La Ville de Port-de-Paix is the city center of the Northwest Department's principal city Port-de-Paix. Nearly 121,000 people inhabit this area.
Neighboring sections
~~Canal de la Tortue~~ |
|||
West  6e La Corne |
Port-de-Paix |
East 
1re Baudin | |
|---|---|---|---|
 3e Aubert |
Environment[]
Downtown Port-de-Paix
The district has a commercial fabric with residential use. This fabric comprises two types of habitats, ranging from apartments on the first or second floor of shops, offices, and stores to spontaneous housing at the back of courtyards and storage areas of commercial enterprises.
History[]
Fort Laveaux
Located in Port-de-Paix, this fort is named after Governor General Laveaux.
- In 1802, Rene Vincent, at the head of 100 French grenadiers, removed this fort from the soldiers of Capoix who had captured the city.
- In February 1802, a black named Colin, from the Suberby (also called Souverby) habitation served as guide to the French column of General Debelle on the march to fight Maurepas at the Trois-Pavilions. Nicolas Louis, with 40 men, attacked this column at Petite Place Payette, pursued it as far as Trois Rivieres, where he defeated it completely in the river. Colin Suberby was killed in the middle of this river.
- On February 9, 1802, during the arrival of the Leclerc expedition, a French schooner came tacking in sight of Port de Paix.
- On January 8, 1803, the French captured Fort Laveaux with bayonets from the independents.
• On February 9, 1802, as the Leclerc expedition approached, a French schooner was sighted maneuvering near Port-de-Paix. Two parliamentarians, citizens Breton and Bistaret, disembarked in a boat alongside General Maurepas, and demanded that he deliver the place to Captain-General Leclerc, threatening that failure to comply would result in bombardment by the French fleet. Maurepas responded with defiance, stating, "I will only accept your general's forces upon the orders of Governor Toussaint. Until then, I shall fulfill my duty. I declare you both to be my prisoners."
He had them both tied up and taken across the mountains to Gonaïves where Toussaint was located. Their escorts killed them on the way. The following day, February 10, General Humbert, the commander of the French division, entered the harbor aboard the ship of the line, Watigny, after noticing the absence of his parliamentarians. He was accompanied by Captain Gourdon, who commanded two frigates, la Furieuse and la Clorinde, along with several transport vessels. The city's four forts responded by firing red cannonballs at the squadron, which retaliated with deadly fire directed at the fortifications. Citizen Poitevin, a man of color and the borough commander, launched a cannonball from Fort Pageot, situated in one of the elevated districts of the city, which resulted in the deaths of 20 men aboard a French ship. The squadron then attempted to advance, reaching the Canal de la Tortue and signaling for reinforcements. Several other warships came to join it. At the same time, Maurepas ordered the evacuation of the city, prompting men, women, and children to ascend the mountain, transporting ammunition and artillery pieces, while the white bourgeois that followed were also loaded with ammunition.
The Trois Rivières River overflowed. flooding the paths that led inland and made them impassible. Maurepas set fire to the town, starting with his own house. He withdrew to Fort Pageot which overlooks the Canal de la Tortue, to closely monitor the enemy's movements. The squadron anchored half a league from the town, at the mouth of the Trois Rivières. There the French landed 1,800 men: they reached the Paulin habitation and the Coupe Aubert, where Capois engaged them in battle. He was pushed back.
General Humbert marched on Port de-Paix. Maurepas then abandoned Fort Pageot from which he had time to remove the ammunition. Port-de-Paix was the only place where the French were not massacred as the expedition approached. Humbert took possession of the smoking ruins of the city. He made several sorties against Maurepas, camped at the Trois Pavillons, and was repulsed with losses. The failures that Humbert had experienced while fighting Maurepas had astonished the French army. He was one of the illustrious generals of the expedition: under the orders of Massèna, in Switzerland, he had particularly contributed to winning the battle of Zurich. General Leclerc sent divisional officer Debelle to his aid with 1,500 men on February 19. The latter resolved to attack Maurepas despite the advice of Humbert, who had become more cautious by his failures. He set out for the camp of Maurepas with 2,000 men, divided into four columns, on February 20. The French were charged and General Debelle returned to Port-de-Paix in disorder.
After the evacuation of Gonaïves by Vernet and the subsequent occupation of the place by Leclerc, Maurepas, seeing himself on the verge of being surrounded, surrendered to General Debelle 
on February 26. The next day, he entered Port-de-Paix at the forefront of 800 soldiers, with drums sounding, and flags displayed, singing the Marseillaise (the French national anthem). Debelle ordered Maurepas to position his troops along the coastline, aiming at several frigates whose ports were open. The local populace, believing they were facing their final moments, displayed the determination to die heroically, which was evident on their faces, when Debelle ordered rations to be distributed to them.
General Leclerc sent the order to Maurepas to come and join him at Gros Morne. Upon his arrival, Leclerc received him with great respect, upheld his rank of brigadier general, and entrusted him with command of Port-de-Paix.
• On October 7, 1802, Capoix led 1,000 farmers into revolt against the French, successfully seizing Port-de-Paix from the battalion commander Eschenaux. The entire white population capable of bearing arms was was exterminated. The garrison retreated to the Cape by sea under the command of battalion chief Angaut. Capoix showed himself during this war so ruthless towards the Europeans who fell into his power that the French nicknamed him Capois-la-Mort. However, the white women and children were treated with favor by him.
Generals Brunet and Maurepas advanced against him, and recaptured Port-de-Paix. Brunet, emulating Jean-Baptiste Carrier in Nantes, caused the disappearance of hundreds of unfortunate individuals in the Canal de la Tortue. Shortly after, General Leclerc ordered Brunet to evacuate the city. The French forces, along with the entire civilian population, boarded several warships. Upon reaching the Tortue Canal, they disarmed the local inhabitants, stabbed them, and threw their bodies in the ocean. Maurepas was stripped of his clothing and bound to the main mast. He was subjected to flogging. Two division general epaulettes were attached to his shoulders with long nails. A sailor nailed a braided hat to his head. Throughout this ordeal, Maurepas did not utter a complaint, with his wife encouraging him to face death with bravery. He died firmly. His corpse was thrown into the sea.
• Capoix again captured Port-de-Paix on April 11, 1803. In December of the same year, he had the town fortified; at the same time he forced all the farmers and part of his troops to work in the fields. He gave the 9th a 4th battalion. His demi-brigade was made up of 4,000 well-trained soldiers and two horses. Upon the natives' takeover of the city, they discovered the arsenals filled with weapons, ammunition and troop clothing.
Dessalines journeyed from Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite to meet with him in Port-de-Paix, traversing through various neighborhoods in the North.
• On January 8, 1803, General Rochambeau ordered the removal of Capoix from Port de Paix. The naval forces, including the ship Duquesne under the command of Quérangal, the frigate Sybile led by Magendie, the corvette Sandwich, the brig La Aiguille, and the schooner Sophie, presented themselves in front of the city. The squadron, commanded by Quérangal, disembarked troops under General Clausel's command, landing east of Petit Fort amidst a barrage of gunfire that the natives rained on the boats which approached the shore. Capoix successfully repelled an assault on Petit Fort. The French forces launched an attack on Fort Laveaux, which they captured using bayonets, while the sailors took control of the Grand Fort. However, Fort Pageot and Petit Fort remained under native control. Adjutant General Ramel rushed from Laveaux against Pageot, enduring intense fire from Petit Fort, where had his arm shattered by a bullet and was forced to retreat. Clausel renewed the assault, entering the fortification that the natives had abandoned without firing a shot. The squadron concentrated its efforts on Petit Fort, still occupied by the independents. Capoix appeared to be on the verge of destruction from cannon fire and grapeshot, with its artillery rendered ineffective and the fort silent. Meanwhile, Battalion Chief Aubry, in charge of the artillery, established a battery in the town's center that inflicted casualties on the civilians.
Battalion Commander Daulion believed an assault on the fortification was feasible; he advanced towards it, but his grenadiers were overwhelmed at the bottom of the walls. As night fell, the gunfire ceased. Subsequently, Capoix withdrew from Petit Fort without firing a shot, pierced through the enemy lines with his bayonet, and reached the countryside without being worried.
The victorious French forces in the city set sail for Tortuga with their injured personnel, which included two high-ranking officers, Ramel and Dalivert. Numerous French soldiers had lost their lives. Clausel appointed Aubry as colonel and bestowed honorary rifles upon several non-commissioned officers. Captain Quérangal received praise from Rochambeau. After delegating command of Port-de-Paix to squadron leader Daulion, Clausel returned to the Cape.
Jean Louis Rebecca[]
• On May 17, 1807, Port-de-Paix initiated a rebellion against the general in chief 2Christophe, led by Sergeant Jean Louis Rebecca. The movement gained support from Le Borgne, Jean Rabel and Gros Morne , all advocating for the republic of Pétion. Rebecca, born in Port-de-Paix in 1769, joined the 9th half brigade under Toussaint Louverture and fought against the French under Maurepas, eventually becoming a non-commissioned officer in the 2nd battalion. After Christophe's failed attempt to seize Port-au-Prince and his decree against men of color in the North, the 9th brigade expressed their anger, but their leaders quickly silenced them. Rebecca decided to support the Republican government of the West. Following an insurrection in late April 1807 in the Gros Morne area, General Pourcely, who had taken over from General Guillaume in Port-de-Paix, tried unsuccessfully to send troops to suppress it. Despite the officers' objections, Rebecca led the non-commissioned officers and soldiers to Grand Fort, forcing the officers to retreat back to town to Pourcely.
Arriving at Grand Fort with her small troop, Rebecca sends word to General Pourcely to come to him. He presents himself at the foot of the ramparts, Rebecca offers him command of the Insurrection, if he will take sides with them. Pourcely refuses, returns to town and sends to announce to Christophe the events that occurred in Port-de-Paix. The next day, Rebecca brought the two grenadier companies and the two hunter companies into town with the flags of the two battalions. Arriving at the parade ground, he tries to draw the 5th battalion into his party; but not being able to succeed, he withdrew to the fort of Trois Pavilions where the 3rd battalion came to join him in the night. Pourcely, without strength, retired to Jean Rebel.
Upon his arrival at Grand Fort with his small troop, Rebecca dispatched a message to General Pourcely, requesting his presence. He appeared at the base of the fort, where Rebecca extended an offer for him to take command of the insurrection, should he choose to align himself with their cause. Pourcely declined the offer, returned to the town, and informed Christophe about what happened in Port-de-Paix. The following day, Rebecca led the two companies of grenadiers and the two companies of hunters into the town, bearing the flags of both battalions. Upon reaching the parade ground, he attempted to persuade the 5th battalion to join his faction; however, his efforts proved unsuccessful, prompting him to retreat to the fort of Trois Pavilions, where he was later joined by the 3rd battalion during the night. Lacking sufficient strength, Pourcely ultimately withdrew to Jean Rabel.
Upon learning of Pourcely's flight, Rebecca descended from Trois Pavillons accompanied by his contingent, preparing to engage in battle on the parade ground. He was ready to explain why they were fighting when news came that Christophe was leading one column and Romain was leading another towards the Trois Pavilions. Panic gripped the conspirators, and Rebecca could muster only 200 brave souls around him at the Three Pavilions, where he had returned. Romain was already closing in on them. Recognizing the overwhelming odds against them, Rebecca retreated into the woods, where he was ultimately captured after a fierce struggle. Brought wounded before Christophe, he had his head cut off and displayed at the end of a pike at the three Pavilions .
Following the initial reports of the insurrection, the state requested 1President Pétion to honor Rebecca with a colonel's certificate. Unfortunately, this certificate only arrived in Port de Paix after his passing. In recognition of his legacy, the Senate granted a pension to both his widow and mother. Additionally, General Lamarre, a senator, was dispatched from Port-au-Prince with troops to Mole St. Nicolas to support Rebecca's efforts.
• In May 1865, General Voltaire, commanding the district of Port de Paix, made a pact with Salnave and rebels from the Cape. He abandoned the city at the approach of generals Jean Francois and Nissage Saget who were advancing towards him on behalf of 8President Geffrard's government, ultimately capturing Port de Paix on June 1 at 9 PM.
• On October 7, 1878, the Port-de-Paix River experienced a significant overflow, resulting in extensive damage to the town.
• On October 4, 1888, prompted by Cap-Haïtien, Port-de-Paix initiated an uprising against the provisional government following the death of General Seide Thelemaque.
• In October, Port de Paix directed gunfire at the Toussaint Louverture, a government vessel, which retaliated and effectively suppressed the insurgent fire.
Demographics[]
| Year | Population | +/- |
|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 4,000 | |
| 2015 | 121,220 |
References[]
i& That Of The Turtle - Local guide [1]