oupe . ▁ ▁Att ack ▁against ▁Gu adel oupe ▁▁ ▁The ▁fleet ▁sa iled ▁to ▁Bas se - T er re ▁and ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁January ▁ 1 7 5 9 ▁opened ▁fire ▁on ▁the ▁town , ▁reducing ▁it ▁to ▁a ▁heap ▁of ▁black ened ▁ru ins . ▁At ▁dawn ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁January , ▁the ▁British ▁troops ▁were ▁land ed , ▁and ▁moved ▁in wards ▁for ▁some ▁ 5   km , ▁until ▁they ▁met ▁a ▁strong ▁French ▁position ▁in ▁a ▁rug ged , ▁mountain ous ▁terrain . ▁ ▁By ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁men ▁on ▁the ▁sick ▁list ▁number ed ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 , ▁or ▁fully ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁force . ▁Hop son ' s ▁health ▁was ▁failing ▁rapidly ▁too ▁and ▁he ▁remained ▁in active . ▁Even ▁the ▁representations ▁of ▁Bar r ington ▁could ▁not ▁stim ulate ▁him ▁to ▁further ▁action . ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁February , ▁Hop son ▁died , ▁leaving ▁the ▁command ▁to ▁de vol ve ▁to ▁Bar r ington . ▁The ▁British ▁expedition ary ▁force ▁was ▁by ▁now ▁on ▁the ▁br ink ▁of ▁destruction . ▁More ▁than ▁ 6 0 0 ▁invalid s ▁had ▁been ▁sent ▁to ▁Ant igua , ▁and ▁another ▁ 1 , 6 0 0 ▁men ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁sick ▁list . ▁The ▁remainder ▁were ▁succ umb ing ▁so ▁fast ▁that ▁sufficient ▁men ▁could ▁hardly ▁be ▁found ▁to ▁do ▁the ▁daily ▁duty . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁John ▁Moore , ▁being ▁independent ▁of ▁Hop son ▁in ▁respect ▁of ▁naval ▁operations