1802 (Christophe’s Defense of Loyalty): General Henry Christophe argued that his resistance was not an act of rebellion but a fulfillment of his sworn duty t…

1802 (Christophe’s Defense of Loyalty): General Henry Christophe argued that his resistance was not an act of rebellion but a fulfillment of his sworn duty to his established commander, Toussaint Louverture. He challenged the French assertion that Louverture was a rebel, noting that the Governor-General’s authority had been officially recognized and sanctioned by France herself. Christophe maintained that as a soldier, his honor depended on following the existing chain of command until he received official orders to do otherwise. He warned that the sudden arrival of a hostile fleet, rather than diplomatic messengers, was the true cause of the “evils” afflicting the colony. This legalistic defense was intended to place the moral and legal burden of the war entirely on the French expeditionary forces.