Petite Place-Payette. Rébecca is overtaken, wounded and beheaded there

Christophe, coming out of the Gros-Morne road, had just entered a Port-de-Paix almost deserted. He had those he could reach bayoneted, men, women and children; and as the town was reduced to ashes, he took up his quarters for the following night in the Grand Fort. He left it the next day and went to camp on the Lallemand plantation, a quarter of a league from the Trois Pavillons. He had the fort held by the insurgents surrounded and vigorously cannonaded without assaulting it, believing that the whole 9th was shut up inside. Rébecca answered his fire with musketry; but his little troop had grown by no more than 40 men. Receiving no other help from the soldiers of his corps, who were scattered in the mornes, he evacuated the Trois-Pavillons during the night. General Romain nevertheless dashed off in pursuit of him at the head of his cavalry and infantry. He overtook him at daybreak on the Petite Place-Payette plantation, two leagues from the Trois-Pavillons. Rébecca, who had only sixty men, instead of continuing his flight through the gorges of the mountain, faced about and did not fear to measure himself against 1,500 infantry and 300 horsemen. He posted his companions in echelon along the bushes and behind the trees and opened a brisk fire on Christophe’s troops. The fight lasted nearly half an hour. Numbers prevailed over heroism, and Rébecca fell face down among the dead and wounded, struck by a ball in the thigh.

General Romain, master of the field of battle, ordered the wounded to be massacred; his soldiers, recognizing Rébecca, lifted him up and carried him before the general. Romain said to him: “Are you Rébecca?” “Yes.” “That Rébecca who had the audacity to raise the 9th?” “Yes.” “Why have you acted so? What grievance have you against the generalissimo?” “I took up arms against Christophe because he is a tyrant who, while speaking of liberty, is restoring slavery. And you yourself, General Romain, are nothing but the vile instrument of a monster.” Romain flew into a rage and said to him: “What do you want?” “Death.” Rébecca’s head was struck off at once. It was the 21st of May. It was brought to Christophe at the Trois Pavillons. He had it set on the end of a pike and displayed it to the sight of his whole army. He then ordered several regiments to range through the mountain, to spread there the news of Rébecca’s death, and to announce a full and complete amnesty for all who would come out of the woods and surrender. A few old people of both sexes, who because of their infirmities could not follow the rebels, made their submission. All the rest of the population, soldiers and cultivators, dreading his ferocity, took flight and hid on every side. *