Of the generals whom the commander-in-chief took with him, the highest in command were the divisional generals Kleber, Desaix, Bon, Menou, Reynier, for the infantry: under them served 14 generals, a few of whom, as Marmont, were to achieve a wider fame.

The cavalry was commanded by the stalwart mulatto, General Alexandre Dumas, under whom served Leclerc, the husband of Pauline Bonaparte, along with two men destined to world-wide renown, Murat and Davoust.

The artillery was commanded by Dommartin, the engineers by Caffarelli: and the heroic Lannes was quarter-master general.
The armada appeared off Malta without meeting with any incident.

This island was held by the Knights of St.John, the last of those companies of Christian warriors who had once waged war on the infidels in Palestine.

Their courage had evaporated in luxurious ease, and their discipline was a prey to intestine schisms and to the intrigues carried on with the French Knights of the Order.