The invasion force comprised a British squadron of 31 ships under the command of Samuel Hood, carrying 2,148 troops from 16 and 64 Regiments of Foot, the 60th Rifles, the York Light Infantry Volunteers, the 6th West Indies Regiment and the Royal Artillery.
In March 1804, the new Commander-in-Chief, Sir Charles Green, along with the 16th and 64th Regiments of Foot, arrived in Barbados from Britain, and plans were immediately made to capture the Dutch colony of Surinam.