Spanish fleets and armies.

The garrison consisted of the Twelfth, thirty-ninth, fifty-sixth, fifty-eighth, and (late) seventy-second British, with the Hanoverian regiments of Hardenberg, Reden, and De la Motte, and a proportion of artillery and engineers. The Twelfth mustered twenty-nine officers, twenty-nine serjeants, twenty-two drummers, and five hundred and nineteen rank and file, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Trigge: the garrison mustered five thousand three hundred and eighty-two men, under the orders of General Eliott, afterwards Lord Heathfield.[14]

Being blockaded by sea and besieged by land, the troops at Gibraltar became cut off from communication with all countries, and the garrison was like a little world within itself. The arrangements for the defence were devised with judgment, and executed with skill. The soldiers conformed to the strict rules which their circumstances rendered necessary, and severe exercise and short diet became habitual to them; at the same time the extensive preparations of the enemy, the great importance of the fortress, and the determined character of General Eliott and his garrison, occasioned this siege to become a subject of universal interest, and the eyes of all Europe were directed towards Gibraltar, watching the result of the contest.

As the enemy's works progressed, the pavement of the streets was taken up, the towers of conspicuous buildings were pulled down, the guard-houses unroofed, the stone sentry-boxes removed, traverses raised, a covered way begun, and every measure adopted to prevent the bombardment of the place being attended with serious results.

Early in 1780 provisions became short, and the soldiers cheerfully submitted to privation; but soon afterwards the garrison was relieved by a fleet from England: the wants of the troops were, however, not supplied in many important articles.

The Spaniards renewed the blockade by sea, and sent nine fire-ships into the harbour, but failed in the attempt to destroy the shipping. Provisions soon became deficient again; vegetables were cultivated on the rock with some success; a precarious supply of several articles was obtained from the Moors, and in April, 1781, the garrison was again relieved.

The siege was continued, and a severe bombardment reduced a great part of the town to a heap of ruins.

General Eliott deliberately watched the progress of the enemy, and kept his garrison close within the fortress, until a favourable opportunity presented itself for a sally, when the following 'Evening garrison order' was issued, dated November 26, 1781: 'Countersign, Steady.—All the grenadiers and light infantry in the garrison, and all the men of the Twelfth and Hardenberg's regiments, with the officers and non-commissioned officers on duty, to be immediately relieved and join their regiments, to form a detachment, consisting of the Twelfth and Hardenberg's regiments complete; the grenadiers and light infantry of all the other regiments; one captain, three lieutenants, ten non-commissioned officers and a hundred artillery; three engineers, seven officers, ten non-commissioned officers, overseers, with a hundred and sixty workmen from the line, and forty workmen from the artificer corps; each man to have thirty-six rounds of ammunition, with a good flint in his piece, and another in his pocket; the whole to be commanded by Brigadier-General Ross, and to assemble on the red sands, at twelve o'clock this night, to make a sortie upon the enemy's batteries. The thirty-ninth and fifty-eighth regiments to parade at the same hour, on the grand parade, under the command of Brigadier-General Picton, to sustain the sortie if necessary.'

The Twelfth appeared on parade at the appointed hour, and mustered twenty-six officers, twenty-eight serjeants, two drummers, and four hundred and thirty rank and file, ready to engage in this enterprise. It was the hour of midnight; the moon shone brightly, and all was still in the enemy's camp. The soldiers waited two hours, when the moon set, darkness overspread the sky, and they issued silently from the fortress. The Spanish regiments were asleep in the camp; their guards at the batteries were also reposing, when suddenly the sound of a trampling multitude was heard approaching them; their sentries called, and receiving no answer, fired their muskets and hurried to the guards. They were followed by the British at a running pace; the guards were surprised, the batteries captured, and two Spanish officers, with sixteen soldiers, were made prisoners; the Spanish guards were astounded by the suddenness of the onset in the dark; they hurried to their lines, communicating a panic to the troops in their rear. The British instantly commenced the work of destruction. 'The batteries (constructed of wood upon the sands) were soon in a state for the fire-faggots to operate, and the flame spread with astonishing rapidity into every part. The column of fire and smoke which rolled from the works, beautifully illuminated the troops and neighbouring objects, forming altogether a coup-d'œil not possible to be described.'[15]

In one hour the object of the sortie was fully effected; the Spaniards, being dismayed, did not venture to interrupt the work; and trains being laid to the enemy's magazines, the Twelfth, and other troops which had made the sally, retired; as they entered the fortress, tremendous explosions shook the ground like the shocks of an earthquake, accompanied by rising volumes of smoke, flame, and burning timber, which proclaimed the destruction of the enemy's immense stores of gunpowder.

Thus was completed, with success beyond the expectations of every one, an enterprise of the greatest magnitude; and General Eliott declared in orders, 'the bravery and conduct of the whole detachment, officers, soldiers, and sailors, on this glorious occasion, surpassed his utmost expectation.' The loss of the Twelfth regiment was limited to Lieutenant Tweedie and four private soldiers wounded: the total loss of the garrison was four soldiers killed, one officer and twenty-four soldiers wounded, one man missing.[16]

For several days the Spaniards appeared confounded at their disgrace; the smoke of the burning batteries continued to rise, and no attempt was made to extinguish the flames; but several executions took place in their camp, probably of persons who fled so precipitately from the batteries. In the beginning of December they began to arouse themselves, and a thousand workmen commenced labouring to restore the batteries, in which they were retarded by the fire of the garrison.

The Spaniards, by their heavy fire on the fortress, had already spoiled three sets of guns; but the court of Madrid appeared bent on capturing Gibraltar. An immense quantity of ordnance of larger calibre was provided, numerous batteries were prepared, and the Duke of Crillon assumed the command of the besieging army. He was assisted by a celebrated French engineer, Monsieur d'Arcon, and by Admiral Moreno, and a French army arrived to take part in the siege. At the same time stupendous preparations were made on a new principle, and floating batteries were constructed with great art and labour, and were accounted the most perfect contrivance of the kind ever seen.

A crisis was evidently approaching, and in the spring and summer of 1782, the garrison of Gibraltar made preparations with cool determination for the hour of trial: the officers and soldiers appeared to be impressed with their peculiar situation; an important fortress was confided to their protection; they had defended it against the efforts of the Spanish army and navy upwards of two years; and the eyes of all Europe were directed towards them. The damaged works were carefully repaired, new ones were constructed, extensive subterraneous works were prepared, and forges for heating red-hot shot were got ready; every serjeant, drummer, musician, and officer's servant, as well as the corporals and private soldiers, used a shovel, pickaxe, or musket, according as their services were required. The effect of the red-hot shot was proved on some of the enemy's wooden batteries on the sands, which were speedily destroyed.

The Duke of Crillon anticipated the most signal success from the extensive preparations he was making; his camp was visited by princes of the royal blood of France, by Spanish nobility, and other dignified characters of Europe, who came to be spectators of the fall of the fortress under the heavy fire of artillery which was about to be opened upon it. The new batteries on shore were unmasked, and fired a volley of sixty shells, which was followed by the thunder of one hundred and seventy guns of large calibre. Thus was Gibraltar assailed by a storm of iron, which threatened to reduce the fortress to a heap of ruins, and this was only a prelude to the tremendous fire which was afterwards opened upon the garrison.

On the 13th of September, the ten battering ships took their station before the fortress, in the presence of the combined fleets of France and Spain: the enemy's camp and neighbouring hills were crowded with spectators from various parts of Europe, to witness the effect of these stupendous vessels, and such a storm of war was opened upon the garrison, as was probably never heard before since the invention of cannon. The batteries of the fortress answered this tremendous fire with vigour, and the deafening thunder of four hundred pieces of heavy artillery was heard for many miles. For some hours the attack and defence were so equally well supported, as scarcely to admit any appearance of superiority in the cannonade on either side. The wonderful construction of the battering ships seemed to bid defiance to the heaviest ordnance; shells rebounded from their tops, and a thirty-two pound shot scarcely seemed to make any impression on them. The effect of the red-hot shot was doubted; sometimes smoke came from the ships, but the fire-engines within soon occasioned it to cease, and the result was uncertain; the fire was, however, persevered in, and incessant showers of red-hot bullets, shells, and carcases flew through the air. In the afternoon the effects of the red-hot shot became apparent, and volumes of smoke issued from the flag-ship; the Admiral's second ship was perceived to be in the same condition, and confusion prevailed. The Spaniards expected that the firing of red-hot bullets could not be persevered in beyond a few rounds; but the fire was continued with the same precision and vivacity as cold shot. The effects of the hot balls occasioned the enemy's cannonade to abate, and about eight o'clock it almost totally ceased. The battering ships made signals to inform the combined fleets of their extreme danger and distress, and several boats were sent to their aid. At this period the fire of the garrison produced great carnage, and the most pitiable cries and groans were heard, as the incessant showers of shot and shells were poured into the floating batteries. Soon after midnight one ship was in flames, and by two o'clock she appeared one sheet of fire from head to stern; a second was soon in the same state; the flames enabled the British artillery to point their guns with precision, and soon after three o'clock six more ships exhibited the effects of the red-hot shot. The burning ships exhibited one of the grandest spectacles of destruction ever beheld; and amidst this dreadful scene of conflagration, the British seamen in boats were seen endeavouring to rescue the Spaniards from the blazing ships. They preserved between three and four hundred; and while they were thus engaged, one of the ships blew up with a dreadful explosion; four others met the same fate before seven o'clock, and another shortly afterwards, and the remainder burnt to the water's edge, their magazines having been inundated; not one could be preserved as a trophy.

Thus did the mighty efforts of France and Spain end in defeat and destruction, and the gallant efforts of the brave soldiers who defended Gibraltar elicited the admiration of the nations in Europe. In England the most enthusiastic applause was universal; illuminations and other modes of testifying the joy of the people followed the receipt of the news of the destruction of the boasted invincible battering ships, and every family which could boast a defender of Gibraltar belonging to it, was proud of the honour. The loss of the garrison, on the 13th and 14th of September, was limited to one officer, two serjeants, and thirteen private soldiers killed; five officers and sixty-three rank and file wounded; that of the enemy exceeded two thousand officers and soldiers.

Although the enemy gave up all hopes of reducing Gibraltar by force of arms, yet some expectation was entertained, that, if the blockade were continued, the garrison might be forced to surrender from the want of provisions; the combined fleet therefore remained in the bay, the besieging army continued in the lines, and about a thousand shots were fired every day from the Spanish batteries. The garrison was encouraged to continue resolute in the defence of the fortress by assurances of their Sovereign's favour and high approbation. The principal Secretary of State, writing to General Eliott, stated,—'I am honored with His Majesty's commands to assure you, in the strongest terms, that no encouragement shall be wanting to the brave officers and soldiers under your command; his royal approbation of the past will, no doubt, be a powerful incentive to future exertions, and I have the King's authority to assure you, that every distinguished act of emulation and gallantry, which shall be performed in the course of the siege, by any, even of the lowest rank, will meet with ample reward from his gracious protection and favour.'