Anse-à-Veau. Francisque leaves Les Cayes to put himself at the head of his regiment there

After this address he went to inspect the arsenal and the forts of the town. As soon as he had gone, many officers murmured against him; others, on the contrary, showed themselves anxious for Moreau’s fate. Wagnac had already left the town in search of that general. The men who had been denounced to the Emperor and who felt themselves compromised had gathered as soon as they learned the news of the revolt. They decided that they would strive to win over, without losing a moment, the most influential officers of the province of the South, and they constituted themselves a council of the conspirators to give direction to the insurrectionary movements. Colonel Francisque, in garrison at Anse-à-Veau, happened then to be at Les Cayes on private business. The council of the conspirators sent one of its members, Glaisil, to him, charged with winning him over against Dessalines. The envoy found him wholly hostile to the insurrection; he even declared that he was ready to fight it with the utmost fury. Glaisil went back to the conspirators and reported his fruitless errand; they were somewhat dismayed by it.

At seven in the evening Colonel Bourdet, at the head of 50 officers of the 13th demi-brigade, came to Inginac and urged him to assume the supreme authority, and to pay and clothe the troops before sending them out against the insurgents. Inginac answered sorrowfully that his functions did not permit him to take such measures. Bourdet showed himself displeased and declared that this would be the only means of preventing the revolt from spreading.

At ten in the evening nearly all the troops of the garrison had been won over, artillery, cavalry and infantry. Inginac’s head was demanded, and the absurd rumor was spread that a ship had arrived laden with chains for the Blacks who were to be deported. The people, who in times of ferment follow, most often, every impulse except those of reason, received this rumor favorably. The rest of the night passed in great agitation. The next day, the 9th of October, at daybreak, Colonel Wagnac had still not returned to Les Cayes; no news of him had even been received. Papalier sent the citizen Brunet to him, and at the same time reported this event by letter to General Guillaume Lafleur, who commanded at Aquin, and to Gérin, minister of war, who was staying on his estate of Laval, near Anse-à-Veau. A few hours after Brunet’s departure, Bauregard, commandant of the town of Les Cayes, learned for certain from a white man, secretary to Étienne Mentor Esmangard, colonel inspector of cultivation, that the latter had been cut down with sabers at eight in the morning by Wagnac’s dragoons; that these dragoons and their chief, electrified by Mécerou’s words, had fraternized with the rebels; that the districts of Labacou and Roche-à-Bateau and the plains of Torbeck and of Les Cayes had risen; that the insurgents were encamped at the Carrefour Govin and at Camp Gérard; that Moreau was indeed a prisoner; that preparations were being made to attack Les Cayes; that Wagnac had accepted from the rebels the title of general of brigade, and Racolier that of colonel of the dragoons. Étienne Mentor was still breathing; he had received more than thirty saber cuts and had been left for dead. On the other hand, Aoua, coming from Jérémie in the State felucca, entered the port of Les Cayes. He saw revolt painted on every face. He said how much he regretted having come back to Les Cayes instead of going to Les Gonaïves, from where he could have joined the Emperor. He reported that all was quiet along the coast from Jérémie to Les Cayes. As his report might thwart the plans of the conspirators of the town, his destruction was at once resolved. Mademoiselle Euphémie Daguille sent a courier to Dessalines to make known to him the true character of the revolt. But the messenger was stopped near Les Cayes by horsemen whom the council of the conspirators sent in pursuit of him.

Bergerac Trichet, who was in the neighborhood of Port-Salut, on learning of Mécerou’s revolt went at once to Anse-d’Hainaut, won over against Dessalines Nicolas Régnier, commander of the 19th demi-brigade, then went on to the Source-Chaude, in the heights of the Grande-Rivière of Jérémie, where General Férou was, and drew him into the movement. Férou made ready to return to Jérémie, which Bazile, colonel of the 18th and much attached to Dessalines, had until then kept in obedience.

The courier Papalier had sent to Wagnac returned to Les Cayes. Wagnac, who, as we have said, had fraternized with the rebels, let Papalier know by word of mouth that he was having difficulty restraining the insurgents, who wished to give themselves up to plunder; that he had not been able to obtain Moreau’s release, but that the officers of his escort had been set free.

At this news Papalier became convinced that Wagnac had been won over. He sprang onto his horse and went round all the posts of the town, striving to rouse feeling in favor of Dessalines. But the troops and the citizens, on learning of Wagnac’s defection, had declared themselves loudly against the Emperor. Papalier met only indifferent men or men who cried: down with Dessalines! The council of the conspirators of the town, revived by this success, sent one of its members, the citizen Glaisil, once more to Francisque. Francisque was listening to the envoy when an old man named Mathieux Périgny, who lived close by, came into his room and wished him good day, with an air of good nature on his face. Well, neighbor, Francisque said to him, what news will you tell me? Mathieux answered: what is being done at this moment is, it seems to me, a great imprudence; but since it has begun, if you chiefs do not hasten to put yourselves at the head of the insurgents, within a few days I shall see you all bound and led to death with far more atrocities than under Toussaint Louverture.” These words carry Francisque away; he goes with Glaisil to Bourdet, colonel of the 13th. That corps was the only one that had not yet declared itself loudly against Dessalines. He told Bourdet that some words he had just heard from an old comrade had touched him deeply; that there was no more room for hesitation; that he was going to Anse-à-Veau to put himself at the head of his regiment, and that he was ready to fight Dessalines. Still addressing Bourdet: as for you, you have 900 bayonets under your orders; take one side or the other. Bourdet invited him to go to Papalier’s. They made their way toward the house of Papalier, who was still wearing himself out about the town in vain efforts on behalf of Dessalines. They did not find him. Francisque went into the house of Mr. Mackintosh, a foreign merchant, made his preparations for departure there, and borrowed from him enough money to pay the cultivators of the Leplicher plantation, which he held as tenant. A moment later he caught sight of Papalier and cried to him: “My friend, it is all over with Dessalines; I draw my sword against him; Bourdet too has declared for the insurrection; so you must choose between the Emperor and your comrades in arms.” These words shook Papalier, who had seen nothing but hostile feeling even in the ranks of the 13th. He went up to Francisque and told him that his side was his own; he said that not a moment must be lost, that they both knew the astonishing activity of the Emperor, and he parted from him. Francisque set out for Anse-à-Veau. Papalier got down from his horse, went into one of the houses in the street, and wrote to General Férou at Jérémie, to Colonel Vancol at Aquin, and to many other officers of the province of the South, urging them to arm at once against the government. He sent a guide to Wagnac to tell him that he had just joined the side of the insurrection. From then on the revolt was general in the town, where disorder was at its height, and the authorities proclaimed the insurrection. Nothing was heard but cries of Down with Dessalines; Inginac’s head was still demanded with fury. Fearing for his life, he kept himself shut up in Papalier’s house, which had so far been respected because of the general esteem Papalier enjoyed.