The Slaves Who Defeated Napoleon: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian War of Independence, 1801–1804

458 Pages·2011·4.046 MB·English

by  Philippe R. Girard

The Slaves Who Defeated
Napoléon
AtlAntic crossings
rafe Blaufarb, series Editor
thE slAvEs Who
DEfEAtED nApoléon
toussaint louverture and the haitian War
of independence, 1801–1804
philippe r. girard
thE UnivErsity of AlABAmA prEss
Tuscaloosa
copyright © 2011
the University of Alabama press
tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487- 0380
All rights reserved
manufactured in the United states of America
typeface: Bembo
∞
the paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum requirements of Ameri-
can national standard for information sciences—permanence of paper for printed li-
brary materials, Ansi Z39.48- 1984.
cover: Karl girardet, “st. Domingue: prise de la ravine aux couleuvres.” in pierre
lanfrey, The History of Napoleon the First. london, new york: macmillan and co., vol. 2,
part 1, opp. p. 146.
library of congress cataloging-in-publication Data
girard, philippe r.
the slaves who defeated napoleon : toussaint louverture and the haitian War
of independence, 1801–1804 / philippe r. girard.
p. cm. — (Atlantic crossings)
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978-0-8173-1732-4 (cloth : alk. paper) — isBn 978-0-8173-8540-8
(electronic)
1. haiti—history—revolution, 1791–1804. 2. haiti—history—revolution,
1791–1804—sources. 3. haiti—history—revolution, 1791–1804—personal
narratives. 4. toussaint louverture, 1743–1803. 5. generals—haiti—
Biography. 6. revolutionaries—haiti—Biography. 7. statesmen—haiti—
Biography. 8. napoleon i, Emperor of the french, 1769–1821. i. title.
f1923.g57 2011
972.94′03—dc23
2011019639
Contents
list of illustrations vii
Acknowledgments ix
introduction 1
1. the Black napoléon: louverture and the 1801 constitution 11
2. the White toussaint: Bonaparte’s Decision to invade
saint- Domingue 33
3. Eve of a Battle: planning the leclerc Expedition 50
4. King of the tropics: the Atlantic crossing and the moyse Uprising 67
5. parley: the french landing 86
6. supply and Demand: leclerc’s Diplomacy with the United states, cuba,
and Jamaica 101
7. Ash and iron: the spring campaign 113
8. lull: love, loot, labor, and louverture’s Exile 139
9. mal de siam: the yellow fever Epidemic 159
10. faux pas: the maroon Uprising 182
11. revolt: the Defection of the colonial Army 203
12. reprieve: rochambeau and the french counteroffensive 224
13. Unity is strength: Dessalines and the Unification of the
rebel Army 248
14. Echoes of saint- Domingue: louverture’s captivity and the
louisiana purchase 267
vi / contents
15. new Enemy, new partner: the British navy at War 282
16. sodom and gomorrah: life in Besieged french towns 291
17. resolution: the rebel victory 302
18. liberty and Death: haitian independence 313
19. the long Way home: french refugees and the fall of
santo Domingo 329
conclusion 343
notes 349
glossary of french and Kreyol terms 429
Bibliographic Essay 431
index 437
Illustrations
figUrEs
1. toussaint louverture 2
2. population of color in saint-Domingue 211
3. mass drowing by the french army 240
4. french war dogs 241
5. Jean-Jacques Dessalines 318
tABlEs
1. french and foreign units scheduled to leave in late 1801 58
2. french and foreign ships composing the squadrons of the first expedition
(no vem ber 1801–January 1802) 72
3. toussaint louverture’s army (estimate) 83
4. french and foreign units that arrived during the spring campaign
(february–may 1802) 114
5. french and foreign units that arrived during the yellow fever epidemic
(June–oc to ber 1802) 169
6. french and foreign units that arrived during rochambeau’s counteroffensive
(no vem ber 1802–march 1803) 230
7. last french and foreign units to reach saint- Domingue
(April–June 1803) 274
mAps
1. french saint- Domingue and the northern caribbean, 1801 3
2. the spring 1802 campaign 116

Acknowledgments
i received plenty of help during the many years i spent researching this
book, starting with readers like my wife, preble, and the anonymous review-
ers of the University of Alabama press. most crucial was the warm hos-
pitality provided by my family and friends who had the bad luck of living
close to archival deposits. Among them were nathalie and Emmanuel Blanc,
marcel Blanc and michelle Berny, ronald and Elizabeth cook, coralie
Dedieu, Jacques and marie- madeleine girard, sophie and guillaume larni-
col, and nicolas vercken. they have earned my eternal gratitude and a warn-
ing that future research projects might force me again to monopolize their
couch. my research trips were funded in part by mcneese state University’s
Evelyn shaddock murray grant, shearman grant, Joe gray taylor grant, and
violet howell faculty award, the library company’s pEAEs fellowship, and
a gilder- lehrman fellowship. i gratefully thank these institutions for their
financial support. i would also like to single out employees of the library
company of philadelphia, the University of florida’s special collections, and
the french naval archives in vincennes for being particularly knowledgeable
and friendly.