They Called Us Brigands: The Saga of St. Lucia's Freedom Fighters

146 Pages·1997·10.024 MB·English

by  Robert J. Devaux, Patrick A.B. Anthony

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By Robert J. Devaux O.B.E.
THEY CALLED US BRIGANDS
The Saga of St. Lucia's Freedom Fighters
By
ROBERT J. DEVAUX OBE.
\\
1997
CITATIONS:
Cover: Maureen Devaux.
Illustrations: Philippe de Varreux.
Maps: Duane Marquis, Avery Trim and David McRae.
ISBN # 976-8056-62-2 (pbk)
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Sponsored by SUNBILT Limited, St. Lucia.
Printed by Optimum Printers Ltd., P O Box 623, Castries, St. Lucia.
© Copyright 1997 by Robert J. Devaux, P.O. Box 525, Castries, St. Lucia, West
Indies. Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone].
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CITATIONS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LOCATION MAP OF ST. LUCIA
FIGURES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I PRELUDE TO FREEDOM
CHAPTER II FROM REVOLUTION TO REBELLION
CHAPTER III THE REIGN OF TERROR
CHAPTER IV THE BATTLE OF RABOT
CHAPTER V THE BRIGANDS HAVE THEIR DAY
CHAPTER VI LIFESTYLE OF THE BRIGANDS
CHAPTER VII BRIGAND LEGENDS
CHAPTER VIII BRIGAND SITES IN ST. LUCIA
CHAPTER IX BRIGAND PLACE NAMES DESCRIBED
APPENDIX A CREOLE TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRIGANDS
APPENDIX B NATURAL RESOURCES USED BY THE BRIGANDS
REFERENCES
GLOSSARY
INDEX
Location Map Of Saint Lucia
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VENEZUELA
FIGURE 1 A BRIGAND WARRIOR vi
FIGURE 2 A RUNAWAY CAMP Xi
FIGURE 3 NOTICE ABOUT RUNAWAYS
FIGURE 4 EMANCIPATION DECREE 19
FIGURE 5 VICTOR HUGUES 20
FIGURE 6 BATTLE SITE AT RABOT p1,
FIGURE 7 BATTLE OF RABOT 28
40
FIGURE 8 4-POUNDER CANNON
FIGURE 9 BRIGAND OVENS AT CANARIES 49
FIGURE 10 BRIGAND BAKERY AT CANARIES 50
FIGURE 11 JOUPA AT LA FEUILLET 51
FIGURE 12 SCULPTURED HEAD 52
FIGURE 13 SCULPTURED SKULL 53
FIGURE 14 ROCK SHELTER AT FOND GENS LIBRES 34
FIGURE 15 BRIGAND SITES IN CANARIES 60
FIGURE 16 MAP SHOWING BRIGAND SITES 88
FIGURE 17 BRIGAND CAVE AT LA FEUILLET 89
FIGURE 18 BRIGAND CAVE AT TOU SAN FON 90
FIGURE 19 BRIGAND TUNNEL AT CANELLES 91
FIGURE 20 MAP OF MORNE LA FEUILLET 92
FIGURE 21 ROCK MARKINGS AT GALET 93
FIGURE 22 MAP SHOWING BRIGAND PLACE NAMES 94
FIGURE 1
A BRIGAND WARRIOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research, writing and much re-writing of an original study such as this one
is never easy, but is always interesting and challenging. I am deeply indebted to four
of my colleagues who gave me constant enthusiastic encouragement. Anthony (Lazar)
Fanis first awakened me, in 1970, to the great potential for researching Brigand life in
St. Lucia; Lawrence Jn Pierre assisted me in locating some of the more isolated and
little known sites; William (Wandy) Yarde willingly accompanied me on some of the
roughest and toughest expeditions to explore Brigand sites; and Dr. James (Jim)
Drouilhet dug into various archives in Europe and North America to retrieve valuable
background information, which helped to shed light on the fuzzy Revolutionary
period.
As my research slowly proceeded and my interest rapidly increased, others
gave valuable advice, support and encouragement. I thank them all: Duane, Avery
and David for assisting with the maps; Giles Romulus, whose friendly banter
definitely improved my writing style; my wife Pam and daughter Tracey for being
very patient and helpful through this long but interesting challenge; Patricia Charles
for having faith in me even before reading the manuscript; Suzie England for
introducing me to the two most knowledgeable people on Maroons of the Caribbean -
Drs. Sally and Richard Price- who encouraged me to publish; Darnley Labourne for
locating Canaries Valley residents knowledgeable about Brigand sites, they are:
Renick Narcisse, Maxim Edmund, and Rastamen Klete, Ado and Santi-y; Msgr.
Patrick (PABA) Anthony who kindly agreed to write the Foreword; Philippe de
Varreux for the beautiful illustrations, which accompany this publication; Maureen
Devaux for assisting in the design for the cover, and the Postmaster General for
permission to use the Battle scene.
Other St. Lucians like Dr. Barry Gaspard and Gregor Williams inspired me
with their unshakable belief in the Brigands as true freedom fighters and St. Lucia's
earliest Heroes.
vii
The St. Lucia National Trust provided a logical base that greatly assisted my
research; newspaper collections at the St. Lucia National Archives provided
background information; and finally, my deepest gratitude is extended to F rancis
Devaux, Managing Director of SUNBILT Limited, for funding the publication of this
document.
Viii
FOREWORD
This island has always fired the imagination; the hills, the valleys, the beaches.
But not only its topography captivates, so also its history; the encounter between
geography, the people and their story. For a city child of the forties there were images
and stories. ''The Morne" (Morne Fortuné) and ''Vigie"’ (the Vigie peninsula) dotted
with barracks evoked the images of cannon fire and brave fighting men on both the
British and the French side.
La Sorciére, Morne Gimie, Piton Flore, spoke of another life, of strange
languages, customs, mystery and danger. There were hush whispers of "kéle”,
"koutoumba" and the "Nég Ginen", a world of the "inside", the "interior’’, not
readily accessible, but with its story too. We touched that world only marginally, such
as when someone called us '"Nég Mawon", with all its pejorative connotations. Or
when our parents left the controlled respectability of Castries for a wild bash or
"mawonn" (uninhibited dance festival) "en bitassyon" (in the country).
Studies in St. Lucian history and culture have straddled these two worlds of
local experiences. Students of culture have attempted to enter the interior world
(Simmons 1942, 1963; Simpson 1973; Gaulbault 1984; Kremser 1986; Anthony 1986)
while much of the valuable historical research have tended to look from the outside.
Two historical works which begin to explore the "interior" or "native point of view"
are Michael Louis, An Equal Right to the Soil: The Rise of a Peasantry in St. Lucia
1838-1900, (1982) and Ernestine Kolar, St. Lucia: Slavery, Emancipation and Freedom,
(1986). Robert Devaux's They called us Brigands: The Saga of St. Lucia's Freedom
Fighters, is one of the first studies in St. Lucian history which deliberately attempts to
tell our story "from the inside". Devaux sets out to let the Brigands speak their side of
the story, to rename their reality and in so doing, rewrite their history. They are no
longer to be seen as "'slaves, demagogues, virulent Republicans" (Jesse, 1964), but as
brave fighters who at the end of the Brigand war would be drafted into the West India
Regiment "...and sent eff to the West Coast of Africa, in fulfillment of their modest
demands... Those well disciplined, highly experienced Guerrilla fighters would now