A Nation, Divided: The Price of War and Freedom.

......

Hey folks, just so you know this isn't dead.....I got a present for you. :)



Chapter 2-Switching of the Seats, and a New Order in Europe. Part 1-Adams Takes The White House.


Excerpts from “The American Election Handbook, 2nd Edition”, by Joseph P. Giddings.
(c) 1997 Liberty Bell Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


The Election of 1800.


The election of 1800 primarily revolved around the disputes between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, as well as the growing problems in Haiti, and increasing tensions in Europe.


Thomas Jefferson had had a huge swell of support for his skillful dealing with the situation in Louisiana and his generally even-handed approach to governance. With that said, however, the main point of contention besides Haiti had been that of the proposed Alien and Sedition Acts. The Acts, as the Federalists claimed, had been entirely intended to protect the peace and tranquility of the young nation from threats both within and without. However, though, some parts of these bills also included language that could be interpreted as heavily restricting how one could criticize the federal government. The Democratic-Republicans strongly criticized the legislation and accused the Federalists of trying to decrease the number of non-Federalist voters. Furthermore, the Acts were also viewed as a serious threat to the rights of the individual states.
On the other hand, some of the so-named “High Federalists” actually believed that the bills didn't go far enough. In fact, infighting became such a problem in the party that Alexander Hamilton actually participated in a scheme to put C.C. Pinckney at the top of the ticket, instead of the more moderate Adams. It also didn't help that Adams was the target of a scathing editoral by Hamilton that was leaked by a Democratic-Republican newspaper owner in Virginia; this ultimately gravely hurt Adams' ambitions that year.


Meanwhile, the Democratic-Republicans were able to enjoy support not just from the South but many immigrants from both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line as well, a large part of that due to their opposition to the proposed Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson's record of sound governance and the deals made with France in regard to Louisiana also proved to be helpful as well.....


Although the Federalists were able to pull off a last minute rebound in Pennsylvania, New York, and even North Carolina, it still wasn't enough to save the Adams campaign. Jefferson would win a second term in office. And when he did, would turn his attention to Haiti in particular.....


***

No footnotes for this yet. But I hope it's okay for now. :)

Edit-Also, here's the map:

1800 Jefferson 2nd Term.png
 
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What will President Jefferson do in his second term?

Hey there, Thehappyvampire! I'm glad you asked, by the way. As of right now, it seems that things will primarily revolve around the situation in Haiti as well as watching the ever growing tensions in Europe(no widespread wars have started yet, but things aren't looking all that good over there, either), though things won't start getting really hairy until after Jefferson hands over the Oval Office to his successor(which will probably be John Adams).

I can say this, though; I don't plan on outright wanking France all that much at this point; so no French Netherlands or Genoa, etc., as what actually occurred IOTL (even if only briefly)
In fact, let's look at just how much land Napoleon had taken by 1812 in our world:

France_L-2_%281812%29-en.svg

So there we go. TBH, I figured I'd tone down the expansionism to make things a little more believable.

Other than that, though, Jefferson's last term will likely not be all that eventful; there hasn't been a "quasi war" with France and there's no major conflicts imminent with Native Americans either.
 
Here's a little something for you.

Something I wanted to do for La Tierra Afortunada originally, but thought I'd apply it here first. Looking thru "The Union Forever", I realized that MacGregor had a pretty nifty idea with an "overview" of sorts, so I thought I'd borrow the concept. :cool:


The Year in Review-1801



  • On January 1st, the Union between Great Britain and Ireland is completed.



  • William Pitt resigns as Prime Minister effective on February 4th, due to political disagreements with King George III over the Union problem: He will be replaced by his good friend Henry Addington, effective on March 14th.



  • On March 23rd, in Russia, a plan devised by disaffected nobles to oust Paul I from power is put into the planning stages.



  • The Battle of Algeciras sees a victory by the French over the British on July 6th.



  • The first ever national Census is held in Great Britain on March 10th.



  • In September, the Treaty of London fails, only furthering tensions between Britain and France.



  • In June, two important figures in American history, both Frederick Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Benedict Arnold, the “Traitor of Saratoga” will die within 10 days of one another, Muhlenberg on the 4th, and Arnold on the 14th.
Suggestions, etc. are welcome. :D
 
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Working on 1802-Year in Review next.

Though in the meantime, I'd like some feedback.....pretty much anything you can think of is fine, btw. Even just plain commentary is fine.
 
Toussaint is victorious!

And now, the beginning of Ch. 2. :)

Chapter 2-Switching of the Seats, and a New Order in Europe. Part 1-Adams Takes The White House.

Excerpts from “The American Election Handbook, 2nd Edition”, by Joseph P. Giddings.
(c) 1997 Liberty Bell Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Election of 1800.

The election of 1800 primarily revolved around the disputes between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, as well as the growing problems in Haiti, and increasing tensions in Europe.

Thomas Jefferson had had a huge swell of support for his skillful dealing with the situation in Louisiana and his generally even-handed approach to governance. With that said, however, the main point of contention besides Haiti had been that of the proposed Alien and Sedition Acts. The Acts, as the Federalists claimed, had been entirely intended to protect the peace and tranquility of the young nation from threats both within and without. However, though, some parts of these bills also included language that could be interpreted as heavily restricting how one could criticize the federal government. The Democratic-Republicans strongly criticized the legislation and accused the Federalists of trying to decrease the number of non-Federalist voters. Furthermore, the Acts were also viewed as a serious threat to the rights of the individual states.
On the other hand, some of the so-named “High Federalists” actually believed that the bills didn't go far enough. In fact, infighting became such a problem in the party that Alexander Hamilton actually participated in a scheme to put C.C. Pinckney at the top of the ticket, instead of the more moderate Adams. It also didn't help that Adams was the target of a scathing editoral by Hamilton that was leaked by a Democratic-Republican newspaper owner in Virginia; this ultimately gravely hurt Adams' ambitions that year.

Meanwhile, the Democratic-Republicans were able to enjoy support not just from the South but many immigrants from both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line as well, a large part of that due to their opposition to the proposed Alien and Sedition Acts. Jefferson's record of sound governance and the deals made with France in regard to Louisiana also proved to be helpful as well.....

Although the Federalists were able to pull off a last minute rebound in Pennsylvania, New York, and even North Carolina, it still wasn't enough to save the Adams campaign. Jefferson would win a second term in office. And when he did, would turn his attention to Haiti in particular.....[1]

This excerpt is from “Toussaint L'Ouverture: The George Washington of Haiti”, by Peter Clemson. (c) 1977 Ozarka Press, Little Rock, Ark., U.S.A.

By the end of 1801, it had become all too apparent that Haiti was clearly no longer under the control of the French colonists; the Blacks had won for good. In November of that year, L'Ouverture and Hyacinthe Moise would begin an invasion of the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo; it would fall by Christmas and in February of 1802, would be brought under French law, which outlawed slavery. The former governor, Don Garcia, was spared, but fled to Spain, fearing possible retribution at the hands of some of the less charitable Haitians.

Meanwhile, Napoleon had deigned to inform the residents of French Hispaniola that Paris intended to formulate a specially created constitution for the French colonies; some were concerned that Napoleon might give in to the planters and re-legalize slavery all over again. To counter this, L'Ouverture would, in late February 1802, appointed a legislative assembly, partly comprised of whites of the former upper classes, to draw up their own constitution for Saint-Domingue. L'Ouverture essentially made himself governor-general indefinitely, and gave himself a wide range of authority to go along with it. However, though, he also allowed for an elected successor and at least some limited democracy, as well as equal treatment under the law for all the races; he was also careful not to outright declare Saint-Domingue independent from the French Empire.
He also, reluctantly, allowed the slave trade to remain in Saint-Domingue for a period of 10 years, and made Catholicism the official faith of the government, both to appease his more moderate opponents[2].

A trusted accomplice of Toussaint's, Colonel Charles-Marie Vincent, was asked to present the new constitution to the French government, and Napoleon, personally, as soon as possible. However, though, the original draft presented some issues that could prove problematic: there was no provision of compensation for French officials still in the country, and France would have no advantages in trading with its former colony. Colonel Vincent relayed his concerns to L'Ouverture, fearing that the move would backfire unless these provisions were accounted for.....[3]

Ultimately, L'Ouverture reconsidered his position and agreed to allow the French government special trading rights and to compensate those former French officials who no longer had authority and who wished to leave, whether for France or some other nation. On February 26th, Vincent departed from the port of Santo Domingo with a copy of the new constitution; it would submitted to the French government on March 18th.[4]

Even with all this, however, L'Ouverture continued to profess his loyalty to the ideals of the French Republicans, and his respect for Napoleon. And on April 17th, L'Ouverture received the news he'd hoped would come: France officially recognized Haiti as an independent nation. Though it would remain a French protectorate for many years, it was still a crucially vital step to uplift Haiti to match his own personal vision for the nation, and even perhaps that of the Caribbean as a whole.....[5]

**

[1]Jefferson is beginning to take an interest in Haiti, for the time being. He is puzzled by the success of the slaves, but is also fascinated to a degree by Toussaint.

[2]Similar to what happened IOTL.

[3]Vincent also raised some concerns about the plan IOTL too, but Toussaint ultimately ignored him.

[4]However, this is where the real divergence from our world's Haiti begins; ITTL, Toussaint decided to actually listen to Vincent's concerns and take them into account. France won't be sponsoring an invasion of Haiti in this world.....but that doesn't mean there won't be any more problems. Just that Napoleon won't be causing them.....

[5]Toussaint would be long gone by the time his name finally truly became a household one throughout the whole region, but many would still be inspired by his words even before that.
 
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I'm sensing massive butterflies moving forward.

I can tell you this: Haiti will certainly be quite a bit better off overall ITTL, than in our world, without the screw-ups of either Napoleon or L'Ouverture(okay, truthfully, the majority were Napoleon's, but L'Ouverture made a fair number of his own mistakes as well). :cool:
 
I figured I'd post this.

Yeah, I realize this TL is coming out rather slowly, but I'm hoping things'll get better eventually. Until then, here's a little more on Haiti:

This excerpt is from “Toussaint L'Ouverture: The George Washington of Haiti”, by Peter Clemson. (c) 1977 Ozarka Press, Little Rock, Ark., U.S.A.

By the end of 1801, it had become all too apparent that Haiti was clearly no longer under the control of the French colonists; the Blacks had won for good. In November of that year, L'Ouverture and Hyacinthe Moise would begin an invasion of the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo; it would fall by Christmas and in February of 1802, would be brought under French law, which outlawed slavery. The former governor, Don Garcia, was spared, but fled to Spain, fearing possible retribution at the hands of some of the less charitable Haitians.

Meanwhile, Napoleon had deigned to inform the residents of French Hispaniola that Paris intended to formulate a specially created constitution for the French colonies; some were concerned that Napoleon might give in to the planters and re-legalize slavery all over again. To counter this, L'Ouverture would, in late February 1802, appointed a legislative assembly, partly comprised of whites of the former upper classes, to draw up their own constitution for Saint-Domingue. L'Ouverture essentially made himself governor-general indefinitely, and gave himself a wide range of authority to go along with it. However, though, he also allowed for an elected successor and at least some limited democracy, as well as equal treatment under the law for all the races; he was also careful not to outright declare Saint-Domingue independent from the French Empire.
He also, reluctantly, allowed the slave trade to remain in Saint-Domingue for a period of 10 years, and made Catholicism the official faith of the government, both to appease his more moderate opponents[2].

A trusted accomplice of Toussaint's, Colonel Charles-Marie Vincent, was asked to present the new constitution to the French government, and Napoleon, personally, as soon as possible. However, though, the original draft presented some issues that could prove problematic: there was no provision of compensation for French officials still in the country, and France would have no advantages in trading with its former colony. Colonel Vincent relayed his concerns to L'Ouverture, fearing that the move would backfire unless these provisions were accounted for.....[3]

Ultimately, L'Ouverture reconsidered his position and agreed to allow the French government special trading rights and to compensate those former French officials who no longer had authority and who wished to leave, whether for France or some other nation. On February 26th, Vincent departed from the port of Santo Domingo with a copy of the new constitution; it would submitted to the French government on March 18th.[4]

Even with all this, however, L'Ouverture continued to profess his loyalty to the ideals of the French Republicans, and his respect for Napoleon. And on April 17th, L'Ouverture received the news he'd hoped would come: France officially recognized Haiti as an independent nation. Though it would remain a French protectorate for many years, it was still a crucially vital step to uplift Haiti to match his own personal vision for the nation, and even perhaps that of the Caribbean as a whole.....[5]

**


[1]Jefferson is beginning to take an interest in Haiti, for the time being. He is puzzled by the success of the slaves, but is also fascinated to a degree by Toussaint.

[2]Similar to what happened IOTL.

[3]Vincent also raised some concerns about the plan IOTL too, but Toussaint ultimately ignored him.

[4]However, this is where the real divergence from our world's Haiti begins; ITTL, Toussaint decided to actually listen to Vincent's concerns and take them into account. France won't be sponsoring an invasion of Haiti in this world.....but that doesn't mean there won't be any more problems. Just that Napoleon won't be causing them.....

[5]Toussaint would be long gone by the time his name finally truly became a household one throughout the whole region, but many would still be inspired by his words even before that.

Things are already getting a little better than in our world vis-a-vis Haiti. It probably won't be wanked outright, at least not in the traditional manner, but I can say that TTL's Haiti will not quite be the tragically eternally poverty-stricken & corruption nation it was in our world for much of it's history.
 
To revive interest in this TL.....

Here's a little preview of what to expect:

United States of America - 1840​

Name: United States of America
Leader: John Quincy Adams (Whig-Massachusetts), Mar. 4th, 1837 to present.
Leader 2: Levi Woodbury (Whig-New York)
Type of Government: Representative Democracy
Population: 12,867,000 (1840 est.)

Motto: E Pluribus Unum("Of many, one")
National Anthem: None as of this time.
Capital: Washington, D.C.(pop. 25,000, 1840 est.)
Largest City: New York City(pop. 165,000, 1840 est.)

Domestic

Internal Events:
Elections to be held in November.

Internal Problems:
-Dispute with South over control of Virginia + Kentucky + Louisiana.
-Secession of South causing some significant economic problems; banks are failing because Southern states won't recognize debts, etc.

Economic Status:
-Okay

Military
-Not in bad shape, but beginning to consider rearming for a possible conflict with the South in the near future.

Army:
Number of Enlisted Men: 350,000 (1840 est.)
Number of Reserves: 70,000
Navy: TBD
Battleships:
-XXXX Class (X Planned) ((This represents a type of ship being planned, but not yet built))
-Number of Ships XXX Class (X Under Construction - 19XX, 19XX) ((This represents a type of ship built, with more ships of that class being built as well as the year they are expected in))
Cruisers:
Destroyers:
Submarines
Diplomacy(Agreements, Alliances, Trade, etc.):
-Peace Treaty ongoing with France.
-Relations with Great Britain not doing so well.
-Beginning to develop casually friendly relations with Russia.
-Currently does not fully recognize Southern secessionist state.
-Currently in state of peace with the Plains Native Americans, though occasional fighting with Kiowa and other Wisconsin + Illinois tribes does continue.
-Relations with Mexico getting colder by the month with recognition of Republic of Texas.
-American filibusters also looking at California as possible target for settlement.
-Allied with Netherlands, friendly relations with Belgium as well.
__________________

Haiti - 1852

Name: Free Republic of Haiti
Leader: President Jacques Toussaint L'Ouverture(since 11 November 1844)
Leader 2: TBD
Type of Government: Parlimentary Democratic Republic
Population: 717,000 (1850 est.)

Motto: "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité"
National Anthem: None as of this time.
Capital: Port-au-Prince (pop. 38,000, 1850 est.)
Largest City: See above.

Domestic

Internal Events:
Elections to be held in November.

Internal Problems:
-Significant poverty continues to be an issue.
-Allegations of political bribery remain a problem, and some fear it has compromised the government's integrity.

Economic Status:
-Okay, but could be better.

Military
-Decently well-armed for a small nation, but is considering drafting more men-Relations with the Dominican Republic remain poor and war seems likely to break out at any time.

Army:
Number of Enlisted Men: 10,000
Number of Reserves: 25,000(mostly in informal militias)
Navy: 12 ships

Diplomacy(Agreements, Alliances, Trade, etc.):
-Peace Treaty ongoing with France.
-Beginning to develop friendly relations with United States.
-Wary of breakaway *Southern American States.
-Has just signed a peace treaty with the British.
__________________
 
A little snippet of what to expect:

Here's more on the Toussaint situation:

**

This excerpt is from “Toussaint L'Ouverture: The George Washington of Haiti”, by Peter Clemson. (c) 1977 Ozarka Press, Little Rock, Ark., U.S.A.

Toussaint's victory in furnishing Haiti's independence had been noted by many not just in the New World, but even in the old as well. However, though, despite the government's seeming approval, opinions in France remain staunchly divided on the situation in Haiti and whether or not it was wise to let go of their only major Caribbean colony; there were, in fact, those people who loudly insisted that it ought to be retaken for France, to restore the Empire's dignity(there was, of course, very little mentioned of the fact that France still retained Louisiana). Although Napoleon had no intentions, at this time, of interfering in Haiti's domestic affairs, there were those in the government who believed that Napoleon was not taking all the necessary factors into account, and thus, it was becoming increasingly obvious to them, that his authority needed to be circumvented.

So, during the spring and summer of 1803, Charles Leclerc, and the Vicomte de Rochambeau decided to take matters into their own hands, and begin planning a secret invasion of the island together. However, though, the two men had somewhat different ideals in mind when they put this all together: Leclerc merely wished to have Toussaint surrender to the expeditionaries, and have him swear to never again hamper France's colonial ambitions. Rochambeau, however, had another mindset entirely.....

As the final components were being put into place, Leclerc and the Vicomte would set sail on the early morning hours of February 8th, from Bordeaux to Tortuga Island, Haiti, to put this scheme of theirs into action.....

On April 2nd, 1804, the two renegade Frenchmen would arrive on the island of Tortuga during the late morning hours with around 2,500 volunteers, including several hundred active-duty soldiers in the French Army. The island was, at that time, largely run by Creoles and Blancs sympathetic to the French government. Mainly thanks to this, there was very little resistance, and not only this, but some even openly welcomed the two men as liberators. In fact, as many as 2,000 of the Creoles and Blancs on Tortuga joined their ranks as fellow raiders! And just three weeks later, the first few hundred of Rochambeau and Leclerc's men landed in what is now the Northern Department, just a dozen miles to the west of Cap-Haïtien; it was only the beginning. On April 26th, Toussaint received word of the attack in progress. Stunned, he ordered all available forces to counter attack when possible, and then ordered a ship prepared, so he could have an emissary send a letter to the French President, demanding an explanation for what seemed like a sudden betrayal of his trust. It seemed that Haiti would once again have to fight for its independence.....

So, there you go, pretty much. Comments welcome. :cool:
 
1802: Year in Review.

The Year in Review-1802


  • On February 2nd, slavery is outlawed in Santo Domingo.
  • The United States Revenue Commission is disestablished on April 6th, following a repeal of all internal taxes.
  • April 17th sees the formal establishment of Haiti as an independent nation. While still dependent on France, it's not lost on many that this is the first country to successfully gain independence through a revolt of indentured servants.
  • On April 26th, Napoleon offers a general amnesty to many of those French expatriates forced to flee the country thanks to the Revolution. The decree is hailed as a skillful move towards reconcilation by many.
  • The Legion d'Honneur, is established on May 19th of this year. It will become one of the most recognized military orders of all time.
  • On June 2nd, the Aboriginal Australian warrior Pemulwuy was assassinated by Henry Hacking in what would become New South Wales.
  • On July 10th, Russian Tsar Paul I is assassinated during the early morning hours in the Castle of St. Michael, by a small group of conspirators. Two of these men, Nikolai Zubov and General Levin August von Bennigsen, later end up becoming important figures in Alexander I's government.
  • The pascha of Tripoli orders that the flagpole of the American Consulate to be chopped down on July 17th. The move greatly annoys the American government but the pascha neither apologizes, not backs down.
  • On September 7th, in response to what is seen as growing Barbary aggression, the U.S. declares war on the Barbary states.
  • The Piedmont Republic is annexed by France on Sept. 11th.
  • October 2nd sees the end of the conflict between Sweden and Tripoli; the northern European country will be the first to discuss a cease fire with the Barbary nation since the First Barbary War began. France will not attempt this
  • until April, 1804.
  • On December 2nd, the groundbreaking Health and Morals of Apprentices Act is signed into law in Great Britain. Although enforcement will be spotty for many years, the legislation does provide for future worker protection laws in Britain and her colonies(and later, Dominions).
(Hope this is alright. I may edit this post later so it matches the style of the first one.)
 
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Finally got a little more done.

Unfortunately, writer's block, has, as usual, been a problem for me. Still, though, hopefully this provokes some discussion. :)

*

This excerpt is from “Toussaint L'Ouverture: The George Washington of Haiti”, by Peter Clemson. (c) 1977 Ozarka Press, Little Rock, Ark., U.S.A.

The Rochambeau Expedition, as it would later be called, was essentially a mercenary army of French national die-hards and profit-seekers, and, after the Tortuga landing, some anti-Toussaint Creoles who merely tagged along, for their own reasons....

As of April 22nd, the Rochambeau Expedition's forces were organized roughly as follows:

-10 companies of 200 volunteer troops each, including twenty cavalrymen and five cannoneers.
-500 regular enlisted soldiers, half directly commanded by Rochambeau and half by Leclerc.
-1,000 Creole auxiliaries, associated with the volunteer companies, and another thousand attached to Rochambeau & Leclerc.

All in all, a small force indeed, but one that Rochambeau and Leclerc felt would be satisfactory until Napoleon sent the rest of the Army to assist them, or so the theory went; though whether or not Napoleon could actually be convinced to do so willingly was another matter.

Regardless, the Expedition pressed on. Leaving Tortuga early on the morning of April 24th, the first few hundred of their men landed on a beach about 7 miles to the southeast of the port of Cap-Haitien, at around 10 o'clock, with the others following shortly after, including some who landed near what is now called the Gulf of Dessalines, and the modern resort town of Cap-Blanque, 6 miles to the southwest...
So, there we go. The invasion of Haiti has started. Any comments? Suggestions, etc.?
 
Unfortunately, writer's block, has, as usual, been a problem for me. Still, though, hopefully this provokes some discussion. :)

So, there we go. The invasion of Haiti has started. Any comments? Suggestions, etc.?

I really do need the feedback, folks. This timeline needs your help to be viable again. :(
 
I like this...

I can't comment with real expertise, but it does seem plausible and entertaining. It's also unique :D
 
I can't comment with real expertise, but it does seem plausible and entertaining. It's also unique :D

Thanks. Any comments are better than none at this point, TBH. I am, however, still struggling with how to write this whole Haiti thing. Of course, I was considering having Napoleon find out early on, versus later, but having him not get directly involved, instead telling the two would-be conquistadors, "You're on your own. Expect no help from me or the rest of the military. If you succeed, then we may talk.", or something along those lines.
 
Trying to revive some interest in this TL.

Yeah, sorry about yet another long delay, folks. :(

I don't have any new material at this time, but any offers of assistance are greatly appreciated, particularly when dealing with the 1815-1840 time period(including, of course, earlier industrialization in the South, not to mention to mention tariffs, which, as the title may indicate, provides a rather notable primary impetus for the earlier Southern secession).

In the meantime, I'll try to forge ahead, and maybe just start by skimming over the Haitian fiasco, which, by the way, is about to start going south real quick. Hopefully I'll have something soon. :)
 
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Hello.

So, having actually finally gotten something done, I thought I'd also offer a few minor corrections to some of the immediately prior material as well.

*

This excerpt is from “Toussaint L'Ouverture: The George Washington of Haiti”, by Peter Clemson. (c) 1977 Ozarka Press, Little Rock, Ark., U.S.A.

The Rochambeau Expedition, as it would later be called, was essentially a mercenary army of French national die-hards and profit-seekers, and, after the Tortuga landing, some anti-Toussaint Creoles who merely tagged along, for their own reasons....

As of April 22nd, the Rochambeau Expedition's forces were organized roughly as follows:

-10 companies of 200 volunteer troops each, including twenty cavalrymen and five cannoneers.
-500 regular enlisted soldiers, half directly commanded by Rochambeau and half by Leclerc.
-1,000 Creole auxiliaries, associated with the volunteer companies, and another thousand attached to Rochambeau & Leclerc.

All in all, a small force indeed, but one that Rochambeau and Leclerc felt would be satisfactory until Napoleon sent the rest of the Army to assist them, or so the theory went; though whether or not Napoleon could actually be convinced to do so willingly, was another matter.

Regardless, the Expedition pressed on. Leaving Tortuga early on the morning of April 24th, the first few hundred of their men landed on a beach about 7 miles to the east of the port of Cap-Haitien, at around 10 o'clock, with the others following shortly after, including some who landed near what is now called the Gulf of Dessalines, and the modern resort town of Cap-Blanque, 8 miles to the west-southwest...

The two groups were to converge on Cap-Haitien, the intended staging point, before moving southwards, and continuing their invasion of the country; Leclerc's men were to the west, and Rochambeau's were to the east. Due to an unexpected episode of inclement weather, however, the expiditionaries had to move somewhat more slowly than they had anticipated, and it would take two whole days to reach their destination. When they did arrive, they discovered that someone had already alerted the local authorities to the imminent threat; no matter to them, however, as they had both superior weaponry, and greater manpower. And when Leclerc gave the signal, just before 11 a.m., the French began to fire upon the city in front of them with gusto.....

All in all, the Battle of Cap-Haitien lasted only four days, and with many losses amongst not just the Haitian militias, but the common people as well(April 30th , to this day, is commemorated as Remembrance Day, to honor those first victims of this conflict).

After this, Rochambeau and Leclerc went their separate ways; Rochambeau marched his men in the direction of the southwest, and Leclerc directed his own army towards the southeast, to Limonade, and other places further away from the action....
So, there we go. We now have a clue as to what their plans are.....but how long will they be able to succeed, before the Haitians are able to counter them? :eek: Stay tuned. :cool:
 
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