1802 (The Sieur Vilton’s Appeals): The planter Vilton, acting as an intermediary for the French, attempted to leverage Christophe’s past relationships to sec…
1802 (The Sieur Vilton’s Appeals): The planter Vilton, acting as an intermediary for the French, attempted to leverage Christophe’s past relationships to secure a surrender. Vilton reminded Christophe of the “distinction” he had previously enjoyed and warned that his current path would lead to “the most frightful misery” for his family. He suggested that if Christophe were to reduce his troops to obedience and surrender his posts, he would find General Leclerc ready to grant him a full pardon. The correspondence urged Christophe to consider the “splendid establishment” he was throwing away by persisting in armed resistance. These letters serve as a primary example of how the French used civilian collaborators to conduct psychological warfare against the Haytian high command.