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Koupe Tet Boulay Kay.
Koupe tet boulay Kay!
Charles-Riviere Herard
Guerrilla Resistance: Phillipe Guerrier was a former captain under Christophe. His war plans was that similar to Christophe. He ordered massive withdrawing from the coastal cities to the forts, hill, and mountains that dot Hayti. After the bombardment of Port au Prince he moved the capital to Marchand Dessalines. It was strategic move because the town was surrounded by mountains and hills. Plus five forts surrounded the town. The area was a fortress of Haitian soldiers and militiamen. In the town and surrounding area, every able bodies man was to protect the areas of Marchand. Guerrier knew that Haitian forces would not be able to fight the french in open battle at the time being. The strategy was burn crops and supplies that could be useful for the french. Ambush and harass french forces to prevent them from moving then wait for attrition and yellow fever deplete french forces. Then move to fight them in battle in a crushing defeat. The trump card for Guerrier was the Citadelle Laferriere which as the largest fort in the Americas. It had 535 guns and could house up to 15,000 defenders. The french forces under Perrin mad their first mistake in landing in Port Au Prince. This gave time for defenses to further strengthen throughout the island. In August of 1825 Perrin sent a letter to Charles X of France for reinforcements. The french forces needed more men to fight on multiple fronts. The north, center, and east were unaffected. Mormount's campaign in the south was to pacify the entire region with 26,000 troops. Perrin was making a march to Dessalines to take the city in hopes destroying the government and make resistance futile. Also, Perrin heard of the Citadelle and knew if he could take it Haitian resistance in the north would collapse. The french second mistake was that they took the Haitian withdrawing from the cities as weakness and desertion. Accau a famous general who led a popular uprising rallied the fighters of Les Cayes and throughout southern Haiti to fight. In August of 1825, Marmont moved quickly to take the cities of the coast. In July 31st Marmont moved to Fort Jacques which housed 5,000 defenders. The Fort was of two forts that were on the outskirts of Port Au Prince. The battle of Fort Jacques was a bloody one. The battle lasted for 30 days. The First day was a disaster. Marmont ordered his infantry to march to take the fort. 25 french troops lost their lives from the assault. With 50 wounded. The man leading assault was former war and navy minister Andre Laidan. His heroics kept the fort out of french hands for 10 days. In those ten days over 300 French troops were lost with 800 wounded. Each day the french attackers were repelled. On the 6th day, some french troops made it to the courtyard but were encircled ambushed and wiped out. Marmont ordered cannons to bombard the fort. He was obsessed with taking the fort. He ordered his men to take the position to take Kenscoff a town outside of Port Au Prince. The battle ended in late August when the defender ran out of munitions and food. They withdrew into the mountains. Some to Fort Alexandre. The battle was a Pyrrhic victory because Marmont lost so many men. He knew he had little choice. In order to break the resistance, he needed to take the forts. The battle of Fort Alexandre and Jacques took the whole summer of 1825. Even though the Haitian army lost those forts it succeeded in its goals. The one thing was to bog down the french forces, force them to waste men and resources and give the other areas time to mobilize the levee en masse. Fort Alexandre was taken quickly since it ultimately unfinished however the french lost 500 men in the assault with 900 wounded. Marmont once said, “If we continue to have more battles like this we will lose more men then the blacks.” The resistance fighter that survived both assaults fled into the mountains to fight a guerrilla war.
Perrin himself didn’t fare as well. The march to Marchand was a terrible one. He faced ambushes and more forts.
Accau the black Fox: He knew the jungles and mountains of southern Haiti like the back of his hand. He had the support of thousands of peasant farmers. He was a former general in the Haitian military. He supported black rights and hated the mulatto elite. He fought an insurgency against the Boyer regime. However when Guerrier was selected as president and declared war against France he supported him. Accau was a fierce fighter. He fought the revolutionary war under Dessalines when he was a young man. He hated mulattoes but hated whites even more. Accau was described by a French officer “ tall ferocious wild man. Always have anger and rage in his eyes. His voice was curt and laconic and harsh. He was Dessalines resurrected.” Accau and Charles Rivière-Hérard were commanders of the southern front. Faustin Soluque, Auguste Brouard were in charge of the Spanish east front. Jean-Louis Pierrot, Jean Baptist Riche commanded the north. Accau was given complete control of the southern front but Guerrier to the chagrin to the mulattoes but his knowledge was needed. He ordered Haitian troops to leave the cities and head to the forts, mountains, and jungle and organize guerrilla forces to fight the french. He led his men personally into combat. Under his control of 10,000 men motivated to fight the french. Accau was a black nationalist and when word was that the Blanc francais has returned to enslave blacks he famously said “We will kill all of them with the spirit of Dessalines. We will cut off heads and burn houses(Koupe tet boulay kay!)” Accau strategy was to ambush French troops and supply lines. After taking Kenscoff Marmont then went on to Mirogoaune which has a small garrison of 300 fighters. Marmont wanted to pacify the west and south by the end of the year. But his campaign soon became a quagmire. Accau was a powerful orator and could rally the black masses in the south and west to wage a guerilla war against the French. Ambushes by Accau's men hurt Marmont. Marches into the jungles were met with daily attacks. This type of guerrilla war was slowing down French troops. Accau's forces moved quickly through the dense jungle mountainous terrain. Sniping of French forces in the rear or resting was a daily thing. The french soldiers knew no rest. Attacks on their stretched supply and communication lines made things miserable. General Riviere was told to prepare for a possible counterattack when the French were slowly degraded. Phillipe Guerrier felt a major defeat against the French in the South would be enough to encircle Perrins men and force a peace. Another thing that was hurting Marmont's men was the beginning of yellow fever spreading amongst French soldiers. The rainy season in April was coming.
Koupe tet boulay Kay!
Charles-Riviere Herard
Guerrilla Resistance: Phillipe Guerrier was a former captain under Christophe. His war plans was that similar to Christophe. He ordered massive withdrawing from the coastal cities to the forts, hill, and mountains that dot Hayti. After the bombardment of Port au Prince he moved the capital to Marchand Dessalines. It was strategic move because the town was surrounded by mountains and hills. Plus five forts surrounded the town. The area was a fortress of Haitian soldiers and militiamen. In the town and surrounding area, every able bodies man was to protect the areas of Marchand. Guerrier knew that Haitian forces would not be able to fight the french in open battle at the time being. The strategy was burn crops and supplies that could be useful for the french. Ambush and harass french forces to prevent them from moving then wait for attrition and yellow fever deplete french forces. Then move to fight them in battle in a crushing defeat. The trump card for Guerrier was the Citadelle Laferriere which as the largest fort in the Americas. It had 535 guns and could house up to 15,000 defenders. The french forces under Perrin mad their first mistake in landing in Port Au Prince. This gave time for defenses to further strengthen throughout the island. In August of 1825 Perrin sent a letter to Charles X of France for reinforcements. The french forces needed more men to fight on multiple fronts. The north, center, and east were unaffected. Mormount's campaign in the south was to pacify the entire region with 26,000 troops. Perrin was making a march to Dessalines to take the city in hopes destroying the government and make resistance futile. Also, Perrin heard of the Citadelle and knew if he could take it Haitian resistance in the north would collapse. The french second mistake was that they took the Haitian withdrawing from the cities as weakness and desertion. Accau a famous general who led a popular uprising rallied the fighters of Les Cayes and throughout southern Haiti to fight. In August of 1825, Marmont moved quickly to take the cities of the coast. In July 31st Marmont moved to Fort Jacques which housed 5,000 defenders. The Fort was of two forts that were on the outskirts of Port Au Prince. The battle of Fort Jacques was a bloody one. The battle lasted for 30 days. The First day was a disaster. Marmont ordered his infantry to march to take the fort. 25 french troops lost their lives from the assault. With 50 wounded. The man leading assault was former war and navy minister Andre Laidan. His heroics kept the fort out of french hands for 10 days. In those ten days over 300 French troops were lost with 800 wounded. Each day the french attackers were repelled. On the 6th day, some french troops made it to the courtyard but were encircled ambushed and wiped out. Marmont ordered cannons to bombard the fort. He was obsessed with taking the fort. He ordered his men to take the position to take Kenscoff a town outside of Port Au Prince. The battle ended in late August when the defender ran out of munitions and food. They withdrew into the mountains. Some to Fort Alexandre. The battle was a Pyrrhic victory because Marmont lost so many men. He knew he had little choice. In order to break the resistance, he needed to take the forts. The battle of Fort Alexandre and Jacques took the whole summer of 1825. Even though the Haitian army lost those forts it succeeded in its goals. The one thing was to bog down the french forces, force them to waste men and resources and give the other areas time to mobilize the levee en masse. Fort Alexandre was taken quickly since it ultimately unfinished however the french lost 500 men in the assault with 900 wounded. Marmont once said, “If we continue to have more battles like this we will lose more men then the blacks.” The resistance fighter that survived both assaults fled into the mountains to fight a guerrilla war.
Perrin himself didn’t fare as well. The march to Marchand was a terrible one. He faced ambushes and more forts.
Accau the black Fox: He knew the jungles and mountains of southern Haiti like the back of his hand. He had the support of thousands of peasant farmers. He was a former general in the Haitian military. He supported black rights and hated the mulatto elite. He fought an insurgency against the Boyer regime. However when Guerrier was selected as president and declared war against France he supported him. Accau was a fierce fighter. He fought the revolutionary war under Dessalines when he was a young man. He hated mulattoes but hated whites even more. Accau was described by a French officer “ tall ferocious wild man. Always have anger and rage in his eyes. His voice was curt and laconic and harsh. He was Dessalines resurrected.” Accau and Charles Rivière-Hérard were commanders of the southern front. Faustin Soluque, Auguste Brouard were in charge of the Spanish east front. Jean-Louis Pierrot, Jean Baptist Riche commanded the north. Accau was given complete control of the southern front but Guerrier to the chagrin to the mulattoes but his knowledge was needed. He ordered Haitian troops to leave the cities and head to the forts, mountains, and jungle and organize guerrilla forces to fight the french. He led his men personally into combat. Under his control of 10,000 men motivated to fight the french. Accau was a black nationalist and when word was that the Blanc francais has returned to enslave blacks he famously said “We will kill all of them with the spirit of Dessalines. We will cut off heads and burn houses(Koupe tet boulay kay!)” Accau strategy was to ambush French troops and supply lines. After taking Kenscoff Marmont then went on to Mirogoaune which has a small garrison of 300 fighters. Marmont wanted to pacify the west and south by the end of the year. But his campaign soon became a quagmire. Accau was a powerful orator and could rally the black masses in the south and west to wage a guerilla war against the French. Ambushes by Accau's men hurt Marmont. Marches into the jungles were met with daily attacks. This type of guerrilla war was slowing down French troops. Accau's forces moved quickly through the dense jungle mountainous terrain. Sniping of French forces in the rear or resting was a daily thing. The french soldiers knew no rest. Attacks on their stretched supply and communication lines made things miserable. General Riviere was told to prepare for a possible counterattack when the French were slowly degraded. Phillipe Guerrier felt a major defeat against the French in the South would be enough to encircle Perrins men and force a peace. Another thing that was hurting Marmont's men was the beginning of yellow fever spreading amongst French soldiers. The rainy season in April was coming.
- Marcus Licinius Crassus
- Word Count: 1.2k