page_title: Étienne Maynaud de Bizefranc de Laveaux
section_title: Military leader
hierarchical_section_title: Étienne Maynaud de Bizefranc de Laveaux / Revolutionary period / Military leader
caption_attribution_description: English: in June 1793 the new Governor of Saint-Domingue, François-Thomas Galbaud du Fort, began an insurrection against the French Republic's civil commissioners. During the disturbances parts of the town of Cap-Français were burned.
context_page_description: Étienne Maynaud de Bizefranc de Laveaux was a French general who was Governor of Saint-Domingue from 1793 to 1796 during the French Revolution.
  He ensured that the law that freed the slaves was enforced, and supported the black leader Toussaint Louverture, who later established the independent republic of Haiti.
  After the Bourbon Restoration he was Deputy for Saône-et-Loire from 1820 to 1823.
context_section_description: The French Revolution began in 1789.
  Laveaux was promoted to squadron leader in 1790, and became a general councillor for Saône-et-Loire that year.
  In 1791 he was implicated in a counterfeit money affair, but was cleared of all suspicion and acquitted.
  He arrived in Saint-Domingue on 19 September 1792 with the civil commissioners Léger-Félicité Sonthonax and Étienne Polverel as lieutenant-colonel in command of a detachment of 200 men of the 16th regiment of dragoons.
  The commissioners found that many of the white planters were hostile to the increasingly radical revolutionary movement and were joining the royalist opposition.
  The commissioners announced that they did not intend to abolish slavery, but had come to ensure that free men had equal rights whatever their color.
  In October news arrived that the king had been suspended and France was now a republic.
  Laveaux was placed in charge of the northwest part of the colony, based in Port-de-Paix.
  His commander, General Rochambeau, praised his conduct in taking the fort of Ouanaminthe on the Spanish border in the northeast, which was being held by black slaves in revolt.
  The city of Cap Français (Cap-Haïtien) at this time was in turmoil.
  Some of the troops helped the white settlers restore the slave order in the city, while others, particularly those under Laveaux, supported the civil commissioners and wanted to protect the mulattoes, a prime target of the planters.
  Laveaux was promoted to the command of the Northern province.
  In January 1793 Laveux led a force that included free-colored troops against slave insurgents in the town of Milot and drove them back into the mountains.
  That month Louis XVI was executed in Paris, and in February Spain and Britain declared war on France.
  In May or June 1793 the black rebel leader Toussaint Louverture contacted Laveaux and proposed "avenues of reconciliation", but Laveaux rejected his offer.
  François-Thomas Galbaud du Fort was appointed Governor General of Saint-Domingue  on 6 February 1793 in place of Jean-Jacques d'Esparbes.
  He reached Cap-Français (Cap-Haïtien) on 7 May 1793.
  On 8 May 1793 he wrote a letter to Polvérel and Sonthonax announcing his arrival.
  The commissioners arrived at Cap-Français on 10 June 1793, where they were welcomed by the colored people but received a cold reception from the whites.
  They heard that Galbaud was friendly with the faction that was hostile to the commission, and did not intend to obey them.
  Polvérel and Sonthonax dismissed him on 13 June 1793 and ordered him to embark on the Normande and return to France.
  They made Laveaux acting governor in his place.
  On the 20 June 1793 Galbaud proclaimed that he was resuming office and called for assistance in expelling the civil commissioners.
  He landed at 3:30 p.m. at the head of 3,000 men, who met no resistance at first.
  A confused struggle followed between the sailors and white settlers in support of Galbaud, and European troops, mulattoes and insurgent blacks in support of the commissioners.
  On 21 June 1793 the commissioners proclaimed that all blacks who would fight for them against the Spanish and other enemies would be freed.
  The black insurgents joined the white and mulatto forces and drove the sailors out of the city on 22–23 June.
  Galbaud left with the fleet bound for the United States on 24–25 June.
  Commissioner Sonthonax proclaimed universal freedom on 29 August 1793.
  A month later the first British troops landed in Saint-Domingue, to be welcomed by royalist white planters and troops.
caption: Cap-Français burning during Galbaud's revolt
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