On the 21st of February, the garrison opened its fire upon the besiegers, and from that day the thunder of cannon and mortars reverberated among the mountains of Andalusia, proclaiming the strenuous efforts of the besieging army, and the gallant defence made by the garrison, which was encouraged by the arrival of additional corps from England. The siege was continued until thousands of Spaniards had perished in the attempt; but very little loss had been sustained by the garrison. In the early part of June the fire slackened, and on the 18th of that month hostilities ceased, in consequence of preliminary articles for a treaty of peace having been agreed upon. [Sidenote: 1728] The regiment was relieved from duty at Gibraltar in the spring of 1728, and returning to England, after an absence of upwards of twenty years, landed at Portsmouth on the 1st of May. [Sidenote: 1730] On the 18th of July, 1730, King George II. reviewed the regiment, in brigade with the twelfth foot, on Winkfield plain. His Majesty was accompanied by the Queen, and a number of distinguished persons, and the appearance and movements of the two regiments excited great admiration. [Sidenote: 1732] [Sidenote: 1739] In May, 1732, Lord Mark Kerr was removed to the eleventh dragoons, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the THIRTEENTH foot, by Colonel John Middleton, from the twenty-fifth regiment. This officer commanded the regiment seven years, and died on the 4th of May, 1739: the colonelcy remained vacant two months, and was conferred, on the 5th of July, on Colonel Henry Pulteney from major of the second foot guards. On the 23rd of October of this year war was proclaimed against Spain, and the establishment of the regiment was augmented to eight hundred, and fifteen officers and soldiers. [Sidenote: 1740] In the summer of 1740 the THIRTEENTH foot pitched their tents in Windsor forest, where an encampment of two regiments of horse, three of dragoons, and three of foot, was formed, under Lieut.-General Honeywood. In the autumn of this year, Charles VI. Emperor of Germany died, when the succession of the Archduchess Maria Theresa, as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, was disputed by the Elector of Bavaria, who was supported by the arms of France. [Sidenote: 1741] On the prospect of Great Britain being involved in the war on the Continent, the regiment was held in readiness to embark for foreign service, and in July, 1741, it pitched its tents on Lexden-heath, in the county of Essex, where three regiments of horse, four of dragoons, and seven of foot, were encamped, and held in readiness to proceed abroad. [Sidenote: 1742] [Sidenote: 1743]