[1] At the start of the war, the Junta de Asturias promoted him to colonel and sargento mayor of the newly established Infiesto Regiment.
[1] In December he was given command of the battalion of Cazadores de Fernando VII (light infantry) and marched to defend the line of the river Eo, which forms the boundary between Galicia and Asturias, where he served under lieutenant general José Worster.
[1] On 2 June 1809, he defeated General Barthélemy Thomières's troops at the bridge of San Martin, for which he was promoted to brigadier and given the command of the Army of Asturias.
[1] At the head of the vanguard division, Bárcena fought several actions at Pola de Lena (1, 2, 6 and 15 October 1810); at Fresno (20 and 28 November); at Soto (26–28 December); at Campomanes (1 January 1811); at Salas (8 March) and at Puelo, the same day, where he was badly wounded.
[1] In July 1813, he commanded the 4th Division of the 4th Army, under Girón, at the Bidassoa and later distinguished himself, together with Francisco de Longa, at the bridge of Yanci, on 1 August.
[1] In 1818, he was briefly given command of the coast of Asturias to prevent the eventual landing there of general Mariano Renovales's liberal troops sailing from England.