Profiting by the experience of the expedition in 1762, a number of gunboats—flat-bottomed craft, to assist in the disembarkation of the troops—had been sent out from England in sections, and a number of negroes purchased for the formation of a transport corps. On February 3 the expedition set sail from Carlisle Bay, Barbados, and two days later appeared off the island of Martinique in three divisions, the Commander-in-Chief with the Third and Grenadier Brigades, landing at Trois Rivières, in the extreme south; Dundas, with his own and the Light Infantry Brigade, near Trinité, on the east coast; and Gordon at Case Navire, a little to the north of Port Royal, the capital. By February 12 Grey and Gordon, greatly assisted by the guns of the fleet, had gradually converged on Port Royal, driving the French before them, whilst Dunbar was steadily pushing his way across the island from east to west. On February 17 St. Pierre (the commercial capital) surrendered to Dunbar, and on March 8 Grey commenced to throw up siege batteries for the reduction of the fortifications at Fort Royal; fourteen days later Fort Louis fell to a combined assault of seamen and soldiers, and on the 23rd General Rochambeau surrendered.

Leaving six battalions in the island, Grey, who had been reinforced by the Buffs and Norfolks, embarked with these two regiments, the Warwicks, 43rd (Oxford Light Infantry), 63rd (Manchester), and the Grenadier and Light Infantry Brigades, for St. Lucia, which was captured on April 2; then, proceeding to Guadeloupe, he effected the reduction of that island by the end of May, not, however, without very sharp fighting. The casualties we incurred at the capture of Guadeloupe are given on [p. 99]. At the capture of St. Lucia our losses were trifling; those at the capture of Martinique are given below.

No less than 122 officers of the garrison died of disease before the end of the year:

Regiments.Officers.Men.
K.W.K.W.
Royal Artillery-31018
6th R. Warwick1-12
8th King's Liverpool2---
9th Norfolks1--1
12th Suffolks2---
15th E. Yorks2-34
17th Leicesters1---
21st Roy. Scots Fusiliers3---
34th Border Regiment1---
35th R. Sussex1---
Royal Navy241965
Three L.I. Battalions-22062
Roy. Engineers-113
38th S. Stafford----
39th Dorsets1-14
40th Loyal N. Lancashires1---
43rd Oxford L.I.2--3
44th Essex----
58th N'ampton2---
60th K.R.R.1---
64th N. Staffs----
63rd Manchesters--211
70th E. Surrey---2
Three Grenadier Battalions143074

St. Lucia, 1794.

No battle honour was conferred for the capture of the island on this occasion.

Immediately after the capture of Martinique, on March 25, 1794, General Sir George Grey, with Admiral Sir John Jervis, sailed for St. Lucia with a force composed as under:

First Brigade—H.R.H. Prince Edward (afterwards Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria): Comprising three battalions, made up of the grenadier companies of the whole force in Martinique.

Second Brigade—Major-General Dundas: Comprising three light infantry battalions.