The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-02 00:00:00

PETIUN'S ATTACK ON ST. MARC REPULSED.

Whilst General Christophe was personally en-
gaged in dispersing the party of marauders who
had effefled in Joly a landing at Port-de-Pain,
Petion bad ordered the whole of the troops which
he could muster to mike an attack on the cordon
between St. Marc and Port-au.Piince. Lieutenant-
General Danz, who commanded the cordon, had
only with him eight battalions to resist the attack of
twenty-one of those of the rebels. He, however,
repulsed them, and put them to the route ; they
loot their colours, the whole of their baggage, 900
muskets, Is drums, and 80 prisoners, besides a
pest number of kill.d and wounded. They were
commanded by a General Bonnet, who was the first
8y; and. after having dismounted, threw himself
into the woods.
The rebels, in another attack in the Mountains of
St. Marc, were defeated in the same manner by Co-
lonel Cibasse, who had already made himself con-
spicuous in defending the same distritas at the time
when Rigaud was waging the same kind of war
against Touissaint, winch Petiun is now waging
against Christophe.
These two affairs have occasioned to the army of
Chriuophe the loss of two Officers distinguished by
their bravery. Colonel Barthelemy, of the Ist re•
g iment of cavalry, and Colonel Longueville, of the
4:11 of infantry.

VICTORY GAINED THE 2sth OF OCTOBER, OVER
THE ARMY WE THE REBELS. BEfruRE ST.
MARC.

After the unsuccessful attack of the 10th of Sep-
timber, another desperate attempt on Sr. Mare was
determined upon, for which all the forces in the
South of Hayti were colleted. The President
having received information of this design. sent, to
reinforce the garrison of St. Marc. three battaltons.
two companies of artillery, and a squadron of ca-
valry. and set off himself from the Cape oo the 43d
of °etcher. On the 24th he tntered St. Marc,
when, without dismounting, he visited all the posts,
reeommitred the positioos of the enemy, and g rye
his orders for a general attack on the following day.
04 the 25th the troops of the North ente•ed St.
Mare at ten o'clock is the morning. The Presi-
dent reviewed all tae .troops on the Place-J*4meg,
and ordered the attack at eleven o'clock.

The rebels occupied ou the left the post of Pivert,
distant only half a mile from the town, where they
had thrown up several entrenchments. They had.
in the same manner., ereEted some works upon the
road leading from St. Mare to Port au Pr ince; ot.
the right, they occupied the position of Florerceau
and the neighbouring hills. Brigadier Thaquoi
Vtgne, and Colonel L'Espekance, wine detached
with three battalions, in order to keep in cheek the
rebels on the right, whilst the left was to be attack.
ed. The Commandant Richer was left in the
town with a battalion as a reserve.

The President divided the troops into two co-
' loons ; the first, with a piece of cannon, was or-
dered to force the road, and storm the entrench-
menu; the second column W4s ordered to turn the
heights, to Hick the rebels, and throw them upon
the road, where the first cokium Ind the cavalry
were ordered to receive then, with vigour. The ca.
rally were drawn up in order of battle, at the dis-
tance of musket shut Irom the enemy, as a reserve.
Soon after the attack was commenced, the entrench-
ment on the road was evacuated by the enemy, who
withdrew to the entrenchments in the heights The
President was in the midst of a shower of halls ;
which were flying in all direflions, and giving his
orders with the greatest coolness.
The second column having, b the mean. time,
reached the heights, under the tire of the enemy, the
rebels were twined, and fled precipitately towards
the road. They were completely put to the rout,
and the cavalry, under Generals Pierre Toussaint
and Cottereau penning them, they were cut to
pieces, and several hundreds made prisoners.
During the engagement, some barges were seen in
the bay, making demonstrations to approach the
road. The President re-entered the town, and or-
dered the General of Artillery, Ambroisa, to make
his preparations in order to receive them : but those
barges carefully kept out of the tango of his guns.
The President went to the right, where Brigadier
Diaquoi Vigne commanded the troops : he ordered
an attack to be made to dislodge the rebels from
their positiou ; but on account of their great supe-
riority of numbers, their, resistance WAS very obsti-
nate, and their fire extremely brisk. The Seventh
Battalion even made a retrograde movement. The
President then ordered Colonel Richer, who bad
been left et St. Marc with a battalion in reserve to
move forward, and support the Seventh, which was
done, and the battle Was re-established. This of-
ficer having proceeded along the shore, turned the
extremity of the line of the rebels ; and from that
moment the ♦i:fovy was decided. The horse guards
came op at the same time, made a charge, and the
Hight became general. The remainder of the day
was employed us searching and securing the prison-
ers, who had concealed themselves in the bushes,
and the underwood, which Pre on both aides of the
road. S I Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels, and
other Officers, with numbers of soldiers, were made
prisoners. The rebels tied from the field of battle.
which they Wt covered with their killed and
wounded. Night coming on, put a stop to the
pursuit, and prevented their total extermination.
The ',Rion' lasted six hours each, dui Mg which
the troops of the North evinced the greatest bravery.
General Diaquoi was wounded in the arm ; Captain
Le Jenne, Atd-de-Camp of the President, had an
eye shot away by a ball; Lieutenant-Colonel Mau-
point, of the hotse•guards was wounded; the two
battalions of the second regiment had made a forced
march of thirty.six leagues in three days, bat their
ardour, notwithstanding their fatigue, was not re-
lented.
On the With, the Generals Pierre Toussaint and
Cottereau continued the pursuit by Montrouis, Les
Verrettes, and Les Matte= The President went
to Montrouis, and ordered that patrol(' 'horrid be
established all along the sea-shore, to interrupt such

the fugitives who shOuld attempt to relch the
barges and canoes which were ready to facilitate
their escape. They-were almost all made prisoners,
perishing with hunger and thirst, and cursing the
traitor who had exposed them to their present mise-
rable situation. Colonel Chibasse, who pursued
then in the mountains, took many prisoners, and
brought off with him their drums and colours.
Their famous General, Senator Bonnet, maintain-
ed his chars ter of cowardice; at the very onset of
the engagement, he withdrew to Mentroins,
some leagues distant from the field of battle, and
left his troops without a Commander.
No enemy being any longer to be seen, the troops
of the North were meet back to their cantonments.
he battalion of the 27th was ordered to take charge
of the-prisoners; mid after having provided thtnne-
cessary succour for the wounded, the President re-
turned with his horse-guards to the Cape, where
he arrived on the 7th of November, and received
the felicitations of the civil and military authorities.
In the evening there was a general illumination.
The report concludes with these word's—
" The friend of humanity, the man who loves his
country, and who obeys the laws, asks himself what
may be the objet of the rebel Petion, when he thus
exposes to certain death the miserable tools of his
ambition ? What would have been the fate of tho►e
unfortunate creatures whom the chance of war put
into the hands of the President, it his clemency had
not spared them, even aftor they had raised their
arms against his person? Why does the cannibal
Petion cause the shedding of so much blood, unless
it be in pursuance of a plan of destruktion, artfully
preconcerted with our implacable enemy, the enemy
of the world, for dirninishiog the popelation of
Hayti ; a design, which was always the favourite
objeft of the French faction, of which Petion is the
secret abettor, and which never sets any value nu
human blood, when shed to gratify their execrable
ambition. (Signed) "Josare RAPNA