p'.


 Trorss.tINT L'OUVnaTURE. 299

 jutant-Gencral Fontaine, two other officers, and my aide-de-
 camp, Couppd, who went in advance,; he warned me of the
 troops on te road. I orderedhim to goforward. He told me
 that this fo-e was commanded by a general. Ithen demanded
 a conference vith him. But Couppd had not time to execute
 my orders; they fired upon us at twenty-five steps from the
 barrier. My horse was pierced with a ball; another ball carried
 away the hat of one of my officers. This unexpected circum-
 stance tbrced me to abandon the open road, to cross the savanna
 and the forest to reach Hdricourt, where I remained three days
 to wait for news of the commander of the squadron, again with-
 out avail.
 But, the next day, I received a letter from Gen. Rochambean,
 announcing that the column which he commanded had seized
 upon Fort Liberty, taken and put to the sword a part of the
 garrisc., which had resisted; that he had not believed the gar-
 rison would steep its bayonets in the blood of Frenchmen; on
 the contrary, he had expected to find it disposed in his favor." I
 replied to this letter, and, manifesting my indignation to the
 general, asked to know, Why he had ordered the massacre of
 those brave soldiers who had only followed the orders given
 them; who had, besides, contributed so much to the happiness
 of the colony and to the triumph of the Republic. Was this
 the recompense that the French Government had promised
 them ? "
 I concluded by saying to Gen. Rochambeau, that I would
 fight to the last to avenge the death of these brave soldiers, for
 my own liberty, and to reestablish tranquillity and order in the
 colony."
 S This was, in fact, the resolution I had taken after having re-
 Sflected deliberately upon the report Gen. Christophe had brought
 Sme, upon the danger I had just run, upon the letter of Gen.
 Rochambeau, and finally upon the conduct of the commander
 of the squadron.
 Having termed my resolution, I went to Gonaives. There 1
 Communicated my intentions to Gen. Maurepa.s, and ordered