1802, February 2–7: (The Burning of Cap Français and the Envelopment of the Coast): Toussaint observed the arrival of the French armada from the heights of S…
1802, February 2–7: (The Burning of Cap Français and the Envelopment of the Coast): Toussaint observed the arrival of the French armada from the heights of Samana Bay on January 29, 1802, reportedly stating, “We are lost; all France has come to Saint-Domingue”. On February 2, Henry Christophe refused Leclerc’s entry at the Cap, threatening that “the very ground underfoot will be on fire” before the French anchored. As French ships began replacing harbor buoys on February 4, Christophe set fire to his own mansion and ordered the destruction of the city; only 59 of 2,000 houses survived the resulting sea of flames. French forces led by Hardy and Rochambeau landed on the outskirts to envelop the city, while other columns stormed Port-de-Paix and Port-au-Prince. Although Port-au-Prince was spared from fire, the Haitian commander Lamartinière ordered the massacre of white hostages at Savane Valembrun as French troops entered the city.