Saint-Domingue slave revolt

[Ottoman]

The slave population alone in Saint-Domingue, now stands at 800,000, with only 40,000 French Settlers, and 40,000 free coloreds/others.

In 1789, Saint-Domingue produced 60% of the world's coffee and 40% of the sugar imported by France and Britain. The colony was not only the most profitable possession of the French colonial empire, but it was the wealthiest and most prosperous colony in the Caribbean.


Saint-Domingue as fo 1790

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution#/media/File:Haitian_Revolution.png

Summer of 1789

Late September 1789

Meanwhile in the Saint-Domingue..


A French patrol encounter a group of Maroons who were partaking in Voodoo ritual near a major plantation, the newly arrived French officer from Paris mistakes their actions as threat to the French Colonial Plantations owners. He orders his men to open fire on the Maroons and kills 10 of them with gun fire. The remaining Maroons flee in panic. The French officer doesn’t even bother to report the incident to his superiors, he merely remarks to his colonel, that dealt with some bandits near the plantation…

News of the incident spreads all over the Island slave communities and Maroon settlements….

Unknown to the French garrisons, was the along those who were killed by the patrol was very popular voodoo priestess. This enrages the Maroon communities and the local slave in action.


By January 1790

After spending the last few months organizing for revolt, the other voodoo priestess watch the weather and sky for signs or omens on when to trigger the revolt. The omen was church catching fire at night in Les Cayes, the slaves believe this was sign from the spirits. In reality it was case of drunk priest forgetting to put a candle out...

On the night of Jan 20, 1790

4 Brigades of Maroons and runaway slaves arm with guns, swords and whatever else they got their hands over the years. March from the their hidden communities in the mountains to begin their attacks on French Plantations and killing the slave owners plus their families without any regard. This is occurring all over the island, as the ex slaves attack plantations more and more slaves take arms. In most case, they take whatever improvised weapons they can make or find.  Roughly 8 TL 2 Militia Brigades are as results of the initial revolt.

Jan 22,1790

The Battle for Las Cayes

The rebels overwhelm with heavy losses the French fort at Las Cayes and slaughter the garrison.

Rebel losses

1 Brigade of Maroons shattered
6 TL2 Militia Brigades shattered, reformed in 3 Brigades arm with tech 3 arms from garrison and fort.

French losses
1 Fort at Las Cayes
1 Garrison unit at Las Cayes wipe out

Meanwhile in the Town of Jacmel, the French Garrison fighting retreat back to Port au-Prince, inflicting heavy losses on the rebels. Taking moderate casualties as they were forced to provide cover for civilians fleeing the bloodbath.  By the time they reach Port-au-Prince,the brigade has been reduced to a light infantry regiment.

Battle for Jacmel
French
1 Garrison brigade unit reduce to 1 light infantry regiment

Rebels
3 TL2 Militia Brigades shattered reformed into 1 TL2 Militia Brigade


By early February, French forces have reduced to their Fortress strongholds in Port-au-Prince, and Cap-Francais. Whereas the slaves control the countryside and foothills. They raise a significant force of close to 28


Ex Slave forces
6 Tech 3 Militia Brigades
24 Tech 2 Militia Brigades

In game effects, no income generated from Saint-Domingue for 1791, word of the revolt reaches France by Early March 1790.

[Kilani]

The Spanish react by ordering their own garrison to wartime positions and intensifying patrols along the border between Saint-Dominique and Hispaniola.

[Ottoman]

Spring of 1790

The French forces dig in their strongholds and organize their forces in event of potential attack by the rebels. For now the main is goal is to concentrate the white/ free coloured population in the Fortress strongholds and use the fleet to provide marine and fire support as needed.

As for the rebel forces themselves,they seem content with looting the abandoned plantations and towns for wealth and supplies.  No actions are made against the Fortresses for now...


French forces in the region.

Fixed Installations
-5 Fortresses (Port-au-Prince, Nouvelle-Orleans, Cap-Francais, Martinique, Guadeloupe)
-2 Forts (Baton Rouge, Cayenne)
-6 Garrison Brigades (2x Nouvelle-Orleans, Baton Rouge, Cap-Francais, 2x Port-au-Prince)
-1 Light Infantry Regiment (Port-au-Prince)
-1 Marine Light Infantry Regiment (Port-au-Prince)

Navy

Caribbean Squadron (Port-au-Prince)
-2 BB2 (Indomptable, Sans Pareil)
-4 Frigates (Fogueux, Vengeur, Jean Bart, Scipion)
-4 Brigs

Relief Squadron (Cap-Francais)
-2 BB2 (Suffren, Pyrrhus)
-4 Frigates (Ajax, Vengeur, Indivisible, Foudroyant)
-4 Brigs

[Ottoman]

Summer 1790

No change in situation, aside from fact the French were conducting  voluntary evacuation of any women and children who desire to leave, though able-bodied men are required to remain in the event of a push by the rebels. Military vessels are authorized to transport either to New Orleans or to Santo Domingo.

The French forces in on the island aren't sure what the rebels are doing, considering they have declined to do any frontal assaults on the Fortresses.

July 1790

Meanwhile in Kingston, Jamaica

A fishing vessel packed with refugees from Las Cayes region. Seeking safe harbor, as soon they dock they tell local British officials the horrors, they seen as the slaves rebels storm their homes and ransack the town and surrounding settlements.

[Galveston Bay]

French White and Black refugees are offered transportation to either South Florida / New Orleans (Blacks) or New Orleans (Whites). Any Blacks are considered refugees instead of property no matter their previous condition.

[Ottoman]

Summer 1790

No change in situation, aside from fact the French were conducting  voluntary evacuation of any women and children who desire to leave, though able-bodied men are required to remain in the event of a push by the rebels. Military vessels are authorized to transport either to New Orleans or to Santo Domingo.

The French forces in on the island aren't sure what the rebels are doing, considering they have declined to do any frontal assaults on the Fortresses.

July 1790

Meanwhile in Kingston, Jamaica

A fishing vessel packed with refugees from Las Cayes region. Seeking safe harbor, as soon they dock they tell local British officials the horrors, they seen as the slaves rebels storm their homes and ransack the town and surrounding settlements.

Fall-Winter 1790

No changes in the situation, the French stay in their strongholds, whereas the rebels who start referring themselves as Haitians control the countryside. The French forces in the area have very little information what's going or what is the rebel strengths currently are.

[Ottoman]

Late January-Early February 1791

The Light Infantry Regiment and Marine Light Infantry Regiment at Port-au-Prince are ordered to undertake a campaign to re-take Gonaives to the north and to be led by General Donatien de Rochambeau . With the support of the French fleet on the coast, the army marches up coastal region to Gonaives. They encounter no Haitian rebels as they march closer to the city. As they march closer to Gonaives, they note that region was left in ruins with plantations completely ransacked and burn to the ground.

Once they arrive near the settlement, they encounter one Haitian infantry brigade Tech 2 acting as the towns garrison. The French use their superior in weaponry and training and were able to shatter the brigade they attempt to attack them with swords and spears.

By Mid February, the settlement was in French hands again. But it no longer had any economic value as the Haitians made sure to ransack it and leave nothing behind.


The French attempts to reach out to the Haitians are rebuffed and rejected out of hand. The Haitians only response to French was leave the Island with their lives or face their might.

[Ottoman]

Oct-Dec 1791

The local French forces receive new equipment and reinforcements (summer build upgrades), additional funding is allocated to the merchant fleets to ensure that all women and children are safely evacuated to New Orleans. Once the soldiers are brought up to standard, the mobile forces based in Port-au-Prince (1 Infantry Brigade and 1 Cavalry Brigade) are ordered to march into the areas surrounding the city to smoke out the rebels. Any and all rebel plantations or settlements encountered are to be put to the torch, and any rebels captured are to be summarily executed. However, the soldiers are also ordered to give any encountered rebels the offer of clemency in return for service to the French crown.
Naval forces are ordered to continue providing support to the besieged French settlements and to scour the coasts for any potential privateers trying to land supplies or weapons for the rebels. For now, they haven’t found anyone willing to supply the rebels with arms or supplies or so it seems..

The French were able to retake the surrounding areas without incident, however all the settlements/plantations were ransack and left in ruins. However attempts to gain control of the hillsides near Port-au-Prince are rebuffed as French Forces are ambushed or run into traps set by Haitian rebels led by General Toussaint Louverture, who inflicts heavy losses on the French forces.The French are able to inflict moderate losses on Haitians in return. The French are force by years end to focus on holding the countryside near the city and give up on attempts to retake the hillside areas.

Losses by end of year

French( primary due to attrition)
1 Infantry brigade reduce to 1 infantry regiment
1 Cavalry brigade reduce to 1 Cavalry regiment

Haitians losses
4 TL2 Militia Brigades shattered, reformed into 2 TL2 Militia brigades

[Ottoman]

Winter of 1792

No change in military situation on the Island. However in Louisiana, tales of the slave revolt bring fear and horror the population. They send to word to Paris, demanding more military support to crush the rebellion at once. Some along the local elites start believing the Paris no longer has their best interest in mind...

Meanwhile French envoys are again sent out to the rebels to ask for terms, and bear promises including general amnesty, plantations for rebel officers and substantial reform of the black codes. While the abolition of slavery is not mentioned by the officers, representatives from the National Constituent Assembly begun to arrive in the islands on fact-finding missions to ascertain the situation--and bearing the radical ideas spreading in the salons of Paris.

The response from the Haitian leaders led by General Toussaint Louverture is the following. There will no return to status quo and there must be equality for all.  Haiti is no longer a slave colony, no longer subject to plantation driven policies.

[Ottoman]

Spring-Summer of 1792

New orders arrive from the National Constituent Assembly to continue negotiations with the rebels on the island of Saint-Domingue under the auspices of ending slavery on the island, to be replaced with a system of land tenure and bondage similar to that of peasants in France. There is no talk of extending the same level of recognition as Frenchmen, but of lifting the pale of slavery solely on the island of Saint-Domingue.

These terms are rejected by the Haitian representatives, they appeal to the representatives of the Assembly to lobby for equality and recognition as Frenchmen.

[Galveston Bay]

Spring 1794
British emissaries are sent to the Caribbean with orders to prepare to meet with General Toussaint Louverture if the proposed purchase of French Santo Dominque goes through.   They begin tentative contact using Royal Navy (including American) frigates and brigs patrolling the area

The basic British proposal is as follows:
Haiti becomes a British Crown Colony, with its foreign policy under British control but complete local control of its internal affairs as long as no massacres of any group or groups occur.

Britain will take control of the 2 fortresses currently held by French forces
Britain will have 2 trading posts (1 at each fortress) for trade and the British embargo will be lifted
Britain will protect its Colony from outside forces
General Toussaint Louverture will be named Governor General of British Haiti for terms to be determined by whatever government Haiti forms.
Haiti will not invade Spanish territory (unless as part of a general British war effort against Spain should that occur)
The existing White population (any that remain) will be allowed to reside in general area around the 2 fortresses or leave with what they can carry or transport (except no slaves will be considered property for this purpose)

As a British Crown Colony, immigration from other British Crown Colonies or Dominions will be allowed by the local government.

Haiti would be allowed to follow the same laws regarding slavery that exist in the Irish Dominion (as in none at all)

[Ottoman]

Spring 1793,

The Haitians representatives led by General Toussaint consider the British offer, noting they aren't to take the fortress anyway. They accept the offer in the hopes of getting access to the British markets to help rebuild their economy.

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