As the Spanish column retired to Barcelona under the idea that the whole English army was on the hill, the Miquelets, as the armed bands of peasants were called, swarmed down from the hills.

Incapable of withstanding an attack by even a small force, they were in their element in harassing a large one in retreat.

Halfway between Montjuich and the town was the small fort of San Bertram.

The garrison, seeing the column in retreat toward the town, pursued by the insurgent peasantry, feared that they themselves would be cut off, and so abandoned their post and joined the retreat.
The peasants at once took possession of San Bertram, where there were five light guns.

As soon as the news reached Peterborough he called together two hundred men and led them down to the little fort.