When the fleet under Sir John Jervis (afterwards Earl of St. Vincent) arrived at Barbados in January 1794, Wood happened to be there, and, offering his services to Jervis, was appointed to the flagship, . After the reduction of Martinique he was sent to France with the cartels in charge of the French prisoners; but on their arrival at Saint-Malo in the end of May the ships were seized and Wood was thrown into prison. The order to send him to Paris, signed by Robespierre and other members of the committee of public safety, was dated 13 Prairial (1 June), the very day of Lord Howe's victory. In Paris he was kept in close confinement till April 1795, when he was released on parole and returned to England. He was shortly afterwards exchanged, was promoted (7 July 1795), and was appointed to command the sloop , which he took out to the West Indies. There he was sent under (Sir) Robert Waller Otway to blockade St. Vincent and Grenada. While engaged on this service he had opportunities of learning that Trinidad was very insufficiently garrisoned; and after the reduction of the revolted islands he suggested to the commander-in-chief, Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian, the possibility of capturing it by an unexpected attack. Christian was on the point of going home and would not commit his successor (Sir) Henry Harvey, to whom, on his arrival, Wood repeated his suggestion. Harvey sent him to make a more exact examination of the state of the island, and, acting on his report, took possession of it without loss. Of four ships of the line which were there, only half manned and incapable of defence, the Spaniards burnt three; Wood was appointed, by acting order, to command the fourth, and sent home with convoy. His captain's commission was confirmed, to date 27 March 1797.