Ville de Léogâne is an area of Léogâne, Haiti centered along Grand Rue and covering the downtown area of the city. The area is a market district locale and also includes the City Hall, the Léogane Municipal Library, several churches, including Église Sainte Rose De Lima, whose 500-year-old parish committee celebrates the year with its patron saint, who in 1610 replaced Santa Maria de la Vera Paz, and numerous businesses, including supermarkets, boutiques, and hotels. A memorial to the Queen Anacaona along with various monuments can be found in the vicinity. It is served by a Route Nationale 2 access road which links it to nearby communities
City Hall
Queen Anacaona
History[]
Léogane was founded as a third class municipality, established by the law of 1913, and served as the capital of the tributary district that carried its name. It encompassed 15 rural sections:
| Sections of historic Léogâne | Dessources (1st), Petite-Riviere (2nd), Grande-Riviere (3rd), Morne Chandelle (4th), Petit Boucan (5th), des Orangers (6th), des Parques (7th), Beausejour (8th), des Citronniers (9th), Fond d'Oie (10th), Gros Morne (11th), Cormiers (12th), Petit Harpon (13th), Fond de Boudin (14th), and Palmiste-a-Vin (15th) |
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On January 5, 1925, The Moniteur published the Order dated October 22, 1924, which defined the respective boundaries of the communes of Port-au-Prince and Léogâne. The municipal boundary of Port-au-Prince reached into the sections of Petit Boucan and Morne Chandelle, with the Parques section serving as the dividing line.
Léogâne's 15 rural areas were further subdivided into 1,663 localities. This included the district of Gressier located in the rural section of Morne Chandelle, as well as Fort Ca-Ira within the rural sections of Grande and Petite Rivière, which functioned as a port for the municipality's products. By the 20th century (1900), the population stood at 20,000 individuals, with a deputy representing the area. The town itself had a population of 3,000 residents, referred to as Leoganais.
In the year 1506, following the torture of Quenn Anacaona of Xaragua kingdom (sister of King Bohechio, whom she succeeded, as well as the widow of Caonabo, the King of Maguana, who was murdered in Santo Domingo) Ovando, having completed the conquest of the Xaragua tribes, aimed to establish a naturally fortified location for a city. To the East-Southeast, approximately 8 kilometers from the Indian village of Yaguana, the settlement of Santa-Maria-de-la-Vera-Paz began to emerge. Finding the position less favorable than they thought, the Spaniards abandoned this city, whose remains are no longer visible. It was then that they established, on the very tip of Yaguana, Santa Maria del Puerto (Saint-Marie du Port).
The second city quickly surpassed the older one, which was destined for destruction. In 1606, it was ordered to be demolished by the Spanish court. It was not until approximately 1633 that a significant group of buccaneers began to inhabit its ruins. Initially, they established a settlement in l'Estere and another in Petite Riviere. These two communities eventually merged, giving rise to a moderately sized town known as Leogane, a name derived from a distorted pronunciation of the indigenous term Yaguana.
The Spanish presidio during Adelantalos era served as a refuge for buccaneers and a trading hub for the Dutch. Leogane, a significant city within the French colony, functioned as the center of its administration until the government was relocated to Port au Prince, which is situated 8 leagues away, as stipulated by the laws of April 15, 1817, and November 20, 1821.
Leogane was built in the heart of a picturesque plain just 2.1 kilometers from the coastline, connected by a magnificent main road that was once lined by residences. The area consisted of 25 blocks of different sizes and looked like a rectangle from above, with the longer sides measuring 800 meters and the shorter ones 648 meters. There were fifteen streets and many unpaved alleys that divided the blocks.
During rainfall, the sandy soil absorbs water in various locations, while in other areas, it tends to stagnate. The annual precipitation measured 1,354 millimeters.
In 1789, the town had 280 houses and showcased a remarkably elegant architecture. Its church was noted for its beauty, spaciousness, and airy design; it housed the tombs of Mr. Auger, a governor, and Mr. Larnage, recognized as the most capable and honest governor of the colony, who passed away; the 1st in 1706 and the 2nd in 1746, respectively.
The hurricanes that occurred in 1741, 1751, 1765, and 1768 inflicted significant destruction. In 1765, a series of ten fires erupted following the storms.
Reduced to ashes by the fire started by the independents in 1802, the city has never since regained its original prosperity. The new church, built during the time of Soulouque on the old church's site, is heavy, massive, and has the resemblance of a giant coffin, topped with a mansard roof. Efforts have been ongoing to enhance its appearance. It is under the patronage of Saint Rose of Lima whose feast is celebrated on August 30. In 1892, the government allocated $1,000 for a presbytery. The Masonic lodges in the Orient of Leogane, under the Grand Orient of Haiti, include Humanite No. 12 and Zealots of the Truth No. 49.
The route from Leogane to Grand Goave had long been conveniently navigable by car. Each year, Leogane produced approximately 3,000,000 pounds of coffee, 5,000 pounds of cotton, and 2,000,000 pounds of campeche, in addition to various goods including tafia, aissantes, ginger, syrup, wax, honey, mahogany, timber, pisquettes, sardines, and dried and salted fish. Port au Prince served as the primary export destination, where the J. Simmonds factory specialized in the mechanical processing of coffee.
The region enjoys a mild and healthful climate, with a sea breeze typically blowing from the northwest or north in the Gulf of Leogane area.
The local flora includes rock crystal, western pines, and West Indian oaks. Notably, this municipality is home to the cave of Anacaona, the queen of Xaragua.
The garrison comprises the 21st line infantry regiment, an artillery company, the national guard both on foot and mounted, an administrative police unit, and rural police forces.
The port of the city is located in the neighborhood of Ca Ira, which was once protected by a port of the same name, previously known as La Pointe, and currently in a state of disrepair.
The State had established multiple sites within the town of Leogane, particularly along the streets of Anjou, de la Croix, des Fosse, and Grande Rue, which were occupied by farmers, some of whom were not in residence. Furthermore, the commune contained four habitations, totaling 100 squares of land, that were occupied, with the annual rent reaching $176.50 in 1878.
The vacant properties of Lemaire, Buteau, l'Acul or Beauharnais, Dufort, Momance, Morel, and Latourde, had been offered for sale under the Senate law enacted on March 16, 1812, aimed at re-establishing a national currency.
Additionally, the sugar plantations known as Lassale, Grande Place, Boniot, Mithon, Nolivos, Brache, Barbeau, Masson dit Segrettiere, Cassagne, Macomba, Aubry, Mariany, and Mercery, along with the Pères Brignol coffee plantation, were also placed on the market by the law of March 10, 1814, to enhance agricultural practices and increase land ownership.
By the Senate law of November 4, 1812, President Pétion received the Momance sugar plantation as a national gift, along with the property referred to as Saint-Mennin, which had previously belonged to this estate, as compensation for the damages inflicted by the Grande Riviere on the Momance plantations. For several years, the municipal council of Leogane had managed its affairs independently of the State, with its revenues deemed adequate. During the budgetary period of 1885-86, its income totaled $1,646.80, while expenditures were recorded at $1,607.14. In the first three quarters of 1891-92, revenues reached $1,739.60, with expenses amounting to $1,685.84.
The establishment of the post office in 1826 marked the beginning of a scheduled courier service, with departures from Léogane every Tuesday and Friday at 2 a.m. for Jacmel. Additionally, the courier would leave on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. to return to Léogane, bringing back packages destined for Port-au-Prince, the northern regions, and the eastern part. Presently, mail from Port-au-Prince arrives in Léogane on Sunday mornings, subsequently continuing to Grand-Goâve, Miragoâne, and other southern locations. The return mail to Léogane occurs on Friday evenings. Furthermore, another courier departs Léogane on Sundays for Jacmel following the arrival of the Port-au-Prince courier and returns to Léogane on Thursdays to await the incoming courier from the South.
The Grande Rivière de Léogane, or Momance, originates from the same aquifer as the Gosseline River in Jacmel. It springs from the Black Mountains of Morne la Selle and is formed by the confluence of three rivers. This river irrigates the Léogane plain as well as Rouillonne. The indigenous peoples referred to it as Yuna and Guaria. During the presidency of Boisrond Canal, a Frenchman named Mr. E. Gros sought to secure a concession for the iron mines in Léogane. On October 14, 1909, the rails of the railway, which had begun construction at Carrefour five months earlier, were laid in Léogane by Engineers L. Gentil Tippenhauer and Maximilien.
Monseigneur de Toussaint Pierre was Duke of Léogane in 1849 during the Empire.
On May 28, 1924, the Council of State passed a law that separated Gressier from Léogane, making it part of the Port-au-Prince municipality.
In 1896, Mr. L. Gentil Tippenhauer conducted a geological study in Gotha focusing on the Léogane area.
High-quality bitumen was discovered just under two miles from the coastline.
The plains surrounding Léogane and the adjacent regions seem to present a promising opportunity for the identification of oil reserves substantial enough to warrant detailed scientific investigation.
In 1924, the Department of Public Works drilled an artesian well in Léogane, which yielded a flow rate of 300 gallons per hour. A bacteriological analysis of this water indicated that it was significantly superior to standard water, showing only 5 millionths of chlorine and no detectable nitrites.
Historical Context: The account of how Ovando, the island's governor, orchestrated the massacre of the Indians in Léogane is as follows: In 1506, he departed from Santo Domingo with 300 arquebusiers and 200 Spanish cavalry, establishing a camp in the Yaguana plain (Leogane). Queen Anacaona welcomed him without suspicion and organized Indian festivals to show her friendship. In return, Ovando proclaimed a celebration accompanied by trumpets and music. One lovely morning, the entire Indian community gathered in the plain, eager to witness what they believed to be a grand spectacle. At a predetermined signal, the Spaniards launched an attack on the Haytians, resulting in a massacre and the capture of the queen, who was subsequently taken to Santo Domingo and hanged shortly thereafter.
- On December 27, 1722, following a revolt by the inhabitants of Saint-Domingue, the governor Sorel was apprehended; these disturbances were eventually resolved by a treaty signed in Léogane between the governor and the Intendant, Mr. de Montholon, on one side, and the rebelling citizens on the other.
- In 1789, Labuissonnière, a mulatto, submitted a petition advocating for the inclusion of his fellow men in the assembly of Port-au-Prince. However, he was compelled to go into hiding to evade the wrath of the white populace, who sought to lynch him. Acting on the counsel of Peinier, the colonial governor, his parents willingly took his place as prisoners to quell the anger of the whites. They were presented before the Léogane committee, where they were made to appear barefoot and bareheaded, forced to bow before their oppressors and seek forgiveness. The committee further degraded them with a scathing address, stating, “Ungrateful and vile creatures, you believed you could sit among your masters and benefactors.” Ultimately, they were released, leaving without voicing any objections.
- In 1792, the Léogane area suffered greatly at the hands of a Spanish figure known as Romaine Rivière, who had assumed the title of prophet, asserting that he was the godson of the Virgin Mary. He signed himself as Romaine the prophetess and, through the use of superstition, exerted control over the groups of enslaved individuals he had gathered in the mountains. He conducted mass, inflicted various forms of torture upon the white population, and claimed that these actions were directed by the Virgin. The town of Léogane was perpetually subjected to his wrath. Labuissonnière, the captain general of the colored citizens of Léogane, chose to ally with Romaine rather than acknowledge the authority of Port-au-Prince, where Pralato, a Maltese sailor, held sway. However, the brutality of Romaine's followers, characterized by pillaging, theft, and murder, prompted the freedmen to appeal to civil commissioner Saint-Léger for the dispatch of 500 troops for their protection. Saint-Léger was unable to secure assistance from the Port-au-Prince municipality, which refused to aid the mulatto population. Consequently, he reached out to Beauvais and Pinchinat, who sent a battalion of freedmen from Croix-des-Bouquets to Léogane, where Saint Léger met them. On the night of March 11 to 12, 1795, Romaine the Prophetess and her lieutenant Courlonge launched an assault on the city. They invaded, looted, and seized the cannons and ammunition. The battalion of freedmen counterattacked, reclaimed the cannons, and drove them away. Sinclair, a man of color, led a detachment that assaulted Romaine's camp at Trou-Caffi, scattering his forces and thereby liberating Léogane from the tyranny of this charlatan.
- On March 12, 1792, Romaine la Prophetesse who committed so many crimes in the canton of Leogane, had her headquarters at Trou-Coffi, a habitation located in the heights of Léogâne. Sinclair, a colored man, sent against her with force, by Commissary St-Leger, assailed her, disbanded her band, and nearly took her prisoner. From then on, Léogâne was delivered from the fury of this impostor.
- On May 21, 1793, Pétion valiantly defended Fort Ça-îra against the English forces commanded by Admiral Parker.
- In November 1793, Captain Smith, acting on behalf of King George, took control of Léogane, which was handed over to him by Labuissonnière, the mayor, and Tibi Salec, a white military officer. The English reinstated slavery there. In response to the grievances voiced by the men of color regarding their mistreatment by the English, André Rigaud advanced from Les Cayes and captured Léogane on June 5, 1794.
- On March 18, 1795, English Admiral Forbes and Montalembert left Port-au-Prince with 5,000 troops and advanced on Léogane, where 800 republicans led by Renaud Desruisseaux were stationed. Forbes surrounded the town, commanding the left side of his forces at Dampuce. On the 21st, an attack on Fort Laroche, commanded by Dupuche, pushed back the English army, which lost two cannons and was chased to the Bossan plantation.
- As night fell, the English received reinforcements of 2,000 men from Port-Républicain (Port-au-Prince) and were preparing to launch another attack on Léogane. However, upon learning of Rigaud's approach from Petit-Goâve, General Forbes lifted the siege and retreated to Port-au-Prince.
- In 1800, after the civil war and the departure of Rigaud, there were 300 black and mixed-race prisoners from Rigaud's party in Léogane. They were taken to a remote area near the city and were brutally killed.
- When the French expedition arrived in July 1802, Pierre Louis Diane arrested 400 white people in Léogane. They were stripped of their belongings and were slaughtered with sabers by the banks of the Grande Rivière, in the same place where Dessalines' soldiers had executed hundreds of colored men after Rigaud's fall. As the French approached Gressier, Pierre Louis Diane and Larose looted the city. The church of Sainte-Rose was spared. Pierre Louis Diane ordered Captain Sterling, a man of color, to plunder it. When Sterling reached the entrance of the Lord's temple, he trembled violently. He hesitated, not daring to enter. Eventually, under the pressure of the military order he received, he knelt down, commanded his soldiers to do the same, and cried out, raising his arm towards the heavens: "My God, I am a junior officer, sent by my colonel to commit a sacrilege; I ask for your forgiveness and hope you will only hold accountable the one who commanded me to violate your sanctuary."
- He commanded his company to remain in a kneeling position, entered the church alongside two officers, and proceeded to remove the Holy Sacrament, along with all gold and silver artifacts, which he then delivered to Pierre Louis Diane. Diane subsequently loaded these treasures onto a mule and sent it towards Jacmel.
- The following day, when the ship Argonaute arrived at Léogane, Larose and Pierre Louis Diane had the general beat and incinerated the city.
- The soldiers detonated Fort Ça-Ira, prompting the entire population to flee to Cabaret-Quart. The French colonel d'Hevenin made his entrance into the city on Febrary 11, 1803.
- Beauséjour, a man of color, was the first to signal the uprising against the French in Léogane in March 1803. In December of the same year, Cangé, a former officer under Rigaud, declared himself the leader of the insurgents in Sarrebousse and launched a vigorous assault against the French forces. He successfully pushed them back into Léogane, which he then besieged. Despite his efforts, he was unable to seize control of the city, which was strongly defended by Commander Laucoste. Nevertheless, he stationed enough troops around Léogane to prevent the French from advancing into the surrounding plains and then shifted his focus to the southern front. After failing to cross the Miragoâne bridge, he returned to the Léogane plain at Sarrebouse. On December 14, 1802, he launched an attack on the city, capturing the Bineau post and Fort Ça Ira. The French ultimately evacuated Léogane on June 17, 1803.
- Colonel Labbé, who was in command of a regiment, was the one who planted the tree of liberty in 1804 at the parade ground in Léogane. General Yayou had received packages from Christophe in Léogane through a spy from the North. He had assured President Pétion that he would send the spy to him, but he failed to fulfill this promise and returned the spy without the Head of State's knowledge. On the night of July 23 to 24, 1807, the general faced defeat in Port-au-Prince. The garrison soldiers had rushed to their posts and assaulted him, having learned of General Yayou's intention to visit the President's residence that night with the aim of assassinating him, taking control of the soldiers, and handing the city over to the enemy led by Pierre Toussaint du Boucassin from Arcahaie. The general officers and other high-ranking military leaders surrendered to the government, but General Yayou did not show up. Instead, he retreated to Léogane, where the 21st demi-brigade was stationed. He issued an order to the 24th demi-brigade, which was stationed behind the government and in the barracks, to join him; however, they refused. Consequently, Yayou executed a rotation and departed Port-au-Prince with the 21st demi-brigade. President Pétion dispatched the 3rd and 12th demi-brigades in pursuit of him, but Yayou managed to reach Léogane before they could catch up.
- Patrols were dispatched to chase after them. Jean Charles Cadet was captured in the Cul de Sac area while trying to enter Arcahaie. Yayou escaped to the Léogane mountains, close to Fort Campan. Realizing he was about to be caught, he took drastic action and offed himself. His accomplices—Chervain, Sanglaou, Jourdain, J. C. Cadet, Romain, and Avril—were handed over to a military court, where they received death sentences and were executed.
- Léogane served as a prison for General Paul Romain, who arrived from the Cape on the orders of President Boyer, accompanied by his entire family aboard the state coast guard vessel Franchise, on April 16, 1821. General Romain had previously been involved in a conspiracy in Gonaïves in February 1821. In response, the 1st and 2nd infantry regiments mobilized in Cap-Haitïen at the Place du Champ de Mars, demanding the disembarkation of General Romain and his retention in Cape Town. The president deployed significant military forces against the insurgents, who, surrounded on all sides and struck with terror, laid down their arms, begging for forgiveness. The principal leaders faced punishment for their actions. The following year, in August, General Magny, the commander of the Cape district, ordered the arrest of Jacques Pierre Lamothe, who was sent by Romain, to test his loyalty to the government. He was sent to the President. Upon learning of his envoy's arrest, Romain attempted to flee from Léogane, which had become his prison. General Gédéon commanded his capture. Romain resisted arrest and positioned himself to confront armed force, ultimately dying in the struggle. As a soldier and one of the signatories of Haiti's declaration of independence, he chose to be remembered for his bravery and defiance rather than submit to judgment. General Romain had fought valiantly for his nation, yet he had come to believe that he was capable of governing it.
- On Sunday March 12, 1843, the popular army confronted the forces of President Boyer’s government in the Léogane plain. The leaders sought to negotiate, but a cannon fired from the revolutionary side, prompting a response of a platoon fire from the enemy. The foot guard followed suit. The right column, commanded by Colonel Paul Bayard, joined the revolution with cries of: Long live the popular army! President Boyer's army had lost 100 men, and that of the revolution a dozen.
- Colonel Terlonge, General Mirault, battalion chiefs Balancé and Villevaleix, seeing the government's cause lost, took the road to Port-au-Prince with the remains of their columns.
- This confrontation effectively paved the way for the revolution to enter the capital. On March 13, 1848, President Boyer, along with his family, departed Port-au-Prince aboard the British war corvette Sylla, heading for Jamaica.
- In September 1845, General Pierre Paul, the leader of the Riviériste party, was beaten at Léogane by Terlonge. Following the downfall of this faction, there were numerous summary executions carried out in Léogane, Gressier, and at the Thor bridge.
- In the years 1868 and 1869, Léogane became a battleground during the Cacos insurrection against President Salnave, marked by intense and violent confrontations. Crispin Nègre, acting on behalf of Salnave, inflicted considerable bloodshed across the nation. Captured following the revolution's success, he was executed on February 14, 1880, in Port-au-Prince, alongside Delegrand Lindor, another leader loyal to Salnave, who had previously served as the jailer of the capital's prison and was responsible for the deaths of Bianc Iolette, Gélin, and others.
Ca Ira[]
Ca Ira is a small village located a league from the center of Léogâne, and placed on the boundary of the two rural sections of Petite-Rivière and Grande-Rivière.
It has been proposed many times to connect the city center to the village Ca Ira by a tram intended for the transport of passengers, goods and food, but these projects are still sleeping in the boxes.
Fort Ca Ira, which gave its name to the village, was built in 1794 by the English. It is at sea level at 18.5232° N, 72.6499° W. It was formerly known as Fort de la Pointe. Since the foundation of the French Republic, it was given the name "Ca-Ira" which it still retains today. This work was armed with eleven pieces of the caliber of 12 and 18. it's ruins are said to be overrun by vegetation.
• On October 6, 1794, General Riguad came from Les Cayes to Léogâne to attack the English, to whom Labuissonniere, a man of color, and Tibi-Salec, white, had delivered the city. Pétion pointed a battery against the fort. After an hour of fighting, he climbed the ramparts and entered the square, where he raised the French flag. From there forced the English to evacuate.
• On March 21, 1796, the English army surrounding the city stormed Fort Laroche, located at the entrance of Léogâne, and was repulsed with loss by Commander Dupuche. The garrison overthrew the English and took two pieces of cannon from them. The cavalry pursued them to the light ship of the Bossan habitation.
• On December 1802, the independents of Léogane had established an entrenched camp at the Petit habitation that Pétion had fortified. On the 22nd, the French came in force to attack Fort Ca Ira, which Sanglaou abandoned to them. The natives in their flight passed Camp Petit, but Pétion came to reestablish the fight and overturned part of the French column in the marshes of the Petit habitation where they perished in the shooting. After this affair, Geffrard left for the South and Cangé took refuge in Camp Petit.
• On March 16, 1817, the Lemaire property in Leogane was put up for sale in accordance with the legislation enacted that date, which aimed to restore a national currency.
• In 1869, the Turbe habitation was burned by the Piquets.
Neighboring sections
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Rue La Liberte
Ave de la Coloniale
Léogâne. Rue La Liberte at Rue l'Hôpital
Léogâne. Rue La Source
Léogâne. Rue Père-Thévenot
Rue Saint-Laurent
Sandal Stand
• An English fleet, under the orders of Admiral Parker, on March 18, 1796, fired Fort Ca Ira; it consisted of nine buildings: the fregate "Ceres" of 32 guns, Captain Newman; the 16-gun "Lark" sloop, Captain O'Gilly; the fregate "Iphigenia" of 32 guns, Captain Gardner; sloops the Cormorant and the Syrene ; the "Serin" of 16 guns, Captain Guérin; the ships the Swiftsure of 74, the Leviathan of 74, the Africa of 74, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Petion. The Leviathan, the Swiftsure, the Africa, despite a sustained four-hour cannonade against the fort, could not extinguish the fire of this redoubt which was at that time armed of 4 pieces of cannon. Colonel Petion, whose art was well served, replied so adamantly to the fire of Admiral Parker, that before the end of the day the English squadron, taking advantage of an earth wind, broke its embossing line, and went to anchor off. The Leviathan counted five men killed and 12 wounded, Africa 1 man killed and 7 wounded; these two ships had their mats and yards so badly treated that they sailed for Port Royal of Jamaica.
• In July 1802, at the approach of the French towards Gressier, the soldiers of Léogâne blew up Fort Ca-Ira.
• In December 1802, Gérin occupied the Grand-Bassin habitation located in the city of Léogane between the Petit habitation and Fort Ca-Ira, for the self-employed, in order to prevent the French from landing there. On the 22nd, Lieutenant Laucostce, who remained loyal to the French, came to attack Gérin there
• On the December 14 of the same year, Mimi Bode took Fort Ca-Ira from Captain Banglo, commander of the French. Petion had him occupied by Geffrard with the 13th Colonial. Then there was a schooner in the roadstead of Leogane, commanded by a black native named Lafleur, who still held for the French. The schooner threw more balls into the fort, and approached near enough to shoot at the natives who occupied it. Geffrard's arm was shattered by a shot of grape shot and had to be transported to Sarrebousse. Gerin then took command of the fort, left Sanglaou there, and went to settle at Grand Bassin, between Camp Petit and Fort Ca-Ira, in the place where the French could make a landing
• On December 22, the day, the frigate the Franchise , the brig the Lodi and the schooners the Tricolore and the Nanine , loaded with European troops commanded by the captain of Jurrieu vessel, embossed in front of the fort, and began a sharp and deadly fire, while the troops landed at the Acul, a cove not far from the fort. At the same time, the French garrison of Leogane, under the orders of Lancoste, made a sortie against Sanglaou and Gerin by the road which leads to the seaside. The natives were overthrown on all sides, and Sanglaou driven out of the fort.
• In December 1802, Cange, the chief of the natives of the Grand-Goave Heights, came to the Sarrebousse plantation and caused a rally. He was the only officer who had served in the regular troops under Rigaud. The insurgents had not dreamed of organizing themselves into disciplinary bodies. The African system of Lamour Derance reigned among them: they fought without order, in bands. Every time they attacked Leogane, they were repulsed by European tactics, despite their numbers. At Sarrebousse, Cange met with the leaders of the bands of the plain: Mathieu Fourmi, Sanglaou, Pierre Louis. He had a tent pitched for the chiefs, and served them a large meal where there was an abundance of meat, food and tafia. The farmers, for their part, were gathered in groups under the trees, around huge quarters of roasted beef, mutton and pork: they danced the bamboula, sang, ate, drank and got drunk. When all the totes were exalted by the vapors of the tafia, Cange sounded the lambi, and gathered all the bands around the main tent. He climbed onto a stump, and said to the crowd: "My brothers, to wage war on the French advantageously, we must be disciplined, we have to have tactics, that we form ourselves in demi-brigades, and that we give officers and non-commissioned officers."
The bands greeted his words with great cheers. "I name," he continued, "Sanglaou and Mathieu Fourmi colonels; they chose the captains of their demi-brigades." These two appointments were greeted by cries of enthusiasm.
So he organized two infantry corps and a cavalry corps of two squadrons. He appointed the battalion chiefs, and proclaimed Pierre-Louis, an officer of rare intrepidity, squadron leader.
The farmers, most of them drunk, resumed their songs and dances. Cange remained without rank, and the insurgents who did not understand him uttered no cry in his favor. He sang the lambi again, obtained little silence, and said: "I have appointed the colonels, the commanders; I have put each one in his place; what am I myself?" The multitude cried out: "Long live General Cange!" and flowed singing through the woods.
By his skill, Cange became the leader of those then simple but heroic men who were influenced by a brave, daring and intelligent warrior. Marion, Mimi Bode, Heurtelou, Brisson and Colin met in Sarrebouse in Cange. Marion, head of the French defection, was appointed adjutant general, and Mimi Bode head of the brigade. Petion came there too. Cange had been his comrade in arms during the civil war between Toussaint and Rigaud. Cange received him coldly; but soon surrendered to his reasons in favor of Dessalines, and from this interview worked in secret for the father of Lamour Derance. Petion went to join Dessalines at Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite.
When Geffrard was wounded at Fort Ca-Ira, he was transported to Sarrebousse.
The Frenchmen came in good order on December 21, 1802 to land at Leogane. During their disembarkation, most of the women of Leogane had fled this town, and had retired to Sarrebouse under the protection of Cange. This plantation, since the beginning of the insurrection, resembled a small town. There was a chapel where a woman, named Guillaume, sang hymns every day, and taught children the precepts of religion. There was also an abundant market where the cultivators of the hills and the plains gathered, and every Sunday they performed African dances. The natives attacked Leogane on the night of December 9, 1803, and took possession of it from the French. General Marion was born in Sarrebousse on December 2, 1772.
• The Gauvin Habitation, located in the flatlands of Léogâne, within the boundaries of the Grande-Rivière to the south and the Lassale habitation to the north was named after its original owner, Gauvin, a colonist. Gauvin played a significant role in Galbaud's uprising in the Cape on June 20, 1793, against the civil commissioners. He actively participated in the assault on the National Palace, but was eventually repelled by the Freedmen.
• On March 13, 1843, women from Leogane, learning that President Boyer was coming to attack the city, attacked two pieces of large caliber cannon they had taken at Fort Ca Ira, and dragged them into the city to help to repel the head of state.
• The historical facts of Acul de Leogane and Leogane are so closely related to those of Ca Ira, that it is necessary to refer to these words as a complement.
Other Locations[]
The Saint-Mennin habitation was previously part of the Momance. It was given by the Senate by the law of November 4, 1812 to President Petion as a national reward at the same time as the Momance habitation .
Notable figures[]
Léogane is notable for being the birthplace of several prominent figures, including Queen Anacaona, a religious expert, poet and composer, General Bonnet, born on May 15, 1773, General Inginac, General Ségrettier, who was part of the provisional government of 1843, and General Marion, born on December 2, 1772, at the Sarebousse plantation. General Gédéon, who commanded the district under Boyer and passed away in 1827, is also a navtive of this region. Additionally, Diana Rampsay, an author of a geography book on Haiti published in 1849 for educational purposes, dedicated her life to the education of youth. Other notable individuals include the talented poet Ignace Nau, Lamartinière, a hero of Crête-à-Pierrot. Small yet robust, he was a courageous and proud officer who met his end in Matheux, at the Corta plantation, situated in the heights of Arcahaie, while serving in the French ranks.
Marie-Claire Heureuse, also from Léogane, was the daughter of a slave and herself a slave, yet she rose to the position of empress after marrying Dessalines following the Southern War. Possessing a gentle and compassionate heart, she distanced herself from the brutal actions of her husband, often intervening to save numerous victims from his wrath. Notably, it was she who played a crucial role in preserving the life of the young French naturalist, Descourtilz, at Petite Rivière in 1802 during his resistance against the French. Léogane was also the birthplace of several notable figures, including Derenoncourt, Gédéus Gédéon, Cangé, Marion, and Voltaire Chevertelou, who served as a minister under Domingue. Additionally, Exilien Heurtelou, Darius Denis, and Marc Borno, one of the first to resist the French in 1802, were laid to rest in Léogane.
References[]
500 years for the Parish of St. Rose de Lima in Léogâne [1]
Leogane, Haiti [2]