Fort-Dauphin. Hédouville’s agents seize power and order the disarmament of the 5th colonial.

Hédouville, for his part, was thinking of destroying Toussaint’s power at Fort-Liberté. Moyse, who commanded that district, exercised the greatest influence over the 5th colonial. The Agent of the Directory resolved to have this corps disarmed. Informed of the general-in-chief’s designs, he meant by this bold measure to defeat the insurrection that was on the point of breaking out. At the same time political passions were rising prodigiously at Fort-Liberté. Colonel Dalban, a European officer, commanded the town. The 5th colonial was accused by Captain Quayer Larivière, a man of color, of wishing to cut the throats of all the whites. Almost at the same moment Colonel Grandet, commandant of the town of Monte Christ, and Raffin, commissioner of the Agent of the Directory to the municipal administration of Fort-Liberté, arrived in that town; Hédouville had sent them there. They won over to their party the justice of the peace Manigat, a Black man, who on 24 Vendémiaire (15 October) received from Hédouville full power to represent him in every kind of operation. At nine in the evening of the same day, Colonel Grandet, to whom the chief command of the Eastern part had been promised, entrusted Manigat, in the name of the Agent of the Directory, with all civil and military powers. Manigat became the first authority of the town. On 16 October (25 Vendémiaire) he issued a proclamation ordering the disarmament of the 5th colonial, after accusing that corps of having disregarded the established authorities and of having resolved upon the death of respectable people and the plunder of their property.