1802, February 17–23: (The Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvre): Leclerc officially proclaimed Toussaint a rebel and outlaw on February 17, 1802, as his sick list a…

1802, February 17–23: (The Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvre): Leclerc officially proclaimed Toussaint a rebel and outlaw on February 17, 1802, as his sick list already numbered 2,000 men. Toussaint attempted to halt the French advance at Ravine-à-Couleuvre (Ravine of the Serpent), a precipitous gorge he believed was more difficult to traverse than the Alps. On February 23, Rochambeau led a six-hour frontal assault against Toussaint’s 3,000-man personal guard. Despite Toussaint’s strong defensive position, French bayonets eventually broke the Haitian lines, forcing a retreat and leaving 800 dead in the ravine. Following this defeat, Haitian forces burned Gonaïves as they withdrew toward the Artibonite valley.