Fort-Dauphin. The 5th colonial is routed by the European troops and Spanish cavalry.

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.

The adjutant-major of the 5th, Fringnat, who had been won over by Raffin, let Manigat know that the regiment had no cartridges and very few flints, and that to weaken it he had issued more than 200 leave passes to the soldiers. The occasion for attempting the disarmament could not have been more favorable.

Already Colonel Dalban, on Manigat’s orders, had assembled before the town headquarters the battalions of the Morbihan and of Fort-Liberté, the 84th and 106th European regiments commanded by Colonel Romain; the national guard, and the gendarmerie under the orders of Quayer Larivière; and a corps of Spanish cavalry that Colonel Grandet had brought from Monte Christ and Laxavon. Five pieces of cannon loaded with grapeshot were trained on the parade ground. Cartridges were distributed to all these troops, who made up a force of 3,000 men. General Moyse was absent from the town; he was going through the mountains of Grande-Rivière, preparing the cultivators for the insurrection he had concerted with Toussaint Louverture. Manigat ordered the 5th colonial to form in line of battle before General Moyse’s house. This corps numbered only 700 men, without ammunition; and Manigat had 3,000 men to set against it, supported by a numerous artillery. The officers of the 5th, though murmuring, went to occupy the position assigned to them. Discouragement was painted on the faces of all the soldiers, who saw certain death before them. Madame Moyse, an energetic and daring woman, indignant at their irresolution, came out of her house, harangued them, raised their courage, and led the whole regiment to the Arsenal, which was held by only a few men. She herself opened the cartridge boxes to the soldiers; and the 5th, supplied with munitions of war, came back to resume its position, now with a proud and threatening bearing. On Raffin’s advice, Manigat summoned the 5th to lay down its arms. Colonel Adrien refused to obey. Colonel Dalban advanced the Morbihan battalion and the 106th regiment: the action began at once. The European troops delivered terrible volleys; but the 5th, answering their fire vigorously, did not give way. Dalban hurled the 84th regiment against it, which was repulsed with loss. Then the five cannon played upon it; the Black soldiers, though horribly raked with grapeshot, did not yield the ground. But Quayer Larivière, charging them impetuously at the head of a hundred horsemen, broke their ranks, put them to utter rout, and took most of them prisoner. With his own hand he killed a captain of grenadiers named Charles Zamore. Colonel Adrien and a battalion commander named l’Africain were also taken prisoner.