Fonds-Baptiste is the second communal section of Arcahaie, Haiti.
Mission compound at Fonds Baptiste
About[]
Prior the territorial reorganization, Fonds-Baptiste was originally the 7th section of the commune of Arcahaie.
The Montrouis River takes its source at the Trou-Archin, at the foothills of Fond-Baptiste's fertile mountains.
The mountains of Fonds-Baptiste are very productive.
Grand Place
History[]
The rural section of Fonds-Baptiste, municipality of Arcahaie is noted for Coteaux-Guilhoux Road and habitation of the same name. The horsemen of Destrade, who had succeeded in escaping the French General Pageot by this road, were able to reach the Dessources habitation, in September 1802, starting from the Bartholomew habitation.
• In 1802, one of the leaders of the revolts of the Mornes de l'Arcahaie, Jean Charles Courjol, was hiding at Trou Archin. Every week, he used his retreat and came to give the alarm to Lamartiniére's soldiers who were scattered in the hills.
• During the general insurrection of the natives of this commune against the French in 1802, those of them who had remained faithful to the French and who had embraced their cause met at the top of Morne Fort and joined their brothers in confessing their error, and swearing to conquer or die for freedom. The Artibonite plain was discovered from the summit of Morne Fort.
• In August 1802, General Charles Bélair camped at the Norial plantation, opposite Léger, where General Lavalette came to take position sent by Leclerc de Port Républicain to fight him. The French attacked the natives who, without discipline, rushed towards them shouting for freedom or death. Armed with sticks and knives, they could not break the ranks of the French, and were pushed back. Lavalette wanted to take Charles Bélair's camp and did not succeed. The next day he went to the Leroux habitation. Charles Belair came down in the plain.
• In September 1802, a few horsemen who had been left behind on the Bartholomew habitation by Destrade the gang leader, were taken prisoner by the French general Pageot, and those of them who were able to escape were crossing the Pouilly, Bon Repos and Massac Habitations. and reached Dessources, whence Destrade went to attack Pageot.
• In September 1802, General Pageot encountered a surprise attack at Delpeche while leading his troops against the Fond-Baptiste rebel groups led by Destrade. In order to honor his fallen soldiers, General Pageot sought refuge at the Guénet plantation. However, unbeknownst to him, the rebels had set up a new ambush near Guénet, strategically positioned along the French escape route. Realizing this dangerous situation, General Pageot decided to take alternative routes and made his way to the Créplaine habitation.
• In August 1802, General Charles Bélair turned the farmers of Fonds-Baptiste against the French. The general Lavalette came from Port-Républican to l'Archaie and marched against him, but he soon had to turn back and return to l'Archaie.
• After Charles Bélair was executed in Cap-Haïtien, General Rochambeau gave orders to General Pageot to lead an attack against the rebels. These rebels had chosen their own leader named Destrade, who was known for his exceptional bravery. Pageot and his troops, consisting of 1,200 National Guards and European soldiers, landed at Archaie and made their way into the mountains of Fonds-Baptiste. Upon reaching Fonds-Baptiste, they discovered that it had been deserted. The natives were ambushed at Bois Neuf by Delpeche from Grand Place. Following Destrade, Larose -the leader of the insurgents in the Arcahaie Heights- took control of Fonds-Baptiste for the French.
• In 1802, following the Crète-à-Pierrot incident, Lamartinière, who was fighting for the French against the rebels of the Mornes de l'Arcahaie, encountered Destrade's group near the Guilhoux habitation and dispersed them. He then went back to Arcahaie, appearing quite worried. Lamartinière saw an opportunity for General Dessalines to rebel against the French, and was waiting for the right moment to join him. Unfortunately, he never got to witness this event as he died while serving the French at Matheux.
Leroux Plantation[]
Leroux was previously a coffee plantation. In August 1802, following the battle at Norial, General Lavalette sought refuge at the Leroux plantation. Surrounded by revolting farmers, he retreated to Arcahaie and subsequently returned to Port Républicain. His sudden retreat, with little fighting, revived the courage of the rebels.
In September, the French forces, commanded by General Pageot and influenced by the band leader Destrades, retreated to the Leroux estate. Destrades anticipated that Pageot, frustrated by his inability to subdue the insurgents, would sneak back to Arcahaie at night, just as Lavalette had done after the battle at Norial. He then relocated to the Roche plantation, where he established his headquarters, before moving on to Fond Gondole.
In the depths of night, General Pageot indeed evacuated the Leroux estate, as Destrades had foreseen. He reached the Matheux dyke without encountering any opposition. However, he soon fell into an ambush, resulting in significant casualties among the white forces. He managed to regroup at the Labarre plantation, where he gathered the fleeing soldiers. From Arcahaie, General Pageot, similar to Lavalette, proceeded to Port Républicain.
Lamartinière ultimately triumphed over the rebels in the Mornes of Arcahaie. He established a stronghold at Leroux. After instructing his troops to take decisive action against the brigands, he retreated to Arcahaie. Following his defeat and subsequent death at Cortard, the victorious insurgents took control of the Leroux residence. Larose, their leader, upon learning that Boucare, Lamartinière's lieutenant, was encamped at Cayot, fled from Leroux, decisively defeated Boucare, captured him, and executed him.
On January 8, 1889, a contingent of government forces, commanded by Generals Merisier Charles and Marius André, advanced against the Northerners of St Marc, departing from the Williamson camp and proceeding along the Leroux road towards Fort Guibert.
• On March 30, 1869, the commander of the commune of Arcahaie led an attack on the Cacos military group from Saint-Marc. They found the Cacos camped at the Jora habitation in Fonds-Baptiste and successfully forced them to retreat.
• On January 8, 1889, the troops of President Légitime, heading towards the northerners of Saint-Marc, captured Fonds-Baptiste after seizing the Couyau camp. They then faced the challenging Jeanton Gorge but unfortunately, they were defeated by the enemy forces.
Locations[]
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| André, Barbancourt, Bénitier, Bois-d'Orme, Bois-Nègre-Marron, Ca Compte, Ca Pierre, Ca Pouillan, Couyo, Docot, Dos Marotte, Fond-Baptiste, Grande-Place, Gros-Morne, La Cour Nicolas, La Grenade, Loursil, Maillard, Mirebalais, Nicolas, Perrier, Turin, Williamson. |
Neighboring sections
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Map of 2e Fonds-Baptiste
Williamson[]
Williamson was founded as a military and residential settlement within the commune of Arcahaie, along the coastal Saint-Marc Road. It features a rural school and a chapel. The hamlet was fortified by the English in 1795 and is noted for its charm. The journey from Williamson to Saint-Marc involves traversing a six-league wooded area via a rocky path lined with bayahonde trees, leading to Montrouis. The residents of Williamson are known for their industriousness and proficiency in seafaring. Most of them own canoes and barges, which they operate themselves to various locations across the country to sell their goods, including coffee, livestock, syrup, tafia, and palmettos.
Etymology[]
Williamson's name comes from that of the English General Adam Williamson, former governor of Jamaica, who came to Port-au-Prince in May 1795 with the title of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the possessions of his British Majesty at Santo Domingo: he had succeeded the Brigadier- General Horneck. The men of color, arrested during the civil war of Toussaint and Rigaud in 1799, in Mirebalais, Verrettes and in the neighborhood of l'Artibonite, were reunited at Fort Williamson, the extremity of the plain of Vases, were immolated. During the insurrection of the northerners in 1888-89, the government of General F. Legitime, his post at Williamson, and the rebels established theirs at Montrouis.
• On 8th of January, 1889, the government troops marched from Williamson, by the road of Leroux, to Fort Guibert, occupied by the rebels, and took up a fight: an hour was engaged at Catrefour Robert. In the first days of July, 1889, the Legitimists were repulsed. the Northerners of Williamson's post at that time, Arcahaie was evacuated by Dardignac's forces, who were directed on Saltrou as soon as they reached Port-au-Prince. one of the five cacicats or royales indfeng during the discovery of Haiti. He had his capital in the Plain of Cul de Sac, a place known as the Vieux Bourg. • The cacique Behechio was the sovereign, Queen Anacaoria of this kingdom was, scour de Behechio to which she had succeeded and widow of the cacique Caonabo of vfleoerrz. Mae-nana AP.
References[]
Grande Place - Franck Vilius - LPDG, Local Guide [1]