“Colonel Skerrett most sincerely congratulates the British garrison on the glorious result of the affair of to-day. Two thousand of the enemy’s best troops attacked the breach, and were totally defeated with immense loss. On our side all behaved nobly; but the conduct of _Lieut.-Colonel Gough_, and the EIGHTY-SEVENTH regiment, surpasses praise.” The situation of the enemy’s wounded, with which the ground was covered between his battery and the British fire, where they must have inevitably perished, induced Colonel Skerrett, from motives of compassion, to hoist a flag of truce to carry them off. Some were brought into the place over the breach; but from the extreme difficulty attending this, the French were allowed to carry the remainder away. General Laval expressed his acknowledgment of the conduct of the British and Spanish nations on this occasion in the most feeling and grateful terms. The enemy’s loss was very severe, and ten officers were amongst the prisoners.[14] [Sidenote: 1812.] From the movements of the enemy on the 4th of January 1812, it was supposed that another assault was intended, and the garrison waited in eager expectation to display another proof of British valour. On the following morning, at daylight, the columns of the enemy were already at a distance, having taken advantage of a dark and stormy night to make a precipitate retreat, leaving in the possession of the British all his artillery, ammunition, and stores. Marshal Victor was present in the French camp to give orders for the retreat. Major Richard Broad, with a part of the Forty-seventh regiment, was immediately ordered to follow the enemy, and he took possession of the artillery, waggons, and a quantity of stores in sufficient time to save them from the flames, the French having set fire to them. Some prisoners were made on this occasion. In an intercepted despatch from Marshal Soult, three months after the siege, it was stated,—“The taking of Tarifa will be more hurtful to the English and to the defenders of Cadiz, than the taking of Alicant or even Badajoz, where I cannot go without first securing my left and taking Tarifa.”[15] The royal authority was afterwards granted for the EIGHTY-SEVENTH to bear the word “TARIFA” on the regimental colour and appointments, in commemoration of the distinguished gallantry of the second battalion in successfully defending the breach at that place against a very superior French force on the 31st of December 1811. Four companies being left in Tarifa, the six companies returned to Cadiz, the siege of which place having been raised, the six companies marched in August 1812 with other corps from Cadiz, and occupied Seville, where they were shortly joined by the four companies from Tarifa. The battalion quitted Seville on the 30th of September, in order to join the army under the Marquis of Wellington, to which it was transferred on the first of October 1812.