No. V. M. de Sevré. "A trois heures et demi, mon poste avancé placé à la Vigie, Dispatch of a été surpris par une armée au moins de 2,000 brigands, qui avoient avec eux deux pièces de campagne de 4 livres; ils ont entouré dans le même instant le fort et la ville. C'est avec peine que j'ai pu me retirer au fort avec ma garnison, où j'ai supporté une longue fusillade avant d'avoir été en état de riposter. Les brigands avoients tout en leur faveur, ils voyoient le fort, et le dominaient de toutes partes, et comme il ne faisoit pas jour nous ne pouvoins les appercevoir. Le combat duroit depuis deux heures, lorsque deux caissons de poudre, ont pris feu de la grande batterie, et l'ont entierement démontée en faisant sauter les canons dehors du fort. Ce malheureux événement m'a tué où blesse vingt hommes et découragé un instant la garnison, elle s'est remise de suite et a faite un feu violent sur l'ennemi: j'ai alors ordonné à quelques negres de Jean Kiná, de sortir sur le chemin de la rivière; ils ont battu les brigands, et les ont forcé de se retirer dans le hauteurs. 66 Je sui ensuite sorti avec environ 200 hommes negres ou blancs; et j'ai marché du côté de la ville en divisant ma troupe en deux collones, dont j'ai donné le commandement de l'une à M. Philibert, moi à la tête de l'autre; j'ai monté pour les cerner par derriere, et tacher de m'emparer de leurs pieces, mais la premiere collone n'ayant pu monter assez à tems, les brigands ont réussi a emmener leurs canons. "Je n'ai pu faire poursuivre l'ennemi qui fugait, que jusques sur l'habitation Gensae, tant mes hommes étaient fatigués de s'être battu, pendant cinq heurs, sans relâche. No. V. M. de Sevré. "J'ai eu en environ cent hommes victimes du combat, dont trente tués sur la place, et cènt blessés, parmi lesquels il en mour- Dispatch of rut beaucoup; j'estime qu'ils ont au moins 500 hommes hors de combat: cent cinquante ont été trouvés morts sur le champ de battaile; et les chemins, par lesquels ils se sont retires, sont si couverts de sang, qu'ils doivent avoir un nombre tres considérable de blessés. "La troupe Anglaise s'est conduite avec le courage qui la caractérise partout: le Capitaine Hardiman est dignè des plus grands éloges; je suis désespéré que vous me l'enlevicz, il est dificile à remplacer par ces talens et ses vertus. "Aussitôt apres le combat, j'ai ecrit à tous les commandans dans les quartiers de la dépendance pour qu'ils m'envoyent du secours; j'en attends à chaque moment, mais je suis bien renforcé par la presence de la frégate l'Alligator qui est arrivè ce matin. No. VI. Account of M. de Charmilly, Commissioner for the Capitulation with the British. No. VI. (Referring to p. 193, &c.) "the indefatigable De Charmilly." THE distinguished part this gentleman acted during the troubles in his adopted country, and the familiarity of his name to every description of persons concerned in the arrangement between Great Britain and St. Domingo, render some account of him, if not absolutely necessary, at least highly interesting to the reader. We have the power more readily to gratify this inclination, as M. de Charmilly has himself afforded the principal materials for the purpose, which we have translated from the work before quoted, entitled, "Lettre à M. Edwards," &c. "After," says he, "concluding my attendance at the University of Paris, and travelling through a considerable part of Europe, I arrived at St. Domingo in the beginning of the American war. A few months residence in the colony made me acquainted with its importance. Born with an activity hardly to be surpassed, and favoured with a strong constitution, I became desirous to make myself acquainted with the affairs of the island. During a residence at different times of fourteen years, in the full sense of the word I travelled over the whole colony, having been engaged in some important suits, administered to several large estates, and having business of great consequence in every part of the island, which made me acquainted with the principal planters in its various milly. various districts. If you join to that the ambition of becoming No. VI. one of the richest of its inhabitants, you may judge if I was not, Account of more than any other person, in the possession of opportunities of M. de Charinformation respecting the resources of its different provinces, and the advantages of its different manufactures; besides, my knowing personally almost all the officers of its administration, both military and civil; with the generous hospitality of the Creoles, and my independence of every tye. From all these reasons it may be concluded, that scarcely any inhabitant of the colony had a greater opportunity of knowing its affairs than myself. 66 Returning to France at the end of the last war, I was grieved to see the baneful effects of those poisonous principles which the French had imbibed in America. I also saw, with deep concern, the establishment of that philanthropic sect, created first in Philadelphia, and afterwards transplanted to Europe. I then visited England, where I remained a few months; from thence I went to Jamaica, where I also resided some time. Since my return to St. Domingo, having re-established several plantations on my own account, I was under the necessity of acquainting myself with every thing that related to the commercial resources of the colony. I also had, in conjunction with Mr. de Marbois, the arrangement of the affairs of one of the most wealthy contractors of St. Domingo. A long residence at Port-au-Prince and the Cape, enabled me also to judge of every material occurrence that passed in the two principal cities. No. VI. M. de Char "On returning to my plantation, at the moment of the revoAccount of lution, it will not appear surprising that I was nominated a member of the assembly of my parish, afterwards of that of the province where I resided, and, finally, deputy of the general colonial assembly. milly. “From the publication of the Rights of Man, I foresaw, with the most rational and well-informed inhabitants, the misfortunes that awaited the colony. "Residing in the south part of the island, which was in a great measure indebted to the English, and particularly the merchants of Jamaica, for its establishment; and being, also, from frequent visits, perfectly acquainted with England, I happily turned my views towards its government, to ensure the safety of St. Domingo. This sentiment never abandoned me an instant from the first moment of the troubles; I constantly manifested it in my parish, in my province, and in the general assembly at St. Marc, where all my thoughts and actions were continually directed to the means of assuring its success. “The torrent of revolutionary ideas had too much agitated every head, not to force the wisest people to conform to circumstances; and I freely own, that I was one of those who affected to believe in the possibility of an absurd independence; prefering it, for the interests of the island, to the still more absurd idea, of a sugar colony existing with the pretended rights of man. Unfortunately, persons of the greatest influence in St. Domingo, dazzled by the remembrance of the great commercial advantages derived, during the American war, from their increasing trade |