1810–1811: (The Return of Rigaud and the Four-Way Fracture of Haiti): Six months before the Môle surrendered, on April 7, 1810, André Rigaud returned to Hait…

1810–1811: (The Return of Rigaud and the Four-Way Fracture of Haiti): Six months before the Môle surrendered, on April 7, 1810, André Rigaud returned to Haiti after eight years of captivity in France, having simmered in frustration at Agé and with Toussaint at the Fort de Joux under the watchful eyes of Fouché’s soldiers before eluding them — conceivably with the secret backing of Bonaparte — and landing at Les Cayes to a hero’s welcome. Edward Stevens had characterized Rigaud in 1799 as “proud, haughty, cruel and agitated by restless ambition,” and nothing had changed save that Rigaud’s former lieutenant Pétion now held top place, a situation that was insufferable to the old commander of the South. Pétion received Rigaud with fair words and sent him to the South with 5,000 soldiers and instructions to pacify the rebellious Grand’Anse, but predictably Rigaud did no such thing — instead, he assembled electors at Les Cayes and on November 3, 1810, proclaimed the State of the South (l’État du Sud) with himself as its chief. Pétion, unwilling to open a new front against Rigaud on his home ground, met his brother mulâtre at the bridge of Miragoâne on December 2 and suavely accepted the fait accompli, asking only that Rigaud not betray the republic to Christophe and his noirs — Rigaud assented, not without one of his celebrated outbursts during which he ran his sword through the foot of a staff officer. Now Haiti was split four ways: Christophe’s North, Pétion’s West, Rigaud’s South, and the insurgent Grand’Anse under Goman, the noir guerrilla.