The campaign was decided on by the Ministry in the early spring of 1762, General the Earl of Albemarle being nominated to the chief command, with orders to co-operate with Admiral of the Blue, Sir George Pocock, who was at the time commanding the fleet in the West Indies. The troops were composed of 4,000 men despatched from England with the Commander-in-Chief; 8,000 were furnished by the large forces then garrisoning the West India Islands, and 4,000 were detached by Sir Jeffrey Amherst from the forces in North America. For transport service on shore, the Governor of Jamaica raised a body of 1,500 negroes. These were augmented on the arrival in Martinique of Lord Albemarle by the _purchase_ of 500 more! A small force of cavalry was improvised by the Commander-in-Chief, and placed under the orders of Captain Suttie, of the 9th Foot. The whole force assembled at Martinique on May 5, 1762. It would appear that Lord Albemarle, following the custom of the day, formed a couple of Light Infantry Battalions from the light companies, and a couple of Grenadier battalions from the grenadier companies of the regiments under his command, the Light Infantry being placed at the disposal of Colonel Guy Carleton, afterwards Lord Dorchester. The entire force was brigaded as under: First Brigade--Brigadier-General W. Havilland: Royal Scots, 56th (Essex), and the 60th (King's Royal Rifles). Second Brigade--Brigadier-General H. Walsh: 9th (Norfolks), 27th (Inniskilling Fusiliers), and the 48th (Northamptons). Third Brigade--Brigadier-General John Reid: 34th (Border Regiment), 35th (Royal Sussex), 43rd (Oxford Light Infantry), and the 75th (Gordon Highlanders). Fourth Brigade--Brigadier-General F. Grant: 17th (Leicesters), 42nd (Royal Highlanders)--two battalions, two companies of the 65th (York and Lancaster), and three companies of the 4th (King's Own), and four of the 77th (Middlesex). Fifth Brigade--Brigadier-General the Lord Rollo: 22nd (Cheshires), 40th (South Lancashires), 72nd (Seaforths), and the 90th (Scottish Rifles). Colonel Leith: Royal Artillery, 357 men. Of these, Brigadiers Havilland, Hunt-Walsh, and Lord Rollo had been employed in the reduction of the island of Martinique, and it will be noticed that a large proportion of the regiments had fought under Wolfe at Quebec, or Studholme Hodgson at the capture of Belleisle, or under Monckton at Martinique. Owing to the nature of the ground, considerable difficulty was experienced in constructing the siege batteries, which were armed with heavy guns from the fleet, the stores and ammunition being conveyed to the front by the corps of negroes purchased in Martinique by the General. In consequence of the scarcity and badness of the water, the troops suffered terribly. The seamen and Marines escaped the sickness which more than decimated the army, and the Admiral landed a body of 800 Marines to lighten the labours of the army.