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Thread: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated March 6, 2016]

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    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated March 6, 2016]

    Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale:
    Let My People Go
    (Haiti AAR)


    It’s 1782. In America, the Thirteen Colonies have won their war for independence. In Europe, whispers of revolution disturb the sleep of King Louis XVI of France. In the Caribbean, slaves work in brutal conditions in French, Spanish and British colonies. Many do not survive. Those who do yearn for freedom and dignity...

    “Apre sa, Moyiz ak Arawon ale bò kote farawon an. Yo di l' konsa: -Men sa Seyè a, Bondye pèp Izrayèl la, voye di ou: Kite pèp mwen an ale pou yo ka fè yon fèt pou mwen nan dezè a.”
    Exodus 5:1, Haitian Creole Version (HCV)

    “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.”
    Exodus 5:1, King James Version (KJV)

    Prologue

    Moïse’s feet were hurting from the hot sand on the beach, but he welcomed the physical pain. His little brother, Aaron, was trembling, as the boy nestled under Moïse’s arm for comfort. Moïse watched as the British slave ship Zong sailed for the distant horizon. Looking at the slave ship, Aaron pleaded, “Momma come back.” Moïse wondered if they would ever see their mother again. The boys, Moïse and Aaron, had been told that their father had died in battle. Then, slave traders had come to their village, to take the surviving population away in chains. Moïse silently promised that he would take care of his little brother, no matter what. It was what his mother and father would have wanted. If only we had been taken on the same ship as our mother, thought Moïse, I could have taken care of her as well.

    As he watched the departing ship, Moïse did not see the elegant man, wearing fine clothes, who was speaking to one of the slave traders on the beach, and asking how much the two African boys would cost. When the elegant man spoke, Moïse was startled. The man’s accent was French, not like the British accents of the slave traders. “Come with me, boys. There are families in my country who will pay well for Africans to serve their households.”

    ***

    The 17-man crew of the slave ship Zong were greedy. They crammed over 400 slaves into their little vessel, more than twice the number which the ship could safely carry. The inexperienced commander failed to replenish the ship’s water supplies at the island of Tobago in the Caribbean. When the ship’s inept navigator saw their destination, Jamaica, he thought that he was looking at the French colony of Saint-Domingue on the island of Hispaniola. The ship sailed on.



    When the crew realised their mistake, they were at least ten days’ sailing from Jamaica. The crew said afterwards that, at this point, they had only enough water for four days.


    The crew chose to throw slaves into the sea and to keep the remaining water for themselves. On 29 November 1781, the crew threw 54 women and children into the sea. On 1 December, they threw 42 men overboard. By now, the crew were hardened to killing – but even they were shocked when ten slaves threw themselves overboard, defying the crew. One slave, a woman, pleaded for the lives of the remaining Africans. She asked that they be allowed to remain on the ship without food or water, rather than drown in the sea. Give me a chance to live, she thought, as she begged for her life, and I might see my sons again. The crew ignored her.



    [Historical note: the massacre of slaves by the crew of the slave ship Zong happened historically, as described here: source. The artist JMW Turner painted The Slave Ship, above, which shows this event. The image of the Turner painting and the map (above, showing Hispaniola) are from the Wikipedia page on the Zong massacre.]


    Mods

    Sturm und Drang by husserlTW: makes Haiti playable and provides units for Haiti

    Vanilla Units Enhanced by Bavarian Grenadier: supplies better textures for European units

    Briney Ships Mod by Pdguru: provides improved ship textures

    No naval wind indicators by p.jakub88

    Pikemen animation mod by Primergy

    Shokh Hates Sieges by Shokh

    Pipmod by Waronmars


    Some of my mini-mods: the projectiles and weather mods from my These United Colonies collection, the Equal Navy mod, Fourth Rate Frigate Unlock (the 'later' version), the Removed Gabionades mod and the mod which removes bomb ketches, rocket ships and steamships.

    (If you use Sturm und Drang, this mod will create its own user script file when you start the game, which replaces any user script file you were using to activate other mods. So, if you want to use other mods in addition to Sturm und Drang, you will need to make them 'movie' files. You can do this using Pack File Manager.)


    Chapters

    Prologue
    Chapter One
    Chapter Two
    Chapter Three
    Chapter Four
    Chapter Five
    Chapter Six
    Chapter Seven
    Chapter Eight
    Chapter Nine
    Chapter Ten
    Chapter Eleven
    Chapter Twelve
    Chapter Thirteen
    Chapter Fourteen
    Chapter Fifteen

    List of characters (contains spoilers)


    Some characters are inspired by, or loosely based on, 18th century historical individuals. For some of these characters, there are links to historical information about them. However, I have made major alterations to both history and historical characters to fit this story, so please do not assume that any of the characters was really like their description here!

    Moïse, a servant on the household of Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe

    Aaron, a servant in the household of Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe

    Angelique de Bellecombe, wife of Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe

    Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe, General in the French army (more information)

    Henri de Bellecombe, merchant, cousin of Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe

    Jean-Paul de Bellecombe, son of Guillame Léonard de Bellecombe

    Brother François Hacquet, a monk of the Jesuit Order and the tutor for the de Bellecombe household. (Historically, the Society of Jesus was 'suppressed and abolished' in France from 1764 and across Europe from 1773 until 1814; in this alternative history, the suppression of the Jesuits has not happened).

    Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (often simply called Lamarck), Royal Botanist (more information)

    Joseph Mercier, captain in the de Bellecombe regiment of foot and personal aide to General Guillaume de Bellecombe

    Claude Petit, physician for the de Bellecombe regiment of foot and the de Bellecombe family

    Jean-Baptiste de Vimeur, the comte de Rochambeau, General in the French army (more information)

    Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, son of the comte de Rochembeau (more information)


    Sources of inspiration

    This story uses ideas from Frank Herbert's novel Dune with elements of the history of Haiti's revolution and the events of my Haiti campaign. For the history, I rely on Jeremy D. Popkin's A Concise History of the Haitian Revolution.
    Since there is no spice (as in Dune), the island's coffee, sugar and timber - and the wealth which comes from them - play a similar role. In the 1780s, Saint-Domingue (which would be re-named Haiti) was the richest European colony in the New World, contributing one-quarter of the wealth of France. The slaves who rebelled had survived brutal conditions. Many slaves had been soldiers in Africa, captured after defeat in battle. This history, and the exceptional morale and melee fighting skills of Haitian units in the Sturm und Drang mod, attracted me to write a Haiti AAR inspired by Dune.

    Links to maps

    1723 Map of Hispaniola, including Saint-Domingue, French colony in Hispanola island, by Nicolas de Fer, here

    1736 Moll map of the West Indies, here

    My other writing

    If you would like to see links to my other AARs, short stories and other writing, you'll find them here
    Last edited by Alwyn; March 06, 2016 at 07:00 AM.

  2. #2
    waveman's Avatar Decanus
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR)

    Another rebellion? Looks interesting!

    My AARs/writing: Link
    Letters for writing: þ, ð æ Æ

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    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR)

    Thanks! Yes, another rebellion; my best chance to write a good AAR is to write a story I enjoy writing about a campaign which I enjoy playing. A tale about of how the slaves of Haiti gained their freedom involves both an inspiring story and an enjoyable campaign, for me .

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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR)

    Chapter One


    Château de Bellecombe, near Brest, north-western France, 1782

    As Moïse served coffee to General Guillaume de Bellecombe and his guests, he listened to their conversation. In the de Bellecombe household, no-one minded talking about important matters in the presence of servants. De Bellecombe treated his staff well and they repaid kindness with loyalty. Moïse had seen what the the life of a slave was like. He was grateful to de Bellecombe for his freedom. Guillaume de Bellecombe had received a messenger from Paris that morning and rumours were flying around the château. Moïse was eager to discover whether the rumours were true.

    One of the maids was the mistress of a lieutenant in de Bellecombe’s regiment, a regiment of men who had been inspired to enlist by the General’s reputation. The maid whispered that she had heard of unrest in Paris. Perhaps King Louis was asking the General to send the regiment to the capital to help restore order? De Bellecombe’s regiment had a reputation for courage and discipline, surely they were the men who the King would summon in a crisis. The cook had another idea, saying that the British were losing their war against their American colonies and France. Perhaps King Louis had begun to negotiate peace with the British? As Governor of Pondichéry in south-eastern India, de Bellecombe had been forced to surrender the port, the capital of French India, to the British. The cook had served with de Bellecombe in Pondichéry. He remembered proudly the siege of Pondichéry, telling the story of how de Bellecombe, with just 1,100 men, held off a British army of 20,000 men for ten weeks. “After the surrender, we marched out proudly with our Colours held high,” remembered the cook. “Perhaps, now the British have lost this war, French soldiers will return to India? Maybe the King has asked the General to become Governor of Pondichéry again? We could soon be boarding a ship for India.”

    Neither the maid nor the cook had guessed correctly. Moïse watched as Guillaume de Bellecombe explained the King’s letter. Moïse noticed the way that his master’s fingers kept making slight adjustments to his red sash, the sash indicating that the wearer was a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Louis. Was de Bellecombe anxious or afraid? Moïse could not tell.

    Moïse was one of the first people to learn that the King had given de Bellecombe the post of Governor-General of Saint-Domingue, a French colony on the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies. Moïse noticed the reactions of the people around the table. They were family members, officers from the de Bellecombe regiment and friends. There were smiles on some faces but others showed signs of uncertainty and concern.

    Henri de Bellecombe, the General’s cousin and a wealthy merchant, smiled. He observed said that the colony of Saint-Domingue supplied almost half of the sugar and more than half of the coffee consumed in all of Europe. “King Louis has given you the jewel in his imperial crown,” said Henri, “this colony is the reason that France has greater power than any of her rivals.”

    Brother François, the tutor for the General’s son and a Jesuit monk, was concerned about the dangers which this new appointment might bring. “The pirates of Tortuga are long gone,” he said, “but surely there are other dangers. The current governor of Saint-Domingue is General Jean-Baptiste de Vimeur, the comte de Rochambeau. He will not be pleased that he must hand over this rich colony to us.” Moïse was fascinated. Go on, ask him why, he thought. Joseph Mercier, a captain from the de Bellecombe regiment, asked “Why? Won’t the King give Rochambeau a position of equal distinction somewhere else?”

    The General replied, “It is partly because the colony is so wealthy, as Henri said. But there is something else.” The General hesitated before continuing. “The comte de Rochambeau and I were friends, once. We served together in Quebec during the Seven Years’ War. At the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in ’59, I commanded a company in the Royal Roussillon regiment. General Montcalm ordered our regiments to form columns and advance towards the British line – the usual opening move.” In his mind’s eye, General de Bellecombe remembered the columns’ march.

    “This was supposed to be an easy victory. The British line was pitifully thin – just two men deep! We thought that the British would fire at long range and panic, seeing that their shots were ineffective. But General Wolfe, the British commander, did something new. He ordered his men to hold their fire until our columns were very close, just 30 yards away. Their first volley was a devastating blow. Our men were close together, packed in the columns. Many men fell. The survivors were stunned. Having reloaded, then the British infantry marched calmly towards us for a few paces and fired again. Our soldiers were falling back.” De Bellecombe paused and sipped his wine. “It sounds like a disaster,” said the captain. “But didn’t many of General Montcalm’s army survive? How did they escape?”

    “British soldiers were pursuing our fleeing men. I rallied my company on the edge of a line of trees. Some militia companies joined us. Our volleys held back the enemy for a while. There was no hope of victory but, at least, we could prevent a defeat turning into a slaughter. I saw Rochambeau’s men approaching – he was a company commander then, like me. I urged him to form his company up alongside mine. Another company of regular soldiers would have made a big difference. But he refused. I told him that I would report his cowardice to General Montcalm. Since then, Rochambeau and I have been enemies.”

    The young captain wanted to know more, “Sir, did you report the cowardice of Rochambeau to General Montcalm?” The General continued, “After the battle, I discovered that Montcalm was dead.” The General replied, “Our new commander was Rochambeau’s uncle. Rochambeau was his favourite nephew. Our new general’s first act was to appoint Rochambeau to his personal staff. Reporting Rochambeau to his uncle would have been pointless.”

    Historical Note


    Source for the image of the chateau: this image came from a postcard of the Château Boisclaireau, licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – here

    In our history, the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order) was abolished by Pope Clement XIV in 1773 (the Jesuit Order was reinstated in 1814). This story exists in an alternative history, in which the Pope did not abolish the Jesuit Order.

    This chapter uses real events, such as the Siege of Pondicherry (I use the French spelling, Pondichéry, in the chapter) here and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, here .

    Historically, Guillaume de Bellecombe and Jean-Baptiste de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, both served as generals in the French Army. De Bellecombe served as Governor-General of the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti). In this AAR, I have changed the history to suit the story which I would like to tell. There are links to more information about the historical characters in the list of characters, in the opening post.

    While Haiti suffers from poverty today, Saint-Domingue was a wealthy colony in the 1780s (as described in this chapter): here.

    Last edited by Alwyn; August 01, 2015 at 01:54 AM.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 31, 2015]

    Wow, brilliant start. A powerful opening prologue and fascinating opening chapter. The apparent amount of historical research behind all of this is impressive to say the least. I now wait eagerly for me.

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    McScottish's Avatar The Scribbling Scotsman
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 31, 2015]

    Ah, Alwyn 'The Rebellion' is at it again

    Always the underdog is he, and always a damned good writer!

    As Merchant says, a bloody good start, and I hope to see more soon. Please, take my rep.

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    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated July 31, 2015]

    Thank you, Merchant - I enjoy researching the history and thinking of ways to include it, so it's encouraging to hear that the history comes across well.

    McScottish, you're right, I love telling stories about underdogs! This rebellion has a twist or two in the tale which I hope you'll enjoy. Thank you for the generous compliment and rep. That's a fine-looking tartan in your avatar - is that the Wallace 'Red Ancient' tartan or something else?

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    McScottish's Avatar The Scribbling Scotsman
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated July 31, 2015]

    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    McScottish, you're right, I love telling stories about underdogs! This rebellion has a twist or two in the tale which I hope you'll enjoy. Thank you for the generous compliment and rep. That's a fine-looking tartan in your avatar - is that the Wallace 'Red Ancient' tartan or something else?

    I look forward to the continuation of this tale, twists and all!

    The tartan is not the Wallace, it is in fact my family tartan, the Boyd Modern - the Boyds, as can be seen by the 'base' colour of the tartan (the red, yellow etc), were/are a sept of the Stuarts, further detailing such as the crossing of white, yellow, and darker green shading make it different from the 'mother' tartan.

    So there you go.

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    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 7, 2015]

    Chapter Two

    Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue - two weeks earlier…


    Jean-Baptiste de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau

    The door of the governor’s study opened. Good, my coffee is here thought Jean-Baptiste de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau and governor of Saint-Domingue. But, instead of the coffee, Donatien-Marie-Joseph, the governor’s son, burst into the study. He said, “How could you do this, father? Governing this colony made our family wealthy. How could you write to King Louis, proposing that he appoint de Bellecombe to replace you as governor of Saint-Domingue?” He spat out the name of his father’s rival with clear disdain.

    Rochambeau replied, “This colony made us wealthy, yes. But the plantation owners bring more slaves here every year. More slaves means more danger of a slave uprising. Yellow fever took the life…” he hesitated for a moment, holding back a wave of grief with conscious effort, and continued, “… the lives of many of our soldiers. It is time to leave, before we lose control.”

    I know what you were going to say, thought Donatien-Marie-Joseph. I miss her too, father. She was my mother, after all. Donatien-Marie-Joseph had seen his father become increasingly angry and bitter after his mother lost her life in an outbreak of yellow fever.

    After a few moments of silence, the door of the study opened. The coffee had arrived. Rochambeau and his son accepted their coffee and waited in silence until the door was closed again. Donatien-Marie-Joseph spoke softly now. “But why recommend de Bellecombe, your enemy?” he asked.

    “De Bellecombe wants be a hero. Back in ’56, when the British defeated General Montcalm’s army at Quebec, I served in the same regiment as de Bellecombe. The battle was lost. Our army was in full retreat. My duty – the duty of every officer – was to get the men away to safety. De Bellecombe ignored this. He told his company to stand and face the enemy. He demanded that I order my company to form up alongside his pathetic line. His plan was ridiculous – how could any officer believe that two companies could hold off regiments of enemy soldiers? When I refused, he called me a coward!”

    “He is brave, then?” asked Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “Foolhardy more than brave. Some men flee when they are afraid. Others run towards the source of their fear, like de Bellecombe. Both kinds of men are fools, driven by fear. The truly brave make their own decisions and do not allow emotions to drive them” replied his father.

    “You can see that it is dangerous to remain here in Saint-Domingue. Won’t de Bellecombe realise this, too?” said Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “If you know a man’s history, you can predict his future. In ’78, de Bellecombe was governor of Pondichéry in India. His army of 1,000 men had no chance against the British army of 20,000. He could have boarded a ship for France and escaped. Instead he foolishly remained in Pondichéry, allowing the British army to trap him” said Rochambeau.

    “So, father, Saint-Domingue will be a trap for de Bellecombe, just as Pondichéry was?” asked Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “Indeed! And there is another reason for recommending de Bellecombe” replied Rochambeau.

    “I was shocked when I discovered that you had written to the King, suggesting that de Bellecombe replace you as governor. Perhaps you wanted to surprise the King?” asked Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “King Louis wants to be loved.” The scorn in Rochambeau’s voice was obvious. “Like de Bellecombe, the King allows his emotions to rule him. The King wants to be seen as a good man who unites his people, overcoming old hatreds. Everyone knows that de Bellecombe and I despise each other. By nominating him as my successor as governor and writing that the King inspired me to do this, I made King Louis feel that he has the power to unify old enemies. If I make the King happy, then he will make me happy.”

    “So that is why you received a letter from the King” said Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “Yes. The King needs a new governor of Picardy. He wrote to ask whether I would accept this post. Hah! He asked me! King Louis will not ask de Bellecombe! De Bellecombe will be instructed to become governor here. He will guess that this place is dangerous. He wants to be a hero, he will walk willingly into danger. He will bring too few soldiers, he always does. When fever has made his soldiers weak, when the slaves rise against him, then the King will send an army to restore order. As governor of Picardy, I will be close to Paris – and the King. I will offer to lead an expedition to retake Saint-Domingue from the rebels.”

    “Father, your plan relies on the slaves rebelling against their new governor. But the slaves here have other options. Many escape into the mountains. De Bellecombe is brave. He inspires men to follow him. When his soldiers die from yellow fever, perhaps he will inspire men from this colony to fight for him” said Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “What do you propose?” asked Rochambeau.

    “You have used agents and informers to warn you when slaves planned to rebel, haven’t you, father? You will continue to employ your agents after we leave Saint-Domingue, I presume?” asked Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    “Of course, since I do not intend that de Bellecombe will be governor for long” said Rochambeau.

    “Father, your agents could offer freedom, money, even land to slaves if they rise against de Bellecombe. Your men could organise the rebellion at a time of your choosing. You have an agent in the household of de Bellecombe, I believe, someone who de Bellecombe trusts?” said Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    The comte de Rochambeau nodded. Good, he thought, my son thinks like I do.

    “When de Bellecombe is distracted by the slave rebellion, your agent in his household will remove him. Without de Bellecombe to inspire them, his soldiers will not stand for long. King Louis will be grateful to you for restoring order in his most valuable colony” said Donatien-Marie-Joseph.

    The comte de Rochambeau agreed. He thought, now I will see if you have the judgement to inherit my title. “I could recommend that you be appointed as the new governor. You would be the richest governor in all of King Louis’ lands.”

    Until an angry slave stabs me in the back, thought Donatien-Marie-Joseph. “After the death of de Bellecombe and a slave uprising, the colony will be in chaos. The next governor will have to take harsh measures to restore order. The governor might be murdered by a slave or dismissed and sent back to France. Father, I propose that you appoint someone else. Make sure that the governor’s harsh actions are reported in Paris. The King’s advisers will worry about the risk of another slave rebellion and will be afraid of losing Saint-Domingue. Then persuade the King to order me to replace the new governor. The people will welcome me as their liberator.”

    Rochambeau smiled and nodded.

    The next morning Rochambeau met with the officer in charge of the garrison in Port-au-Prince, who would be the acting governor until de Bellecombe arrived. Rochambeau also spoke with the leader of his agents and informers in the colony. Then the carriage arrived to take Rochambeau and his son to the harbour of Port-au-Prince. At the harbour, they boarded Thémistocle, an old 58-gun ship of the line. Rochambeau had decided to leave for France now – he did not want to wait until the his enemy, the new governor, arrived.



    Historical Note

    The source for the image of the comte de Rochambeau is here.

    Historically, the comte de Rochambeau was a French general, he did become governor of Picardy and he did have a son called Donatien-Marie-Joseph. Apart from this and a few other details, I have ignored the real history of Rochambeau and created an alternative Rochambeau to suit this story. Historically, Rochambeau played a significant part in the American Revolutionary War, leading a French force to support George Washington’s Continental Army. There is a statue of Rochambeau in Lafayette Square, Washington DC, with an inscription quoting George Washington who wrote that they were “fellow labourers in the cause of liberty”: source. The Rochambeau of this story is a very different character from the historical general. I hope that any surviving relatives will forgive me for using this character in an unhistorical way in my story.
    Last edited by Alwyn; August 09, 2015 at 09:38 AM.

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    McScottish's Avatar The Scribbling Scotsman
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 7, 2015]

    Well now, I can see this completely blowing up in his face...or that of his rival.

    Riveting stuff, Alwyn, and I expect nothing less.

  11. #11
    ccllnply's Avatar Tribunus
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 7, 2015]

    Excellent stuff, and I'm learning a good bit as I read which is always an added bonus.


  12. #12
    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 7, 2015]

    Thank you, both! McScottish, yes, this will turn out badly for one rival or the other.

    ccllnply, I've learned quite a bit when doing research for this story. I imagine you'll realise that, while some of this is historical (such as the way that the British line turned back the French columns at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham), other parts are invented (while the Royal Roussillon regiment did participate in the battle of the Plains of Abraham and de Bellecombe did serve in that regiment for a time, I made up the part about de Bellecombe rallying his company to cover the retreat and the antagonism between de Bellecombe and Rochambeau which followed those fictional events in my alternative history.)
    Last edited by Alwyn; August 09, 2015 at 01:28 AM.

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    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 7, 2015]

    Chapter Three

    After a few days of sailing from Port-au-Prince, the lookout on the Thémistocle reported seeing a ship ahead. Rochambeau and his son, Donatien-Marie-Joseph, hurried to the quarterdeck to ask the captain what was happening. The captain told them that the vessel ahead appeared to be a small warship. “It could be the French frigate Patriote, which is sailing these waters in search of British merchant ships,” said the captain of the Thémistocle, “or it might be a British warship from Port Royal.” Soon afterwards, the lookout identified the approaching vessel as a sloop, flying British colours.


    “It is not likely that a sloop would dare to engage a ship of the line like this one,” said the captain. The captain ordered his men to clear the ship for action, as a precaution. The officers of the Thémistocle were surprised when the British sloop continued to approach.

    “We have a 58-gun ship of the line, they have a sloop. Why would they advance towards us?” asked Donatien-Marie-Joseph. “They must know that they cannot win.”

    When the sloop turned, to bring its guns to bear, the captain ordered the crew of the Thémistocle to turn the ship to starboard and return fire. After two broadsides from a ship of the line, the sloop was mortally wounded. It was leaning over, taking in water and sinking fast. Very soon, only the tops of the sails were visible above the sea.





    When Thémistocle approached the sinking sloop, Rochambeau and his son could see survivors in the water. Some of the survivors, seeing the approaching ship of the line, shouted desperately for help.





    A moment later, a lookout reported that he could see a sail ahead. There was another ship on the horizon, sailing away from the Thémistocle. The ship was too far away for anyone to see whether this ship was a merchant ship or a warship – or to identify its nationality. Perhaps the sloop had been escorting the other ship?

    The captain of the Thémistocle had a decision to make. He could remain here and rescue the sailors in the water, or he could leave them and pursue the ship on the horizon. The captain turned to Rochambeau. A captain had complete authority on his ship. But this ship had operated from Saint-Domingue for years under the authority of Rochambeau as governor. Also, the captain was ambitious and Rochambeau had powerful connections in the admiralty in Paris. The captain was eager to know what Rochambeau wanted to do.

    When Donatien-Marie-Joseph asked the captain, “Perhaps we could rescue the survivors?” the captain turned to Rochambeau. Rochambeau shook his head, “No. I suspect that the sloop was escorting the other ship when they saw us. If the other ship was a ship of the line, they would have fought us alongside the sloop. If the other ship was a frigate, they would have used their speed and agility to avoid us. Therefore, I suspect that the other ship must be a slow merchant vessel with a valuable cargo. I believe that the sloop’s crew sacrificed themselves to allow the merchant ship to escape. I want to know what makes the other ship so valuable. We should pursue the other ship.” The captain agreed and the Thémistocle sailed on. Donatien-Marie-Joseph shivered as he listened to the cries of the sailors in the water.

    As they pursued the other ship, the Thémistocle gradually got closer, but their bow chasers were still out of range. Eventually, the lookout cried, “Sail ahead! Two ships ahead!” It appeared that the ship which they were pursuing had met another vessel. The captain viewed the two ships through a telescope. He said that the ship which they had pursued was, as Rochambeau suspected, a merchant vessel. It was flying British colours. Beyond that ship was a smaller vessel of unknown type and nationality. From the quarterdeck of the Thémistocle, Rochambeau could see a cloud of smoke trailing behind the unknown ship.





    Was the unknown ship on fire – or had it fired cannon at the British merchant ship? The captain ordered the crew of Thémistocle to set as much sail as they could and to head for the British merchant ship.


    As the Thémistocle closed on the British merchant vessel, the captain had a better view of the unknown ship. “It’s a small frigate. It’s flying French colours, so it’s probably the Patriote. It’s turning … I can see the smoke from its cannon. They are firing on the British merchant ship. The merchant ship must have fled from us, only to run straight into the path of that frigate.”

    Rochambeau replied, “There must be something of value on that ship. If there is a lengthy battle, they will have time to hide or destroy it.” The captain ordered his crew to bring the Thémistocle alongside the British ship, so that his marines could board it. He ordered his gunners to load their cannon with grapeshot, to prepare the way for his marines. Donatien-Marie-Joseph observed with surprise that the British merchant ship was almost as large as the Thémistocle.

    The French marines encountered little resistance from the surviving crew of the merchant ship. This fight was over quickly. A prize crew was sent aboard the merchant ship, to sail it back to France alongside the Thémistocle.





    The captain of the French frigate, which was the Patriote, brought his vessel close to the other ships so that he could cross in a small boat to the Thémistocle and confer with its captain. The Patriote often docked in Saint-Domingue for repairs and supplies - the two captains were friends.


    While marines searched the British ship for valuables, Rochambeau interrogated her captain. He soon emerged to speak to his son. He waved some papers in the air.

    “The British captain was about to throw these papers overboard when our marines caught him. Look!” said Rochambeau. He spread the papers out on a table in the grand cabin of the Thémistocle.

    Donatien-Marie-Joseph studied the papers closely. “These are maps of Saint-Domingue. The locations of our garrison units are marked, with the number of soldiers in each location. The British must have a spy in Saint-Domingue – they must be planning to attack our colony!”

    “Indeed,” said Rochambeau, “When I show these plans to the King’s advisers in Paris, they will send reinforcements to defend our colony from the British. I will ask the captain of the Patriote to take a message to Saint-Domingue, to warn the new governor of this threat. And when a French army arrives to defend the colony, thought Rochambeau, they will find that the slaves have rebelled and that de Bellecombe is dead – and they will destroy the slave rebellion.

    De Bellecombe is my father’s enemy, thought Donatien-Marie-Joseph, so why is he warning de Bellecombe of the British plan to attack the colony? Perhaps my father feels that it is his duty to inform de Bellecombe, as a fellow officer – or maybe my father wants the pleasure of destroying de Bellecombe for himself and will not allow anyone else to take it from him. It seems that I will never truly understand my father!


    Mod Note

    If you like the improved ship textures shown here, I recommend Pdguru's Briney Ships Mod, available here. I am particularly impressed with Pdguru's work on the stern and the captain's quarters. This mod works with both Napoleon Total War and Empire Total War.
    Last edited by Alwyn; August 14, 2015 at 09:41 AM.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 14, 2015]

    Rochambeau reminds me of Sparatocos at Thessaloniki Great writing, you really give motion to the motivations of the characters through their thoughts and words, and it's an entertaining story, using good pictures. Like McScottish, I can see this blowing up in either Rochambeau or Bellacombe's face with tragic consequences. Unfortunately, you've already gotten me to like Donatien :/
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 14, 2015]

    Another great AAR with a faction we don't see everyday. Your characters are fun to read. It will be interesting to see where all this plotting will lead to.
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  16. #16
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 14, 2015]

    Thank you, Lugotorix and Scottish King! Lugotorix, I can see how people could like Donatien - I'm aiming to blur the boundaries a bit between the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' in this story.


    Chapter Four

    Brest, north-western France




    On the day after Guillaume de Bellecombe’s household arrived in the port of Brest, Moïse rose early to watch the arrival of the de Bellecombe regiment in the town. Moïse noticed the reactions of the few townsfolk who were in the streets this early. Most French regiments of foot wore white coats, but the coats of the de Bellecombe regiment were blue. He could tell who had not seen the family regiment before. They looked warily at the soldiers in their unfamiliar blue coats. Townsfolk who had seen the regiment smiled and waved. Moïse wondered if, when he was older, he would be allowed to wear a blue coat and serve in the de Bellecombe regiment.


    By that evening, Moïse’s arms ached after long hours of helping to load the belongings of the de Bellecombe household and the baggage of the regiment onto the two ships which would carry them to the Caribbean. The vessel on which the de Bellecombe household would travel was the frigate Railleur. Her two decks and tall masts towered high above the servants as they worked. A cold, biting wind blew from the north into the harbour where the Railleur lay at anchor. General de Bellecombe ensured that his people were cared for. When their work was done, Moïse and the other servants were grateful for the hot stew, crusty bread and warm blankets which they received. Sleep came quickly, despite the unfamiliar rocking of the ship, the creaking of the wood and the howling of the wind.

    The following morning, Moïse woke to find that the frigate had already left the harbour. He watched the coast of France receding into the distance. He wondered if he would see the familiar, comforting halls of the Château de Bellecombe again. The cook told Moïse that they were lucky – they could have been on a rotten, stinking old ship. Instead, they could admire the smooth lines of this fine vessel which, he learned, was on its first voyage. The de Bellecombe regiment were on board another ship, the Scipion. The Scipion was an old merchant vessel, now used to transport troops, which would sail with the Railleur.

    Moïse and his brother Aaron served coffee to the general and his aides as they sat around a table in a large cabin at the back of the ship. The sunlight streamed through windows along one wall. The men sitting at the table looked worried.

    “How many men can we expect to lose to the yellow fever?” asked the general.

    “When the comte de Rochambeau was governor of Saint-Domingue, the regiments stationed there lost about a third of their men in their first year, sometimes more,” reported Captain Mercier.

    “That many? There has to be something that we can do to protect our people.” The general turned to Claude Petit, the physician who served both the de Bellecombe regiment and the general’s household.

    Claude said “We can give our men as varied a diet as possible. We can ensure that their barracks are cleaned frequently. But I do not know whether those measures will make any difference.”

    Captain Mercier asked, “Is there anything which you know will make a difference?”

    Claude replied, “I spoke to a doctor who served in Saint Domingue under the comte de Rochambeau. He told me that some of their soldiers lived in camps in the mountains. Soldiers in the mountains were far less likely to suffer yellow fever.”

    Captain Mercier looked surprised. He asked, “Why did Rochambeau send soldiers to the mountains? The Spanish own the eastern part of the island, beyond the mountains, and the Spanish are our friends.”

    The doctor explained, “The solders in the mountains try to recapture escaped slaves. In all of the colonies in the West Indies, slaves escape the plantations. The British call them ‘maroons’. Our French colonists call them ‘marrons’. The Spanish colonists call them ‘cimarrón’. On the island of Hispaniola, some slaves escape from our colony of Saint-Domingue in the west; others run from the Spanish colony in the east. Escaped slaves on Hispaniola hide in the mountains between our colony and the Spanish colony.”

    “What do the escaped slaves call themselves?” asked Jean-Paul de Bellecombe, the general’s son.

    “The Free Men,” replied Claude, “The doctor who served there told me that the casualties among soldiers in the mountain camps were even higher than the numbers of men lost in the port towns. But that cannot be right, surely?”

    “Perhaps it is,” observed Captain Mercier. “Some slaves were soldiers in Africa, before they were captured in battle and sold to European slavers. Many Africans do not survive the journey to Saint-Domingue. Those who survive often die from conditions on the plantations. To survive, escape and to remain free when they were being hunted by solders, these Free Men must be resourceful people.”

    The general added, "In the French and Indian War, I saw how the American native people used their mobility and their knowledge of the land to strike swiftly and unexpectedly. They achieved great success against European regiments who used conventional tactics, trying to fight in line. Perhaps the Free Men fight like the American natives?"

    “Perhaps so, sir,” replied the doctor.

    The general observed, “Hmm. If we move our soldiers to mountain camps, then we will suffer casualties from the Free Men. If we keep our soldiers in the port towns, then the yellow fever will thin our ranks. This seems like a war on two fronts. If we cannot remove the risk of catching yellow fever, maybe we should deal with the threat on the other front? Perhaps we should take most of our soldiers into the mountains, to decisively defeat the Free Men.”

    Captain Mercier replied, “Even if we took all of our men to the mountains, the Free Men could simply hide from us. If we did that, we would leave the plantations and port towns unprotected. Without a strong garrison, the towns would be exposed to an attack from the sea by the British or a slave rebellion.”

    “I see – and if the British or rebel slaves seized the ports, then we would be cut off from reinforcements from the sea,” said the general.

    “Indeed, sir. We must maintain a garrison in the port towns, but they will be vulnerable to yellow fever. If we lose many men to the fever, then the British or rebel slaves could take Saint-Domingue from us anyway.”

    “King Louis is depending on us to hold this colony,” said the general, “and there has been unrest in Paris. The King’s treasury depends on the income from Saint-Domingue to pay the soldiers who maintain order in France. We find a way to protect the lives of our people and to hold on to Saint-Domingue.”

    As the meeting ended, Moïse noticed uncertainty among the general’s advisers. Previously, the general’s meetings had ended with a feeling of confidence. He saw Jean-Paul de Bellecombe walking back and forth along the deck, irritating the crewmen who were distracted by his constant pacing. Eventually, Jean-Paul approached Claude Petit, who was standing nearby, “Monsieur, may I speak with you?”

    The doctor replied, “Of course, Jean-Paul. Are you unwell?”

    “No, I have a question. Do Africans catch the yellow fever less often than Europeans?” Jean-Paul asked.

    “So I have been told,” replied the doctor.

    Jean-Paul continued, “I have an idea. My father needs more men to keep order. But European soldiers often get sick. Not all of the Africans in Saint-Domingue are slaves, are they? There are free Africans, like Moïse and Aaron? Perhaps-“

    Captain Mercier spoke from behind them, startling them, “We could recruit them as militia. We should speak to your father about this, Jean-Paul.”





    Historical Note

    It was known that moving soldiers to mountain camps in Saint-Domingue reduced the risks from yellow fever, but for strategic reasons the garrisons were needed in the port towns: source. Historically, the yellow fever was one reason why France was unable to hold into to this colony, despite its economic importance: source.

    Claude Petit, the doctor, says that he had been told that Africans suffered yellow fever less often than Europeans. There is a historical basis for the doctor's belief. During a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1793, the city asked for help from the Free African Society (and received it). The help of free Africans was requested because people believed that, since Africans had partial immunity to malaria, they would also have partial immunity to yellow fever. However, it appears that this belief was wrong because, in this epidemic, Africans died at the same rate as whites: source.

    There is historical evidence that escaped slaves in the West Indies "developed extraordinary skills in guerrilla warfare", making effective use of ambushes against European soldiers who used conventional tactics: source.
    Last edited by Alwyn; August 22, 2015 at 11:30 AM.

  17. #17
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 22, 2015]

    Chapter Five

    Before Jean-Paul de Bellecombe could speak to his father, he had a lesson with his tutor, Brother François. Jean-Paul was full of questions about their new home, Saint-Domingue. He was impressed that Brother François knew so much about the colony and wondered why. The monk explained, “My Order has a small community there. In fact, we will live in an old Jesuit house in the town of Cap-Français on the north coast of Hispaniola. Your father has decided to govern the colony from Cap-Français, instead of Port-au-Prince, which was the capital before.”

    The monk gave Jean-Paul a book. Jean-Paul read the author and title: Philosophical History of the Two Indies, by abbé Raynal. The monk said, “Keep it safe! Do not show it to anyone - especially after we arrive on Hispaniola. It is not popular with the plantation owners. Raynal denounces slavery and predicts that an African leader will rise up against them.” His parents would wonder why I have given him this radical book, thought Brother François. Perhaps, if his father's rule in Saint-Domingue is ended by violence, this book will save Jean-Paul's life. If I cannot save the father, at least I could help the son.

    As he heard his tutor explain the ideas in the book, Jean-Paul’s eyes widened in surprise. He was fifteen years old and believed that he had understood how society worked. He saw slavery as an evil thing, but also as a fact of life, not something which could be changed. Now, as he heard about the ideas of abbé Raynal, his previous view of the world did not seem as solid as it had looked before. Raynal’s ideas were radical, even revolutionary - and yet, didn’t they make sense?


    Angelique de Bellecombe and her husband, Guillaume, drank their afternoon tea in the frigate’s great cabin. Angelique said, “Saint-Domingue is dangerous, is it not? France is at war with Britain and we will be near their military base at Port Royal in Jamaica. The British might attack Saint-Domingue.”

    Guillaume replied, “Yes, Saint-Domingue is dangerous. The British might attack. But there are other dangers too. One of the ships belonging to my cousin Henri’s trading company visited Saint-Domingue. The ship’s captain had a look around the colony for us. He, ah, found this.” Guillaume passed his wife some papers.

    Angelique realised that the ship’s captain must be a skilled spy. She said, “This is a record of how much money the comte de Rochambeau received as governor of Saint-Domingue. Saint-Domingue made Rochambeau very rich. Everyone knows that Rochambeau is your enemy. If the rumours are true, Rochambeau recommended you to replace him as governor. There must be a reason why your enemy would recommend that you be given such a lucrative position. Some of our friends in Paris believe that Rochambeau wants to end the enmity between his family and ours.” Angelique’s tone made it clear that she did not believe what her friends had said.

    Guillaume replied, “You do not believe our friends in Paris? Neither do I! The ship’s captain who acquired these papers also heard rumours of trouble on the plantations. Perhaps Rochambeau left because he was expecting the slaves to rebel. If that happens when I am governor, then I will be blamed. Perhaps that is what Rochambeau wants.”

    Angelique sighed, “If only we could leave this behind. If only we could take our household somewhere away from danger. With rumours of unrest in Paris, even France does not seem safe.”

    Her husband replied, “If I retired, we could settle in Louisiana. We could build a house and grow crops.”

    Angelique smiled, “My husband, the defender of France, becoming a farmer! I cannot believe it! It is a lovely dream.” She continued, “But I know that you will carry out your duty to France and King Louis by governing Saint-Domingue.”

    There was a knock on the door. The marine who guarded the great cabin appeared, announcing that Jean-Paul wanted to speak to his father. Captain Mercier was with him.

    Mercier said, “We know that we must keep garrisons in the port towns. But, there, they will be vulnerable to yellow fever. Your son has an idea.”

    Jean-Paul explained, “Claude Petit believes that Africans are less likely to catch the fever. There are free Africans in Saint-Domingue as well as slaves. Could we recruit them as militia, to keep order?”

    The general de Bellecombe thought for a moment. “African militia would help. I like this idea.” The general thought for a moment. “Your suggestion has given me another idea. Captain Mercier-“

    A knock on the door interrupted the general. The frigate's third lieutenant entered and said, “General, please excuse me for interrupting. The Captain sends his compliments and wishes to inform you that the sails of four ships have been sighted ahead. They appear to be ships of the line.” A drum began to sound a steady beat.

    The frigate was full of the sounds of running feet as the gunners rushed to their cannon. The windows of the great cabin showed where the frigate had been, not where the ship was going, so de Bellecombe could not see the four ships which had been reported. He wanted to join the frigate’s captain on the quarterdeck, so that he could see what was happening.

    This was a slightly delicate situation for the general. Normally, a passenger on a warship would only enter the quarterdeck with permission from the senior officer on duty. The general was no ordinary passenger. Technically, the Railleur would be under the general’s authority as governor of Saint-Domingue. De Bellecombe might have walked onto the quarterdeck without observing the custom of requesting permission. But the captain of a warship on his own quarterdeck had near-absolute authority. The general turned to the young lieutenant, “Would you ask the captain if I might join him on the quarterdeck?” The lieutenant nodded and left the great cabin.

    The captain of the Railleur smiled as he welcomed the general to his quarterdeck.

    “Welcome, general. The four ships ahead of us are ships of the line. They are flying British colours and sailing in line formation.”

    The general asked, “Warships sail in line when they are going to attack, do they not?”

    “Indeed, sir.”

    The general observed, “I have heard that there is a rule that ships of the line do not attack frigates unless the frigates fire first.”

    This was a delicate moment for the frigate captain. He did not like pointing out that a senior officer was not quite right, even if he was soldier, not a sailor. “Indeed, sir, it is bad etiquette for a ship of the line to fire first against a frigate. However, ships like ours would be lucrative prizes, if we were taken. I am afraid that, when captains see an opportunity for prize money, they do not always follow good etiquette.”

    As the captain said these words, the first British warship turned towards them.






    Historical note: Philosophical History of the Two Indies by abbé Raynal was a real book published in 1770 and was popular in Saint-Domingue (although it was probably not popular with plantation owners), source: Jeremy Popkin, A Concise History of the Haitian Revolution (Wiley-Blackwell 2012) pp. 24 to 25
    Last edited by Alwyn; August 30, 2015 at 06:01 AM.

  18. #18
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated August 30, 2015]

    That book and Brother François' motivations are certainly interesting. So is the fact that De Bellecombe will not be going in blind, but will it be enough?

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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated September 6, 2015]

    Thank you waveman!


    Chapter Six

    The captain of the frigate Railleur passed his telescope to the General de Bellecombe. When Guillaume de Bellecombe saw that the gun-ports on the British warship were closed, he felt relieved. “It appears that these British ships have urgent business elsewhere,” said the captain. When he saw the general shiver in the cold wind, the captain called for coffee for his officers and his guest.

    “It appears, general, that were have been spared any unpleasantness today,” said the captain, “perhaps-“


    The young lieutenant interrupted his captain, “Sir! The British warship at the front of the line is opening her gun-ports!”

    The British warships continued to approach the Railleur and the troop ship. De Bellecombe returned the telescope to the captain, who observed that the nearest of the four British vessels looked like a 74-gun warship. The captain turned and replied, “That ship must have an experienced crew, to come about so quickly. Perhaps they hope to surprise us and intend to disable our ships with their bow-chasers?”

    Soon afterwards, a distant puff of smoke from the British 74-gun ship and a splash of water near the stern of Railleur confirmed the captain’s theory. The captain turned to the general, “Those British ships of the line are slow. They will never catch this frigate. But they might capture the troop ship. Should Railleur sail at full speed, leaving our troop ship behind, or should we stay with them? What do you say, general?” De Bellecombe said that a good general stays with his men: he would prefer Railleur to sail together with the troop ship. The frigate captain decided to do what the general wanted. Fortunately, the British ships fell behind and broke off. Perhaps they seek other prey, thought the general as their sails faded from view on the horizon. As they fell behind, their hulls and, eventually, their sails disappeared from view.

    Stimulated by the threat which the British warships had posed and by the strong coffee, the general reflected on these events. In his mind, frigates were like light cavalry – capable of attacking a vulnerable point in the enemy’s line quickly, but unable to hold ground. As governor of Saint-Domingue, he would not have ships of the line at his disposal. Therefore, his ability to protect the trade on which France depended would be limited. If the British used ships of the line to take troops to Saint-Domingue, he would be unable to prevent them from landing. Could there be any way to acquire more ships? He knew that the French Navy was unwilling to risk sending ships of the line to these waters. Frigates like Railleur might capture prizes, but they would not be able to defeat a ship of the line, even if they were lucky enough to catch one sailing alone. Saint-Domingue had wood in abundance. The colony exported timber to France. But the colony’s harbours were trade ports, they were not military dockyards capable of building warships of any size.

    De Bellecombe remembered his conversation with his son and Captain Mercier. His son had suggested recruiting free Africans as militia. This had prompted the general to have an idea of his own. He felt uncomfortable about the threats which his soldiers would face: a potential British attack, yellow fever on the coast and plains and escaped slaves in the mountains. There seemed to be no way to acquire the ships of the line which would be needed to prevent a British landing. There was no way to prevent outbreaks of yellow fever. The only situation which he seemed to have the power to change was the threat from the escaped slaves. He had no idea how many Free Men were living in the mountains. Rochambeau’s military camps in the mountains seemed to have had little effect on them.

    Since Rochambeau had tried fighting the Free Men, perhaps de Bellecombe could try talking to them instead? Sending an emissary to talk with them might give him an idea of their numbers. Instead of enemies, the Free Men might even become allies? When he served in the French and Indian War, de Bellecombe had served alongside Huron-Wyandot men, the native allies of the French. He remembered the surprise attacks in forests which they had used to inflict terrible losses on British soldiers marching in column. If the Free Men could fight like the Huron-Wyandot, then perhaps he could have strong allies in Saint-Domingue, men who could use the land to turn the tide of battle. Perhaps … Guillaume de Bellecombe watched the evening sun sink towards the sea and wondered what the future would bring.



    The following morning, as Guillaume, Angelique and Jean-Paul walked to the great cabin of the Railleur for their first meal of the day, they met a lieutenant who told them that the British ships had been seen again in the distance. While Moïse and his brother Aaron served breakfast, the general’s aide, Mercier, burst in. He was in a state of high excitement.

    “Please excuse my intrusion. The four British ships of the line are ahead. But they are not approaching us - they are joining a large British fleet. The captain has counted at least thirty British line-of-battle ships! Their fleet is forming line. It looks as if they are preparing for battle.”

    Guillaume de Bellecombe and his son found the captain on the quarterdeck, observing the two fleets through the telescope. De Bellecome could see a fleet of French ships of the line, sailing to meet the British fleet. The orderly lines of warships met. De Bellecombe saw clouds of smoke and heard rolling thunder, as the warships exchanged broadsides. He was a general, used to being in command. Watching this battle unfold from a distance, he felt helpless, unable to affect the events. In the distance, he noticed dark smudges on the horizon. He asked the captain, “is there land in that direction?”

    “Yes,” replied the captain, “those islands are known as the Saintes.”




    Historical Note

    There was a real Battle of the Saintes in 1782. Before the battle, four British warships were sent to pursue a French ship which had fallen behind the rest of the French fleet - I used this as the inspiration for the Railleur's encounter with the four British ships. The image, above, is from a painting of the battle by William Elliott, a Royal Navy lieutenant, which was here.
    Last edited by Alwyn; September 06, 2015 at 10:57 AM.

  20. #20
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    Default Re: Kite Pèp Mwen An Ale: Let My People Go (Haiti AAR) [updated September 13, 2015]

    Chapter Seven

    “Will you take this frigate to assist the French fleet, captain?” asked de Bellecombe.

    “As you know, it is bad etiquette for a ship of the line to fire on a frigate unless the frigate fires first. If we fire on them, they will hit back at us. Their guns fire a much heavier broadside. This frigate has no place in a line of battle - we would be sinking within minutes if we engaged those British warships. The British have brought 74-gun ships of the line to this fight – and I can see larger warships as well. They are probably 98-gun vessels,” said the captain of the Railleur.

    “Are the ships in the French fleet of equal size?” asked de Bellecombe

    The captain moved his telescope to observe the French fleet before replying, “Yes, our ships are mostly 74s. I can see the Ville de Paris, it’s larger than our other ships. I believe that it carries 104 guns, which might give us an advantage. That is probably the flagship of our fleet. Yes, it is, I can see that the Ville de Paris is signalling the other ships." He then looked puzzled, saying, “That is strange.”

    “What is strange?” asked Jean-Paul.

    The captain said, “For more than a hundred years, British fleets have normally attacked from windward - upwind of their enemies. They call this ‘having the weather gauge.’ But this British fleet is attacking from downwind.”

    “What does that mean?” asked Jean-Paul.

    “When the British attack from upwind, they sail faster, getting their ships into the fight more quickly. Attacking from downwind makes it easier for them to escape – but surely that is not their plan. The British navy does not run away when they have as many ships as their enemy. If our ships of the line want to get away, they will have to tack against the wind – they would sail much more slowly. Perhaps, by attacking from downwind, the British intend not to allow our ships to escape if our fleet is defeated.”

    “Are those signal flags on our admiral’s ship?” asked Jean-Paul, pointing to the largest French warship.

    “Yes,” replied the captain. “Our admiral is signalling for his fleet to come about and sail on the same tack as the enemy. I can see why. Our fleet are sailing into the lee of the island of Dominica, so they will lose the wind. But our ships are not following their admiral’s orders!”

    Soon the captain had more disturbing news. “The wind has changed direction.” He shouted orders to turn the frigate, to maintain its position. “Our ships have been taken aback!” said the captain.

    “Taken aback? What does that mean?” asked Jean-Paul.

    The captain replied “It is a sudden change in the direction of the wind. Our fleet are now sailing into the wind. This pushes their sails back. Our ships have lost momentum. If they are unlucky, their masts could break.” He paused, watching the battle through his telescope. “Our ships are turning to starboard, to catch the wind in their sails. But there are now gaps in our line in several places. The enemy are turning to sail into the gaps. This could go very badly for our fleet.”



    De Bellecombe explained to his son, “Ships are especially vulnerable to fire from the front or rear. When the enemy sail across our line, they will be able to rake our ships. Cannon-balls fired into one end of a ship can smash through to the other, killing sailors and wrecking guns along the way“.

    The captain interrupted, “A British 74 is approaching our flagship. The 74 is not yet in position to fire their broadside.” As the captain said those words, smoke appeared along the side of the British 74-gun ship to which the captain had been pointing. The captain cried, “Inconceivable! The cannon on ships of the line can only fire in a narrow arc. But the British must have modified their ships somehow, to increase their arc of fire!”

    Soon there was more bad news. “Some of our ships are fleeing the battle. Our flagship is still fighting, but it is surrounded by enemy ships. One of our battleships is on fire,” said the captain, "it is the César, I believe, a 74-gun vessel". They could see the plume of smoke from the burning warship. Suddenly there was a flash of bright light, the roar of a huge explosion and a vast cloud of dark smoke.



    The captain of the Railleur was speechless for a moment. He realised that the fire on the French warship must have reached its powder magazine.


    “Are there survivors?” asked de Bellecombe.

    “I can see men in the water,” replied the captain. “This frigate is fast. The British ships probably won’t fire on us, if we hold our fire. I am going to take the Railleur in to rescue those men.” Hearing this, one of his lieutenants started to shout orders, getting the frigate ready to rescue the survivors who had escaped the burning warship. “This is dangerous. It would be bad etiquette for the British ships of the line to attack us, but their captains might be eager to take a prize. Approaching a burning ship is risky – the fire might spread to this ship. I will signal our troop ship to stay in this area - there is no need to send both of our ships into danger. If you wish, you and your family could board a rowing-boat and transfer to the troop ship before we rescue those men.”

    “That would delay the rescue. We will remain on this ship,” said de Bellecombe. “I suggest that you send a signal the troop ship, asking them to inform the surviving French warships that they would be welcome in the port of Cap-Français, in Saint-Domingue.

    “As you wish,” said the captain, who instructed his officers to send the signal and then ordered, “Take us in.”


    Historical Note

    This chapter is based on a historical sea battle, the Battle of the Saintes, which happened in near the island of Dominica in the West Indies in 1782. The images from the Battle of the Saintes in this chapter came from here. The first painting is The Battle of the Saintes by Thomas Whitcombe. The second painting is The end of the César , by François Aimé Louis Dumoulin.

    The Battle of the Saintes was a major historical battle towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, in which the French were allied with the United States. This battle happed months after the British defeat at Yorktown. The British victory here prevented a French attempt to invade the British colony of Jamaica. For the Battle of the Saintes, I used Ben Wilson’s excellent book Empire of the Deep: The Rise and Fall of the British Navy (Phoenix 2014) as well as the Wikipedia page on the battle. Ben Wilson’s book explains that the British navy normally attacked from upwind (known as ‘having the weather gauge’) from the mid-17th century onwards. However, in this battle, the British admirals chose to attack from downwind (the ‘lee gauge’).

    Before this battle, a French ship of the line, Zélé, collided with the French flagship, the Ville de Paris. The Zélé was damaged and fell behind. Four British ships of the line were sent to catch the Zélé (they are the four ships which appeared in the previous chapter); they were unable to do so, and re-joined the British fleet: Wilson 2014 pp. 368 to 369.

    Some British ships had been modified to give them a wider arc of fire, as reported in this chapter, which allowed a British 74, the Arrogant, to fire unexpectedly on the French flagship (Wilson 2014: 370).

    The expression “taken aback”, meaning shocked by unpleasant news, came historically from the use of this phrase on sailing ships. Historically, a ship was “taken aback” when a sudden change in the wind direction pushed the sails back against the masts. This caused the ship to lose momentum. There was a risk that the masts might break, which would leave the ship helpless: source

    A French 74-gun ship of the line, the César, did catch fire and its powder magazine did explode. After the battle, the remaining French ships did sail to Cap-Français, in Saint-Domingue, for repairs.

    The French flagship was boarded and the French admiral, the Comte de Grasse, surrendered to Samuel Hood, a rear-admiral who commanded the British vanguard. This made Hood famous. His new fame caused the 24-year old captain of the British frigate Albermarle to request a transfer to the West Indies. This young captain’s name was Horatio Nelson (source: Wilson 2014, p. 372).
    Last edited by Alwyn; September 13, 2015 at 10:59 AM.

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