The troops landed near the river Bassoz, about three miles east of _Barcelona_, on the 23rd and 24th of August. On the 28th King Charles came on shore, when the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns and villages flocked to the camp with demonstrations of joy, and many took arms to act as guerilla bands and miquelets; but the progress of the siege was delayed by opposite opinions and views among the superior officers. "Such were the unhappy circumstances of the Earl of Peterborough in the camp before Barcelona: impossibilities proposed; no expedients to be accepted; a court reproaching; councils of war rejecting; and the Dutch general refusing the assistance of the troops under his command."[24] Yet all these difficulties were overcome; and an attack by storm on the detached fortress of _Montjuich_ was resolved upon, in which the grenadiers of the SIXTH, headed by their Lieutenant-Colonel, WILLIAM SOUTHWELL, had the honour to take the lead. The storming party of four hundred grenadiers, with a support of six hundred musketeers, commanded by the Earl of Peterborough and the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, commenced their march about ten o'clock on the night of Sunday the 13th of September, round the mountains, and were followed by another detachment and a party of dragoons. After traversing many miles of rugged mountain scenery by difficult tracts, the storming party appeared before the fortress, and received a discharge of small arms and artillery from the garrison. The Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt and Lord Charlemont directed Lieut.-Colonel SOUTHWELL of the SIXTH to commence the attack; and instantly springing forward at the head of the grenadiers, this gallant officer led the storming party to the assault with signal intrepidity and resolution. The native energy and contempt of danger of the British soldier was eminently displayed: SOUTHWELL and his grenadiers climbed the steep rock in the face of a storm of fire from the garrison,--entered the covered way and the ditch, sword in hand,--ascended to the top of a curtain which was not quite finished, one soldier helping another up, and, notwithstanding the vigorous resistance of the enemy, gained the bulwark of a new fortification. Here some sharp fighting took place: thrice Lieut.-Colonel SOUTHWELL was surrounded, but he overthrew his adversaries with matchless valour, and the enemy was driven from that post into the castle. The men, at the other points of attack, had also proved successful,--a considerable portion of the outworks were carried,--a temporary breastwork and entrenchment were speedily constructed,--and three pieces of cannon, which had been captured, were made use of to defend it. The Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt afterwards advanced with a body of men along the curtain which led to the ditch of the inward fort, and fell mortally wounded; two hundred and fifty of the men were made prisoners by the enemy; at the same time a large