Christophe marched from Saint-Marc toward Arcahaye with an army of about 12,000 men, and Pétion was charged with the defense of Port-au-Prince.

The Assembly had scarcely completed these two acts when it learned that Christophe was on the march from Saint-Marc toward the Arcahaye. Some members proposed at first to send a deputation to meet him, to notify him of his election to the presidency of Haiti and to invite him to send his troops back to their cantonments. Others observed that the mere movement of the army of the North was an act of rebellion; that Christophe must be met, to fight him and to open no negotiation; that on this resolution alone depended the glory of the Assembly and the safety of the State.

This latter opinion prevailed. Pétion was charged with taking all measures necessary to ward off the danger. The call to arms was beaten at ten o’clock in the evening. The garrison of Port-au-Prince, about 3,000 men strong, made up of the six companies of the 3rd demi-brigade, commanded by Gédéon, which had played so great a part at the death of the Emperor, of the 11th, commanded by Métellus, of the 21st, commanded by Sanglaou, and of some companies of cavalry commanded by the squadron commander Bastien, soon marched out to meet the army of the North (1).