DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0236
206 kirby’s wonderful museum.
of Coisnon, were, it is said, murdered, which had left a
melancholy blank in the family circle.
On a sudden, at midnight, the Creole frigate, supported by
the Hero, a/4gun ship, both dispatched on purpose by Leclerc
from theCape, stood in towards the Calm Beach, near Gonaives.
Boats, with troops, immediately after landed, and surrounded
the house of Toussaint, while he was at rest with the faith-
ful companion of all his cares and dangers. Brunet, a bri-
gadier-general, and Ferrari, aid-de-camp to Leclerc, who
have been both praised in the Moniteur for this honourable
service, entered the chamber of the hero, with a file of grena-
diers, and demanded of him to go, with all his family, on
board the frigate.
The lion was in the toils, and assistance was hopeless,
but Toussaint was still himself ; still dignified, generous,
and feeling. He submitted, as far as concerned his own
fate, without gratifying his base enemies by a murmur; but,
alive to the fears and dangers of his wife and children, he
requested that they might be left at home, and would have
made that the condition of his own compliance. This con-
dition, however, his ruthless oppressors would not grant; for
the destruction of all w’ho were dearest to Toussaint, was
part of their perfidious purpose. An irresistible military
force appeared, and the whole family, including the niece
of a deceased brother, were carried on board the frigate, and
and from thence embarked in the Hero, which proceeded
with them immediately to France.
Our hero’s character was at this period vilely stigmatised
by the first consul, who employed a lying author, Dubroca,
to charge him with murder and hypocrisy, and whose er-
roneous history, entitled, the “ Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture,
Chief of the French Rebels in St. Domingo,” has, to the
disgrace of our language, been translated into English. Jus-
tice is, however, due to a man of Toussaint’s honour and
integrity, whose family were unjustly made prisoners; and yet
of Coisnon, were, it is said, murdered, which had left a
melancholy blank in the family circle.
On a sudden, at midnight, the Creole frigate, supported by
the Hero, a/4gun ship, both dispatched on purpose by Leclerc
from theCape, stood in towards the Calm Beach, near Gonaives.
Boats, with troops, immediately after landed, and surrounded
the house of Toussaint, while he was at rest with the faith-
ful companion of all his cares and dangers. Brunet, a bri-
gadier-general, and Ferrari, aid-de-camp to Leclerc, who
have been both praised in the Moniteur for this honourable
service, entered the chamber of the hero, with a file of grena-
diers, and demanded of him to go, with all his family, on
board the frigate.
The lion was in the toils, and assistance was hopeless,
but Toussaint was still himself ; still dignified, generous,
and feeling. He submitted, as far as concerned his own
fate, without gratifying his base enemies by a murmur; but,
alive to the fears and dangers of his wife and children, he
requested that they might be left at home, and would have
made that the condition of his own compliance. This con-
dition, however, his ruthless oppressors would not grant; for
the destruction of all w’ho were dearest to Toussaint, was
part of their perfidious purpose. An irresistible military
force appeared, and the whole family, including the niece
of a deceased brother, were carried on board the frigate, and
and from thence embarked in the Hero, which proceeded
with them immediately to France.
Our hero’s character was at this period vilely stigmatised
by the first consul, who employed a lying author, Dubroca,
to charge him with murder and hypocrisy, and whose er-
roneous history, entitled, the “ Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture,
Chief of the French Rebels in St. Domingo,” has, to the
disgrace of our language, been translated into English. Jus-
tice is, however, due to a man of Toussaint’s honour and
integrity, whose family were unjustly made prisoners; and yet