When war broke out with Spain, plans were made in Great Britain for an amphibious attack on Havana. The expedition was under the command of George Keppel, Third Earl of Albemarle, with Vice-Admiral Sir George Pocock as naval commander. This plan also called for Amherst to embark 4,000 men from America to join Keppel and to assemble another force of 8,000 men for an attack on Louisiana.
During the month of February, British troops embarked, they consisted of:
* 22nd Regiment of Foot
* 34th Regiment of Foot
* 56th Regiment of Foot
* 72nd Richmond's Regiment of Foot
On March 5, the British expedition sailed from Spithead, England, with 7 ships of the line and 4,365 men aboard 64 transports.
On April 20, the expedition arrived at Barbados.
On April 25, the expedition reached Fort Royal on the recently conquered island of Martinique where it picked up the remainder of Major-General Robert Monckton still numbering 8,461 men. Rear Admiral George Rodney's squadron, amounting to 8 ships of the line also joined the expedition bringing the total number of ships of the line to 15.
On May 23, the expedition, now off the northwest corner of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), was further reinforced by Sir James Douglas' squadron from Port Royal, Jamaica. The force under Albemarle now amounted to 21 ships of the line, 24 lesser warships, and 168 other vessels, carrying some 14,000 seamen and marines and 12,826 regulars.
On July 27, the reinforcements from North America led by Colonel Burton finally arrived. During their journey, they had been attacked by the French who captured some 500 men. These reinforcements consisted of:
* 46th Thomas Murray's Regiment of Foot
* 58th Anstruther's Regiment of Foot
* American provincials(3,000 men)
* Gorham's rangers