Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-21
BarbarouS Negro War.
HIpp0lyte Getting the Better of Legi-
time in Hayti-Butchery of
Prisoners,
Don't Press Barbarians to the Front
In America.

ST. MARC, Hayti.-Gen. Hippolyta has
just gained a great victory. 1t is the
most important battle that has been
fought In the civil war in Hayti. Battle
is rather misleading word, however, at
the PRESENT instance, for when 800 men
are caught like rats ia trap with their
retreat intercepted and they are then
shot down at leisure with barbarous
cruelty, no quarter being shown, no
prisoners taken and every living soul pat
TO death, outchery seems to be the proper
characterization of the horror.
That was the scene witnessed yester-
day at the little seaport town of Grand
seleine, about twenty-five miles from
here, where detachment of Legitime's
army was comp letely anpihilated. 1t
was about 1880 in. The morning of the 18th
-four days ago-when the distant boom
ingof heavy guns was heard to the north
ward.
Gen. Nontpoint, Hippolyte's secretary
of war and OF the navy, was in command
at st. Marc, dependent on their own re-
sources Go hold the town. With force
outnumbering the Legitime troops two
to one, Hlppolyte's men quietly sur, ound-
ed the town. He had only 800 troops at
hand, but every ran in the town capable
OF bearing arms was summoned. In
scarcely more than an hour the army was
In motion. With the civilian volunteers
it numbered 500. The troops set out at
once for Grandseleine, where they arriv-
ed on the following morning. Mean
while the bombardmeut had continued
from the gunboats in the hRrbor, and the
whole town had been completely destroy
ed and laid in ruins. Many of the in
habitants of the town had been killed or
wounded In the attack, or fled to the
woods when the bombardment began.
After having put the troops ashore the
naval vessels steamed away from Grand
seleine, thus leaving the landing party
without means OF retreat. Then the sol
dlers of the north poured into Grandsel-
cine from all sides. No quarter was
shown. The Legitimists fed, but we're
pursued and shot down like rats. Not
one was spared. Nothing was left to
mark the site of the little town but
smouldering ruins ana heaps of dead and
dying. Meantime the men-of-war had
proceeded to GOnaives. They shelled the
town, but did not do very much damage.
They arrived off st. Marc on the morn
ing of the 9th. At IL a. 10. the Toussaint
L'OVerture opened fire on the town. The
British Steamer Harold was in the harbor,
and several foreigners, and consuls and
some women and children sought refuge
on board of her, under the protection of
the British flag. Many buildings we're
destroyed, two men were killed, a dozen
men, women and children were mortally
wounded and many Others more or less
wounded. Toward nightfall the gunbodts
withdrew. On the 9th the Toussaint
LOgersure suddenly paid st. Marc a visit
and fred about twenty steel shells into
the town. Not much damage was done to
property aud no lives were lost.
There was an engagement on the 20 at
town in the interior called Hiskie.
About 800 men were engaged on both
sides. The northern army came off vic
torious, capturing eighteen prisoners.
Fifteen of these prisoners we're shot inn
medlately and the remaining three were
sent to st Mavc to be put on the rack and
otherwise tortured until they gave infor-
nation as To the movements of Legi-
times troops. Then they were mercifully
shot to end their agonies.