1799, June 18: (The Outbreak of the War of the Knives): Civil war officially commenced on June 18, 1799, when Rigaud’s troops crossed the bridge at Miragoâne…

1799, June 18: (The Outbreak of the War of the Knives): Civil war officially commenced on June 18, 1799, when Rigaud’s troops crossed the bridge at Miragoâne and sacked Petit-Goâve. In response, mulâtre officers such as Alexandre Pétion and Jean-Pierre Boyer defected from Toussaint’s command to join the Southern cause. Toussaint responded by launching his most brutal lieutenants, Moyse and Dessalines, against the southern forces with orders for “unwavering severity”. Toussaint personally galloped through the West and North to consolidate his defenses and oversee the counter-offensive.