Fort Picolet fires on the squadron and Christophe burns Le Cap

In January 1802, on arriving before the roadstead of the Cap, General Leclerc summoned Christophe to hand over to him Forts Picolet and Bélair. Christophe refused. On 4 February Fort Picolet fired a cannonball at the squadron. This was the signal for the burning of the town by Christophe, who withdrew in the direction of the Grande-Rivière. The next day Rear Admiral Delmothe crossed the pass of the Cap, and almost the whole squadron entered the roadstead without having met any resistance from Fort Picolet, which had been abandoned.

Rouzier tells this under the entry PICOLET (le).