- General ▁Per egr ine ▁Hop son , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁Governor ▁at ▁Nova ▁Scot ia ▁before ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war , ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁chief ▁command , ▁and ▁Colonel ▁John ▁Bar r ington , ▁a ▁junior ▁officer , ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁be ▁his ▁second . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁November ▁ 1 7 5 8 , ▁the ▁trans ports , ▁esc orted ▁by ▁ 8 ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁under ▁Com mod ore ▁Hugh es , ▁got ▁under ▁way ▁and ▁sa iled ▁with ▁a ▁fair ▁wind ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 ▁January ▁ 1 7 5 9 , ▁the ▁British ▁expedition ▁reached ▁Barb ados ▁where ▁Com mod ore ▁John ▁Moore ▁was ▁waiting ▁with ▁two ▁more ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁to ▁join ▁it ▁and ▁to ▁take ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁fleet . ▁The ▁total ▁expedition ary ▁force ▁number ed ▁some ▁ 6 , 8 0 0 ▁men . ▁ ▁Att empt ▁against ▁Martin ique ▁▁ ▁The ▁primary ▁target ▁of ▁the ▁attack ▁was ▁Martin ique . ▁Hop son ▁land ed ▁his ▁troops ▁near ▁Fort ▁Royal ▁and ▁fought ▁a ▁battle ▁against ▁the ▁French , ▁leaving ▁ 1 0 0 ▁British ▁dead ▁or ▁wounded . ▁The ▁terrain ▁ahead ▁was ▁jud ged ▁so ▁difficult , ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁re - emb ark ▁the ▁troops ▁immediately . ▁A ▁second ▁landing ▁was ▁considered ▁at ▁Saint - Pierre ▁but ▁the ▁def enses ▁were ▁so ▁form id able ▁that ▁Hop son ▁decided ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Martin ique ▁and ▁proceed ▁to ▁Gu adel