Star.
London, England, 1805-08-22 00:00:00

FRAACE.

PARIS, AUGUST 9
The Official Journal has publithed, in ten columns;
the report of the liege of St. Domingo, tranfmitted
by General FRRRAND, to his Excellency the Mini-
fter of Marine. The length of that report precludes
our giving of it more than the following abfiraft
Monreigneur, (lays the General), it is a flatter-
ing circumttancefor me, to have to announce to you
the details of a military event, honourable to the
troops which I command, and very advantageous
to the capital and the colony—l mean the liege of
St. Domingo by the Blacks, with the whole of
their united force—HEAVEN has favoured the aims of
the Empire with great fuccefs. This report s Ail prove
to his Majefty how greatly the free people and the
Army of St. Domingo are devoted to :)%s Majtity."
After this introdrigion, the General eaters upon
the.fobjea. He had long known the intention of
the 'Blacks, and the vaft preparations they were
making,' with the afliftance of the infamous Arne•
ricers traders, who had conilantly provided them in
abundance with every thing neceffary for maintaining
and exter,ding their rebellion.
Being informed of all their movements, the Gene-
ral was employed, without intent illion, concerning
the means of rendering them abortive ; he fecured
the fidelity of the Spaniards by a jail' and paternal
g.vernment. the garrifon of the place was weak in
troops of the line; the fupply of Novifions
ent ; the want of cant extreme. Hercnt to the Ha-
vannah for fomeFrench troops which were there under'
General laVitearrs ;to the commercial Commitfaries
in the United States for provifions, arms, ammunition;
and money; every where he met with a refufal.
His fituation growing more and more critical, he
fixed upon a refolution ; deprived of troops, he iffued
orders favourable to the people, who in a fhort time
doubled the number of the French militia ; he'made
contra is with the merchants, whom his operations
infpired with Tome confidence, and he obtained that
which was indifpenfably necelfary ; at laft Captain
Bence arrived from France with r,a00,000 francsj
tent him by the Minifter of Mar ine. Meanwhile the
time Was urgent; the General vifited the frontiers;
called out the Spanifh militia, armed one-half of
them with pikes, and the remainder with mufkets ;
repaired the fortifications of the city, and tiled his
exertions to put his approaches in a Itate of defence.
On the loth Ventofi, (March it) the Blacks were only
I a leagues from St. Domingo; an immenfe crowd of
women, children, old men and negroes, flying before
the brigands, had fought fhelter in tlle city. Their
arms were made ufe of to complete the works • they
felled the trees, they cut down the Bananas planta-
tion, they demotillted the fubnrb of St. Ctrlos, where
the enemy might have formed a lodgement. An em.
bargo was laid on dll the merchant fhipping in the port,
On the lath of Yeatoje, the army of the brigands
was only one league diltant from Sint Domingo.—;
Their Chief fent by a Spaniard from the country a
fammons to General FERRAND, demanding the
mediate furrender of the place, with a menace of an
implacable pillage in cafe of refill:al.
To make the troops tenable of the necefray of a
vigorous defence, to leave no hopes of retreat to the
timid, andao convince the Blacks that his intention
was to defend the place with the utmolt obilinacy,
the General fent away every (hip that was in the
port, puttiag on board all ufelefs mouths, and begin-
ning with the old men, the White women and their
children, to the number oiriore than 4bo perfc•ns; but
unfortunately, on leaving the port, they were almolt
all pillaged, and ill-treated by the Et,glifh cruizers, fe-
veral of-which have converted the war into a piracy
difhonourable to their flag and to a pante nation.
General FERRANTI/ next gives a detailed daily ac-
count of the liege. and the numerous forties he made
to inure the Spaniards to war, to convince the enemy
of their attachment, and to teach them to fear the
bravery of a garrifon, which was not fad:lied with
expefting them behind the walls, but went to meet
and to fight them in their entrenchtnents. "This,"
lays M. FIRRAND, mnft have greatly contributed
to cool the enemy's deign of attempting an attack on
the place by main force, which might have become
dangerous, confidering their great numbers. I foe-
seeded completely in this object. My boldnefs im-
pofed upon them, and they were fo intimidated by
it, that, when the Chief propofed to his army an ar.
(Ault, to terminate the whole in a tingle day, he dif-
concerted them fo much by the propofal, that he did
not think proper to infra upon it any longer."
At tail, on the 6th Germinal, (March 27) RearAdmi.
ral Missiassr appeared off the port, with ten (hips of
war and tranfports. General FERRAND availed him-
fell of the opportunity to make a vigorous fin tie, in
which the Blacks were driven from their entrench-
ments, and repulfed into the woods. On the follow-
ing day the French fleet landed their fupplies of men,
provilions, and ammunition, deftined for the befieged
place ; and the Blacks, difheartened, railed the liege.
The General could not purfue them for want of ca-
valry. Every where, in their retreat, they committed
a thoufand atrocities ; their track was marked with
mall-acres and the. They invited the inhabitants with
words of peace, to facrifice them with greater cafe.
The 13th and the preceding days were 'pent in
derlroying the works ereFted by the brigands round
the place. We were now able to judge of the ttrength
of thofe works, and of the altonithing celerity with
which they had completed them. Every gabion was
6 feet high, and at feet in diameter at the bottom ;
may parallel was lined with three gabions behiod one
another, and even with five in the places mutt expo-
fed to the artillery of the befieged.
The Blacks numbered tB,OOO men in arms; their
loft was from 6 to boo men killed, and 12 to tyro
wounded. All the Black and Mulatto Chiefs were
preknt at the liege. Their plan was, if the town had
capitulated, to grant every article.densinJed, with-
out teferve ; but, on once getting infiqe th: gates, to
maffacre every foul without diftinetioi, We hada*
[ killed, and Ili wounded. -
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