Laffiteau plantation. Christophe’s 7th halts there

The citizens of Port-au-Prince were deeply stirred by this news. Many frightened families left for the South, some by land and some by sea. Pétion meanwhile remained inactive, not believing that Christophe was so near the capital. Yet the town was almost stripped of troops. The army of the South had withdrawn to its cantonments, as we have seen, and General Gérin had left for Anse-à-Veau some fifteen days before. It was said that Christophe was advancing at the head of 18,000 men. Resistance seemed bound to be impossible. At last Pétion’s incredulity was overcome by General Bonnet, who had talked at length with Bazelais and who had just learned from a boat coming out of the Arcahaie that Christophe held that town. Pétion at last resolved to march out to meet the enemy, not losing hope of victory, though he then had only three thousand men under his orders. He at once had the general alarm beaten, raised the courage of the citizens, and sent couriers once more to the generals of the South, urging them to reach Port-au-Prince as soon as possible at the head of the troops under their orders. The garrison of Port-au-Prince was composed of six elite companies of the 3rd, commanded by Colonel Gédéon; of the 11th, under Colonel Métellus; of the 12th, under the orders of Mentor; of the battalion of the 20th from the Verrettes; and of two squadrons commanded by Bastien and Bode. The arrondissement was entrusted provisionally to General Magloire Ambroise. The Senate, at this supreme moment, had met to proceed to its organization: C. Thélémaque was proclaimed president of the assembly, and Depa Médina and Daguille were named secretaries. The president at once invited the Senators to approach the bureau. They swore the oath to be faithful to the Republic of Haiti and to uphold the laws of the Republic and have them executed with all their power, at the peril of their lives. On the motion of General Magloire Ambroise, the Senate decreed that all the flour in the town should be bought to supply the troops whom circumstances were drawing toward Port-au-Prince; it decreed further that General Yayou should be written to, to bring the troops of the arrondissement of Léogane up close to the capital. On the evening of the 31st Yayou was at Port-au-Prince at the head of the 21st.

Christophe had been encamped since the day before at Boucassin, nine leagues from Port-au-Prince. He had ordered the 4th and the 7th, which formed his vanguard, and the main body of his army to move along the high road. The 7th had already taken the path that runs along the seashore and, after crossing the Prince plantation, had halted on the 31st on the Laffiteau plantation. By the orders of the generalissimo, Larose, at the head of the 8th, was to leave the high road, follow the coast and halt only at Sibert.