Rivière d'Islet is a watercourse in the southern Haiti city of Les Cayes. This river flows through the plain of Les Cayes. It poses significant dangers during the rainy season.
History[]
Near the mouth of the Islet River is Fort d'Islet, located in Les Cayes.
• On July 14, 1793, the royalists of Les Cayes, in revolt against the authority of the civil commissioner, seized the city after having been driven out. General Rigaud called together the freedmen and attacked Badolet, one of their chiefs, at five o'clock in the afternoon. They fought all night, and the next day, at ten o'clock in the morning, the freedmen stormed the fort of Islet. Badolet and Mouchet, the two leaders of the revolts, fled to Jérémie. The royalists reunited again and marched against General Rigaud. The latter came out of Fort de l'Islet and defeated them near the Place des Tanneurs.
• On August 28, 1796, Lefranc, commander of Saint-Louis, was arrested. He escaped from the hands of the French officers who were taking him aboard the corvette l'Africaine, reached Fort de l'Islet and had the alarm gun fired there. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. The entire black and yellow population of Les Cayes responded to his appeal against the authority of the delegates of the civil commissioners. General Desfourneaux and the delegate Rey embarked for Gonaïves in front of this demonstration. A young black man named Edouard, who was doing propaganda in the countryside for the delegation against colored men, was shot at the fort.
• On May 2, 1869, Fort de Islet was bombarded by the ships of President Salnave, but it responded vigorously. The government troops, landed at the mouth of the Islet River, establishing themselves near the fort. On May 24, they seized it, but the Cacos took it back.
• On May 2 and 3, 1869, the mouth of the Ilet River was the site of a landing by the troops of President Salnave, who were en route to engage the Cacos of Les Cayes.
Îlet Longuefosse[]
• On August 7, 1869, a fierce battle occurred at the Îlet Longuefosse settlement, situated at the mouth of the Islet River. This battle involved the Cacos of Les Cayes and the Piquets, with the latter ultimately being repelled.