Baynet. Occupied in ruins by the 10th demi-brigade.

All the redoubts covering the bourg of Baynet having been carried, Dessalines marched on the place on 24 April (4 Floréal). He was at the head of 12,000 men of Toussaint’s grand army, forming a division composed of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th demi-brigades. The 10th was in the vanguard. At Baynet there were only 150 men of the 3rd regiment of the South. This garrison, too weak to sustain a siege, evacuated the bourg after burning it. It overthrew the 10th, 2,000 strong, which had tried to cut off its retreat. The next day at daybreak that demi-brigade took possession of the place, which was nothing but a heap of ruins. An hour later Generals Dessalines and Laplume arrived there with a squadron. They learned that the Rigaudins had taken the road to the Côtes-de-Fer with a cast-iron 2-pounder. They set off in pursuit with the 10th and 11th, 4,000 men between them. A league from Baynet they came upon the battalion of the 3rd regiment of the South entrenched across the highroad. The Rigaudins charged the 10th demi-brigade with the bayonet, overthrew it, and saw it take flight, leaving 200 men on the field of battle. The 10th had suffered above all from the chasseurs of Baynet, young men and skilled marksmen, almost every one of whose shots told. Dessalines launched the 11th, which was in its turn completely beaten. The Rigaudins took up their position again in their entrenchment. Dessalines, not discouraged and certain of crushing this handful of men in the end with his great masses, brought up the 4th and 7th demi-brigades and marched once more in two columns at the head of 8,000 men against troops already exhausted by the first success they had won. The 4th rushed upon the 2-pounder and carried it after losing a hundred of its grenadiers; the other corps entered the redoubt at the same moment and at once gave themselves up to plunder; although the cavalry vigorously charged the fugitives, it could not prevent them from rallying a league from the field of battle. Dessalines suspended his march and returned to Baynet to let his troops recover a little. From 22 to 24 April there had fallen into his power 2 cast-iron 2-pounders; 32 six-inch shells; 3 eight-pounders; one 6-pounder without trunnions; 3 iron 4-pounders; 3 iron carronades of 32 inches; 12 swivel guns; 105 eight-pound balls; 50 bags of 2-pound grapeshot; 12 six-pound balls; 40 six-pound bar shot; 24 four-pound balls; 400 muskets.