No. 664.
Mr. Thompson to Mr. Bayard.
Port au Prince Hayti, October 16, 1888. (Received October 26.)
Sir: Nearly every leaf read in Haytian history since the independence of the country is marred by accounts of political strife, where the result has numbered more or less mortality; but never has this history exhibited so baneful a page as that which will recount the causes and effects that must follow the sanguinary conflict of Friday evening, the 28th ultimo, which resulted in the death of General Séide Télémaque and the massacre of many of the bravest men in the Haytian army. On the 17th ultimo commenced the election of constituents from all communes in Hayti, who were to unite at the capital the 10th of this month to elect a President. All other candidates had withdrawn, and there were but two looked upon by the people at large, viz, General Séde Télémaque, of Cape Haytien, and General Denis Légitime, of Jérémie, but a resident of Port au Prince. It appears that on Thursday, the 27th ultimo, news came from different portions of the country that the north, the northwest, and the Artibonite would send a solid delegation in favor of General Séide Télémaque, and that the greater part of the south would be with him. I am informed that already he had the two third majority which is necessary to elect. This news disconcerted the followers of General Légitime; in fact, it seems that enthusiasm for him was only shown in this city. Since the entry of the army of the north rumors have been abroad that there would be a conflict; [Page 925] in fact, it was pushed on by many ordinary people who desired nothing better than confusion. General Thélémaque sent away nearly all of the volunteers that came with him, and remained with a small division from Cape Haytien, from Grand Rivière du Nord under General Bottex, from Limbé under General Rosa, from St. Marc under General Prudo, from St. Michel under General St. Fleur Paul, and from Dessalines under General Boisrond, and these divisions were stationed in different portions of the city. His own command he removed from the corner of this street (rue de Centre and rue de Bonnefois) because it appeared there might be some misunderstanding between his officers and those of the “National Guard,” stationed very near them. To keep from any collision General Thélémaque took a station on “la Place Pétion,” diagonally situated to the Presidential palace. The palace has been ever since the fall of the Salomon Government under the protection of General Anselme Prophète. Although General Thélémaque came into this city followed by an army of nearly ten thousand men, and later took the portfolio of war and navy of the provisional government, so much had the journals teemed with, and the Port au Princiens talked of, this invasion from the north as an attempted menace and furtherance of General Thélémaque’s candidature, that he willingly allowed the greater part of his followers to return to their homes. From the time of his arrival in this city and the showing of his conciliatory attitude toward all political parties, with an apparent endeavor to palliate all past wrongs and to consolidate all factions for the good and well-being of the Republic, he gained most wonderfully the esteem of the highest class of society, and they became his strongest partisans. Notwithstanding the daily reports that he would be attacked, and so forth, although minister of war and navy, he made no preparations for defense and held in with an iron will his adherents from making any demonstration or arrangements for an assault. On Friday evening the disastrous affair occurred. Riding to my residence on the 28th ultimo I passed by that of the provisional minister of the interior, Mr. C Archin, and there in his presence metand saluted General Légitime, who, followed by many friends, said he was going to call on General Boisrond-Canal. When he left us the brother-in law of Mr. Archin requested me to remain at the legation during the night, as he believed in cae of trouble my moral influence would count for a great deal. Not believing that the matter was of consequence, I tried to evade his request, when he said:
Not only as a foreign representative, but as a friend to peace and good order and as our friend I pray you to remain to night.
I consented then so to do, but felt obliged to go home first, and with such understanding I left them. Arriving at my house I gave the necessary orders for the night and returned toward the city.
I passed the palace and was hailed by sentinels stationed behind its walls, but this being no unusual thing and in a country where at one moment or another military movements are made, I thought nothing of the coincidence. Passing the senate, at the side of which was General Bottex’s headquarters, I observed that commander stretched out upon a cot before the door. He was an acquaintance of mine, when senator two years ago, and it was my habit in passing to salute him; it must have been then 7.28 p.m. I stopped, saying in French “Well, general, you are a real military man, I see, quietly reposing before your door.” “Oh, Mr. Minister,” replied he, “dismount a minute; I am glad to see [Page 926] you.” Wishing to question him about the rumors, I dismounted; a soldier held the bridle of my horse; giving my hand to the general, I said:
Tell me, seriously, do you think there is anything in the reports of a movement to-night?
He answered:
I do not believe there will be anything, but I received orders that if we were attacked we must defend ourselves.
Three shots were then fired. I jumped to ward my horse to seize the bridle, but the soldier who had been holding him had let go in order to arrange his rifle. I missed the bridle, and as the three shots were followed by a fusillade, the horse, at liberty and frightened, started off, leaving me helpless at General Bottex’s headquarters. There had been a stampede for a few seconds during this irregular but continuous fire, yet above it all could be heard, in a tone low but penetrating, the voice of General Bottex saying: “Courage, mes amis; pas courrir, mes amis.” He advised me to enter the house, saying he thought it would be over in a few minutes, and then I could make my way to my office; but in the excitement of the moment I found it impossible to remain under cover, so went outside again, when a couple of wounded were brought there. Having some ideas of surgery, but having no instruments, I devoted myself simply to dressing their wounds. This continued until I heard the order given for all the companies to descend the street. Thinking then, should Bottex in an engagement be driven back to his headquarters and a direct attack be made on him there, that my position would become more dangerous, and seeing a light in the upper part of a house on the side, I made my way in such direction amid bullets whistling and falling like hailstones around, but was fortunate enough to reach there, and after some minutes was enabled to enter. There, under fire from the mitrailleuse of the palace, which commenced its death dealing and destructive work about 9 p.m., I passed the night. The heavy cannon from “Fort National” was discharged at intervals during the night in the direction of General Thélémaque’s headquarters, and did considerable damage to people and places near there.
Early in the morning bands of men crying “Vive Légitime” passed through the streets, and there being apparently a suspension of hostilities I started for the legation, and on the route was informed that General Séide Thélémaque had been killed. The following is the narration of General Thélémaque’s death as given me by his friend and private secretary: Friday, in the afternoon, after having made a tour of the city, General Séide Thélémaque entered his quarters, ate a little in company with Generals Jean Jumeau, Jean Gilles, and Mr. Desroches; after this he made a call on General Bottex, followed by several officers of his staff and some volunteers, passed the palace, where the guard turned out giving him the honors due his position; on his return General Boisrond-Canal rode up to him and proposed that he take a turn in the city but he declined, having recently returned, being fatigued, and his horse being already unsaddled. General Canal expressed his regret and started off in the direction of the division of General Rosa. General Thélémaque went up to his chamber, descended a few moments after; the table was prepared for supper as ordinarily; certain demonstrations of hostility had been made all the afternoon by those at the palace, which caused General Thélémaque to send for General Anselme Prophete three times, but who in turn paid no attention to his request. At 7.30 p.m. exactly, the first shots were fired, which continued all night. About 9 p.m. General Thélémaque came out and approached the palace, [Page 927] trying to pierce the darkness, in order to perceive the situation of those firing upon him, when the mitrailleuse belched forth a volume of fire and lead; he pressed his hands to his abdomen and said, “Nelson, they have cut through my entrails.” He was assisted into the house, where all care was taken of him until they were forced to leave there on account of the terribly destructive fire of the mitrailleuse. He died in Mr. Desroches’s arms. I must here remark that it seems a fact that all of Thélémaque’s generals charged with divisions turned against him, with the exception of General Bottex, who, with his men, fought all night long and against great odds, being surrounded on all sides. The result of so many slain will re-open that ancient hatred between the North and South of Hayti.
Saturday, the 29th ultimo, I sent via Santiago de Cuba, in care of our consul there, the following cablegram:
State Department,
Washington:
Partisans of Thélémaque and Légitime in battle from 7.30 p.m. to 6.30 a.m., 28th instant. Thélémaque killed. We fear immediate vengeance from the Northerners.
Thompson.
A great question is made regarding who was the attacking party, who was the attacked; yet every one knows perfectly well, in the first place, it would have been foolhardy for an ordinary military man to take and remain in such a position as Thélémaque had if he would resort to arms. The palace is surrounded by a high stone wall, on top of which are high iron pickets; a piece of cannon would have been necessary to open up an entrance, and Thélémaque had no cannon. Many were killed and a great many badly wounded; there are no reliable statistics. Mr.G. G. Taylor, an American citizen, found himself between the palace and the forces of General St. Fleur Paul; he took refuge in a house, and while standing behind the door hoping for a lull in the firing, a bullet coming from the direction of the palace passed through the door, struck him in the leg, glancing off the tibia bone, and making a severe and painful wound.
The minister of the interior of the provisional government gave his resignation Monday, October 1, and notwithstanding the entreaties of the other members he maintained it, for a general amnesty was proclaimed by the members of the provisional government on Saturday, the 29th ultimo, but on Monday, the 1st instant, armed parties went around paying up old political and personal grudges, and several people were murdered and others forced to flee to legations and consulates to save their lives.
The minister of agriculture and police, General Hyppolite, a citizen of Cape Haytien and intimate friend of the deceased Thélémaque, remained in office until he could distribute permits of departure to as many of the Northerners as possible; then he quietly went on board the German steamer as if to see his nephew off for the cape, wrote his resignation and sent it ashore.
We are in a most dreadful state of anarchy, and at any moment the situation may become as a reign of terror. To-day, in Hayti, particularly in Port au Prince, is likened to France in 1789. Already dissensions are talked of between Boisrond Canal, Légitime, and Anselme Prophète. The North has sent a proclamation laying the death of Thélémaque and his followers to the personal account of Légitime.
The afternoon before the battle Légitime sent his family from his house, closed it, and went to the office of arrondissement, where he spent the night.
[Page 928]Saturday after the disaster the French minister, in company with the British consul-general, called upon General Légitime, and it is reported that they congratulated him on his success.
It is reported that from Cape Haytien, the northwest, the Artibonite to Gonaïves have taken up arms, it is presumed, with the intention of marching on to Port au Prince. October 4, news came from Jacmel that one named Merisier, with a band of mountaineers, drove away the generals of the arrondissement and place, who took refuge in consulates. Merisier and his men proclaimed themselves in revolution against those remaining in the provisional government. Daily one is affrighted by narratives of some homicide or other atrocity, and accidents causing death are of daily occurrence. No life is without great danger in the city or near the city limits. No one can foresee when this terrible state of affairs will cease. Everybody is anxious, and many have left here, while others have sent their families to the neighboring islands so as to be in places of security.
On the evening of the 11th instaut the Haytian man-of war Toussaint l’Ouverture left this port for Gonaïves and St. Marc, taking soldiers and volunteers on board, also General Jean Jumeau, ex-commander of the arrondissement of Gonaïves, and General Prudo, who had been governor of St. Marc; there were rumors concerning the latter city also, which they consider the key to the north, the northwest, and the Artibonite, being in arms against the provisional government. On the vessel arriving at St. Marc the people on shore fired the alarm, gave adhesion to the revolution proclaimed at Cape Haytien, and when those on board the war vessel attempted to disembark they were chased back with cries a bas les Port au Princiens.” The vessels returned here, and during the night of the 13th a dispatch was sent me to Vice-Consol General Terres, from the foreign office, which I did not receive until the following morning, Sunday; copy of such dispatch I herein inclose marked with translation A and B, respectively. You will observe therein that the intentional departure of these two war vessels was to bombard Gonaïves and St. Marc.
On the 16th instant I received a dispatch from the Haytian foreign office informing me that the cities of Cape Haytien, Gonaïves, and St. Marc had been placed in a state of blockade; inclose copy with translation of such dispatch marked, respectively, D and E, also my reply, wherein I accept such information, but with all reserve as to the detriment of United States citizens by such measures being taken, marked F.
I have, etc.,