Battle of Cap-Français (1793)

The Battle of Cap-Français took place from 20 to 22 June 1793 during the Haitian Revolution.

Arrival of Commissioners in Saint-Domingue
On 17 September 1792, the commissars Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Étienne Polverel and Jean-Antoine Ailhaud landed in Cap-français with 6,000 men from the French Republican army. Their mission is to pacify SSaint-Domingue and enforce the law of April 4 which proclaims the right to vote for free people, including blacks and mulattoes, and imposes the dissolution of the colonial assembly composed only of whites.

Sonthonax remains in post at the French Cape, Polverel for its part leaves for inspection in Port-au-Prince in October. Allhaud goes south of the colony but sick of the climate consequences, he quickly returned to France.

Military operations against the rebellious slave
The 6,000 French soldiers, composed of a half of troops of line and a half of volunteers, have for mission to repress the insurrections of the black slaves revolted in the north-west of the island and commanded by Jean-François Papillon and Georges Biassou. But these troops, unaccustomed to the climate, are rapidly decimated by yellow fever. Two months after their landing, writes General Lacroix, of these 6,000 men, "3,000 were harvested".

All the French republican forces are under the command of General Étienne Maynaud Bizefranc of Lavaux, he enters the campaign against the revolted slaves and in January 1793, he beats them during the battles of Morne Pelé and Tannerie and reconquires quickly the northern plains. But the insurgents allied with the Spaniards and are embedded as auxiliary in their army, in the months following the French begin to lose ground gained.

Commissioners' position to vis-à-vis slavery
Sonthonax and Polverel are close to Brissot, a notorious abolitionist and a member of the Society of Black Friends. The commissioners are themselves members of the Jacobin Club and these promote the creation of revolutionary clubs in Saint-Domingue that attracts many poor and poor settlers, called "little whites". Conversely wealthy slave owners, called the "great white" usually royalists, they quickly hostile.

Although they themselves abolitionist, Sonthonax and Polverel have no authority to abolish slavery, especially since the French government had no intention to do so. Sonthonax is also not in favor of immediate abolition because he believes in a letter written to Brissot that this "would inevitably lead to the massacre of all whites".

Deportation of Governors and dissolution of colonial Assembly
According to the law of August 10, anyone who objects to the commissioners is declared a "traitor to the fatherland". The commissioners had every power to deport their opponents. In particular, Sonthonax arrested Governor Philippe François Rouxel de Blanchelande on September 20, suspected of conspiracy, who was deported to France where he was guillotined on April 11, 1793. He was replaced by General d'Esparbes, but the latter, a royalist, attempted to provoke an insurrection when he learns of the fall of the monarchy on the Insurrection of 10 August 1792. Arrested, he is in turn deported.

On October 12, the colonial assembly was dissolved because entirely composed of whites, it is replaced by a commission mixing white and free people of color. This measure causes the adhesion of Free Colors to the commissioners. Sonthonax gives them degrees and jobs and also wants to integrate Mulatto officers in the Cape Regiment, then entirely composed of whites. The latter are very uncomfortable with this measure. During a parade in town, mulattoes and whites of the Cape regiment clash in a shootout. The authority of the commissioners can be re-established only with the help of General Lavaux.

Rise of dissatisfaction of settlers against commissioners
These measures, favorable to the mulattoes and the free of color provokes the irritation of the "big Whites" who fear the abolition of slavery.

Although this message is generally false, the settlers are increasingly hostile to the commissioners. The "little whites," republicans, were at first favorable to them, but they are as hostile as the "great whites" to mulattoes and to men free of colors, whom they hate even more than the first. Also the "big whites" and the "little whites", formerly enemies, allied themselves against the commissioners, the mulattoes and the free people of colors.

First revolts
On January 25, 1793, in Port-au-Prince, the colonists, led by Borel, arm their slaves, join forces with the soldiers of the Artois regiment and make themselves masters of the city. The colonists then send a courier to London and declare themselves ready to pass under the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Great Britain in exchange for the conservation of their laws. The troops loyal to the commissioners commanded by generals Lassale and Beauvais then put the siege to Port-au-Prince which is resumed on April 14, 1793.

The colonists of Jérémie in the south of the island revolt in their turn, they form a government which takes the name of "Federation of Grande Anse", arm their slaves and make massacre the free of color, whose heads are brought on spades and exposed at Fort Lapointe. The board of directors forms an army composed of whites commanded by La Chaise and blacks commanded by Noël Bras. In order to suppress this rebellion, the commissioners also organize an army commanded by the mulatto André Rigaud. The mulattoes and the free of color also arm their slaves and led by Rigaud, take possession of Jacmel but they fail to take Jeremiah.

The insurrection of whites in Cape
On May 7, 1793, while the commissioners were busy fighting the rebellion in the south, Brigadier General Francois Thomas Galbaud-Dufort, of the Republican army, landed in Cap-French to hold the post of governor. This nomination arouses the hopes of the colonists because Galbaud does not show any favor for mulattoes and free people. The colonists show more and more openly their opposition to the commissioners, and Sonthonax and Polverel must hastily return to Cape Town on June 10th. Whites and mulattos are then on the brink of confrontation.

The commissioners begin by ousting Galbaud, he is Creole; however, according to the April law, creoles can not perform public functions in the colonies. Galbaud submits and on June 13, he embarks on the Normandy shipwho must leave for France. This departure despairs the settlers, but discontent also wins the sailors and soldiers of the Republican Navy. A dispute had arisen between a naval officer and a mulatto, the sailors complain to the commissioners but they refuse to intervene in the case which causes the anger of the sailors. Their resentment against the commissioners increases all the more because they do not support the prohibition that was made to them to stay on the ground at night. Shortly afterwards a ship entered the harbor harbor carrying 25 to 30 colonists and about 40 soldiers of the Artois regiment taken prisoner during the insurrection of Port-au-Princes and who were to be deported to France "to learn how to lose their color prejudice. According to one observer.

Exasperated, settlers and sailors sent a delegation to Galbaud on June 19 asking him to take the lead in the insurgency that is preparing against the commissioners and mulattoes. Galbaud accepts and in the night of June 19 to 20, he arrives at Cap-French with the sailors joined by the colonists, soon Galbaud is at the head of 2,000 to 3,500 men.

Alerted, the mulatto soldiers take up arms, determined to defend the commissioners. Fierce street battles are taking place, but ill, General Lavaux can not come to ensure the command which is then entrusted by the commissioners to Colonel Mulatto Antoine Chanlatte, assisted by the black officer Jean-Baptiste Belley, known as "Mars Belley".

Slave offensive
After two days of fighting, the commissioners evacuate Cape Town and retreat to Upper Cape, they establish their headquarters at the Breda plantation. Out of strength, the two commissioners decide to call for help the rebellious slaves against whom they had formerly fought. Sonthonax writes a proclamation against them:

We declare that the will of the French Republic and its delegates is to give freedom to all the Negro warriors who will fight for the Republic under the orders of the civil commissars, against Spain or other enemies, whether they are interior or exterior... All declared slaves free by the Republic shall be equal to all free men, they have the rights of french citizens.

The proclamation is entrusted to the Mulatto officer Antoine Chanlatte who, accompanied by two white adventurers, Ginioux and Galineux Degusy, gives it to the rebel slaves who camped on the heights of Morne du Cap.

On June 21, 10,000 rebel slaves commanded by Macaya and Pierrot founded on Cap-français, where the insurgent whites were completely overwhelmed. They fled and boarded the ships in great confusion in the retirement of the sailors get drunk and plundered several houses and shops they occupied.

The fighting on June 21 is the bloodiest, there are 500 corpses, several fall or are thrown into the sea where they are devoured by sharks. The commissioners decide to send Polverel's son to negotiate with the insurgents. But Galbaud refuses any discussion and holds the emissary prisoner, shortly after Galbaud's brother is taken by the men loyal to the commissioners. Sonthonax is ready to accept an exchange of prisoners but Polverel refuses, according to witnesses, tears in his eyes he says: "No, my son can not be exchanged for a culprit".

In the confusion, a group of blacks attempts to burn a prison to deliver many of their prisoners, but the flames are gaining other homes and homes of what was considered the most beautiful cities in the West Indies are destroyed.

Conclusion
On 24 June, Galbaud and survivors, numbering several thousand, embark on the ships the Aeolus and Jupiter and several frigates in the harbor of Cape Town, from there they win the United States where they find refuge.

The Commissioners take possession of the Cape French, but the city nicknamed "the Jewel of the West Indies" is destroyed five-sixths. Nevertheless, they hope to win the rallying of rebel slaves, but they are quickly disappointed. Some accept but the majority of them have returned to the mountains with their booty. Couriers are sent to Jean-François Papillon and Georges Biassou but they refuse to recognize the Republic, they declare themselves royalists and subject of the King of Spain since the King of France had been executed. Contacted, Toussaint Louverture refused to rally "republican traitors" and wrote that "the blacks wanted to serve under a king and the King of Spain offered him his protection".