1801-11-18
Bonaparte writes to Toussaint announcing the fleet already sailing against him
Haitian
On 18 November 1801 Bonaparte wrote to Toussaint Louverture as First Consul. He said that peace with England had freed France to attend to the colony, and that his brother-in-law Leclerc was being sent as first magistrate with a considerable force. He praised Toussaint’s services, declared parts of the 1801 constitution incompatible with French sovereignty, and warned him of the precipice ahead if he resisted. He added that Toussaint’s children and their tutor were being returned to him.
Source
Primary source: Bonaparte to Toussaint, 18 November 1801, Marxists Internet Archive