Pétion lands at Jérémie, which he had last seen in 1797, and is welcomed by general Francisque and the garrison; Gérin, the department’s commander, is not warned of the visit.

On 26 May, Pétion set foot at Jérémie (1), which he was seeing again for the first time since 1797, when, commanding one of the columns of the army of the South, he came to take possession of it from the English with Rigaud. He was received with great demonstrations of joy by General Francisque, commander of the arrondissement, by the garrison, the residents and the cultivators. One man alone remained a stranger to the ovation. That one man was Gérin. And this time he stood within his strict right, for everyone, despite defects of character and twists of mind, has a certain dignity with which he must adorn himself when circumstances demand it.