The Rising Son; or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored RaceBrown, William Wells
History
The Rising Son; or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored Race
Brown, William Wells
African Americans -- Biography; African Americans -- History; Black race; Slavery -- United States
Twenty thousand fresh troops arrived from France, but they were not
destined to see Le Clerc, for the yellow fever had taken him off. In
the mountains were many barbarous and wild blacks, who had escaped
from slavery soon after being brought from the coast of Africa. One of
these bands of savages were commanded by Lamour de Rance, an adroit,
stern, savage man, half naked, with epaulettes tied to his bare
shoulders for his only token of authority. This man had been brought
from the coast of Africa, and sold as a slave in Port au Prince. On
being ordered one day to saddle his master’s horse, he did so; then
mounted the animal, fled to the mountains, and ever after made these
fearful regions his home. Lamour passed from mountain to mountain with
something of the ease of the birds of his own native land. Toussaint,
Christophe, and Dessalines, had each in their turn pursued him, but in
vain. His mode of fighting was in keeping with his dress. This savage,
united with others like himself, became complete master of the wilds
of St. Domingo. They came forth from their mountain homes, and made
war on the whites wherever they found them. Le Clerc was now dead, and
Rochambeau, who succeeded him in the government of St. Domingo, sent
to Cuba to get bloodhounds, with which to hunt down the blacks in the
mountains.
In personal appearance, Rochambeau was short and stout, with a deformed
body, but of robust constitution; his manner was hard and severe,
though he had a propensity to voluptuousness. He lacked neither ability
nor experience in war. In his youth, he had, under the eyes of his
illustrious father, served the cause of freedom in the United States;
and while on duty in the slave portion of our government, formed a low
idea of the blacks, which followed him even to St. Domingo.
The planters therefore hailed with joy Rochambeau as a successor to Le
Clerc; and when the bloodhounds which he had sent to Cuba for arrived,
cannon were fired, and demonstrations of joy were shown in various ways.
Even the women, wives of the planters, went to the sea-side, met the
animals, and put garlands about their necks, and some kissed and
caressed the dogs.[37]
Such was the degradation of human nature. While the white women
were cheering on the French, who had imported bloodhounds as their
auxiliaries, the black women were using all their powers of persuasion
to rouse the blacks to the combat. Many of these women walked from
camp to camp, and from battalion to battalion, exhibiting their naked
bodies, showing their lacerated and scourged persons;--these were the
marks of slavery, made many years before, but now used for the cause of
human freedom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account