of La Crête-à-Pierrot dared to plan and execute was a brilliant exploit. More than 12,000 men surrounded the place; he escaped without losing half of his army; leaving but the dead and the wounded."[1]
Whilst his valiant companions were keeping almost the whole French army in check, Toussaint Louverture did not remain inactive. He had retaken possession of Saint Michel, Saint Raphael, Dondon, and Marmelade. After pursuing a French regiment as far as Hinche he returned to the plain of Gonaives; he was threatening the rear of General Pamphile de Lacroix's division at the very moment when Magny and Lamartinière were escaping from La Crête-à-Pierrot. The evacuation of this stronghold, together with the surrender of Maurepas, aggravated greatly the position of Toussaint Louverture. He withdrew to Les Cahos, where Dessalines and his valiant officers shortly joined him.
As soon as Leclerc saw prospect of success he began to put into action the plans of the first Consul, who wished to crush Toussaint in order to restore the supremacy of the whites; in consequence, not only the power of the blacks, but that of the mulattoes as well, would have to be annihilated. Among the latter was Andre Rigaud, who, by the prestige of his name, might profit by the downfall of his former victor; it became therefore of the utmost necessity to remove him from the colony. On his arrival at Saint-Domingue the late Commandant of the Southern province had written to General Laplume, at that time Commandant of the arrondissement of Cayes, claiming his house, of which this General had taken possession. This correspondence became a pretext for Leclerc to decide upon Rigaud's deportation. The Captain-General and Chief of the colony, Bonaparte's brother-in-law, might openly have taken this step; but he preferred to have recourse to deceit. Being at Saint Marc he summoned to that place Toussaint's former opponent, who he ordered to accompany him into the Southern province. Without the
- ↑ B. Ardouin, Studies of Haitian History, Vol. V, p. 111.
